New edition of clue challenge: a set of eight cryptic clues with tricky parsing is given below. The answers are provided. Can you work out how the clue leads to the answer? Post the annotated answers in the comments section.
Update (1st November 2012): Annotations added.
1. FT 14029 (Loroso): Self-interest soon overcome by effect of growing up (8) EGOMANIA
Annotation:IN A MO (soon) in AGE (effect of growing), all reversed i.e. up; definition: self-interest.
2. Times 25243: I felt that leaving guy was deflating (4) FELL
Annotation:OW (I felt that – exclamation of pain!) deleted from i.e. leaving FELLOW (guy); definition: was deflating. See Invisible Interjections for more examples of wordplay with disguised exclamation.'Fell' = 'was deflating' in the sense of subsiding/dropping in height e.g. a soufflĂ© falls/deflates after being taken out of the oven.
3. Sunday Times 4506 (Dean Mayer): Small amount of liquid I spit (5) CLONE
Annotation:CL (small amount of liquid – centilitre) ONE (I); definition: spit. 'Spit' = 'spitting image' or 'clone', as in the phrase 'the very spit of'.
4. Independent 8113 (Quixote): It’s a popular one with cruciverbalists! (5) DRINK
Annotation:Cryptic definition – 'it' is Italian Vermouth, a cryptic abbreviation popularly used in crosswords.
5. FT 14142 (Alberich): Without coat, appear to be cold in store (4) HIVE
Annotation:SHIVER (appear to be cold) without coat i.e. without the letters on its edges; definition: store.
6. Guardian 25770 (Paul): Animal ending in both two corners? (8) HEDGEHOG
Annotation:[bot]H + EDGE (corner 1: the meeting of two lines) HOG (corner 2: to gain control of) ; definition: animal.
7. Times 25263: Upset, much the worse for wear, one’s out for the count (4) GRAF
Annotation:Reversal of FAR GONE (much the worse for wear) - ONE; definition: count (in Germany).
8. Times 25299: A note put out describing perhaps his scheme as crazy (2,7,6) ON ANOTHER PLANET
Annotation:(A NOTE)* around NOT HER PLAN (perhaps his scheme); definition: crazy.
Visit our past clue annotation challenges: I, II, III, IV and V.
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14 comments
Thanks Shuchi!
2. FELL(OW) - ow = I felt that!
3. CL + ONE - but how can spit=clone?
5. (S)HIVE(R) - SHIVER without its coat
6. botH + EDGE + HOG - two synonyms for corner
8. I can see NOTE* around ANOTHER PLAN but can't see what happens to the A a the start of the clue or how his scheme = ANOTHER PLAN
((IN A MO) in AGE)<
FELL (OW)
CL + ONE
IT = Vermouth
(S)HIVE(R)
H + EDGE + HOG
FAR G(ONE)<
NOT HER PLAN in ANOTE*
Without coat, appear to be cold in store (4) HIVE
Anno: SHIVER - appear to be cold.
remove S and R (without coat) = HIVE (store)
1. IN A MO' (soon) inside AGE (effect of growing up) all reversed
2. FELLOW minus OW (I felt that!)
3 C (small amount) L (liquid) ONE (i)
4. Drink is often defined as IT (Italian Vermouth I think?!) by cruciverbalists!
I was able to get one-
3. Sunday Times 4506 (Dean Mayer): Small amount of liquid I spit (5) CLONE
Def.- spit (copy)-CLONE
Small amount of liquid-CL-Centilitre
I- one
1. in a mo (soon) inside age (effect of growing up) all reversed.
2. I felt that = ow removed from Fellow
3. Small amount of liquid = Cl (centilitre) + one. Spit= Clone as in 'spitting image'.
4. IT = Italian Vermouth. Popular clueing device in crosswords
5. sHIVEr
6. Ending in both= H. Corner = Edge. Corner = Hog (eg Corner/hog the market)
7. Far gone (worse for wear) minus 'one' reversed (upset) Count= Graf
8. Anagram of 'a note' with Her (=not his) plan (scheme) inserted
1. EGOMANIA: A[IN A MO]GE <-
2. FELL: FELL- OW
3. CLONE: C.L ONE CL= Centilitre. ONE: 1
4. Independent 8113 (Quixote): It’s a popular one with cruciverbalists! (5) DRINK
5. HIVE: -SHIVE-R
6. HEDGEHOG: H EDGE HOG. -bot(H). Edge & Hog: corner
7. Times 25263: Upset, much the worse for wear, one’s out for the count (4) GRAF
8. ON ANOTHER PLANET: ON,A(NOT HER),(PLAN)ET*
A, NOTE*: Anagram. HIS SCHEME ~ NOT HER PLAN
4. DRINK: IT's: IT IS: It. Vermouth.
7. Times 25263: Upset, much the worse for wear, one’s out for the count (4) GRAF : FAR-G(ONE) <-
(Devious, as we are used to I as ONE)
5. FT 14142 (Alberich): Without coat, appear to be cold in store (4) HIVE
Can it be:
Appear to be cold- SHIVER
Without coat- HIVE
Store- Definition
tlyfeeitatday 3I didn't solve any of these crosswords.
