Friday 24 July 2009

When Fillers Are Not Fillers

puzzle-with-missing-piece With all this talk about connectors, let's not forget the reverse – words that we assume are connectors, and it turns out they are part of the wordplay.

Something like:

FT 13134 (Armonie): Fuss about a soldier's slow movement (6) AD{A GI}O
Here, the "A" isn't just to help the surface, it is used in the answer.

FT 13137 (Viking): Conned fall guy in getting payment (9) GAINFULLY*
One might think that (FALL + GUY + IN) would arrange into a word meaning "payment", but "getting" is not a link word here, it is part of the definition.

What do you say to the next one? Will you ever look at "fillers" the same way again?

Times 24281: Direct, at first not direct (7)
[Can't work out the answer? Hint: Don't ignore ANY part of the clue!]

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9 comments

Anonymous said...

Gosh!!
It's COMMA N D, is it?

Anonymous said...

We in other community play such tricks; without definitions. Like
p"er (7)
[We in fact don't even give no. of letters]

another one:
do'or (4, 2, 3, 4)

Shuchi said...

You've got it, Aim - COMMAND it is.

That clue isn't playing any irregular tricks though, like keeping back information. The only difference is that we need to notice the punctuation too.

Your clues look interesting! Is the first one PUZZLER?

Anonymous said...

The clue was neat indeed.

Mine are simple and stupid, we call them Random Questions, nothing to do with CW clues.

First one is just PINCHER. " is symbol of inch/inches.

Chaturvasi said...

p"er (7)
of
b921000s?

Anonymous said...

Vasi sir, though I said we don't give no. of letters, here I had given.
These are stupid puzzles (not clues) indeed.
p"er = p inch er (" = symbol for inch/ineches)

do'or = Foot in the door ( ' = symobl for foot/feet).

I couldn't get b921000s at all.

Chaturvasi said...

Try now
p"er (7)
of
b(92 1000)s? (3)
If you have got it, just say so. Don't spill/spell it out.
If you still have not got it, I can give you one more hint.

maddy said...

Vasi sir,

I think I ve got it if the clue length is 4 instead of 3.

Reminds me of the wordgames like Rebuses, cryptograms, ditloids etc we used to have in college.

Can i give a hint on your behalf for others??? Think Punjab terrorism or Indian Hockey...

Chaturvasi said...

I am very sorry I gave a wrong enu.
It should have been 4. (Teaches me that I should not post messages in the wee hours!)
Hint? I will just say 92 is an atomic number and 1000 is a Roman numeral.
Aim, let us leave it at that!