Cryptic Stuff
Summary: The discussion titled 'Cryptic Stuff' contains a sequence of posts labeled 'None' by various participants, lacking specific content or context to summarize further.
While it was done some years ago I see, I thought I would try a cryptic crossword-like thread for fun and to try and boost a little more interest here. I made up the below question for anyone interested in such a challenge. I thought the first person to get it correct might come up with the next question. A clue though - if you copy one from a newspaper or magazine etc., the answer can often be found on the internet. I can explain the answer for anyone who asks. 🙂
The prisoner at the cave would not stand for the electrically charged droplets of water.
(12 letters)
7721 comments
not_for_sale
OP3 hours agoPresent and shell out the tosser.
(9 letters)
_ i _ _ _ _ o _ _
not_for_sale
OPyesterday at 11:54 PMPresent and shell out the tosser.
(9 letters)
_ i _ _ _ _ _ _ _
not_for_sale
OPyesterday at 6:51 AMPresent and shell out the tosser.
(9 letters)
countessalmirena
·yesterday at 6:04 AMYes. Pelican is what it is.
Review poorly-sucking beheaded old statue for pouchy fisher (7)
WORDPLAY
review poorly [charade: pan]
sucking = [containment indicator]
beheaded [1st letter deletion indicator]
old statue [charade: relic]
->
Relic loses 1st letter -> elic-> PelicAN
WHOLE DEFINITION
pouchy fisher = pelican
The stage is yours, nfs.
not_for_sale
OPyesterday at 2:26 AMPelican
countessalmirena
·yesterday at 1:14 AMReview poorly-sucking beheaded old statue for pouchy fisher (7)
not_for_sale
OPyesterday at 1:05 AMYes countess.
countessalmirena
·yesterday at 12:45 AMI think it may be juggernaut, with juggler losing an L and adding homonym of nought …?
twyngwyn
·yesterday at 12:40 AMPerpetuate?
not_for_sale
OPOct 11, 2026 at 11:50 PMApparently, Elle left the tosser for nothing, though she was very difficult to stop.
(10 letters)
_ _ _ _ e _ _ a _ _
not_for_sale
OP2 days agoApparently, Elle left the tosser for nothing, though she was very difficult to stop.
(10 letters)
_ _ _ _ e _ _ _ _ _
not_for_sale
OP2 days agoApparently, Elle left the tosser for nothing, though she was very difficult to stop.
(10 letters)
countessalmirena
·2 days agoYes, you have it, nfs.
Welcome! Fly in, Byzantine, shower the Etruscan lord/deity. (7)
WORDPLAY
Byzantine [anagrind]
-> shower [charade: pour]
-> the Etruscan lord/deity [charade: lar]
… anagram of pour+lar = parlour
WHOLE DEFINITION
Welcome! Fly in = parlour (from that well-known saying “Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly”)
Over to you.
not_for_sale
OP2 days agoParlour
countessalmirena
·2 days agoWelcome! Fly in, Byzantine, shower the Etruscan lord/deity. (7)
_a_____
countessalmirena
·3 days ago · EditedWelcome! Fly in, Byzantine, shower the Etruscan lord. (7)
(CLARIFICATION: Lord, deity… whatever.)
not_for_sale
OP3 days ago · EditedYes countess.
countessalmirena
·3 days agoBethlehem.
👶🧑👩⭐️🛖🐑🫏🐄👼
(Closest I could get to a Bethlehem emoji)
not_for_sale
OP3 days agoSecond Jewish and the French border in Asia.
(9 letters)
_ e _ _ _ e _ _ _
not_for_sale
OP4 days agoSecond Jewish and the French border in Asia.
(9 letters)
_ _ _ _ _ e _ _ _
not_for_sale
OP4 days agoSecond Jewish and the French border in Asia.
(9 letters)
countessalmirena
·4 days agoYes.