Self-interest soon overcome by effect of growing up
(8) EGOMANIA
Self-interest - def
soon - IN A MO (i.e., in a moment)
overcome by - c/c ind
effect of growing - AGE
up - rev ind to reverse A(IN A MO)GE
(Rev. of AINAMOGE gives the solution)
___
Small amount of liquid I spit (5) CLONE
Small amount of liquid - CL (from centilitre)
I - 1 - ONE
spit - def (as in 'spit image')
___
Animal ending in both two corners? (8) HEDGEHOG
Animal - def
ending in both - H
two corners? - EDGE, HOG (I think the second word is from 'curling')
___
Upset, much the worse for wear, one’s out for the count (4) GRAF
Upset, - rev ind
much the worse for wear, - FAR GONE
one’s out - del ind to delete ONE
for the - link
count - def
(Solution is got by reversing FARG[-one]
___
Without coat, appear to be cold in store (4) HIVE
Without coat, - del ind to remove the opening and closing letters of
appear to be cold - SHIVER
in - link
store - def
(Solution is derived by deletion of end letters in sHIVEr)
___
A note put out describing perhaps his scheme as crazy (2,7,6) ON ANOTHER PLANET
A note - anag fodder
put out - anag ind; we get the letters ON A ET
describing perhaps his scheme - NOT HER PLAN
as - link
crazy - def
***This is the best that I can do. I am not quite sure where the c/c ind is.
___
It’s a popular one with cruciverbalists! (5) DRINK
It - def (for Italian vermouth)
’s - link
a popular one with cruciverbalists! - I think he reference is to a graphic software
___
There is one more; it is not yielding still. Will come backa fter the usual loadshedding which will come any moment now.
As for the remaining one:
I felt that leaving guy was deflating (4) FELL
Thank God, you've given the answer and are only
asking us to say how it is derived. I don't think I would
have ever solved this clue cold or even with one or
two crossings.
All the others were challenging but with some thought
I could get the justification.
This one doesn't yield itself easily.
We have the clue; we have the answer. Let's look at it
closely.
I felt that leaving guy was deflating (4)
We know that the definition is at one end of the clue.
"I" or "I felt" does not seem to be the candidate. So
"deflating" or "was deflating" should be the def.
Ah, "leaving" suggests that there is a delete operation.
Oh yes, "guy" must be the del fodder. Guy? Rope?
Chap? Man? Bloke? Fellow? The last one is promising
in that it's a little longer than all the others and seems
to be one that can lose some letters as well as remain
substantive.
Let's take a relook at the def. "Was deflating".
Humbled? Punctured? Diminshed? Lessened? Oh my,
I am wasting my time. Doesn't the answer word have
just four letters? So -
Downed? No! Fell?
What is deleted from FELLOW to get FELL? OW!
Now let's see how OW fits in.
(Moments elapse)
I give up!
I don't like the clue! FELL is the answer when 'felt' is part of the clue?
"Was deflating" giving FELL? I don't know grammar but I am not sure if this is a correct equation.
I don't like the clue.
Small amount of liquid I spit (5) CLONE
Small amount of liquid = Centilitre = CL
I = one
Spit = Defn ( Alike )
Without coat, appear to be cold in store (4) HIVE
appear to be cold = SHIVER
Without Coat = {-S}HIVE{-R}
Store = Defn = Hive
Updated the post with annotations. Thanks everyone for playing along.
@dram: #8 looks simple once the parsing is shown, doesn't it? Congrats for getting OW = I felt that, I found it the trickiest of the lot.
@Qix, @justinwestcork: Clean sweep. *applause*
@Meherish Devaki, @sreelakshmi, @RameshJ, @Padmanabhan: Well parsed.
@aclueaday: Nice work - and Italian Vermouth it is.
@@raghunath: Devious, as we are used to I as ONE - indeed.
@Chaturvasi: Loved your close look at the FELL clue. I hope the annotation (now added to the main post) makes you dislike it a bit less!
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