BARLIMAN: I hear he’s a bloke who delivers grain?
ROWLIE APPLEDORE: Fallen hero – sounds a bit like a Salford artist, but living in a Devonshire village.
ERIADOR: Note. Three notes, alternatively. Lose a dental plosive to find yourself here.
COMBE: Here is a preening tool, note. Take the fifth.
STADDLE: Sit astride this place, but lose your way. Take the sixth.
ARCHET: Here we find Robin Hood, professionally, in a way? Lost his way but had tea, or so we hear.
NOB: Good French runs backward to reveal him.
CHETWOOD: Little forest of unfair play? Lose an article to lose this reputation. Take the eighth.

Correct! All done.

And over to Huinesoron!

Thank you! It's been a while... thanks for the puzzle, and for keeping the thread going! (301 pages, that's a little ridiculous now. :D)

1. - To want no short adjective.
2. - Sounds like a girl, breathless in the Tibetan capital in a Scottish valley, lush once more.
3. - Smash a giant to find his opposite.
4. - Exclaim and tie a lady, but lose the very first fallen king.
5. - The Frenchman's bane, tied with extra ribbon.
6. - A horse on the back of an explorer
7. - Speak softly! Evil dares within to cover the end.

hS

6. Arod

Yeppers.

1. - To want no short adjective.
2. - Sounds like a girl, breathless in the Tibetan capital in a Scottish valley, lush once more.
3. - Smash a giant to find his opposite.
4. - Exclaim and tie a lady, but lose the very first fallen king.
5. - The Frenchman's bane, tied with extra ribbon.
AROD - A horse on the back of an explorer
7. - Speak softly! Evil dares within to cover the end.

hS

2. Lhasa... glen... --> LASGALEN. "Sounds like a girl" = lass. "Breathless" = no H. For a lush green forest.

LEGOLAS for password?

Damn. Read clues 4 and 5 and hoped theme was instances of bondage-related kinkiness in M-e. :D

'Rope! No rope. Oh well, I'll just have to find some other way to tie up Mr Frodo, I mean help him climb.'

But LASGALEN doesn't start with an E... :confused: Luckily Erin, I mean ERYN LASGALEN does.

1. L - To want no short adjective.
2. ERYN LASGALEN - Sounds like a girl, breathless in the Tibetan capital in a Scottish valley, lush once more.
3. G - Smash a giant to find his opposite.
4. O - Exclaim and tie a lady, but lose the very first fallen king.
5. L - The Frenchman's bane, tied with extra ribbon.
AROD - A horse on the back of an explorer
7. S - Speak softly! Evil dares within to cover the end.

:D I think there's even enough examples to pull that one off, though it's going to run you into some weird 'ships even by LotR fandom standards.

hS

3 keeps making me go to GNAT, because it's a near anagram of giant and pretty well its opposite... but then that's the end of it, I'm stuck. That can't be it, can it? I don't get it.


Ah! 4 is O! ROPE HER --> OROPHER.


Is 1 just LONG? Verb means to want, adjective means not short...

It is not. You need a specific, Middle-earth giant.

Correct!

I'm going to give you that. I was aiming at LONGING (as in sea-), but forgot that long itself is also an adjective. :D

LONGING - To want no short adjective.
ERYN LASGALEN - Sounds like a girl, breathless in the Tibetan capital in a Scottish valley, lush once more.
3. G - Smash a giant to find his opposite.
OROPHER - Exclaim and tie a lady, but lose the very first fallen king.
5. L - The Frenchman's bane, tied with extra ribbon.
AROD - A horse on the back of an explorer
7. S - Speak softly! Evil dares within to cover the end.

Past the halfway point!

hS

Is G GIMLI? Kind of Legolas's opposite.

Or GROND?

The only named giant I can find is TARLANG - might that unscramble to form anything Legolas-related?

S ... SHARKEY? (But no particular connection with Legolas).

