There's no humor to | an Iraq sandstorm | or | tube (4)
[subtract HA] [HABOOB] [=] [BOOB {tube}]
Mount | Etna | is | going to pot (4)
[reading upward] [ETNA] [=] [ANTE]
This would only be an acceptable clue for a down word, but not an across.
Something to watch | is | how good's the view | at the west ends (4)
[HGTV] [=] [How Goods The View] [first letters]
In | Tibet, Angola, | and | in Cyprus it's the second character (4)
[hidden] [tiBET Angola] [=] [{Greek is the official language in Cyprus} BETA]
Drab color | mixed with | a touch of | tint | gives | violet (5)
[OLIVE] [anagram] [only part of] [Tint] [=] [VIOLET]
This is odd because the [=] is embedded in the cryptic instead of between the two halves. It's an example of the weird wordplay tricks puzzle constructors will throw at you.
 LAT |
I admit it, the weekend NYT is too difficult for me. So all five of today's Cryptic clues are based on words in LAT. This set is heavy on charades, but there are other types in here as well:
Not at the northeast entrance (6)
See mental powers applied to a fork (4)
Slowdown occurred when Limbaugh resigned (2,4)
Present in the audience at XD (8)
Not going hither, speech will be a boring illustration (4)
Owen
ReplyDeleteThis is rapidly becoming a 2-man show. Maybe you should readvertise on CC's blog.
The answer to my clue from yesterday
“The Cold War is over (with some State oversight) for this Cold War nymph” (8).
Cold War = ICE (‘)NAM
Over => MAN-ECI
Some State = CO (abbr. for Colorado)
Some State Oversight => CO + MAN-ECI = COMANECI = Cold War nymph.
I realize that “nymph” might sound a bit sexist nowadays, but she certainly fit the definition perfectly at the time.
Owen’s clues:
1. Not at the northeast entrance (6)
Score: 7. Nice clue, although “Not” may not be the best definition.
2. See mental powers applied to a fork (4)
Score: 8. Very nice clue (don’t ask why…..); would have taken some time without the grid. Perhaps you need more than “mental powers”, since the concept is theoretical.
3. Slowdown occurred when Limbaugh resigned (2,4)
Score 6. Again, very elegant, but Limbaugh is a bit of a give-away.
4. Present in the audience at XD (8)
I was wondering what on earth XD was – maybe something in last week’s news, but I worked backward from the answer to discover what it meant. Nice one.
Not going hither, speech will be a boring illustration (4)
I was stumped for a long time, but finally figured that hither might have the sense of "coming" back. Speech could be "sounds like". N-WAY would fit the bill and definition to get YAWN, but I feel I am missing some crypto-element.
NC
And my clues:
ReplyDeletePhone sex? Quite the reverse! (4)
Twin Valleys lack the Frenchwoman (6)
Orwell, for example, turns up without a propeller (4)
A brother, a note, and an end to Gaelic tripe (9)
The bane of mortal man - prone to ejaculate (4)
NC
NC: I've been staring at your clues for the past hour+, and still not sure of much. The first I thought first was SNUG, then thought DIAL was an even better fit -- maybe. 2nd & 3rd, not a clue. 4th, only 2 9-letter entries, so easy to guess, and I got the (I)RISH connection, but not the first half. The 5th is the only one I have 90% confidence in, but getting reversed from prone is pretty loose use of language.
ReplyDelete