Anybody seen any recently (cryptic or "normal")? Sunday's NYT puzzle had this; I love it:

Four CD's = (3 letters)

Big fat smiley face cuz I got it with just what the lovely AnnaS has presented you with.

Well, I did have the rest of the puzzle surrounding it but I only cross-checked to confirm my answer

Apparently I got it too. (PM'd ASp and found out.)

the sunshine "voice like a wind instrument" warrior

hehehe... yep, four correct answers so far. The above two, plus the Fallible Fiend and the lovely tsuwm.

I'll post the answer in a few days in case anyone is stymied.

Edit: Make that five: Jackie got it too.

Definitely stymied ASp.

I've never been able to do a cryptic crossword. I don't get it. I know I should just keep the thing until the next week so I can see what the answers are - and understand how it works, but I haven't remembered to do so when I get the Saturday paper.

hmmm.

seedy, seedy, seedy, seedy... huh. nope.
force D's... huh. nope.
foresty... huh. nope.

I'm stumped.

Now that I know I'm not alone in my shame, I, too shall confess my ignorance. Pity it couldn't have been 50 instead of 4, that would have been easy.

Also from NYT, but not Sunday's

mate's cry (4 letters)

Tsk! Iran's abandoned ancient language (8)

4 CDs = ?

here's a further clue for max: as with the answer to "what's 6x9", you just have to know what base you're operating in.
(ducking for cover!)

I got it, Jackie, but question its veracity. It's a different language group.

Still working on Connie's.

Connie's

is it in Yiddish?

It's a different language group. Yeah, that might actually throw him off the track. This is one of those times you have to sacrifice the means for the end.

I thought they were from the same branch of the original sweetmeat. After all, the ancient Persians also had daivas and daimyas, except that the good and evil fellers were the other way around.

Or am I worng?

Well, if you go back far enough, you could say they're both from PII.

Zigackly. Ferpick!

I know I should just keep the thing until the next week so I can see what the answers are - and understand how it works

Bel, we could be soulmates! (except for Kwame)
Dare I ask what the answer is?

>mate's cry (4 letters)

sure looks like: ahoy!
but that seems too easy..
-ron o.

That's what I woulda said, ron. But I think water is wet, so what do I know?

Yebbut® Connie *did say it was easier. If that's it though, it's not "great."

Yeah. The thang with the 4 CDs is it's a whack yer head when you get it.

Well, if that's the case, please administer said whack to this particular head.

OK, here you go:

4 x CD = ?

4 x CD=

1600?

1600=?

1600=?

Twice the number of functioning neurons I have at my disposal?

There are only three spaces in the answer, Max.

>Only three spaces.

Indeed. I have in front of me the Chambers Official Scrabble Words - 3rd Edition and am going through its list of 3-letter words. So far I have got up to "G" and nothing has yet connected.

Psssst, Max, yer roamin' in the wrong pasture. No, ahoy is not the answer, so pack up your Betsy.

Hmm, I seem to have come in late on this one. What's up?

No, ahoy is not the answer


The only other thing I can think of is "I ache for the touch of your whips, dear," but that's more than four letters.

k

well, I thought ahoy(Yiddish- ah oy!)

but this CD thang... just not clickin'...

Well, if 4 CD's is 1600, presumably 1600 is MDC, which is the requisite 3 letters long but it doesn't mean anything to me.

One of my favourite crossword clue of all time (I think it's an Araucaria) is:

HIJKLMNO (5).

I may have mentioned to oldtimers before, in which case perhaps some of our newer members would like to have a go.

Bingley

This came up on NPR's Sunday Weekend Edition puzzle a few weeks ago, but it was the answer, not the question. The question went into American history and the importance of a certain John Milk to the early days of Boston, MA.

Jheem, are you reading in threaded mode? Try flat mode for the context.

it doesn't mean anything to me.

How so, Bingley? Your answer is correct.

MDC

that's it? all that for MDC?

oy...

Ship ?
Land ?

Dear ?

k

Yes. Part of the idea of cryptic crosswords is...well, I was going to say to be misleading, but in my opinion some of them cross over the line into deception. The clue was printed the way it was to make readers think "compact disc", but. Obviously there was another meaning, too.
A kind of clue that I rarely get are the homophones. Part of the clue may lead me to, for ex., fair. But the other part, which I usually only get after looking at the answer, would have told me I should have put fare.

EDTI: woops, my bad. Merci, Faldage.

For the record, the clue, 4 CD's, was in the regular NYT Sunday puzzle, not a cryptic. Annadage Inc. regrets any confusion that may have resulted from misinterpretations of the original post.

Not responsible for incidental damage.

Thanks for the clarification, Faldage. I was trying to find some hidden meaning, and wondering what on Terra MDC meant, in regard to CDs. I thank you for ending my futile search.

Do you want it now, or shall we give the latecomers until Sunday morning?

it doesn't mean anything to me.

AS: How so, Bingley? Your answer is correct.

Because like my honourable friend the member for NZ I was expecting a cryptic clue with some sort of connection between MDC and compact discs.

The mate's cry clue. Is it from a cryptic crossword or quick crossword?


Bingley

It was from a regular crossword in the New York Times.

Connie, maybe you could give us one of the four letters -- as if we had solved one clue that crosses it.

Ends in "y"

"y"
thanks oh so much.

G'day -- on the grounds that Australian males are popularly supposed to greet each other with the cry g'day, mate.

Bingley

oy! clue removed because it was too obvious...

Also from NYT, but not Sunday's

mate's cry (4 letters)

I don't do much crosswording, but I've heard the "unwritten rule" which says that if the clue is abbreviated, then the answer will be... does this equation also *go for the use of an apostrophe?

apostrophe

lik'ly...

I would expect (1'3) for an answer with an apostrophe or (1-3) for a hyphenated answer. But I have no idea what the practice might be in a US publication.

Bingley

Bingley, the NYT crossword puzzles are just made for you, it appears. The answer to "mate's cry" is indeed "G'day"

In both cases my answers were wild guesses. It's why I prefer cryptics, I can check my answers from each part of the clue against each other.

Bingley

First, I'm sorry that my parenthetical qualifier in the opening post may have led some to believe the NYT clue was a cryptic.

USns are used to crosswords that address your knowledge ("Basball Hall of Famer," e.g.) and your ability to work out a theme (especially in the bigger Sunday puzzles); sometimes puns are used.

The Brit norm is the cryptic, which is more ecumenical in that any intelligent English speaker has a good chance of solving it knowing the skills involved.