April 19 2011
Alternate Lifestyle
Feeling lazy as a solver, I may second-guess an answer, going purely off the letter spread. Late in my dash to complete one hundred Times crosswords, for example, I fell upon this letter pattern:
_ L _ P _ A _ T
The answer just had to be ELEPHANT, I knew. So I glanced at the clue to see if they took the Jumbo tack, or ‘the panel’ anagram, or tried some other tangent, when I realised there was no elephant to be seen. Since the answer, I later figured, was FLIPPANT.
FLIPPANT or ELEPHANT
COMPLETE or CODPIECE
SLINGSHOT or BLIND SPOT…
The world of alternative answers started to spin and shimmer. And leads us to this week’s Storm. What’s the funniest, freshest, freakiest pair you can find, where one word (or phrase) matches the same odd (or even) letters as another?
PATERNAL and MATERNAL are old hat. While LEARNING and YEARNING are hohum, since the letter discrepancy is only the initial. Instead, try to find pairs where every alternate letter differs from its mate, like CUTLASS/PUBLISH or better still, MASCULINE and BARCELONA. Names are fine. Odds or evens – your choice.
Size matters. Let’s aim for seven letters plus, and to add a touch of spice and solving to our Storm, what say we provide your discoveries as mini-puzzles? Here’s my last example, as a submission:
Virile city – MB (9)
Or another: Reflected monkey – MM (8)
The answer? MIRRORED MARMOSET.
This may get messy, but should be fun. Let’s number as we go to keep track of pairs, and present them in that clue/initial/number format for kinder solving. And blab the answers as we roll, with no call for spoiler alerts.
To make juding the cream easier, we may need to pick our top creations by late Thursday, and present them as clean pairs. However it PANS OUT (MASSEUR), let’s try the alternate lifestyle.
Comments
DA — 19 April at 11:42AM
1 City painter - BD (8)
Boniface — 19 April at 12:24PM
2. List lover - EI (9)
JD — 19 April at 12:28PM
3. Harassing spread - BM (9)
SB — 19 April at 12:38PM
3 is badgering margerine
A couple of others
4. Enchanted city - MV (7)
5. suburban lothario - LW (9)
RK — 19 April at 12:49PM
6. Attractive poor - BP (9)
Boniface — 19 April at 12:51PM
3. Independently green? SV (9)
Boniface — 19 April at 12:52PM
Sorry I'll update that:
7. Independently green? SV (9)
Boniface — 19 April at 12:55PM
4. Magical Vatican
5. Localised womaniser
DA — 19 April at 12:56PM
7 Severable vegetable?
RK — 19 April at 01:00PM
1. Brisbane/Drysdale
SB — 19 April at 01:03PM
2. Enumerate Inamorata
DA — 19 April at 01:06PM
8 Storm oil HL (9)
RK — 19 April at 01:08PM
8. Hurricane lubricant
9. Ruined composer - DB (9)
RK — 19 April at 01:12PM
Re 8: is lubricant correct, as the i and the a also match up, or are you bending your own rules?
SB — 19 April at 01:14PM
6. Beautiful pecunious
JD — 19 April at 01:16PM
9. Destroyed Beethoven - how sad!
RK — 19 April at 01:16PM
@SB: Pecunious means the opposite of poor, but you're close
Boniface — 19 April at 01:21PM
@DA re 7 - severally vegetable, so you were pretty close
RK — 19 April at 01:33PM
10. Prime Minister in outer space - KN (7)
DA — 19 April at 01:34PM
@RK - matchups will occur - the less of them, the better the pairing as a rule. I couldn't resist the bizarre duo.
DESTROYED BEETHOVEN is sublime.
JD — 19 April at 01:47PM
11. Condemn spread M (9)
SB — 19 April at 01:55PM
@RK - My bad! I'll try again
6. beautiful penurious
Boniface — 19 April at 01:55PM
10. Keating Neptune
@RK penurious
Boniface — 19 April at 02:03PM
12. Actor agents (3/6,9) VM
DA — 19 April at 02:17PM
12 Vin Diesel middlemen [lovely work]
13. Brewer cutter (5,4/5,4) JL
Boniface — 19 April at 02:25PM
13. James Boag - Laser Beam. Neato.
Boniface — 19 April at 02:46PM
14. Store user (8) MP
dg — 19 April at 04:16PM
Blue website (7)(second letter) IY
LR — 19 April at 04:51PM
15. Wriggling gear (9) SE
IC — 19 April at 05:23PM
15. Squirming Equipment
JD — 19 April at 06:04PM
dg 4.16 Mistake myspace?
JD — 19 April at 06:38PM
In a similar vein:
16. Network protection (8) FH
SK — 19 April at 06:59PM
17. Absolut & Tonic? (8) DM
Nib — 19 April at 07:56PM
18. Nation purification? (9) AL
Nib — 19 April at 07:58PM
17. DEFINITE MEDICINE
Nib — 19 April at 08:05PM
Readableness vs unreadableness? (10) LF
Nib — 19 April at 08:06PM
18. Readableness vs unreadableness? (10) LF
Nib — 19 April at 08:25PM
Curtis Wilbur and Justin Bieber... so close.
