By way of reminder, the object of this game is to solve the clue presented by the previous poster and then set your own clue.

Anything from the (worldwide) crossword arena is acceptable by way of clue style, but if you stray from the pure path beware the scourge of... ...Pandora's WET NOODLE!

The puzzle could be an old favourite or something of your own making. Don't be shy: this is for everyone, not just the old hands!

There is nothing to prevent (say) a couple of related clues if offering a single clue cramps your style.

If there are multiple answers involved, there is no restriction against one person solving all and the solver of the final clue/part is the one who goes next.

Obviously you need to await confirmation of a correct answer before posting your own puzzle, but please then do so reasonably promptly: if having answered correctly you are not going to be able to set a follow-up clue within about the next 24 hours, please pass your turn to someone else so that the game does not stall.

To save the poor demented solvers from excessive brain damage , you should consider giving a hint as to letters when the question is set, unless the answer is relatively short/easy so that provision of a letter hint at the outset would spoil the sport!

If no-one is biting within about 24 hours you are encouraged to start dropping additional hints.

To try to give everyone a fair crack of the whip, the immediately previous setter is asked not to post a solution to the current clue within the first 24 hours.

The weighty trophy to be passed to whoever successfully solves each clue is the jewel-encrusted World Clue Federation Championship Belt ===[**WCF**]===

Constructive criticism and cheerful badinage are to be expected,
not to mention a certain amount of national rivalry, but above all, have a bit of fun!

Here's a New Year Resolution for you:

Be polite, be aware of your place initially then employ abrasive questions (4,4,2,3,2)

Question: say 2000 is clued as "two g's";
are the word lengths (3,2) or (3,1'1)?

A good question and possibly of some relevance to this clue, but I am not convinced that 2 g's should not actually be 2 gs: that use of the apostrophe appears to be a modern development.

It also seems to be common practice to ignore apostrophes for the purposes of a crossword clue, presumably to avoid making it too easy: I endorse that approach.

That should leave you suitably baffled...

Be polite, be aware of your place initially then employ abrasive questions (4,4,2,3,2)

Ow - that was tortuous, Lex. Thanks to you/Denis for the hint!

Mind (be aware) your p(lace) sand (abrasive) q's -> Mind your p's and q's (be polite)


A quote from "Eats Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss concerning the many uses of the apostrophe:

"7. It indicates the plurals of lettters"

... although I can't ever recall seeing the apostophe used in the word length part of a clue, so I go with Lex on that.

Yes indeed young Rog! Herewith your circumference:
===[**WCF**]===

I can claim no credit (or blame) for that clue as it appeared in a recent paper. The answer was actually "mind one's Ps and Qs" (hence my mention of silent/invisible apostrophes) but obviously "your" is just as acceptable.

Thanks, Lex - I just assumed "your" 'cos it was part of the clue (a rare gift, I thought! )

Bishop found in vehicle is neither here nor there (5)

LIM(b=bishop)O ?

Good one, Denis

Off to the frozen wastelands it goes: ===[**WCF**]===

Merci M'sieu.

Big Bird Stadium (4)

bowl

b+owl

Go bowl 'em over wearing this: ===[**WCF**]===

Merci CD

Feeling very self conscious in say, Arab country, returning first-class (8)

clue: 1 e

EG(say)OMAN(arab country)IA(returning first-class: a-one)

Luckily, very few 8letter words end with ia !

Good deduction
Here you are....===[**WCF**]===

Thanks.

Partying girls opening a second drink(9,5) one "e"

Rewriting my clue:
Partying girls opening a stiff first drink(9,5)

Anag ("girls opening" (partying) + a + S(tiff)) => Singapore sling (drink)

I meant (but yours just as good!):
Anag: "girls opening a s(tiff)"; (partying)
"first" is to clue the s : "s"tiff

SLING this around your waist: ===[**WCF**]===

Merci, Denis!

Implied by American historian (7) - no E's

Tacitus

tacit+us

Quick work, manxman!

Herewith one belt: ===[**WCF**]===

thank you UW

For a tower, an architect may use this? (10)

Hint: no e's

...finally dawned on me that "tower" could = puller!

PRO(for)TRACTOR(tower)

Here you are CD.....

Thanks MxM.

An 8-wood ? (3,2,4)

Two by four

Cute!

Put this around your 2by4 waist: ===[**WCF**]===

Many thanks!

Summarize harvest, including source of corn (5)

Recap = summarize - reap (harvest) containing (including) c (source/first letter of corn).

You summed that one up nicely, Lex!

===[**WCF**]===

Thank you!

Was unaccustomed to endless student roistering (6) - one e

Quite tricky this, or at least it kept us guessing for a while. As a first day hint: it is somewhat old fashioned usage and there is an apostrophe involved.

Was working on swager : swa = was (unaccustomed)
and swager = roistering...
So thanks for the clue; I can throw that away now!

I don't have much of a chance it it's old English
(have problems with new English!) but:
was unaccustomed = direct = untes'd
anagram of studen(t)

In case untes'd is old English for untested...

