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Carpal Tunnel
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If I remember correctly, Arthur Wynne was English, although, as the article says, his first crossword appeared in an American publication.
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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So when did Brit Xwords take on the cryptic aspect? Maybe around WWII? Did Alan Turing have a hand in it?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The cryptic puzzle was invented by Torquemada in the mid 1920s. Standards of fairness were formulated by Ximenes, who succeeded him as compiler for the Observer newspaper in 1939. This site has a bio of Ximenes and examples of puzzles by him, Torquemada, and some other compilers. http://home.freeuk.net/dharrison/ximenes/Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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No wonder doing a cryptic must feel like undergoing an Inquisition! 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Good heavens, how fascinating! Thanks, Bingley. I was wondering about such odd names. I would never get some of his answers, because of never having heard of some words, such as: PUER, TYPTO, AMBO, SNOD, (and) ANABAS . I ran across a clue that made me think of Helen: SPALPEEN
Naughty type of Limerick , and my old friend PIEPOWDER . Such as interesting word! http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=wordplay&Number=48872
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Carpal Tunnel
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Jackie, this word intrigued me (see today's wwftd) and I find that the clue, "Naughty type of Limerick", should be read in the manner of cryptics as "naughty type, of Limerick" as the word is actually Irish and means rascal (amongst other things).
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Carpal Tunnel
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(see today's wwftd)  Let me hasten to say that I thought of Helen not because I think she is one--I gather it can be used quite derogatorily--but because she's mentioned it here; I think in a post relating to old-time toy rubber balls.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Not to presume, but wasn't that SPALDEEN, the NYC corruption of "Spalding," the company that made them and whose name was stamped on all those pink rubber balls?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yes; but if memory serves me correctly, she mentioned the word spalpeen as an aside to that.
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