Candle is ready but having time for date, this is a knock-off (6)
WORDPLAY
Candle is ready [charade: wicked]
having … for [substitution indicator]
time => t
date => d
… so T is substituted for D …
∴ wicke
Dbecomes wickeTDEFINITION
this is a knock-off = wicket
Over to you, nfs.
not_for_sale
OP4 days agoWicket?
countessalmirena
·4 days agoCandle is ready but having time for date, this is a knock-off (6)
twyngwyn
·5 days agoBack to you countess
countessalmirena
·5 days agoPerk?
twyngwyn
·5 days agothe animated pig lost its tail for a fringe benefit (4)
countessalmirena
·5 days agoYes, petty is it.
It’s a bit sweet with scones on the grapevine (5)
WORDPLAY
sweet [charade = pet]
with scones [charade = tea]
pet+tea
on the grapevine [homonym indicator]
➡️ sounds like petty
DEF
It’s a bit = petty
Over to you, twyngwyn.
twyngwyn
·5 days agoPetty?
countessalmirena
·5 days ago · EditedNot neato.
It’s a bit sweet with scones on the grapevine (5)
_e_t_
There’s a homonym indicator and a charade to which that indicator is subjected, there’s another charade…
The definition itself is not as important. It’s not stuck between the teeth and it’s not a portion.
not_for_sale
OP5 days agoNeato?
countessalmirena
·5 days agoNot tasty.
It’s a bit sweet with scones on the grapevine (5)
_e_t_
There’s a homonym indicator and a charade to which that indicator is subjected, there’s another charade…
The definition itself is not as important.
not_for_sale
OP6 days agoTasty?
countessalmirena
·6 days agoNo, not pione.
It’s a bit sweet with scones on the grapevine (5)
___t_
twyngwyn
·6 days agoPione?
countessalmirena
·6 days agoIt’s a bit sweet with scones on the grapevine (5)
not_for_sale
OP6 days agoExactly countess, all yours.
countessalmirena
·6 days ago · EditedI think it may be margarita, but I can’t quite work out the “ta”, assuming first = i.
I may be wildly wrong.
EDIT: Ah! It just clicked. First not as in i, but as in first name of Rita Ora. That’s where the homonym was…
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoApparently, tarnish the fish first or a libation.
(9 letters)
_ a _ _ a _ i _ _
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoApparently, tarnish the fish first or a libation.
(9 letters)
_ _ _ _ a _ i _ _
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoApparently, tarnish the fish first or a libation.
(9 letters)
_ _ _ _ a _ _ _ _
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoApparently, tarnish the fish first or a libation.
(9 letters)
countessalmirena
·1 week agoYes, it’s ancestral.
Barnacle isn’t greatly deficient in regularly getting old strong hold (9)
WORDPLAY
deficient in [letter deletion indicator]
regularly [letter selection indicator - alternate letters]
barnacle isn’t greatly -> select and cut bralingety (regularly select all of the odd letters, and delete them, leaving …=> ancestral
DEFINITION
old strong hold = ancestral
Over to you, nfs.
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoAncestral
countessalmirena
·1 week agoNo, not arthropod.
Note the use of the word “regularly”.
Barnacle isn’t greatly deficient in regularly getting old strong hold (9)
___e_____
twyngwyn
·1 week agoarthropod?
countessalmirena
·1 week agoBarnacle isn’t greatly deficient in regularly getting old strong hold (9)
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoYes countess.
countessalmirena
·1 week agohomeowner
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoHe who refines contains an animal vocalisation about the freeholder.
(9 letters)
_ _ _ e _ _ _ _ _
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoHe who refines contains an animal vocalisation about the freeholder.
(9 letters)
countessalmirena
·1 week agoYes. It’s crackerjack.
Safe solution with royalty doing the lifting? Excellent! (11)
WORDPLAY
safe solution = [charade: crack]
with
royalty = [charade: ER]
doing the lifting = [charade: jack]
crack+ER+jack
DEFINITION
excellent = crackerjack
Over to you.
(And I’m relieved that it was a nice quick one.)