GIMLI is from GILIM

Correct. :) (The 'he' is the giant, the opposite of which is a dwarf.)

Nope. I've been slightly cheeky with separating (or not separating) words in this one.

LONGING - To want no short adjective.
ERYN LASGALEN - Sounds like a girl, breathless in the Tibetan capital in a Scottish valley, lush once more.
GIMLI - Smash a giant to find his opposite.
OROPHER - Exclaim and tie a lady, but lose the very first fallen king.
5. L - The Frenchman's bane, tied with extra ribbon.
AROD - A horse on the back of an explorer
7. S - Speak softly! Evil dares within to cover the end.

hS

7. Ents?

5. Locks?

No, and with no more information I can't even tell if you're thinking in the right direction.

#5: There's not a specific Frenchman, but there is a group; and it's not tied with an extra ribbon.

#7: "Speak softly" is the straight clue (though a bit of a cheeky one). For the rest, you need one synonym, and two words which are written in the question.

hS

I think the Lorien lookout elves say Sam breathes loudly. Or that all the mortals do. Is it something to do with that? Legolas translates it.

Could the Frenchmen be Cordon Bleu chefs?

Cordon Bleu was originally an order of knights, Google tells me:

'The French term cordon bleu is translated as "blue ribbon". According to Larousse Gastronomique, the cordon bleu "was originally a wide blue ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood, L'Ordre des chevaliers du Saint-Esprit, instituted by Henri III of France in 1578.'

Hmm, interesting. What was he translating from?

So, three replies:

a) No.

b) But the Frenchmen being bane'd are indeed knights.

c) You're about 163 years too late.

hS

SIN was very DARIN'

SINDARIN.

And Agincourt knights - of Armagnac.

Well, their bane (mostly) was the LONGBOW.

I suppose you'd need extra ribbon for a long bow.

Had I remembered that 'daring' was a word, this clue would have been much better. :) I did sin + dar(es) + in (ie, 'with in to cover the end').

Oui, c'est vrai!

LONGING - To want no short adjective.
ERYN LASGALEN - Sounds like a girl, breathless in the Tibetan capital in a Scottish valley, lush once more.
GIMLI - Smash a giant to find his opposite.
OROPHER - Exclaim and tie a lady, but lose the very first fallen king.
LONGBOW - The Frenchman's bane, tied with extra ribbon.
AROD - A horse on the back of an explorer
SINDARIN - Speak softly! Evil dares within to cover the end.

Phew! Sorry about some of the clues, it's been a while. And I think G55 got the password.

hS

Hui, I love your clues - even if I can't always follow the logic going forwards, I am endlessly amused at the explanation and breakdown. :)

I other news, is it just me or is it getting harder and harder to do themed passwords with new themes and only using first letters, or even first and last letters? I am very impressed when you guys pull it off.


1. Even after the start of summer, it is odd. (1)
2. For mirth, a mare got tangled in a net. (8)
3. He has no fear - but also no order. (3)
4. Number, unnoted, finds pointless unwrought metal in the sea. (7)
5. A folder, a line up, or a notched tool, by the sound of it. (5)
6. Celebrity at dusk - in Elvish. (6)
7. In the end a boy inside, Bergil gallivanted to the last. (1)
8. The rebel spun to become a queen. (8)
9. “Dagger-knowing killing oaf!” - you hear in the fight. (15)

3 is Feanor.

7. Gil-Galad (GIL+GAL+LAD)?

9. Dagor Nuin Giliath?

8. Elbereth

6. Undomiel?

Correct for all.



1. SEven after the start of summer, it is odd. (1)
2. TFor mirth, a mare got tangled in a net. (8)
3. FEANOR: He has no fear - but also no order. (3)
4. RNumber, unnoted, finds pointless unwrought metal in the sea. (7)
5. LA folder, a line up, or a notched tool, by the sound of it. (5)
6. UNDOMIEL: Celebrity at dusk - in Elvish. (6)
7. GIL-GALAD: In the end a boy inside, Bergil gallivanted to the last. (1)
8. ELBERETH: The rebel spun to become a queen. (8)
9. DAGOR-NUIN-GILIATH: “Dagger-knowing killing oaf!” - you hear in the fight. (15)

Password guess: Starlight

Correct - added above.

