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Obscure vault 99 (7)
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It's the cryptic crossword discussion game. Tease each other with clues, help each other with the dailies, educate the beginners, whatever.
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Speedy Frenchy Money.
Quick Argent.
Quicksilver.

Betsy = Elizabeth
Elizabeth = Queen
->Freddie Mercury.

aaaargh !
Kayl - that is a really bad clue. So the answer isn't really in the clue. I hate that. Wherever did you find that one > ?
An utterly evil friend gave it to me, he swares it's from an American magazine.
I've been trying some of these at thinks.com... ouch ouch ouch. If anyone knows a site with some beginner-level puzzles, I'd appreciate it. :)
Anyway, this one stumped me: React badly when embraced by one scientist or another (14) -- the answer is BACTERIOLOGIST... the definition makes sense, and I understand 'react badly', but how does the rest of it fit?
Oh... I get it now. d'oh.
Throw away food in error
Answer: CHUCK OUT (or at least, -H-C- OUT). But why?
US slang
The OED's 5th definition of "chuck" is food. And if you're 'out' you might have made an error, I guess.
MF
Chuck = 'throw': Out = 'away': 'Chuck = 'food'(e.g. chuck wagon): Out = 'error' (e.g. misalignment) - Looks like a double bubble at a guess?
Don't think so; just 'chuck out' = 'throw away' (single, definitional clue).
Least favourite type of clue, again
Courtesy of the Everyman: Famous Soviet skater in bar accompanied by girl (7). I have R_D_I_A (where the last A might be dubious). Bloody girls' names again. There are, after all, only about three of them...
icing
Yeah rab - we thought it was RODNINA - the first name of a well-known Soviet ice dancer [maybe figure skater] - I think her surname was Tereskova [Sp?]. As you can see, the breakdown of the clue is fairly straightforward.
So over to News Review instead
"Oil is in lots of shiny metal" C-R-S-M (I'm thinking "Chrysom", but I'm not sure)
[Chalky] I have to say Soviet skaters are not my specialist subject, and Google wasn't being very helpful. I'm of the opinion that crosswords should revolve purely around language, rather than "general knowledge" but I seem to be alone in this.
Famous Soviets
rab] the answer is RODNINA as Chalky says, but it is her surname (Irina Rodnina -3 times olympic Gold Figure Skating) as observed : ROD = bar, NINA = girl.
MF] Answer CHRISOM. lots of shiny metal = chrome (less the E - "lots but not all?") IS is in it. Chrisom is a sacramental oil.
Yup, looks good to me :)
Well, I'd got the rod and thought of 'Tina' but it didn't cross my mind also to consider 'Nina'...
more clues
please :o)
Hokey
[st d] I shall try and think some up later.
Duck coop? (5)
Famous soviets
Thanks st d for Rodnina. However, I don't agree with your definition of CHRISOM. this means the white robe used at baptism. the oil is spelt CHRISM.
[Hugo Rune] DODGE? Double definition, but I'm not quite sure of the connection with "coop".
[Raak] On the right lines...
Rodnina
Grateful thanks for this - I'd hunted high and low for it. Everyman 2981 just makes the post as a result and maintains my record of managing to enter every one for the past couple of years (without a sniff of a prize yet, but that's not important). I thought 2981 easy apart from this damn Soviet skater clue. Your website added to my favourites. 21/11/03.
*blushes*
Wow!
In which case...
...we ought to up the pace of this game a bit... Let's see if I can home-grow a few clues while I have a wee break.
Here's some:
Two-foot tree? (6)
Precisely what a madam might say after intrusion. (4,2)
Closely watch Mr French atop a hill. (7)
(4,2) Bang On ?! [are you making these up or is that from Private Eye ? I find it helps to know where the clue comes form as well - eg if it is Araucaria that makes a big difference to the Telegraph on a Monday]
Two out of three ain't bad.
Haven't peeped in here for ages !
[Rabs clues] Not sure about the tree - but I reckon (2) is BANG ON and I'm pretty sure that (3) is MONITOR.
AH sim'd with st.d who agrees with me on No.2
Upmaking
[st d] They're my own creation, and you're bang on with that one.

[Blob] Both correct. Congrats.