Boniface — 19 April at 08:34PM
Taking Nib's readableness one as 19:
20 Classical piece - masterpiece (8/4,4) SM
RK — 19 April at 08:45PM
20. sonatina Mona Lisa
RK — 19 April at 08:55PM
14. magazine parasite
DA — 19 April at 09:04PM
Just to keep you lot honest. Three real toughies:
21. Stugots buoys? SM (8)
22. Peking duck? CT (9)
23. Booze for online congress? CC (8)
RK — 19 April at 09:08PM
22. Cantonese tastiness?
RK — 19 April at 09:41PM
24. Enlightened teaching? VD (8)
LR — 19 April at 09:43PM
23. CYBERSEX CABERNET
RK — 19 April at 10:00PM
21. Sopranos' moorings
RK — 20 April at 08:01AM
25. Soporific playwright? S (11/5,6)
DA — 20 April at 10:15AM
RK, your 25 is an intriguing pairing - and one I'm yet to crack! Though I saw the light with 24 - VOLTAIRE DOCTRINE. Cute.
Can also report that STRINDBERG, another playwright, is very close to STRINGYBARK.
And here's another:
26. US reps of TV host (3/8,11) TC
RK — 20 April at 10:31AM
Re 25: The 5,6 pairing is just an invention - it's not a common phrase, if that helps.
Mr X — 20 April at 10:40AM
26. Tom Gleisner
27. Aussie musical instrument (7) KS
Mr X — 20 April at 10:45AM
25. Shakespeare Stale (stage?) opiate ?
Boniface — 20 April at 12:22PM
27. Anax in hiatus? (4,5/9) DH
JD — 20 April at 03:03PM
28. Old coach movement. (7) BD
Boniface — 20 April at 03:10PM
28 Barassi Dadaism
DA — 20 April at 03:45PM
Well cracked, Bon. Two of a type:
29. Blue cooker? - SC (8)
30. Red green - SS (7)
El Pez — 20 April at 03:58PM
Princecraft? MC (9)
That would have to be unguessable, I suspect, so I'll just hint that all the evens are the same letter.
Boniface — 20 April at 04:03PM
30. Scarlet shallot
Boniface — 20 April at 04:07PM
Maharajah catamaran
IC — 20 April at 05:06PM
31. Native cures? IA (10)
JD — 20 April at 05:13PM
31 - Indigenous antivenoms
Nib — 20 April at 05:30PM
29. SAPPHIRE CAMPFIRE
Nib — 20 April at 05:34PM
32. Made wine this month? (9) DS
Nib — 20 April at 05:35PM
33. Ate yoghurt this month? (7) SO
RK — 20 April at 05:38PM
34. Obama on a mission CP (9)
JD — 20 April at 06:19PM
34. - Crusading President
35. Ridicule leader(7) PG
Nib — 20 April at 06:35PM
34. Obama on a mission? Surely that's COMMUNIST MORMONISM! :P
Boniface — 20 April at 08:30PM
32 Destemmed September
33 Scooped October
35 Pillory Gillard
Boniface — 20 April at 09:34PM
36. Scientologist assembly (3,6/9) TC
DA — 20 April at 09:38PM
36 Tom Cruise concourse
37 Golfer's coaches - ET (number supplied if desperate!)
DA — 20 April at 09:39PM
And another swinger:
38 Golfer 4 or 6 - JB (4,4/8)
Boniface — 20 April at 10:53PM
37 Ernie Els trainers
Boniface — 20 April at 10:55PM
38 John Daly boundary
RK — 21 April at 08:04AM
39. Reclusive author? S (8)
or
Author's obit S (8)
