A very happy birthday to Roger Squires aka Rufus/Dante, one of the best-loved crossword setters in the world. There's a nice profile of him up on the Guardian blog today, a special cryptic crossword by Enigmatist in the Guardian [25565] and many glowing tributes written for him on fifteensquared. Do check them out.
And if you haven't yet, read Roger's interview on Crossword Unclued – the most visited post on my blog in 2011.
Here's a selection of 10 superbly crafted clues by the inimitable setter. Enjoy solving.
1. News rooms (8) Q_______
2. Well-fed, he is round in form (9) N_______
3. Loaf around for a while? (5,5) S____ ____D
4. Physical training instructor (6) M_____
5. Still to come or already gone? (4) L___
6. Father is up and about (4) S___
7. Asian playing solitaire, but not having to? (7) I______
8. Gay Lib - the organisation (6) B_____
9. Lincoln died sleeping? Apparently so (4) A___
10. Out of sight, out of mind (5,3,4) R____ ___ ___D
Update: More birthday posts for Roger Squires – a special puzzle on Big Dave's blog and an interview by Alan Connor.
Related Posts:
- Cryptic Definitions, Double Definitions and D&CD Clues
- Double…No, Duplicate Definitions
- Differentiating Between CD and &Lit Clues
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20 comments
Still to come or already gone? (4)
Late?
LATE is right, a double-definition.
News rooms: Quarters? rooms being def, and NEWS standing for the four quarters
Well fed.... straightforward anagram I believe, as also Gay Lib...
Loved the Asian playing solitaire... I make this out to be Israeli
Hi Bhala, Right on all counts.
I loved #7 too, very nicely done deletion from anagram fodder.
6.SI<RE
9.A BED
No other offerings, so just to progress this further:
#6 SIRE
#10 ROUND THE BEND
#9 ABED?
I am not sure about 3 and 4
Well solved Sumitra and Bhala.
9. The parsing is ABE (Lincoln) + D (died)
Hints for the remaining ones: #3 is a cryptic definition, #4 a double definition.
#3 I am guessing this is SHORT LIVED
#4 MASTER? but no I don't get it!
#3 S____ B___D
#4 M____L
oh oh #4 MANUAL -- grey cell fatigue!
Let me reflect on #3 and come back
4.MANUAL[dd]
3.SHORT BREAD?
I had thought of SHORT BREAD earlier, but discarded because for one I thought it is either a single word or hyphenated, and secondly in parsing, one can get the 2 components, but where is the def?
Perhaps Shuchi will throw some light
Nearly there :)
S____ BREAD
Tantalising but I'm not biting -- being mildly hung over could be my excuse. Not able to use my loaf, please rescue
Giving it out...
STALE BREAD.
Weighing in late, but I would like to thank Rufus for his excellent offerings and wish him all the very best.
One of my favorite chuckle inducing clues, think this is Rufus's clue from memory,
Two girls, one on each knee (7)
Give only the first-letter constraint, wouldn't LEFT also fit "Still to come or already gone? (4)"?
Hi Navneeth, That's a fair point. LEFT fits well too...didn't strike me when solving. Good choice for grid-fill in a puzzle like the NYT Election Day one!
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