Here are another three to be going on with ...
a) Stories of feet ? (7)
b) Gold deer managed church. Allow beforehand ? The opposite ! (3,2,9)
c) Ring first - ring around by Jove ! (8)
Is b) LET OR HINDRANCE... I think not cos I haven't managed to work the deer in...
[rab] The two-foot tree - PAWPAW?
HIND
Its a reference to The Goilden Hind I do believe and a very tortuous one at that. Well I have a pretty rubbish one that isn't quite right but I reckon could be gotten away iwth in an iffy puzzle :-
Digitally enhance fringes (7)
and two old favorites from the guardian :-
HIJKLMNO (5)
They meet for lunch (5)[_ _ _ T _]
Paws for thought
[Hugo Rune] Yes!
[st d] Please explain the Golden Hind reference.
Fingered by the fuzz
[st d] Your first is FINGERS. As you say, iffy, because the definition defines a different part of speech.
Golden Hind
Not quite Golden Hind. Gold = Or, Giving Or hind ran CE the rest is obvious of course. What about (a) and (c) I thought (a) was particularly straightforward.
[st d] Hah, like the alphabet soup. That'd be WATER, then. My duck coop was FENCE, incidentally.
rab
"digitally touches up fringes"? oh i give up. Its crap anyway. :o)
H2O Bang on!
blob] is it your go in chess ?
Nothing!
How DO you blank out bits of these messages? Or is there a webmaster with an mouse-controlled blue pencil? E2982 complete: are they getting easier?
Blankety-blank
[Jon] It seems so - dictionary required only for one clue this week.

Meanwhile if you want to hide some text you do <font color="white">X marks the spot, ah-ha me hearties</font> like this. If I was clever, I'd find a way to make it easier for you all.

Blank thoughts
[rab] Highjack some little-used HTML tag (strikethrough, maybe?) and jigger it in a stylesheet?
Blankety-blank
which doesn't work if you spell colour colour...
Blankety-blank
Youreallyshouldn'thavetoldmethat!
They Meet for Lunch (5)
is TEETH. I liked it anyway. :o)
Still to do
No-one's had a go at
a) Stories of feet ? (7)
or
c) Ring first - ring around by Jove ! (8)
yet.

[std] re Chess: I'll have a look

Not sure about those
...but the latest Eye is eluding me. Remaining are Time Out's opener on Heath: "Bore" (5) [T_T_D, which leads me to think it's T+O+TED, but none of the meanings of tote correspond with bore, as far as I can see] and Garland on "Learning to be a siren" (7) [L_R_L_I - absolutely no ideas here, although I'm wondering if siren is meant in its ghostly context].
The second must be LORELEI, from the letters. Ok, it works as Learning=LORE, garland=LEI (Hawaiian), siren=LORELEI.
He speaks to the moon, in song. (8)
My suitor left me to become a cobbler. (5)
[Raak] Thanks.
"Bore"
[rab] You're right - "toted" = "carried" = "bore".
Cunning
[Wol] A-ha! Was being too holey in my thought processes...
holeyer than thou
[rab] Bless you my child - for that, thy sins are forgiven thee ...
Helping hand ...
a) Stories of feet ? (7) * E * E * D *
and
c) Ring first - ring around by Jove ! (8) C * * L * S * *
[Blob] (a) LEG ENDS.
(c) CALLISTO - CALL (ring) IST (first) O (ring) satellite of Jupiter (around by Jove).
*ting* *ting*
[Raak] Spot on. Not that convoluted were they ?
Are there any left to be got?
Raak's?
Ah. Can't do them.
Hints required?
The first is O _ _ _ _ _ _ _, the second is a moderately obscure word borrowed from Latin.
Seeing the half light ...
[Raak] The first one must be ORATORIO [orator + io].. Quite straightforward with the first letter given.
I haven't had time to study the second clue, but is the definition borrowed from Latin?
[Chalky] The word means the same in English as it did in Latin. And of course, the definition is in the clue.
Another clue for the same word:
He'd waste away if sent back to the Soviet Union, but not beyond the last. (5)
Another clue
Poirot used to have someone back to make his shoes. (5)
And two more
"Nonsense!" we wrote back to the cobbler. (5)
Besides the dominie, the other learned man in a Scottish village. (5) (May require specialised knowledge, such as one of Neil Innes' novels.)
Here's another
Some understood the original reason, both at first and at last. (5)
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