Cryptic Clues
Basically, here you conceal the person/thing/place/word/quote etc. (in short, anything Tolkien-related) in a cryptic clue. This is the same principle as the cryptic clues found in crosswords.
I'll start (this won't be great, though): Sounds to me like a dwarf letting off light! It's not brilliant, but I hope it makes sense... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [ July 10, 2003: Message edited by: LePetitChoux ] |
Ah, a game for crossword addicts. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] How can I resist, as most of my attempted riddles end up as cryptic clues. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Is the answer Gloin? A Dwarf, whose name sounds like "glowing", ie giving off light. |
Well done (as usual)! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
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Thank you, my green-leaved friend. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Friend and worker go to one river for visual aid |
So this is what frustration feels like! I have been staring at that, glaring at it, gripping the side of my computer desk until my knuckles turned white, kicking things.....
And there I was, thinking I could just about recognise and therefore solve the different types of cryptic crossword clue...(I went to Cryptic Crossword Club for one or two terms, hehe) [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] I shall continue striving onwards to achieve enlightenment solution-wise...Or give up trying! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] P.S.This is just a gentle bump for a)the Clamouring Quizmaster to have mercy on my suffering and out of the goodness of his heart give me a hint (wink wink nudge nudge say no more, say no more [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) b)the other crossword lovers here to come and try their luck [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] P.P.S. Wow..I've never used that many smilies before... |
is it something about the lady of the Old Forest river?
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No, I am afraid that's not it.
I am concerned that, for those who are not familiar with cryptic clues of the type intended on this thread, further explanation may be required. A cryptic clue is one which contains both a straight clue to the answer and a clue which uses wordplay to portray the answer. So, in LePetit's first question, where the answer was Gloin, the straight clue was "Dwarf" and the cryptic clue was "Sounds like letting off light". The crytic clue will often involve a number of sub-clues making up diferent parts of the word. Cryptic clues generally follow a number of conventions. Although this is not a comprehensive list, some common ones are:
The clue may also include words to indicate the order in which the sub-clues are to be put together, The "backwards synonym" clue above is an example. Also words such as "surrounds" or "inside" may indicate that one clue surrounds or is inside the other, such as "Hobbit is left inside apron, leading to nothing" for "Bilbo" (l inside bib plus o). Words may also be used to indicate that a letter is missing, for example "purpose loses nothing", again for "gala-" in "Galadriel" (goal losing o). I hope that this helps to make things clearer. If not, please feel free to PM me. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] |
Actually Saucepan's being quite kind, and if you've ever tried the Times crossword you'll know what I mean. The answer to that last one is Palantír, and it works like this:
Friend = pal Worker = ant One = Roman numeral 'I' River = abbreviated to 'r' The clue for the whole being 'visual aid'. Cunning. [ July 14, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ] |
Thanks, Squatter. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Palantir it is, and for the reasons stated, so you're up next ...
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These are much harder to invent than they are to solve! Try this one on for size:
Spinner returns trunk after call for silence |
I have found it!
Sh= a call for silence elob= bole, a synonym for "trunk", reversed. Shelob, a great spinner indeed. |
Right you are, Sophia. Your turn.
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Ach, Squatter, right you were about how hard it is to invent these. Next to impossible to reduce it to one line. Hope it's decipherable.
Initially, Kate had air and dreams, but right in the middle it sounds like they let her see her fate following underground. [ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: Sophia the Thunder Mistress ] |
Khazad-dûm, O esteemed thunderer.
The first letters of Kate had air and dreams, with a letter that sounds like 'see' (z - pronounced 'zee' by Americans), placed in the middle: Khazad Then Dûm sounds like 'doom', which is fate. The whole being underground. [ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ] |
Splendid, Squatter, do carry on. And I learn something new about the alphabet, something I thought I had finally mastered. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]
[ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: Sophia the Thunder Mistress ] |
With pleasure. I hope you other Britons were watching, because I shan't explain why 'see' sounds like 'zed' again.