Is 4 Num(b)enor - no for pointless and 'ore' sound at the end?

It's *shaped* like a star ....

Could #5 be MENELMACAR or MENELVAGOR? The "folder" could be a Manilla folder "by the sound of it", though I admit I can't do any of the rest.

hS

Yes to Numenor, the Land of the Star. Alas, no to Menelvagor/macar. For that clue you do not need to add any words, only find the right word. And you could get there through one of multiple ways.



1. S Even after the start of summer, it is odd. (1)
2. T For mirth, a mare got tangled in a net. (8)
3. FEANOR: He has no fear - but also no order. (3)
4. NUMENOR: Number, unnoted, finds pointless unwrought metal in the sea. (7)
5. L A folder, a line up, or a notched tool, by the sound of it. (5)
6. UNDOMIEL: Celebrity at dusk - in Elvish. (6)
7. GIL-GALAD: In the end a boy inside, Bergil gallivanted to the last. (1)
8. ELBERETH: The rebel spun to become a queen. (8)
9. DAGOR-NUIN-GILIATH: “Dagger-knowing killing oaf!” - you hear in the fight. (15)

5. Phial (Sounds like FILE)

Eureka!


1. S Even after the start of summer, it is odd. (1)
2. T For mirth, a mare got tangled in a net. (8)
3. FEANOR: He has no fear - but also no order. (3)
4. NUMENOR: Number, unnoted, finds pointless unwrought metal in the sea. (7)
5. PHIAL: A folder, a line up, or a notched tool, by the sound of it. (5)
6. UNDOMIEL: Celebrity at dusk - in Elvish. (6)
7. GIL-GALAD: In the end a boy inside, Bergil gallivanted to the last. (1)
8. ELBERETH: The rebel spun to become a queen. (8)
9. DAGOR-NUIN-GILIATH: “Dagger-knowing killing oaf!” - you hear in the fight. (15)


For both remaining clues, you don't need to go hunting for vocabulary. All the elements you need are in the clues.

A REALLY clever clue, G55!

Fantastic work, Urwen.

Is number one simply SEVEN, for Seven Stars?

S(even). (S for start of summer).

Even ... and an odd number.

2. REMMIRATH (mirth a mare).

The 'net' in the clue reminded me of the 'netted stars.'

*chants* SEVEN STARS AND SEVEN STONES AND ONE! WHITE! TREE!

Correct! This is probably my favourite clue of this batch, though I like "file" too. ^.^ And correct for Remmirath.



1. SEVEN: Even after the start of summer, it is odd. (1)
2. REMMIRATH: For mirth, a mare got tangled in a net. (8)
3. FEANOR: He has no fear - but also no order. (3)
4. NUMENOR: Number, unnoted, finds pointless unwrought metal in the sea. (7)
5. PHIAL: A folder, a line up, or a notched tool, by the sound of it. (5)
6. UNDOMIEL: Celebrity at dusk - in Elvish. (6)
7. GIL-GALAD: In the end a boy inside, Bergil gallivanted to the last. (1)
8. ELBERETH: The rebel spun to become a queen. (8)
9. DAGOR-NUIN-GILIATH: “Dagger-knowing killing oaf!” - you hear in the fight. (15)


And now over to Urwen, I believe!

Well, most of the clues here aren't cryptic, though some are.

1. A mutt full of courage, we hear, for him.
2. For him, pride (and greed) comes before the Fall
3. According to Martin, it's their dance.
4. The Sire of the greatest.
5. The one with many colors, named by his tower.
6. The plague of Arda, and bane of young.
7. Described by the title.

3. Dragons?

7. Sauron?