===[**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 up shortly from current holder UW

Thanks, Lex


Kept going for every cut (10) - all the vowels are the same

Thanks to thesaurus.com: keep going = persevere(d)

for every = per
cut = severed

Nice compact crypt Rog!
Did Mrs.Worrier make it up

Nice one, Denis - here comes ze belt ===[**WCF**]===

I cannot tell a lie about Mrs Worrier, so I'll plead the 5th amendment!

Merci M'sieu.

Cover around a bed (4) pas de e

co(a)t

Hold your coat tight with this ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you CD

Can't say I've worked with something in a boudoir (10) two words

vanity case

anag. (worked) of "can't say I've"

Right you are Sherlock, but I don't know if this will fit into your vanity case ===[**WCF**]===

My son's getting married in Mexico next month so I sure hope it'll fit into my vanity case. I'd love to show it off!

Money covers a dog and a container (8) not an e in sight

Direct on the right, 3 vowels, all the same.

cvcvcvcc

Calabash = container - cash (money) containing (covers) a + lab + a

Lex, put this in your calabash and smoke it! ===[**WCF**]===

(You had an extra a after lab, btw.)

Thank you: sounds like something you might be doing in Mexico while partying at your son's wedding...!

Owe orchestra for playing in limited competition (3-5,4)

Two-horse race (anag "owe orchestra")

The well known "orchestra = carthorse" anagram helped!

Well orchestrated!

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

Thanks, Lex

Chief registered blunder first (6) - a solitary E

Hint time:

Direct on the left
One indicator
Wordplay 5+1
cvccvc

gaffe+r

No gaffes there, manxman! ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you UW

Perversely provides incentive to swallow yellow medicines (6) no 'e' s

Direct is on the right
cvcvcc

fist vowel is 'y'

Syrups = medicines - srups (spurs = provides incentive reversed/perversely) containing (to swallow) y (yellow)

Very nicely solved Lex ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you.

Posh Bond girl that's torn off a strip (7)

Direct on right, two vowels of which one is e.

u(a)ndress

That's the one! ===[***WCF**]===

Neat, Lex!

Sadly, I can only claim credit for selecting it from among my stack of solved puzzles containing what I thought to be good clues for GB rather than as my own creation.

Thanks, Lex!

Working in steel that's stretchable (7)

tensile (anagram of "in steel")

Stretch this around your waist, Denis! ===[***WCF**]===

Merci beaucoup!

Old thief under cover follows a bird (5,4) no e's

direct = old thief
follows = indicator

Robin Hood

Give the diamonds to the poor! ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you

Sailor confined to base has potential (6) one 'e'

cvvccv

vi(ab)le?

Good one Sherlock ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, manxy!

Run makes Rod very mean (6) no e's

Direct on right, letter substitution

ccvccv

Okay, you start with a word synonymous with a word on the left.

I'm expecting this to be adding r (run) to a word synonymous with rod to make a word equating to very mean, but I'm still stuck....

Just the opposite, kind of. Start with a word synonymous with run. The direct is "mean".

...and you're "mean" too
y is not a vowel, right?

answer being ccvccv (and no e), then there's only
12 arrangements of the vowels (a-a, a-i, ..., u-o, u-u);
tried them all, no luck

scurvy (start with scurry and replace the r with v)

Yay, Manxman! This is scurrying off to you now. ===[**WCF**]===

Denis, I've always taught students that "y" is a vowel when it sounds like a vowel. In this case, Y sounds like E. This crypt wasn't of my own making and that, in itself, is problematic. I always figure that if I can solve it, everyone can. Mostly, I just get lucky.

whY thank you verY much Sherlock

Woman at American Indian dance (6)

Ahhhh....I see...thanks for the explanation Cheryl.

direct is on the right

W(oman)AT US I

CD, you can wear this on the dance floor ===[**WCF**]===

Merci MxM.

Dance by American trio and African trio (6) no e

ameriCAN afriCAN

You'll be a hit dancing the cancan wearing this ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Denis. It slips a bit with my outrageous hippy hippy shake

Trip Captain dances at party (11)

participant (anag. of trip captain)

Here's something for your dance party, Cheryl ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Cue!

He will leave machine running like crazy (5) no e's

Manic = crazy - anagram of machine without he

You can go crazy with this around your waist, Lex! ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you, I'll be dancing the light fantastic in it (must be a clue in there somewhere...)!

Very fit in woolly (5)

Direct on the right, one e and two other vowels, not to mention two consonants

What still no nibbles??
cvcvv and e is the last letter

Can't see "the light"...even if I use very = v: v---e

V (very) ague (a fit) -> vague

"ague" is a word!? Not in Ontario!

V for victory for UW!
===[**WCF**]===

Ta, Lex

Second Greek character obtained a tap (6) - zero Es

S(econd) PI=Greek character GOT=obtained

oops, too slow typing

A great light suddenly flashed on over Canada!

