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Obscure vault 99 (7)
help
It's the cryptic crossword discussion game. Tease each other with clues, help each other with the dailies, educate the beginners, whatever.
Hello all, I'm the first to post
I'm rather flattered that rab titled this game with my clue!
Whacking a bottle of champagne against the game*
I have one left in the Sunday Times, it's "Shakespeare's equal" -G-L. All I can get is "Egal", but why Shakespeare?

[rab] Did you finish the Everyman then?

*This is not a clue

Everyclue
[MF] Thanks to Raak's confirmation of the last, yip. Did it quite quickly, thanks to the clear clues (apart from that last). I've left it at home, but I can post the ones I thought were particularly cute.
Clue
Here's a clue for you (not particularly hard, but I just came up with it reading this page's description). Debate Sid's cousin strangely (10)
not quite every man
[rab] Had a brief glimpse of the Everyman last night in the pub, over the shoulder of a friend, as it were. We'd all had far too much to drink to concentrate fully but I did notice that 11 across wasn't completed . . . (4, 8) first word *might* have been 'OPEN'. It's been niggling me so please can you put me out of my misery so's I can get some work done? Oh yes - how do I hide text in here?
None
[Chalky] Open question (open = public, question = enquiry)Try this: <font color="white">Hello Chalky</font>
[Darren] Round American boy chatting? (10)
Shakespeare
[MF] The only thing that is ringing a distant bell is that Egal might be a character, not sure from which play. Or I could be barking up the wrong tree.
None
[MF] No, no, I think you mean Field event is back on for consideration (10).
Of course, what I meant to say was...
"Hell!" Swearin' about love talk. (10)
None
[Darren, MF (x2), CdM] No, surely that should be Talk about failing to show respect for soft furnishings, we hear (10)

Quibble : 99 is XCIX not IC, but let it pass.

Improvement
Cocked that up a bit in my haste, better would be Debate failure to show respect for soft furnishing, we hear. (10)
Blob's quibble
Well I was thinking along the line of ice creams myself...
Dodgy clues are us :
A new one An end to land-mines ! Her idea caused split (8)
Outdodging Blob
For example, good man left in charge of Queen, we hear, notes 509 very quiet flowers by the way, points at the Spanish sailor, and confuses the novice French model with account concerning dead woman's jewelry. (3, 8)
None
Blimey, CdM, there are enough components there to make eight words ! EG ST L IC ER/HM {we hear = sounds like} A/B/C/D/E/F/G(plural) DIX PP ST/RD N/S/E/W(plural) AT EL AB(S)/TAR .... and that's only got us up to the Spanish sailor !
I feel...
...a multiple definition, perchance?
None
Or rather, multiple devices.
None
Actually, I think it's a single cryptic definition, the answer being RED HERRINGS.
None
[rab] Very good! Although it is actually a strict Ximinean clue. Details: The last four words are the cryptic part (RE D HER RINGS); the rest of the clue up to "...account" is the definition.
Aha
I probably would have noticed that if I wasn't (supposed to be) working at the same time! In the meantime, this has reminded me of one that I've wanted to clue for a while:
This clue might be: "500. Precedes solid containing volume of mute's heart"
Whoops
10 letters, btw.
Ha ha!
[Blob] Division?
None
Player's second throw (4)
Dissin' Blob's clue
Re your dis-cushion: Can 'dis' be used as a noun as well as a verb?
None
[MF] BLOB, I think, hehehe
A clue I like
Here's a clue I saw in an Acorn User crossword in the early 90s, which I've always remembered. It's a long way short of perfect, but still, I liked it... Yalp? (8)
None
Poster confused near narrow road (6)
None
[Darren]PLAYBACK seems too obvious. [MF] Sorry - meant to say - thanks for help earlier
None
Could letters ultimately elucidate? (4)
Yes they could.
Although are you sure you mean ultimately? I once saw this clued as This is it!
None
Like this? (4-11)
[rab] well, yes, I was aware that was a flaw; I was hoping to get away with a loose sense of ultimate = end. And I want yours to be DEFINITION, but I can't figure out why.
Simile
Can't get your questioned simile just now, but I'm afraid your not quite right with mine just yet. It's somehow more in the vein of your magnum opus.
Burger king
My clue is wrong. Sorry, it should read: This clue might be: "500. Follows solid containing volume of mute's heart" (10) which might give a clue in its own right.
Self-obsession
CdM's is either self-explanatory or self-descriptive; rab's is maybe convoluted: vol & ut in cone; 500 = D.
PS. Do we really need hidden text in this game?
CdM's previous clue
[CdM] Possibly SELF-REFERENTIAL
Hidden text
[MF] Well, it might be nice for people who want to try solving something themselves after it's already been answered.
None
I was thinking of Darren's answer, but I think MF's first is every bit as good, which of course means the clue is flawed...
None
Doctor's wrapped up in umbilical cord
Ka-ching
[MF] Congrats. I tried to make it more so, but failed!
More clues
I didn't bring the Everyman, but here's some (probably) (probably dodgy) clues of my own writing that give a hint as to my preference:
1. Bug Her Majesty? It's the thin end of the wedge (5)
2. Small animal run over by learner driver (6)
3. It's a selfish pleasure to range before the King with the others in tune (5,3,6)
The last is my attempt at a Private Eye style clue.
Whoops, sorry...
...to complete my last: (3)
None
[Martha] What, on her first day?
Bug
2 above is wrong. Whoops. Try again:
2. Small animal said to be run over by learner driver
None
[rab] (1) is TAPER (TAP E.R.). Is (3) STRIP THE WILLOW? If so, I'm not sure why.

