CancelReport This Post

Please fill out the form below with your name, e-mail address and the reason(s) you wish to report this post.

 

Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

rossim

18th August 2018, 17:38
I've always spelt it DOH too.
21 of 35  -   Report This Post

stevea6000

18th August 2018, 22:06
ginge (and here I'm about to engage in debate!) - can't speak for others, but I never "ignore" a clue. On the contrary, if I don't get one, I'll have several goes at it (as if doing a crossword), until I get it ... or can't. Because I seem to ask for a parse more often than most, I sometimes prefer not to - in the vain hope of not appearing a dullard yet again! :)

And on the subject of debate: I admit to being surprised at the lack of it on the subject I raised when announcing the Clueless result this week: no disagreement, no agreement. Maybe people are wary of such debate - which, if that's the case, I hadn't realised.

Finally, I meant it when I wrote "cunning stuff" after sw's parse - it's a great clue.
22 of 35  -   Report This Post

mattrom

18th August 2018, 23:21
Steve,
Perhaps we've become used to giving something a "Like" if we agree with it, rather than putting it into words?
I did agree with you about DBE's. I've often wanted to leave out "perhaps", etc. in order to make the clue look neater.
23 of 35  -   Report This Post

ginge

18th August 2018, 23:24
Hi stevea, thanks again for your endorsement. I'm glad to note you really try to solve all clues and don't just ignore them as I've seen some comments before about (some time back and obviously not from yourself) such clues simply being ignored. I actually commend you for asking for parses especially now I know you have by then spent some time "wrestling" with them and it may well be, once explained, you don't think they work or are that good, so what. I for one don't think that anyone asking for parsing is a dullard.
24 of 35  -   Report This Post

stevea6000

18th August 2018, 23:47
Thanks, folks ... and now it's time for zzzz!
25 of 35  -   Report This Post

rossim

19th August 2018, 09:02
I must be one of the guilty ones who sometimes ignores clues that I don't understand.
However, I find that I don't always have the time to fully parse them all, especially at this time of year.
Maybe, then, I shouldn't enter PR but I do try to support the setter. Looking back though I have often picked the winner.
26 of 35  -   Report This Post

rosalind

19th August 2018, 09:28
This has turned into an interesting debate. The preamble says "should vote for their favourite clue". Perhaps, if you can't parse a clue after trying hard (and knowing the answer) it is unlikely to be your favourite? How one judges which is a personal favourite is up to the voter, surely?
I don't often vote for the winner, but there's a good reason for that- I no longer enter many of the competitions, though doing so once gave me great pleasure.
27 of 35  -   Report This Post

rossim

19th August 2018, 09:49
I agree.
It's not the fun it used to be.
28 of 35  -   Report This Post

nemo

19th August 2018, 10:17
A view (please indulge the rambling of a relative newcomer).

I always attempt to solve a clue and I find it remarkable to suggest that anyone on a forum like this might follow the process of "clues they don't "get" just being ignored".

When I cannot solve a clue I obtain the answer and then analyse it. This results one of four reactions:
1. Very clever: I should have spotted that
2. I have never heard of that word (obsolete, obscure, foreign language, modern slang, technical term etc)
3. I can see how the setter got there, but I don't like it.
4. I need someone to parse it for me (leading to 1, 2 or 3 above)

Without categorising ginge's winning entry, suffice to say that it won on a fair vote so perhaps I need a further category 5 - I'm not bright enough for this forum!
29 of 35  -   Report This Post

ginge

19th August 2018, 10:30
Hi all, especially nemo. Firstly your contributions to the forum show you are more than competent to participate.
Re your comments about clues being ignored I'd refer you to a post a couple before. As I said earlier it's each contributor's right and long live democracy. I was merely pointing out I personally would hate to miss a good clue through me hitting a blind spot and in such cases I ask for a parse.
I think we all solve crosswords of different levels and what may appear as a common device to someone who regularly does Listener for example, may appear unusual or even convoluted to someone who doesn't.
As I said in an earlier post I'll repeat. I don't think asking for a parse reflects one's solving ability and having done so there is no obligation to like the clue in question.
30 of 35  -   Report This Post