Puzzlebrains

Just in case anyone wanted the intended answers, here they are.

ADAM
1. HE IS HELD BY A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (FOUR) Hidden
ALBERT
2. HE IS A JOLSON AND BACHARACH COLLABORATION (SIX) AL + BERT
CHARLENE
3. KING CURTAILED RETURNING QUEEN – NOT THAT NICE FOR HER (EIGHT) CHARLE(s) + QUEEN reversed minus French for “THAT” (que)
CLEOPATRA
4. SHE IS A TAILLESS LEOPARD / CAT HYBRID (NINE) anag of LEOPAR(d) CAT
EVE
5. SHE FINDS FIVE IN TWO NOTES (THREE) V inside two Es
GOMEZ
6. HE HAS THE MIDDLE OF HIS GAUCHO MOUSTACHE CLIPPED AND ADDS A VARIABLE FACTOR (FIVE) outside letters of GauchO MoustachE + Z
GUINEVERE
7. SHE HAS ALMOST TWENTY-ONE SHILLINGS AND A KING MIXED UP WITH FIVE (NINE) GUINE(a) + anagram of R EVE
ISOLDE
8. FLOGGED WITHIN, THAT’S HER That is = I.E around SOLD
JOSEPHINE
9. FOR THIS LADY, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE ACTOR USES HIS FIRST AND EVEN HIS SECOND (NINE) JOSEPH fIeNnEs
JULIETTE
10. HER TYPE OF BALCONY, MISS BINOCHE (EIGHT) double def
LANCELOT
11. HIS AUCTION PIECE CONTAINS CLEAN MESS (EIGHT) LOT around anag of CLEAN
MARK ANTONY
12. HE COULD RECORD WHERE AN INSECT SAT ON HIS LAP, OR SO I’VE HEARD (FOUR SIX) sounds like MARK ANT ON KNEE
MORTICIA
13. TOLKIEN’S DARK DWARF LABYRINTH HIDES A SPASMODIC TWITCH FOR HER (EIGHT) MORIA around TIC
MUMTAZ MAHAL
14. SHE HAS A SHORT CARTOON DEVIL GUARDED BY TWO MOTHERS, AND IS TAILED BY A SPACESHIP COMPUTER (SIX FIVE) TAZ inside MUM + MA + HAL
NAPOLEON
15. HE HAS A SHORT SNOOZE BY A CINEMA WHERE A PENNY BECOMES A POUND (EIGHT) NAP + O(d)EON where D becomes L
ROMEO
16. HE GETS POOH’S YOUNG FRIEND TO HUG ME (FIVE) ROO with ME inside
SCOTT
17. IS HE GREAT OR IS HE FREE? Double def
SHAH JAHAN
18. HE HAD AWKWARD TAG GERMAN AGREED WITH FORD’S SOLO (FOUR FIVE) SHAH (anag of HASH + JA + HAN
TRISTAN
19. HE IS IN TRANSIT, TRAVELLING (SEVEN) anag.
VICTORIA
20. SHE IS ALBERT SQUARE ROYALTY AND A QUIZ SHOW HOST (EIGHT) Double def.

so you forgot that you didn't forget?

D'oh! That extra birthday has done me in!

OK, here are some more really terrible cryptic clues with missing vowels. There is a theme, which should become apparent! I probably won't post answers for these because I posted two lots of answers for the last ones...* Again, collaboration totally fine, but please put answers under spoilers.

1. BFR DRVNG THS HV STRNG MRTN BTH BTTMLSS ND WTHT RCP (FV SX)
2. F H CN FFRD N F THS SNDS LK CMDN MCK S CRKD (SVN)
3. VHCL FR GRD DTLD T CHSE TW PLYNG CRDS (SX)
4. DFT CLT SLLY HDDN NSD THS CR (FV)
5. MS BLDNG STS NSD DSMBWLD MRGN (HRS R CR?!) (SVN)
6. XTRMLY MSMRSNG SPRTS MDL (TW)
7. VHCL FR MNSR WRLTZR MYB (SX)
8. T SNDS BT LK MR CRPPR’S CF HS BN SWPPD FR THS LXRY BRND (FV, FV)
9. THS MKR RNDMLY VCTD TH FRNCH FRM VLHLL ND TK N SHRT WF (GHT)


Not really

So who has been playing with these?

Not very successfully

I can always decode the missing vowel clues if that helps?

Sparkout is making good progress on the quiet!

I've got four I'm certain of, and three that I think are right because the pool of possible answers is moderately small.

I can make some very odd clues but don't have any answers to them yet so I'm guessing I haven't got them quite right!

Bunnylump wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 15, 2024 10:06 pm

I can always decode the missing vowel clues if that helps?

Sparkout is making good progress on the quiet!

You mean I got 6, then had a nudge and a shove for more, and a great big clang with the frying pan for the last!

Well 6 is pretty good going! These are HARD!

Just in case the whole missing vowel bit is a step too far, here are the intended clues, just in case anyone still wants to have a go. There is a specific theme to all the answers, and the answers are listed alphabetically.

But I totally get it if you would rather forget all about them.

1. BeFoRe DRiViNG THiS, HaVe a STRoNG MaRTiNi (BoTH BoTToMLeSS aND WiTHouT a ReCiPe!) (FiVe SiX)
2. iF He CaN aFFoRD oNe oF THeSe, SouNDS LiKe CoMeDiaN MaCK iS CRooKeD (SeVeN)
3. VeHiCLe FoR GuaRD DeTaiLeD To CHaSE TWo PLaYiNG CaRDS (SiX)
4. DaFT CLoT uSuaLLY HiDDeN iNSiDe THiS CaR (FiVe)
5. MS BaLDiNG SiTS iNSiDe DiSeMBoWLeD MoRGaN (HoRSe oR CaR?!) (SeVeN)
6. eXTReMeLY MeSMeRiSiNG SPoRTS MoDeL (TWo)
7. VeHiCLe FoR MoNSieuR WuRLiTZeR MaYBe (SiX)
8. iT SouNDS a BiT LiKe MR CRoPPeR’S CaFe HaS BeeN SWaPPeD FoR THiS LuXuRY BRaND (FiVe, FiVe) < this is a truly awful clue!
9. THiS MaKeR RaNDoMLY eViCTeD THe FReNCH FRoM VaLHaLLa aND TooK iN SHoRT WiFe (eiGHT)

If I'd noticed the alpha order thing (hah!) I'd have got all of these. (The two I didn't have, were sufficiently wrong to get me well off track; still haven't solved them. But the other seven were fine.)

Right, after a very helpful nudge into the correct path from the international man of mystery I now have answers to 5 of these. Still rather bemused by the other 4 but I will keep thinking.

Complete set now I think.

Good fun!

Excellent!