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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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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)
I presume these are all clues to the same word...
They are indeed, and here's two more.
At last, the southern aristocrat has reached the door to Germany. (5)
Roust! Roust! At last! (5)
Of the eight clues:
one consists of just the definition,
one is an anagram,
one is an embedding,
one subtracts a letter from a word,
one uses initial letters,
and three break the word down and clue its components.
(These descriptions are in alphabetical order.)
Right, I geddit...
SUTOR, but never heard of it before
Correct!
Rare, even obsolete down south, but it may linger on in the Scottish dialect.
A new clue (for a different word)
Intended to hold final redistribution of money (7)
the different word
[btw Raak - enjoyed the multiclue]
Yes, MF, FINANCÉ [Intended = FIANCÉ, holding the last letter of redistribution = N,] fits the definition, but I can't help feeling I've overcooked it ...
*ting*
That was quick, well done. Didn't expect the Intended to be picked up so quickly.
In that case, how about ...
Uncommon Ale; one I digest (never my first) - and only very rarely (4,2,1,4,4)
I'm thinking it's ONCE IN A BLUE MOON but can't work out why.
A new clue for another different word
I meant to add this:
Hesitate about small business centre (4)
[Chalky] CO (small business) + RE ("er" backwards).
rab *ting*
[rab]Spot on; it's an anagram but with an M (my first) removed - it would have been harder (but still I think acceptable) to have not included the "- and only very rarely" - the definition then being the "Uncommon" which doubled up as part of the anagram.
Er ....
Hmmm - Apologies - I've just looked at it and seen that somehow I missed out the B - sorry, sorry, sorry - will check them better in future.
Nothing still outstanding?
It's not right to scry the lawnmower. (6)
He'll summon you for taking a bad grip on a faulty reamer. (4,6)
Raak's
Second one would be GRIM REAPER?
Sorry, it hit me straight away - I'll have a look at the first one when I'm finished what I'm up to.
Back again
Your first, Raak would be SCYTHE ?
Ruddy 'eck
*chuckles* I'm a bit slow - I only saw the connection 'tween the two after I'd posted my last entry.
... Is Raak hinting something ... ?
Sowing ....
The time has come for this one or Huw ! (3,2,3,4)
Running up to a mate ? (3-4)
Get memory back ? Now begin, cringe not badly - The aroma of a great game !(10,8)
(Boldly)
I think I've got the third of those... but I suspect we really need to solve the first two first!
1,2,3
I perhaps ought to modify the first one slightly ...
The time has come for this one or Huw - that's crazy ! (3,2,3,4)
Running up to a mate ? (3-4)
Get memory back ? Now begin, cringe not badly - The aroma of a great game !(10,8)
[rab,Blob] They are NOW IS THE HOUR and END GAME. I wonder what the third could be?
It looks like it might be Mornington Crescent.
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