24 hours later I used Google and found 'usedn't', which is student less 't' anagrammed (roistering) = usedn't

Well done young sir! Don't get too used to wearing this:
===[**WCF**]===

yez bo l'young sir...

Me young? Merci Lex.

A fab flea is genial when erratic(7)

affable (anag.)

All yours mxm. ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks Curly

Beer cans beginning to bother expert (4)

a(b)le

expert = able
beer = ale
cans = container indicator
beginning to bother = b

All yours... ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks!

Company provided elevated room (4)

loft?

loft noun
4. an upper story of a business building, warehouse, or factory, typically consisting of open, unpartitioned floor area.

If so, then full clue is direct, so is "elevated room"

Nice try Denis, but nope.

Hint time: "elevated" is a reversal indicator.

Firm = company - if (provided) reversed (elevated) + rm (short for room)

YIKES! Quite the solve Lex.

Wonder why Pandora used "elevated";
"provided back room" would have been ok...
Give yourself 2 lashes, Sue!

A firm solve, Sir Lex! ===[**WCF**]===

Denis, don't forget that these clues are often part of a crossword grid. The Down clues can use words like "elevated" to indicate reversals. It's your Achilles heel.

Curses...foiled again...as Oilcan Harry would say!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7YMh1FPVI

I graciously accept the mantle!

Let's have two for the price of one: no connection except that they were both in a recent paper and were quite testing (for us, anyway!):

1. Severe, the south wind close to shore (7) - two es

2. Block, centre reportedly for US government agency (5,5) - two es

First day hint: each answer also has one a and one s (they had more in common than I thought!).

http://www.usa.gov/directory/federal/P.shtml
peace corps = piece core ?!

Would never have gotten this one without your a and s clue:
Main Entry: severe  
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: astringent, austere !,......
auster = south wind (yikes!)
e = close(end) to shor(e)

Yo' de man! Put this round your core
===[**WCF**]===

Mercy oh lex!

Beau said "no fighting!" (6) pas de "e"

Day#1 clue: "fighting" is an indicator

Beau said "no fighting!" (6)

Beau (dir) = Adonis (anag - 'said no')

Become an Adonis wearing this: ===[**WCF**]===

Merci muchly.

Leave head of logistics in charge (4)

flee

head of logistics = l
charge = fee

===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Koala!

Ancient city's role in South Africa (6)

Sparta
s(part)a

Make this Sparta your wardrobe, manxman! ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you Sherlock

Catching a cold, feel so bad--be humiliated (4,4)

LOSE FacE
ac = a cold
LOSEFE = feel so (anagram)

Well done Denis
All yours....===[**WCF**]===

Thanks MxM.

Eleven plus two? Wrong addition, for one! (6,4,3)

twelve plus one

anag. of eleven plus two
Cute, Denis!

Thanks Cheryl; add this to your midriff: ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Denis!

Eats cooked stuff (4)

sate
anagram eats

That's it, manxman! Here you go. ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you Sherlock

Fairy runs in next to tower (6)

B elf r(uns) Y ; elf = fairy, BY = next to

No bats in your belfry Denis

===[**WCF**]===

Merci.

Design a quiet pea shooter! (5)

Design a quiet pea shooter! (5)

Design = Shape (dir)
quiet = Sh
pea = ape
shooter = anagram indicator I guess.

Voila: ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks Den.

Bar presently containing aluminium (6)

saloon
s(al)oon

I'll drink to that !!!

===[**WCF**]===

Cheers Koala

Bird keeps bill silent (5)

Tacit = silent - tit (bird) keeps (contains) ac (bill)

Lex.
Xpress delivery to the IOM ===[**WCF**]===

Can someone tell me how "ac" = bill, please?

Thanks MxM!

Cue, a/c is short for account = bill, and a quite commonly used crossword abbreviation.

Another "two for the price of one" to tease you at the weekend: no connection except that both are from a recent newspaper puzzle and each answer happens to have eight letters.

1. Writer of rhymes, say, is Tennyson (8)

2. Risk death getting wind up (8) - two es

First day hints:

1. Scrutinize the clue!

2. The direct is risk.

I'm sure that at least some of you will have deduced #1 by now, so you just need a key for the last part of #2, or perhaps after the last part...

... okay, a bit obscure as a hint, but it's that sort of "wind" and death is the end.

Here goes nothing
1. essayist (hidden)
2. skeleton

#1 is correct Mxm, but not #2: obviously my hint has sent you off on a tangent!

However, unless anyone else can solve #2 overnight I'll let you have the belt for the one correct answer...

Yes a pure guess on my part Lex (fuelled by "key"). But now that I am back on line how about

endanger
death=end
wind up=anger (British)

Yessir! Here you go ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you sir

Up against rook in this opening (5)

first clue: no e's

clue: direct on right

INTr(ook)O

Denis, let me intoduce you to this ===[**WCF**]===

Merci M'sieu.

Next one on bout#64.