Paul wrote this classic clue a few years ago, for the Guardian crossword:
Play Ankoolger? (4,4,2,5)
Taking inspiration from that, here's one of my own:
Play Amiseg? (6, 6)
Can you solve them?
Update: The Answers
Congrats to everyone who got the answers right, especially Susan's colleague who worked out Broken Images.
| Play Ankoolger? (4,4,2,5) LOOK BACK IN ANGER An{kool<-}ger This clue appeared in the Guardian crossword (link) on 23rd March 2002, in a prize puzzle with theatrical works as theme.Look Back in Anger (1956) is a John Osborne play, one of the first of the genre described as 'kitchen sink drama' (a style of theatre using working class settings). |
| Play Amiseg? (6, 6) BROKEN IMAGES Anagram of (AMISEG) Broken Images (2005) is an unusual one-performer play in which the actor has an intense conversation with a reflection of herself. Originally written in Kannada, it was later translated to English (Broken Images) and Hindi (Bikhre Bimb). |
Answers to the clues posted in the comments (with apologies to Ximenes):
| (Vinod's clue) Play Ist ODI there (5,6) THREE IDIOTS Think of a number. Tom, Dick or Harry - play! (4,5,7) FIVE POINT SOMEONE Play Aod? (4,3,5,7) MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING AD (much 'ADo') around O (nothing) Play The CUL? (3,3,6) THE ODD COUPLE THE C[o]U[p]L[e] |
The Plug!
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This is fun. Got the 2nd one easily. but the 1st was a bit of a struggle. Try this :-
ReplyDeletePlay Ist ODI there (5,6)
Got the answer, Vinod. But the name really is as given by this clue:
ReplyDeleteThink of a number. Tom, Dick or Harry - play! (4,5,7)
Got the first one easily, didn't know the name of the second one.
ReplyDelete@Vinod
Got yours too :)
Unrelated post - congrats shuchi! Just read about you in The Hindu :)
ReplyDeletegot both your clues. Your interview in The Col's blog was a big give away as to what "play" could be. Hadn't heard about the second one but googled to confirm.
ReplyDeleteLOOK BACK IN ANGER
ReplyDeleteBROKEN IMAGES
@Vasana: I went looking for it after reading your comment. Thank you :)
ReplyDelete@Maddy: The second one is being massively advertised nowadays, on TV too - a Shabana Azmi-Alyque Padamsee version.
Two more clues and I'll run before raging Ximeneans take out a supari on me.
ReplyDeletePlay Aod? (4,3,5,7)
Play The CUL? (3,3,6)
After involving my entire office for the second one, one of my colleagues came up with the answer (but we had to check it was a play). The rest of us were led up the garden path by the letter combination. I thought it might be something to do with French friends (amis), someone else thought it might have had a connection to Martin Amis and eg meant 'for example'. Thanks for brightening up a dull day at work!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan, I should have mentioned that the 2nd one needed some specific local knowledge. Kudos to you and your office for managing to solve it!
ReplyDeleteFor the benefit of non-Indian readers I might say that 'supari' mentioned by Shuchi in an earlier post means 'a hired killer'.
ReplyDeleteThe usual meaning of the word is 'chipped, scented and blended arecanut'. How it also acquired the meaning 'assassin' I don't know. Maybe from his habit of constantly chewing pan masala?
To qualify Chaturvasi's comment - 'supari' is a hired killer, and 'supari nikalna' (literal translation: taking out a supari) is the process of hiring a killer.
ReplyDeleteTraditionally, the contract with a killer is sealed by handing over money along with a supari. That's my understanding of the origin of this phrase based on gangster films and hearsay, not that I have any experience in these matters :P
Thank you, Chaturvasi, for explaining supari. I had never heard of the word before. It strikes me that it might follow the pattern of the word assassin. Assassin (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) literally means 'hashish-eater' (or, strictly speaking 'eaters' in the plural; -in was originally the Arabic plural ending). Presumably people became intoxicated on hashish before they went off to do their killing. Maybe, there's a similar reference and link here - the hired killer gets (or used to get) high on the areca nut first.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about plays, but still of a similar kind:
ReplyDeletePoppd Poppd(3,4,2,1,3)
Got it. That's a neat clue!
ReplyDeleteNice to revive comments on older posts :) Adding another for a play now running in Bangalore.
ReplyDeletePlay Mile? (1,5,2,4)
I almost give up Shuchi, I wonder if you could give me anymore clues? ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a reverse anagram.
ReplyDeleteDespite those clues, I am still unable to find it out. I have a very limited knowledges of plays, I suppose the first word maybe I or A, and the last word an anagram of Mile, and the other two indicators I suppose, but I wonder, does that question mark have any significance and the fact you made it bold?
ReplyDeleteThese clues are a bit self-indulgent, sorry about that :) '?' is to indicate there's some unusual wordplay involved, in this case a reverse anagram. I made the clue bold to make it stand out from the rest of the text, it had no other meaning.
ReplyDeleteThis is the play.
Actually lime was what I had in mind, it seemed to be the most probable anagram of mile, but googling only movie-lime didn't help at all! Even checked out all the movies running in Bangalore! Anyway, its a great clue! Actually, I am not so good in solving clues, just starting to get the hang of it!
ReplyDelete