Good one, Denis ===[**WCF**]===

Merci Roger.

Palooka knocked out a sailor (6) 2 e's

I think that the answer may well be Popeye, as I believe that there was some kind of link to Joe Palooka and I seem to remember that Denis is quite a Popeye fan. Perhaps Popeye was knocked out by Joe in an episode: however, I cannot come up with a better justification!

Hint: pa = pop

OK: pop (pa) + eye (look) and forget about (knock out) a

A perfect right uppercut Lex! ===[**WCF**]===

I don't think we can call that one legal, Denis.

Thank you: just as well I had spinach for supper!

Temptation to pinch one three times to reveal texts (10) - two es

Not legal? I was doing this:
Palooka knocked out a sailor (6)
knocked out a = the a is gone, leaving palook.
pa = pop, look = eye
Where did I err...so I don't do it again?

The explanation is very clear. The clue works as wordplay, not as a cryptic clue. Cute, though.

Direct on the right.

Bonus clue just for the fun of it and not for the Belt:

Scattering like Pandora after I'd returned (8) no e

Hints

main clue: cvcecvcvce

and the bonus clue involves a Denis deviousness of which "pa" in his most recent clue reminded me...

First letter of main answer is l and pinch is a container indicator,

...and in the bonus clue...

What still need more hints?!

Era is one of the times in the answer to the main clue, and the bonus clue has a Jewish reference.

I'm pretty sure I have both answers but explaining them is another story. I'll say what I know. Maybe someone else can carry it the rest of the way in....

l-iterat-ure
I get the "pinch one" but the only thing I can find for terat that has something to do with "3" is that it has something to do with the third person

sporadic
"p" and "ora" di (i'd returned)
not sure where s and c come from

Literature is correct and took us a while to justify: it is lure (temptation) containing (to pinch) i (one) + t + era + t (3 times), so the belt goes to you Cue ===[**WCF**]===

The bonus clue was diaspora - as pora after di, so not quite in the pocket!

Ouch! Thanks, Lex

Finally found endless reference book (5)

atlas(t) (at last = finally)

Indeed, Denis. Heft this up on your shoulders ===[**WCF**]===

Merci Cue.

Quick celebration has lack of energy (4) e's out of action

fast (feast-e)

Celebrate wearing this ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you CD

Explorer catches me with fruit (6)

PO(me)LO

That's the fruit ===[**WCF**]===

Merci M'sieu.

"Extra added?" asked a nerd (5) no e's

Moron (sounds like more on)

More for you to put on: ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Denis!

Plan what it will cost to move out, finally (6) 1 e

mo(ti)ve

Good try, Manxman, but not my answer!

Budget = plan what it will cost - budge (move) + (ou)t

Hope you plan on wearing this, Lex! ===[**WCF**]===

Thank you! Is this early or late for you?

A pair of clues this time, both of a similar type but otherwise unconnected:

1. Refined frigid brunettes I'd abandoned - one wouldn't make much of a catch! (13)

2. Producer of decorative writing a spiral glitch ruined (13)

1. butterfingers
2. calligraphist

No butter on your fingers!
===[**WCF**]===

Thank you Lex

Shining silver mass found outside meadow (6)

ag(lea)m

Sue, you will be agleam wearing this===[**WCF**]===

Thank you!

Frenzied talkers, in part, go on wheels (6-5)

roller skate

frenzied talkers = lr skate
part = role

Cue, you can grapevine your way over here and collect your belt! ===[**WCF**]===

I would kill myself trying to do that!

Pool stick usage incorporates bi-directional sporting event. (7)

What I've spent many many hours watching in the last fortnight

Cu-rl-ing

(Heard it described as "bowls on ice played by obsessive compulsive cleaners"...)

I like watching curling too, Rog. Didn't catch any of it this go around.

Curl up with this ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Cue - proud that Mrs Worrier has a sport named after her sandwiches

Glowing genealogical report on pre-blooded Peruvian? (12) - a coupla Es

incan/descent

Great solve, Cheryl - especially as I missed the "u" out of "pure"!

One slightly embarrassed belt heading your way: ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, Rog!!

Outrageous price: about fifty a copy (7) 1 e

rep L ic A

HOKAY: me understands now

This belt is not a replica! ===[**WCF**]===

Denis, probably about time for a new thread: do you want to do the honours?

Go ahead Lex...I keep loosing your "emoticons"...

Crazy dancing is cool (4) no e

loco

Your cool reward ===[**WCF**]===

Possibly nit-picking, but shouldn't that have been "cool dancing is crazy," on the basis that otherwise "is" interferes with the anagram?

Anyway, next clue on the new thread I am about to set up please.

Yes, Lex.