Last week’s winner Tesla has put forward MANICURIST for DIY COW 104. Even if we don’t end up using this forum as the pukka clue-writing thing, at least you now have a word to play with. By all means post ideas here! CONTEST FINISHED Results in PDF form here: DIYCOW104
DIYCOW Weekly cryptic clue-writing contests
Hittage
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1. Handy digital service provider? (10) CD
I have only just noticed this – do you actually need the word ‘handy’?
Omitting ‘handy’ would make it a superb clue. Do you need the question mark?
Thanks gnomethang and cutlp.
You know, I contemplated for a looooong time if both Handy and QM should be there. I convinced myself that without handy it could as well mean PEDICURIST . The QM was my (deluded) way of telling the solver it is not what it appears to be …
Despite Anax’s warning about the usage of ? and ! being indicative of self-congratulation, I fell for it.
Not sure if I can edit the clue, but will post a reply with both your suggestions in place. Hopefully Tesla will consider that version during judgage.
Thanks to the winks and nudges from two fellow posters :
1b Digital service provider (10) CD
With very little money changing hands, I cut nails creatively (10)
I’ve been asked about the wordplay here so I’ll clarify.
“Very little money”=M
The rest is an anagram (“creatively”) of “I cut nails”, with the L(eft) changed to R(ight) (“changing hands”).
I can trim the edges of uncut nails when misshapen (10)
&lit, (I+CAN+TRIM+U+S)*, US= the edges of “UNCUT NAILS”
Buffer adept at filing digitally? (10)
Cryptic def.
Frenzied tourist out to get parer. (10)
French polisher (10)
Post where colours are nailed? Quite the reverse (10)
Hi Qix and welcome.
This is mighty fine!
Thank you and thank you!
Deranged criminal nutcase, lacking clean pants, has a job keeping extremities in order (10)
1. Active near your wrist, so to speak? (10)
&lit (active=MANIC + sound of ‘your wrist’=URIST)
2. One’s handy with a knuckle-duster?
Bizarre train music polisher (10)
Not sure if it’s possible to edit posts once they’re up – some amendments to the previous two posted:
1. One’s very active near your wrist, so to speak?
2. One’s handy with a knuckle-duster, perhaps?
Beautician from uncouth racism unit (10)
Manual worker (10)
CD
Can HTML tags be used in comments, e.g. bold?
Indeed – italics too. It’s an unfortunate weakness of WP that it’s impossible (or very difficult – perhaps there is a tag format) to select text colour. The ideal would be for clues to be in a colour different to explanations and comments.
I’m an HTML novice so this might appear as jibberish:
OK, so <b>BOLD</b> works.
What about yellow bold?
Another attempt at gibberish:
[H1]Heading 1[/H1]
[H2]Heading 2[/H2]
[H3]Heading 3[/H3]
To embolden I used ‘b’ inside to start and ‘/b’ inside to finish. Presumably to italicise I should use ‘i’ and ‘/i’ inside ?
font color=#FFFF00 and /font didn’t work – the codes were stripped out by the WP software
I’m Una. I trim edges of cuticles badly (10)
Semi &Lit (UNA I TRIM C(uticle)S)* Badly
Mad lawyer beheaded a beautician (10)
MANIC [J]URIST
Artist who needs hands to work (10)
cd
Don’t like this gloomy blue! Sorry Lucien
+1… I also do not like this colour. Anax, could we please move to a brighter background? 🙂
Sensibly I can only make the background darker. A lighter colour will mean I’ll have to change the colour of all the lead text for the posts entered so far, which is a sod of a job.
Rather than clutter up this thread (as I have just done) with comments about this site would it be an idea to create a separate post for this purpose or should we use the Wait for it post?
New intensive care unit in Margate without door is the first nail designer (10)
MA(N ICU)R(-gate) IS (T)
def=nail designer
Visit me to get rid of your nail biting problems! (10)
CD
Ah, I wondered wherte you lot had gone to.
Well done Tesla.
I won#’t be playing this week, as I have to shoot off on holiday in a few hours. Do enjoy yourselves, and see you next week.
Have a great time, see you soon
M
“Many hands make light work” – not for me! (10)
Gentle CD
This is a down clue:
Beautician’s husband on the verge of tears after a dog is put down (10)
def: beautician
MAN (husband) + T(ears) after I CUR IS (a dog is)
I hope it wasn’t your gorgeous avatar dog?!
Thanks for your concern – he is alive and barking.
Hands-on specialist copper is hampered by terrible mist and rain (10)
def: hands-on specialist
CU (copper) contained in (hampered by) anagram (terrible) of MIST and RAIN.
Artist who can only start working after a finger-tip search (10)
cd
Before the onset of rheumatism stops musician playing, I make fingers better (10)
R(heumatism) inside MUSICIAN*, all before t’ (the).
Bravo!
As a neophyte contributor, and having just read through the analysis of the entries to the last round, I feel guilty about submitting another clue and contributing to the considerable burden of the judge. However, that insightful and constructive evaluation is priceless, and I hope that I’ll be forgiven for adding one more.
Specialist in digital image enhancement? (10)
Crikey, that’s 3 corkers you’ve submitted on your debut!
Professional working hand in hand and getting paid on the nail? Literally so! (10)
Professional working hand in hand and getting paid on the nail? Literally so! (10)
Reply
This may be old news but the regular forum is back up and running! (March 29th 6.15 am BST)
Hurray. Can/Should we go back there before I lose my eyesight ?
Hi Anax the COW site seems to be working again, what do we do now? wait til next week??
Clipper got by retired Registered Nurse running around Intensive Care Unit in Massachusetts first (10)
MA(N(ICU)R<-) IST