The Sphinx's Lair

5:13 AM

Early C4 hint: The most likely place where you'll see the answer is right here in PSE.

6:01 AM

hmm, "ring" can sometimes clue O (because it looks like one), and AL< is the city of angels lifted up... could "not one man in" somehow make T?

don't see how though

6:37 AM

@Jafe getting closer :D

Q: Can someone assist with this sequence … 123456789101112131516171820?

7:04 AM

123456789101112131516171820 Require the missing #

3 hours later…

9:50 AM

@Jafe @oAlt You might be able to make oAlt from O (Ring) + [T(-he) LA]<

Def=Composer, of course

('he' is clued by 'one man')

10:17 AM

@Stiv correct!

I'm not sure which parsing's better though: [not] [one man] or [not one] [man]?

I'd go with the first but I suspect there's little in it ultimately

I see

Anyway, I don't know who to pass the C4 baton to tbh... I feel tempted to give it to Stiv

But I'll wait for what Jafe thinks

Q: ALRIGHT, time for some integers in a grid!

10:49 AM

What's the answer to this puzzle?

knowledge enigmatic-puzzle visual

11:00 AM

ah, nice! i agree that stiv deserves it :p

is it called "the" LA with the article? i thought it was generally just LA

AncientSwordRage

@Jafe I think the the and the LA are separate components

^ Ditto

^ Now don't you go misusing that one on the starboard!

11:18 AM

@AncientSwordRage yup

@Stiv hehe

@Jafe :000 @Stiv (tagging just to be explicit about it) it's your turn :DD

11:55 AM

Noted, thanks :)

@AncientSwordRage aaa i see, thanks!

12:10 PM

Probably just needed another '+' in my wordplay explanation, like O (Ring) + [T(-he)+LA]<

once again couldn't get around to finishing the crossword i've been working on so i started a couple of new ones... the madness never ends

12:28 PM

^ same... And I couldn't finish the new crosswords I started either oh boy

logical-deduction enigmatic-puzzle grid-deduction letters reverse-puzzling

12:54 PM

Q: Another pseudo-IQ question

This puzzle is part of the Monthly Topic Challenge #2: IQ Puzzle Parody People keep asking me if there's anything between me and my good friend Ingrid Deduction... Well, it's... complicated... We go back a long way, and maybe at one point something could have happened between us, but there was o...

1:12 PM

@Sphinx literally my first time knowing that there was a "letters" tag lol

hah, i should clearly retag all my "letter from gladys" puzzles with [letters]

Lolll

CCCC: Vessel docked in Colombo - a trawler? (4)

Come on Stiv. You can do better than that!

Not when I really need to work!

1:22 PM

I feel seen....

That's why I'm not answering. I don't have the time to come up with the next round.

@Stiv BOAT substring :)

@oAlt Indeed :)

CCCC: Some guy who's European (British) showers; I can't focus! (9)

may i suggest investing in a curtain

1:58 PM

i know right

2:48 PM

@oAlt UK+RAIN+I+(-c)AN(-t)

Nice clue!

@Ankoganit correct, and thanks :DD

CCCC: Country song entertains people (7)

@Ankoganit ARIA entertaining MEN = ARMENIA :D

@oAlt correct of course:)

@Ankoganit What clues the -c -t? I just don't see it.

3:03 PM

@ChrisCudmore focus means center, so "can't focus" is center of "can't"

Alright.

yeah, center of activity/attraction/attention or center of earthquake, and so i carried over that meaning into the wordplay

Anyway I got inspired by HTM and am looking for a recent puzzle's title which I can partially/fully integrate into a cryptic clue

(hence the delay for the C4)

Q: Shortest Algorithm to flip 2 edges

3:24 PM

I'm looking for the shortest algorithm to flip 2 edges without rearranging any other pieces location or orientation. For example, flipping the Top-Front edge and the Top-Right edge. My current best is 12 turns, but would like to learn better if someone can share it. Thank you.

optimization rubiks-cube

Q: My brother's annoyingly clever message

3:49 PM

My brother James sent me this message: "You know Austin, I know what Mom likes and does not. Figure it out if you can!"

riddle visual

Q: Shortest algorithm for rotate 2 corners

I'm looking for the shortest algorithm to rotate 2 corners without rearranging any other pieces location or orientation. For example, turning the Top-Front-Right corner clockwise and the Top-Front-Left corner counter-clockwise. My current best is 16 turns, but would like to learn better if someon...

optimization rubiks-cube

4:35 PM

CCCC: One receives tips from developer, having originally used shortest algorithm necessary to getting 2 edges flipped in cube? (3, 8)

(I'll l be sleeping soon so if ever I'll only be able to confirm in about 8 hours)

4:57 PM

@oAlt Great clue! ONE THOUSAND (cube) = ONE + D_ H_ O_ U_ S_ A_ N_ T_ with the two 'edges' (i.e. D_ and T_) exchanged!

yerV ereativc

juicifer

great clue indeed

G_as_in_Gnome

5:44 PM

Ditto the above two, wonderful clue

Also, you all are so fast at solving these cryptics 😂 I feel like i'm lost half the time haha

@G_as_in_Gnome Part of it is getting used to how people think here. Even in the newspaper Cryptics, you get used to a certain style.

G_as_in_Gnome

@ChrisCudmore makes sense, I'm super new to cryptics as well, been watching a couple solves on youtube, and that's basically been my entire experience

1 hour later…

7:04 PM

Now that my puzzle has been (neatly) solved, @Jafe : When you posted your first MTC question this month, I was like 'gargh, ours are very similar; I know, I'll wait a bit and then post after a little while...' Then you posted your second...

How were BOTH of yours so similar to specific mechanisms in mine?! Haha! :)

(Both excellent puzzles, by the way - very deserving of all the upvotes coming in...)

4 hours later…