===[**WCF**]=== Chain Crypt

By way of reminder, the object of this game is to solve (and briefly explain) 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 too far 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!

For those unfamiliar with crossword clues who want to give it a try, there is plenty of guidance online and a quite entertaining and instructive book (not just for beginners) available from amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Times-Crack-Cryptic-Crosswords/dp/0007546521/ref=dp_ob_image_bk and no doubt elsewhere, and for those who like British Crosswords you may like to try these (which are free): http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords.

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 18 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 revealing one letter of the answer when the question is set, unless the answer is very 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 should 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 solves your 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!

Next clue coming shortly from currently Belt-ed Manxman.

Look around bottom of map for chaplain's address (6)

s(p)ee/ch

Sherlock, you can give your next speech wearing this ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, manxy!

Refrain from wasting hours after conference starts (6) no e's

C(onference)HORUS=hours = refrain

Nice crypt Cheryl.

Thanks, Denis! Don't refrain from wearing this. ===[**WCF**]===

Merci Madame.

Will quiet everybody? (5) no e

Will quiet everybody? (5)

Will = Shall (dir)
quiet = SH
everybody = all

Will you keep quiet wearing this: ===[**WCF**]===

Sure thing Den.

Too loud for ear hole? (8)

piercing (dd)

Right on Cue.

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

Thanks, Koala

To the audience, he's someone without polish (7) a single "e"

Hint time:

Direct on right. Three unique vowels

cvccvvc

Hmmmm....how bouts bighead
bighead = without polish
sounds (to the audience) like bigot ?

Noticed 3rd letter = g(reen) ; yes?

Nice try but, no. The two words are homonyms. The third letter is green as a tip off that a "C" is located here in the answer word.

lacquer (sounds like lacker)

Nice solve, manxman

I've polished this up to give it a little more shine ===[**WCF**]===

Ahhh....so lacker = someone without ?

Yeah, I've been a lacker for some time...or is that a lackey

...but but you no LACK "imagination" !!

A smart clue and I like the polish on the belt, although I find lacquer a bit of a stretch as a synonym for polish - I think varnish might have worked almost as well and been a more appropriate word (as a synonym), but that's just my opinion!

Mind you, when it comes to nails polish and varnish seem to be interchangeable...

Rather than lacker or lackey, how about lekker?

Thank you Cue. Nothing lacking in the belt you sent.

Prognosticator receives no show of contempt (5)

s(n)eer

nobody will sneer at you wearing this Sherlock===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, manxman!

Get hitched or split (6) couple of e's

Just in case you meant 5 letters: elope ?

Nice try, but I did mean 6.

Cleave - nifty double def

Darn it...discarded cleave as I thought
it only meant "get hitched", not "split";
shudda looked it up:
cleave2
verb
1. to split or divide...

Nice solve Sir Lex!

Interesting - I would have expected you to be more familiar with the other meaning (as I was), from meat cleaver or cleaving of skulls with battle axes!

Yes, Sir Lex, nice solve! Hitch this around your midsection. ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you ma'am!

Persistent crew in the middle, not fast? (10) e>1

Are you sure there is only one e?

Morning Kevin.

Forget my message, I've been told.

Remi, that's a "greater than" sign. There's more than 1.

Thanks very much Cheryl. I'm smarter now.

I have a feeling it was Denis who started that trick.
The direct is on the left, and there are 3 vowels all e.

relentless

c(re)w + not fast = lent less

Fast enough - here you go:
===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Lex

Short criminal boomer found in Buffalo(7)

CON(short criminal)FUSE(boomer) = buffalo

Thought at first that short criminal Boomer = Lex

I like your answer but it's not mine. Sometimes our first thoughts...

PERP LEX !!!!

Nice one Cue

Could be (since perp = perpendicular):
Upstanding boomer from Buffalo

But then, that wouldn't be Lex

No, I see he's from Isle of Man

You can throw this on and shuffle off to Buffalo ===[**WCF**]===

I'll have you know that I am not short - a little over 6' 4.5" (or 1.95 metres)!

(And as my wife is always quick to point out, living in the Isle of Man but emphatically not from there, and our cat has a tail!!)

How's the weather UP there?!

Aboard upriver tugboat, I leave with spinning head (7) e's >0 and <2

direct on right, aboard = container indicator

vertigo

upriVER Tugboat (aboard)
I leave = igo
Don't know if I've seen a crypt quite like this one!

Weird crypt gives you a weird belt ===[W**C**F]===

The view from on high: an interesting clue, but I think it needs something more to alert us to the idea of it being only partly a container clue, perhaps "with some of those aboard...", probably noodle-worthy, and very well solved!

I thought that was fully legal. Per rules:
CHARADES
In the parlor game of charades, answers are acted out in pieces; likewise, some words can be broken into smaller words that are clued individually in a clue's wordplay.

The problem lies with trying to use "aboard" as a way to clue "vert". You can't have a container indicator pick out a set of random letters.

As usual, Denis, very creative and very illegal.

Five lashes. :)

Okay, my turn. Thanks for the challenge, Denis!

Repairman takes a circuitous course (7) 2 e's

But "vert" is a word (dictionary.com):
vert
noun
English Forest Law. a.vegetation bearing green leaves in a forest and capable of serving as a cover for deer.

Circuitous course featuring loving couple, me and 'er - mender (repairman) taking a.

One repaired belt meandering over to you, Lex! ===[**WCF**]===

Denis, then you would have to clue something like "vegetation aboard upriver tugboat..." :)

Gotcha...I deserve an add'l 5 lashes!!

