moan: What's with the Guardian Crossword!




Whats with the Guardian crossword compilers - why have they started allowing complete nonsense to start
being part of the cryptic crossword?

I am collating many examples of the kind of clue that gives a solution that is neither clever or logica - and will be filling in this blog with these in the next few days.l

And to state succintly the Laws of Cryptic Crosswords ;

1.Every clue must offer two routes to the solution word, including at least one straight definition.
2.There are no extraneous words in the clues.
3.“The clue writer may not mean what he says, but he must always say what he means.”

Lets start with Araucaria..

Executed agitator keeping revolutionary Western idol (6,3) = SACRED COW
How workers in two shifts smile crookedly at one on river quiz (3,5,2,2,1,11) = WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE



It becomes us all and, ungrammatically, on the contrary(4) = DUST
No further charge on the Blaydon Races? (4) NETT
Actor in boot? (4) TREE
Relating to a branch that causes alarm (5) RAMAL
Universities now (4) CATS
Reportedly on good terms with urban horticulturalists (6) WELWYN
Important suit state sector’s half ruined (4,4) TEST CASE
Drippy bath, yah (anag) - joyful anniversary (5,8)
Clue: Mole takes snack next to river. Solution: Pier
Coffee order sent back for alternative? (5) MOCHA
load of rubbish by ‘omo sapiens? He plays a part (6,7) DUSTIN HOFFMAN
Way to be brought up in life, failing inward reference (6) ITSELF
Boss to get a grip? (4) STUD

build the blog and they will come ... The Grauniad now has Hugh Stephenson columninisng on 'how to solve (Guardian) crosswords - Mondays Feb 20th article was right up my blog ~
critiscism of unfair cryptic clues (not sticking to Ximenes) ;
Friend in much trouble (4)) ~ CHUM - 'trouble' doesnt infer to clue 'much'
stick duck in boat (5) is unfair as CANE ('duck' isnt put in word 'boat')
and one by Paul - three clues included city (11) ~sol = SUNDERLAND 's under land' giving three solutions "franceS' 'Malised' 'Peruse' - as Stephenson - squeals of pain over that one!



so if you have any examples of ridiculous cryptic crossword clues appearing nowadays in The Guardian then please do add them

.. May be we can start a campaign to pressure the Guardian into doing something about the crap compilers that have started using!

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