| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
| |
|
anax The Gorgeous One

Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Posts: 291
|
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject: COW DIY |
|
|
After discussing it with a few people it seems there might be support for the idea of introducing something along the lines of a clue-writing contest.
It's very early stages, of course, as this polls forum is in its infancy, but you never know - there could be 10,000 regular visitors by this time next year. Probably not, though.
There is currently no concept of how the contest will run, whether it will merit its own voting poll etc., and it goes without saying that I will not participate - I'll just present words/phrases to be clued. I'd guess it will run on a weekly basis.
Just to test the water, I'll start the ball rolling with the first challenge:
SERPENTINE
There are no rules as such, beyond the fact that clues should adhere as much as possible to Times style. I've always believed, however, that S, M and L = small, medium and large respectively are perfectly acceptable.
Off you go, then. _________________ Start every day with a smile and get it over with. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
boxwood
Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 62
|
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Endlessly pertinent SE winding river (10) |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
johanssons

Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 12
|
Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:15 am Post subject: Serpentine |
|
|
| Wriggling, wriggling creature on end of fork? No time for it! (10) |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
anax The Gorgeous One

Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Posts: 291
|
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:44 am Post subject: And so to bed |
|
|
With plans afoot to change the format of this (it WILL continue in some form) I'll close the first DIY COW now.
Both offerings are excellent and the only thing that swings my choice in favour of Boxwood's clue is that it feels more Times-y. Johanssons' clue is marvellously visual and would sit extremely well in a Guardian puzzle, while Boxwood has given a difficult word - Serpentine is deceptively awkward - a fine treatment.
Despite my earlier statement I couldn't resist having a play, solely because the first thing I spotted was the word PEN and its "birdlife" connection with the watery bit of Hyde Park. So in the end I plumped for:
Swan can inhabit dried-up lake in London (10)
I'll let you know when I decide how to continue the DIY COW thread. In the meantime, why not have a play with the next challenge? The word is:
BORSTAL _________________ Start every day with a smile and get it over with. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
boxwood
Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 62
|
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:43 am Post subject: Borstal |
|
|
| Bore's talk sends Royal off to detention centre (7) |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
penfold_61

Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 119
|
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Flats robber content to go back to prison (7) |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
wilbo
Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 2
|
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I thought of:
Brats, upset about nothing, left in detention centre (7)
Think it might be quite easy, though.
Will
p.s. If this lets me post, I haven't requested moderator status |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
johanssons

Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 12
|
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Penfold_61 beat me to the 'flats robber' concept, so instead:
If court order starts to lose reaction transfer here. (7)
Stevo |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
glheard

Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 17
|
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Boron or sulfur? Half of powder sends boy to jail. (7)
(yikes that's awkward) _________________ That's the way the ginger snaps. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
penfold_61

Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 119
|
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| johanssons wrote: | Penfold_61 beat me to the 'flats robber' concept, so instead:
If court order starts to lose reaction transfer here. (7)
Stevo |
Stevo, sorry for nicking your idea. I've looked at your clue just about every day for the last week and I still don't see it. Would you mind explaining? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
wilbo
Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 2
|
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Lab rats let loose? O for a place of confinement! (7)
Two clues is probably a bit cheeky, but I liked this one better. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
boxwood
Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 62
|
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:01 pm Post subject: Borstal |
|
|
Royal Saint, wrapped in boa, left for prison (7)
Last edited by boxwood on Sun Feb 24, 2008 6:46 pm; edited 3 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Cuckoo
Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 3
|
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Endless stampede about star playing part of Rochester
BOL(T) round STAR*; def. part of Rochester |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
johanssons

Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 12
|
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| penfold_61 wrote: | | johanssons wrote: | Penfold_61 beat me to the 'flats robber' concept, so instead:
If court order starts to lose reaction transfer here. (7)
Stevo |
Stevo, sorry for nicking your idea. I've looked at your clue just about every day for the last week and I still don't see it. Would you mind explaining? |
There's the quick and the dead when it comes to publishing an idea; so it's all yours and no hard feelings!
As for my clue: I've been worried for that week that I went a level too far because I was so keen to use ASBO in the construction. (Now I think your question answers mine.) It's meant to be an anagram of 'court order' = ASBO + (starting letters) RTL; with what I hoped was a reasonably linked surface reading. Maybe I should have gone with "If ASBO begins to lose respect ..." ?
But in any case, many thanks for asking. Please let me know what you think!
Cheers,
Stevo |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
penfold_61

Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 119
|
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="johanssons"][quote="penfold_61"] | johanssons wrote: | As for my clue: I've been worried for that week that I went a level too far because I was so keen to use ASBO in the construction. (Now I think your question answers mine.) It's meant to be an anagram of 'court order' = ASBO + (starting letters) RTL; with what I hoped was a reasonably linked surface reading. Maybe I should have gone with "If ASBO begins to lose respect ..." ?
But in any case, many thanks for asking. Please let me know what you think!
Cheers,
Stevo |
Ah. I had though of ASBO, but read it as ASBO losing its starting letters to leave BO, so I then couldn't make out how reaction = RSTAL. It may just have been me being thick. The surface works very well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
|
|