Thank you

A linked nostalgic pair:

1. Fools ride so excitedly to land of trains and almost see no man (4,2,5)

2. 1's big boss stays perhaps (3,10)

S'got to be:

1: Isle of Sodor (anag "fools ride so") and Isle of Sodor is the land of trains (Thomas the Tank Engine), but can't see why the clue adds on the "almost see no man" bit. Seem to stand alone fine if you cut it off after "trains"

... therefore 2 must be Fat Controller (stays are a means of controlling fat - v. clever )

Ya...I found out you guys over there also
use stay = corset!!
Remain in corset (4)!!

Correct Rog - the Isle of Sodor is an imaginary island derived from the real Diocese of Sodor and Man, hence almost See but no Man (okay, so a bit clumsy and probably redundant...)

Ah - I see! Thanks, Lex

Some crows think he's in the frame (6,7)

Early hints:

Direct on the right
Think collective noun
Two different vowels, 4 vowels in total
One of each vowel in each word in the same order
cvccvc cvccvcc

murder suspect

some crows = murder (love that one!)
think = suspect

I suspect this will not be the last time the belt wings its way to Minnesota, Cheryl!

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

Love it too...completely fooled me!!

Thanks, Rog!

Soaked and deepest in misery (7) e > 1

steeped (anagram)

Steep yourself in this, manxman! ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you Sherlock

Fool who goes topless to get a kiss (4)

there are no 'e's here

hoax

who goes topless = ho + a + x (kiss)

No fooling you Sherlock ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, manxman!

Quietly distraught over show (5) 1 e

Prove = show - p (quietly) + anagram (distraught) of over

You prove worthy to wear this, Lex! ===[**WCF**]===

Why thank you, missy!

Act to secure Spielberg film an Oscar perhaps (9)

Letter count corrected!

Direct on right, two es, one indicator

Just checking, but are you quite sure about the letter count?

OOPS...!

Should be 9

Okay, I'll take it!

statu(ET)te

...and the winner of the category for correct answer is...Sherlock!
===[**WCF**]===

I'd like to thank all the little people that helped me get here!

By itself, confined in upper section (3,2)

upPER SEction

I hereby nickname ya Container Cheryl !!

Why, thank you, Denis!
Try to contain yourself wearing this. ===[**WCF**]===

Merci Cheryl, et joyeux Noel.

Lost head in drunk song (4) eless

Whoops!!

one vowel
2 indicators

BONUS clue: 3 consonants

lilt
l(ost) in lit (drunk)

They'll think you're lit when they see you wearing ===[**WCF**]===

NOTE: belt will be in your stocking early tomorrow!!

Have a wonderful Christmas eve everybody

Thank you CD

Man once surrendering nothing from here (5)

Hence...it is Christmas: have a great time everyone!
{he (man) + nce (once losing 0)}

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8KT365wlA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds1faZB4QSc

Hence you get to wear this Lex ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you.

By the sound of it wet, beloved animal (8)

REIN(rain)DEER(dear) ; nice!

Your Boxing Day bonus: ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks Lex.

Virginia deer to go (7) 1 e

va/moose

OK Cheryl, vamoose to the boxing day sales wearing ===[**WCF**]=== !

Thanks, Denis! I'll need it to stay warm today!

Lack of restraint wearing a ring (7) not an e in sight

abandon

(a band on)

No restraint in awarding you this belt, Helmer! ===[**WCF**]===

And welcome to the Garden!
(You're not totally new but don't visit often enough!)

Thanks for that. Hope it still fits.

Gloomy shelled areas haunt medic (5)

d(rea)r

Nice to see you here in the Garden, Helmer!

Thanks. There'll be no drear times, wearing this glittering honor.

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

Thanks for the bling!

Meat-filled pastry for party (8)

cLAMBake

And here's something sparkly for you to wear to the party.

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

Ooooo, how lovely!

Partly modern flower (4)

mODERn

And here's your bling! ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks loads Cheryl.

I enter and advance (5) 1 e

A(me)nd = advance?

Per thesaurus.com:
advance
ameliorate
amend
augment
better
boost
.....

You get this advanced lifter: ===[**WCF**]===

Grinch here. That list of words are not synonyms of "amend", they are listed as synonyms of words related to "amend". And when you search "advance", "amend does not show up.

Synonyms must be mutual, direct synonyms.

Ohhhh....I see....thought that by entering
a word in search box, all words that appeared
were synonyms...sorry 'bout that...

I've seen people get slapped with a limp noodle before, in this very forum. I'm glad to see that CanukDenis was spared because amend=advance seems close enough (to me). Granted, North-American usage of English is kinda sloppy (not to mention our respect for "rules" ).

Sometimes, dictionary/thesaurus.com confuse me. For example, they list definitions:

Amend: to improve, eg: "To amend one's ways"

Advance: to improve, eg: "To advance one's interests"

"Things which are equal to the same thing are equal to each other" ~ President Lincoln (quoting Euclid)

btw, for synonyms of 'advance', amend shows up on page 3. Out of 23 pages!!

3rd place out of 23 … close enough?

I think it's a stretch, and almost left the clue unanswered, but thank you for the Belt!

Just as well the noodle department is still infused with Christmas spirit.

Next clue on new thread.

Thanks for coming to my noodle-rescue Helmer!

I'm still in a holiday mood, so no beatings until next year.

Helmer, you pretty clearly fall in the non-purist group, but I don't personally agree with the mathematical approach to cryptic clues. I like clean, elegant ones that don't require trips to the thesaurus.

But that's me, and I love that this thread is so active.

"Things which are equal to the same thing are equal to each other"

President Lincoln would have received a noodling for that had Pandora been around