The Sphinx's Lair

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oAlt

01:48

Could this be an &lit where the definition is the main character of a play? But that implies that a word for "play" forms part of the first name of the character which seems impossible at first glance but I'm not gonna discard the theory for now

5 hours later…

msh210

07:06

I'm thinking there may be a play called Safety First or Silver Chief or the like… haven't found any such though. (There is a play called safety touch, but afaict "principal" can't clue "touch".)

There's a principal named George Feeny, so if just get together and write a play by that name we'll have it.

Act I. Scene i. George enters from stage right.

Daniel S

07:35

@msh210 The scene is a bank office; seated behind a desk is the bank manager.

Manager: AH good to see you George, I need you to act as part of a loan not including interest.

1 hour later…

msh210

08:44

George: I'll be glad to appoint an agent to do so.

Daniel S

09:00

Headteacher characters in plays: Dr. Frobisher (The Browning Version), Miss Gibson (Daisy Pulls it Off), Felix Armstrong (History boys), Emmeline Mackay (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie)

4 hours later…

Sphinx

12:33

Q: stuck at robozzle 1251

can anyone help me solve this robozzle ? called bigPlus id 1251 http://www.robozzle.com/puzzle.aspx?id=1251

algorithm

2 hours later…

oAlt

14:49

@msh210 about this, I'm also looking at other 6-letter words that can be abbreviated to S... maybe we'll get something hopefully

MW: series, second, senate, signor, sulfur
Collins: Sweden, school, safety, Seaman, Sunday, single, serine, signed, silver, Fellow

for what it's worth

(ofc some are less likely than others)

Looks like I'll spend another hour in Wikipedia

btw that list isn't exhaustive since none of the two listed "spades"

oAlt

15:22

I give up for now

2 hours later…

GentlePurpleRain

16:55

@juicifer Not sure if just a cryptic definition is acceptable as a cryptic clue, (i.e. no wordplay), but this could be DOLLAR BUCKS (ala Bluey), which is the "money" they used when playing (play's principal).

juicifer

@GentlePurpleRain I don't know that I've seen a c4 that was a lone cryptic definition, and I doubt I would post one

regardless DOLLAR BUCKS is not the intended solution

GentlePurpleRain

17:44

@juicifer Perhaps not in C4s specifically, but it seems these are relatively common, at least in UK-style cryptics: theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2021/mar/15/…

1 hour later…

juicifer

18:46

@GentlePurpleRain yeah it's not that it couldn't happen, I just don't think it's very common round these parts

Sphinx

19:03

Q: My first puzzle combination: A Nonogram and Hidato

Today's puzzle is a bit strange. Why, you might ask? Because it is a Nonogram and a Hidato combined! Rules of Nonogram: The grid must be colored or left blank according to numbers at the side of the grid to reveal a hidden pixel art-like picture. Rules of Hidato: To fill the grid with a series...