XWord Muggles Forum

Got a good laugh from the of Head of Parliament answer in today’s WSJ crossword. Might be one of my favorites.

Anyone else have a memorable clue & answer combo that has stuck with them?

My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

I need the number of letters to attempt this...please

Eight.

Hector wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 5:49 pmEight.

Well, I really thought that would help me a lot but somehow I am finding this really hard to chip away at without the context of the whole puzzle. I guess that makes sense for me because I'm just a dabbler at the cryptics. I love doing them and getting all those Aha! moments, but I really have to work hard at them and don't get to do them all that often. But I haven't given up yet (although I'm a bit skeptical since it is one of Al's favorite clues); just taking a break and will get back to it probably on Sunday.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:45 am My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

Got it! Love it!

Wow! What a clue! I’ve never tried cryptics before either.

This one has me stumped.

Got it. Love the cryptics!!! I'm a huge HEX fan, and can't get enough of their puzzles.

I got it, too! Maybe there’s hope for me and cryptics. Will try the WSJ Saturday puzzle (a cryptic this week).

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:45 am My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

Got it!! Love it!! I am a big HEX fan but don't remember this one. Thank you for posting! I'm still hanging with Isaac on this week's contest. Maybe this solve will be the confidence boost I need to get me to that solution.

KayW wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2019 4:43 pm

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:45 am My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

Got it!! Love it!! I am a big HEX fan but don't remember this one. Thank you for posting! I'm still hanging with Isaac on this week's contest. Maybe this solve will be the confidence boost I need to get me to that solution.

Actually, I just remembered it as follows, "Solid debut of Holmes: 'A Study in Scarlet' (8)." As an avid Sherlock fan and collector, I was even more impressed, since that was the first Sherlock Holmes story.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2019 4:49 pm

KayW wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2019 4:43 pm

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:45 am My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

Got it!! Love it!! I am a big HEX fan but don't remember this one. Thank you for posting! I'm still hanging with Isaac on this week's contest. Maybe this solve will be the confidence boost I need to get me to that solution.

Actually, I just remembered it as follows, "Solid debut of Holmes: 'A Study in Scarlet' (8)." As an avid Sherlock fan and collector, I was even more impressed, since that was the first Sherlock Holmes story.

Finally got it. Thanks AL. That was fun. No on to this week's cryptic puzzle.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:45 am My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

OK, I give up. The answer is?

Tom Shea wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2019 7:08 am

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:45 am My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

OK, I give up. The answer is?

Check your PMs.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2019 4:49 pm

Actually, I just remembered it as follows, "Solid debut of Holmes: 'A Study in Scarlet' (8)." As an avid Sherlock fan and collector, I was even more impressed, since that was the first Sherlock Holmes story.

I just got back to this today. Still haven't gotten it but haven't given up.......yet. I'm no cryptic expert, by any means; the clues make me think so hard my head hurts. I can only think about them a few minutes at a time and hope that my subconscious does the work for me so that when I look at it again, the answer is clearer to me. It didn't work this time

Inca wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 8:01 am

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2019 4:49 pm

Actually, I just remembered it as follows, "Solid debut of Holmes: 'A Study in Scarlet' (8)." As an avid Sherlock fan and collector, I was even more impressed, since that was the first Sherlock Holmes story.

I just got back to this today. Still haven't gotten it but haven't given up.......yet. I'm no cryptic expert, by any means; the clues make me think so hard my head hurts. I can only think about them a few minutes at a time and hope that my subconscious does the work for me so that when I look at it again, the answer is clearer to me. It didn't work this time

Ouch! Didn't mean to make anyone suffer... I will say this though: Cryptics, more than anything else, taught me how to think outside the box; to say "never mind the obvious... what *else* can this word mean?" So let me know when you want the answer.

Hector wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2019 1:30 pm

Tom Shea wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2019 7:08 am

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:45 am My favorite has always been this one from a cryptic crossword (i'm omitting the answer in case someone wants to give it a shot):

Set start for Holmes with A Study in Scarlet

OK, I give up. The answer is?

Check your PMs.

Thanks. This is why I don't do cryptics. Must have something to do with being and engineer...

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 8:44 am

Inca wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 8:01 am

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2019 4:49 pm

Actually, I just remembered it as follows, "Solid debut of Holmes: 'A Study in Scarlet' (8)." As an avid Sherlock fan and collector, I was even more impressed, since that was the first Sherlock Holmes story.

I just got back to this today. Still haven't gotten it but haven't given up.......yet. I'm no cryptic expert, by any means; the clues make me think so hard my head hurts. I can only think about them a few minutes at a time and hope that my subconscious does the work for me so that when I look at it again, the answer is clearer to me. It didn't work this time

Ouch! Didn't mean to make anyone suffer... I will say this though: Cryptics, more than anything else, taught me how to think outside the box; to say "never mind the obvious... what *else* can this word mean?" So let me know when you want the answer.

<Crying, "Uncle!"> Ready for that answer. Please message me. Thanks

I really liked this pair in the LA Times Sunday crossword yesterday, "Abracadabra" by Kevin Salat. It doesn't really work as a "guess the answer from the clue," so I ROT13-ed both the clues and answers to try to avoid spoilers if you're planning to do that puzzle (go to rot13.com to translate):

1Q Snpgf naq svtherf - VASB
40Q Vasb va guvf chmmyr? - BARQBJA

Laura M wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2019 1:29 pm I really liked this pair in the LA Times Sunday crossword yesterday, "Abracadabra" by Kevin Salat. It doesn't really work as a "guess the answer from the clue," so I ROT13-ed both the clues and answers to try to avoid spoilers if you're planning to do that puzzle (go to rot13.com to translate):

1Q Snpgf naq svtherf - VASB
40Q Vasb va guvf chmmyr? - BARQBJA

I did this puzzle in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday - I got a chuckle out of it too. And thank you for introducing me to ROT13! That's a great way to avoid spoilers.