Pure French romance on the edge (8)
Twisted small mammal eats a chopped nut (6)

None
[Raak] Is the first one PURCHASE?
None
[Raak] I suppose the second could be TURNED but that would mean "red" was the small mammal... I suppose a "red squirrel" could work... also, RED hasn't actually eaten (fully enclosed) the chopped nut (TUN) so I'm probably wrong on that.
None
[Darren] No to both.
None
[Raak] Wow, must be a bad day for my brain.
Adjudication
[Raak] (1) Yes (3) No
Raak's second again
[Raak] Your second one; is it PURFLING?
None
[Raak] Sorry, I meant the first one, of course.
None
[Darren] Yes.
ahem
[MF]DIVISION was of course correct, wd. I'm a little confused as to what has been solved and what is still outstanding : would someone like to summarise perhaps ?
Meanwhile, here's the next Blobbian clue : Presume the leader is back in place (8)
As far as I can tell...
Unsolved clues include, but are not restricted to,
  1. Small animal said to be run over by learner driver (6) (me)
  2. It's a selfish pleasure to range before the King with the others in tune (5,3,6) (also me - and Raak was somehow along the right lines, but way off at the same time)
  3. Twisted small mammal eats a chopped nut (6) (Raak)
  4. Presume the leader is back in place (8) (Blob)
Perhaps no new clues for a while?

Meanwhile, a new Private Eye fell onto my doormat this morning. I'll probably attempt the crossword at the weekend. I do so enjoy the smutty clues.

Oh an a few attempts at solving :
[Raak] (1) PURLIEUS ?
[rab] (3) SPANK THE MONKEY ? If not, then Coat
None
Ah - sorry - I now realise that Darren had solved Raak's first (and that mine was wrong) - if I'd read rab's simmulpost then I'd've realised sooner.
None
[Blob] You're bang on (ahem) with rab's: SPAN (range) K (king) THEM (the others) ON KEY (in tune).
Red-faced
Sorry, couldn't resist it!
obscure times
Please can someone explain why [hidden answer] ENTICE is the probable solution to this clue 'Person bound to learn to sacrifice pawn and rook to offer temptation (6). Letters E_T_C_ already secured. [The Times Crossword - Weds]. Damned if I can work it out.
None
[Chalky] Here is the explanation: Person bound to learn=PRENTICE. Sacrifice pawn (P) and rook (R) to leave ENTICE. To offer temptation=ENTICE (straight def). There you go.
being shown the light
Ah - many thanks, kind sir. Didn't realise that PRENTICE was aphetic for APPRENTICE and if I hadn't been so lazy a quick peek in the dictionary would have told me that.
Eye Crossword 241
This crossword pretty much did itself last night, but I don't fully understand two of them. (Answers in square brackets).
  • Archer's thing? Yes, with or without dash (12) [BULLSHITTING]
  • US would-be persuaders of the continuing need for persuaders (3,5) [GUN LOBBY]
The former has an obvious main definition - I don't get the device. The latter looks like a single definition, but I just don't get it.

Meanwhile the same puzzle includes (8) (Geddit?) which should be obvious in the light of our recent discussions.

None
[rab] Re-archer: I assume the idea is that it is a double definition. With a dash (hyphen), it can be read as bulls-hitting, which is what archers do. Without, it is what Jeff does. And I've seen "clueless" done that way before, more or less.
Archole
[CdM] Thanks - I've got so used to reading 'without' as the opposite of 'within' I forget it can also mean the opposite of 'with'. Also I should have realised this: Cyclops has clued this word in this kind of way before.
Archery
I think that clue would be improved by being simply Archer's thing. Like the bust down reason example, it makes the entire clue simultaneously the definition and the cryptic indication.
None
Well, since BULLS-HITTING isn't a common phrase as far as I'm aware (unlike BULLSHITTING) you'd probably need to write it as Archer's thing? with a question mark.
a new one
The game is subintervention. Any clue? (7, 5, 6-4)
None
[CdM] How about OBSCURE VAULT NINETY-NINE?
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