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoCrackerjack.
countessalmirena
·1 week agoSafe solution with royalty doing the lifting? Excellent! (11)
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoYes countess.
countessalmirena
·1 week agoI think it must be solitude.
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoSorry, no twyngwyn.
Without others is the sun and me in defiance.
(8 letters)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
twyngwyn
·1 week agolonesome?
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoWithout others is the sun and me in defiance.
(8 letters)
countessalmirena
·1 week ago · EditedYes, shawm.
Last Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
WORDPLAY
last … prior to [position indicator]
Mass = [abbr. m]
Saint Bernard [charade: Shaw] (George Bernard Shaw’s nickname)
shaw+m (m goes last, after shaw]
DEF
(What a bore!) uses bell = shawm (woodwind instrument with bore and bell)
Over to you, nfs.
twyngwyn
·1 week agoGood grief!
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoShawm?
twyngwyn
·1 week ago😳
countessalmirena
·1 week ago😢😭😢😭
I’m sorry… still not the answer.
Consider playwrights. Consider instruments. Consider physics.
Last Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoSwarm?
twyngwyn
·1 week agoI’ll go the other way; lol still have no idea…
spasm?
countessalmirena
·1 week agoI had no idea that this would prove such a slippery cryptic clue. No… not swabs.
Last Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
The definition is instrumental in solving this. The wordplay plays its part.
s_a_m
twyngwyn
·1 week agoswabs?
countessalmirena
·1 week agoI’m very sorry to report that it’s not slams.
Last Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
The definition is instrumental in solving this. The wordplay plays its part.
twyngwyn
·1 week agoSlams?
countessalmirena
·1 week agoNo, not brass.
Last Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
s_a__
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoBrass
countessalmirena
·1 week agoIt isn’t peals.
I can’t really reveal any more letters without giving it away…
Last Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
There are two position indicators to help put two bits into the right order. There’s a charade and an abbreviation, and the definition itself is playful.
__a__
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoPeals
countessalmirena
·1 week agoNot rings, sorry.
Last Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
__a__
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoRings
countessalmirena
·1 week agoLast Mass prior to Saint Bernard (what a bore!) uses bell (5)
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoYes countess.
countessalmirena
·1 week agoOr … Cincinnati …??? Ah.
countessalmirena
·1 week agoSacramento … ???
not_for_sale
OP1 week agoI hear two wrongs in endless space found in the USA.
(10 letters)
countessalmirena
·2 weeks agoYes, nfs, it’s stifle.
Possessive somersaulting pole worker mounted curb (6)
WORDPLAY
Possessive [charade: its]
Somersaulting [reversal indicator] -> sti
Pole worker [charade: elf]
Mounted [reversal indicator] -> fle
Sti+fle
DEF
curb = stifle
Handing it over to you.
not_for_sale
OP2 weeks agoStifle
countessalmirena
·2 weeks agoPossessive somersaulting pole worker mounted curb (6)
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agoAll yours, countess
countessalmirena
·2 weeks agoscrews???
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agowhat are the socks?
twyngwyn
·2 weeks ago · Editedno
rips off the socks onboard (6)
s_re_s
not_for_sale
OP2 weeks agoSteals?
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agono…..
rips off the socks onboard (6)
s____s
countessalmirena
·2 weeks agoIs it strips …?
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agono, sorry
rips off the socks onboard (6)
s_____
countessalmirena
·2 weeks agoFloors…? 🧦🫢
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agono, sorry
not_for_sale
OP2 weeks agoSwipes?
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agorips off the socks onboard (6)
countessalmirena
·2 weeks agoYes. 🧸
Cops located dying childhood figure (5)
WORDPLAY
cops <- [hidden indicator]
{located dying} <- teddy
DEFINITION
childhood figure = teddy
You got that so quickly! Over to you, twyngwyn.
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agoteddy
countessalmirena
·2 weeks agoCops located dying childhood figure (5)
twyngwyn
·2 weeks agoAll yours, countess