Cryptic Mahler

[gurnemanz]

Another zoologically themed clue:

Large snake or quite the reverse. (6)

[Flosshilde]

Another zoologically themed clue:

Large snake or quite the reverse. (6)

Python? Reversed it reads 'no htyp' - the 'no' seems to fit the 'quite the reverse' part of the clue, but no idea what 'htyp' might mean

[vinteuil]

Python? Reversed it reads 'no htyp' - the 'no' seems to fit the 'quite the reverse' part of the clue, but no idea what 'htyp' might mean

... think rather : "snakes and ******s"

[Flosshilde]

Aaaaahhhh - so 'ladders' then? But are adders (presumablyh it's 'l' for large + 'adders'?) a "large snake"? They're not even the largest British snake, which is the grass snake.

[Petrushka]

Aaaaahhhh - so 'ladders' then? But are adders (presumablyh it's 'l' for large + 'adders'?) a "large snake"? They're not even the largest British snake, which is the grass snake.

No, the answer is 'ladder'. As you say, the 'L' stands for 'large' while the snake - adder - comes after. My only quibble is that I feel that the clue should have had a question mark after it. Nothing to do with a 'large snake' anyway, cryptic clues are never so literal.

By the way, I didn't manage to work it out either!

I started doing cryptic crosswords many years ago after my mother gave me the basic details of how clues are worded. I then went on to compare the clues in the Sun newspaper where the easy and cryptic had the same answer thus enabling me to follow the thought process. I then graduated to the Daily Telegraph completing the Saturday prize crossword every week for years without ever winning the prize. Did the Times crossword for some years but rarely completed it. Nowadays I never do them anymore.

[gurnemanz]

No, the answer is 'ladder'. As you say, the 'L' stands for 'large' while the snake - adder - comes after. My only quibble is that I feel that the clue should have had a question mark after it. Nothing to do with a 'large snake' anyway, cryptic clues are never so literal.

I think it might have had a question mark. I reconstructed it from memory.

Just one more recent one I remember enjoying:

A female tennis champion. (4 letters)

[EdgeleyRob]

Old one this but a good one :

Matching paper (8)

[gurnemanz]

Old one this but a good one :

Matching paper (8)

"Matching" usually takes you to marriage or weddings and paper used at a wedding might be "confetti", which I think is now possibly banned on environmental grounds but has 8 letters. I would wait to see if it fitted with letters from others solutions, just to be sure.

[mercia]

I'm no good at cryptic though I would like to learn how to do them

A female tennis champion. (4 letters)

my guess for this would be face

[scottycelt]

Egg on (5 letters)

I'm no good at cryptic though I would like to learn how to do them



my guess for this would be face

Sorry, simply couldn't resist it ...

[mercia]

I'm trying to do an online Guardian "Quiptic" which must be fairly easy because I already have five solutions, it has the benefit of checking your answers as you go.
anyway, what do you make of this?

I name Rex Duff as moderator (8 letters - first letter E)

[gurnemanz]

I'm no good at cryptic though I would like to learn how to do them



my guess for this would be face

That only works up to a point because the clue contains no non-cryptic reference to the word "face".

[vinteuil]

I'm trying to do an online Guardian "Quiptic" which must be fairly easy because I already have five solutions, it has the benefit of checking your answers as you go.
anyway, what do you make of this?

I name Rex Duff as moderator (8 letters - first letter E)

... well "examiner", I s'pose. Why duff?

[gurnemanz]

... well "examiner", I s'pose. Why duff?

"duff" means bad, in poor shape, and is one of hundreds of possible anagram indicators, of which there are so many that it isn't even on this online list:

http://cryptics.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_anagram_indicators

[mercia]

sorry, still can't get your female tennis champion
my "quiptic" is proving more difficult than I thought <doh> ........... how about

Summary inaccurately revised by international bridge partners (5,3,4) [ first word _ I _ D _ ]