Unleavened sundry pursued by the Spanish insect in old forest |
Nan Elmoth, I do believe
"Unleavened sundry" - Nan bread, an unleavened accompaniment for sundry curries [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] "pursued by the Spanish" - El is Spanish for "the" "insect" - moth "in old forest" - Nan Elmoth, meaning Star Dusk Valley, was a forest in Beleriand. |
Spot on, Sir. Pray continue.
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If you insist, old chap. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Black rider misses river after upsetting Frodo in northern territory. |
Forodwaith - the Northern waste.
Black rider misses river - Wraith minus R = -waith after upsetting Frodo - "upset" Frodo gives Forod- in the northern territory = Forodwaith Any good? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]Annun [ July 17, 2003: Message edited by: Annunfuiniel ] |
Perfect, Annun. Good to see you back. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
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Thank you, dear Man; it's good to be back (though I was just in the neighborhood...)! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Ok, Short foreign lord with a stern face meets you in the middle, in arms. ~Annun |
You seem to have defeated all of us with that one, Annunfuiniel. Could we perhaps have a clue?
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Yup, seems I have killed this thread... [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Well, if you can't solve this one, don't worry; most likely the fault's not in you but in the clue itself!
As for hints: in arms alludes somewhat straight to the answer I'm looking for AND - warning! - to solve this clue you need to use that horrid, unnatural, distorted language that made even the ever-so-manly Earnur Etceteron's pants shake! Hope that helps! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] ~Annun |
Is it Merry Brandybuck? It was after all the Witch-King who made Earnur panic, and Merry was a short 'foreign lord' in that he was the son of the Master of Brandy Hall. But actually the 'in arms' part makes me wonder.
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Not the answer I had in mind, sorry.
~Annun |
Is the horrid, etc. language the Black Speech? [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]
[ July 29, 2003: Message edited by: Turambar ] |
As Black as it can get! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
(Hope you all are familiar with the Revenge of the Entish Bow -RPG...) ~Annun |
Is it solvable if you aren't familiar with the Revenge ?
I love the idea of this game. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] |
It should be; I honestly hope it is...
Ok, that last clue hints to only one letter, in the middle. ~Annun Btw. Turambar: nice to see you again; I deem it's been a while. |
Nice to see you too !
OK -- thinking out loud, in the hope that this will guilt you into steering me in the right direction . . . "you in the middle" suggests that there's a "U" in the middle of . . . what? Of "meets", or a synonym or anagram of "meets", or of "in arms", ditto. Hmmm. The first part of the puzzle is of the synonym type, I'd guess. "Short foreign lord" = ???? Napoleon? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] "A stern" suggests "astern", meaning in the back, so "face" (or a synonym or anagram) goes in the back of . . . I'VE GOT IT ! It's Nap-u-phiz, Black Speech for corn muffin. My turn? [ July 29, 2003: Message edited by: Turambar ] |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
~Annun |
I'll ponder it some more but nothing is coming to me. Anyone else have any ideas?
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I'm with Turambar on the corn muffin... no seriously I have no clue, I've been looking at this for twenty minutes and i think I'm actully understanding it less as time passes [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]
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Or, perhaps, Naugrim?
Na-being the Napolean U-already explained Grim-stern face |
Annunfuiniel [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]'d at the Napoleon guess, which I took to mean "incorrect".
Hmmm - one meeaning of G. Herr is "lord", so "Her-" would be a foreign lord, short one letter. "-grim" would be stern, and they meet in the middle at "-u-". And "in arms" is the straight clue, as Annun said. Herugrim was Theoden's sword. [ July 29, 2003: Message edited by: Turambar ] |
*Wild applause and three cheers*
Turambar, perfect reasoning! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] The ungrateful task of creating a new clue is yours now... ~Annun |
Mine rhymed with the right answer.. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]
I'll just be going now.. |
Crafty actor goes back to earth tones.
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