Boniface — 21 April at 08:56AM
39. Silenced Salinger - have I got the right author?
RK — 21 April at 09:24AM
Yes. Or the other way round - Salinger silenced
JD — 21 April at 09:28AM
40. Band of usurers? (8)
Sam — 21 April at 09:31AM
hope I haven’t missed any (setters and solvers appear in brackets):
1. City painter - BD (8) (DA) = BRISBANE DRYSDALE (RK)
2. List lover - EI (9) (Boniface) = ENUMERATE INAMORATA (SB)
3. Harassing spread - BM (9) (JD) = BADGERING MARGARINE (SB)
4. Enchanted city - MV (7) (SB) = MAGICAL VATICAN (Boniface)
5. suburban lothario - LW (9) (SB) = LOCALISED WOMANISER (Boniface)
6. Attractive poor - BP (9) (RK) = BEAUTIFUL PENURIOUS (SB)
7. Independently green? SV (9) (Boniface) = SEVERALLY VEGETABLE (DA)
8 Storm oil HL (9) (DA) = HURRICANE LUBRICANT (RK)
9. Ruined composer - DB (9) = DESTROYED BEETHOVEN (JD)
10. Prime Minister in outer space - KN (7) (RK) = KEATING NEPTUNE (Bonficace)
11. Condemn spread M (9) (JD) =
12. Actor agents (3/6,9) VM (Bonficace) = VIN DIESEL MIDDLEMEN (DA)
13. Brewer cutter (5,4/5,4) JL (DA) = JAMES BOAG LASER BEAM (Boniface)
14. Store user (8) MP (Boniface) = MAGAZINE PARASITE (RK)
15: Blue website (7)(second letter) IY (dg) = MISTAKE MYSPACE (JD)
15a. Wriggling gear (9) SE (LR) = SQUIRMING EQUIPMENT (IC)
16. Network protection (8) FH (JD) =
17. Absolut & Tonic? (8) DM (SK) = DEFINITE MEDICINE (Nib)
18. Nation purification? (9) AL (Nib) =
19. Readableness vs unreadableness? (10) LF (Nib) =
20 Classical piece - masterpiece (8/4,4) SM (Boniface) = SONATA MONA LISA (RK)
21. Stugots buoys? SM (8) (DA) = SOPRANO’S MOORINGS (RK)
22. Peking duck? CT (9) (DA) = CANTONESE TASTINESS (RK)
23. Booze for online congress? CC (8) (DA) = CYBERSEX CABERNET (LR)
24. Enlightened teaching? VD (8) (RK) = VOLTAIRE DOCTRINE (DA)
25. Soporific playwright? S (11/5,6) (RK) =
26. US reps of TV host (3/8,11) TC (DA) =
27. Anax in hiatus? (4,5/9) DH (Boniface) =
28. Old coach movement. (7) BD (JD) = BARASSI DADAISM (Boniface)
29. Blue cooker? - SC (8) (DA) = SAPPHIRE CAMPFIRE (Nib)
30. Red green - SS (7) (DA) = SCARLET SHALLOT (Boniface)
30a. Princecraft? MC (9) (El Pez) = MAHARAJAH CATAMARAN (Boniface)
31. Native cures? IA (10) (IC) = INDIGENOUS ANTIVENOMS (JD)
32. Made wine this month? (9) DS (Nib) = DESTEMMED SEPTEMBER (Boniface)
33. Ate yoghurt this month? (7) SO (Nib) = SCOOPED OCTOBER (Boniface)
34. Obama on a mission CP (9) (RK) = CRUSADING PRESIDENT (JD) or COMMUNIST MORMONISM (Nib)
35. Ridicule leader(7) PG (JD) = PILLORY GILLARD (Boniface)
36. Scientologist assembly (3,6/9) TC (Boniface) = TOM CRUISE CONCOURSE (DA)
37. Golfer's coaches - ET (DA) = ERNIE ELS TRAINER (Boniface)
38. Golfer 4 or 6 - JB (4,4/8) (DA) = JOHN DALY BOUNDARY (Boniface)
39. Reclusive author? S (8) or Author's obit S (8) (RK) = SALINGER SILENCED (Boniface)
42. Band of usurers? (8) (JD) =
41. Battered cat TL (7) (Sam) =
Boniface — 21 April at 09:48AM
42. Tempura leopard. Thanks for the summary Sam.
Bon
DA — 21 April at 10:00AM
Holy Moly Sam You Are - that's a laborious piece of love right there. Wow, and thanks.
Your altruism has given us a ready reckoner for both umpire and all players. I hereby nominate you for a community service medallion.
RK — 21 April at 10:02AM
43. Let's call it 'iSnack2.0' - RV (8)
44. Name a saint - NB (8)
JD — 21 April at 10:08AM
43. Redefine Vegemite
44. Nominate Boniface
I must confess to a spelling error in my no.3 which probably invalidates it, but it is rectified in no 11.
RK — 21 April at 10:18AM
I'm going to put y'all out of your misery and tell you what 25 is. It seemed really clever at the time...
Shakespeare - stage opiate
DA — 21 April at 11:05AM
Is that the sound of Mr X gnashing his teeth? The poor sod has been colliding with this site's spam filter - the lone one of us, in the main - and he did in fact crack your STAGE OPIATE, RK. (Have just freed X's post now.)
Hope X can un-hex himself, as his posts usually pack a smart punch.
Sam — 21 April at 12:28PM
No worries DA, having been away and coming to it late, was the only way I could make sense of it :)
RK — 21 April at 12:58PM
@Mr X 20 April
I assume you also meant to add CONGRESSMEN for 26.
Sam — 21 April at 03:25PM
45. The Farmer Wants a Wife? - BB (8)
Nib — 21 April at 08:24PM
18. Nation purification?
AUSTRALIA LUSTRATIO
(Apologies, it seems the Latin 'lustratio' reads as 'lustration' in English, I've only ever used the original word in high school Ancient History class. +N to both.)
19. Readableness vs unreadableness? (10)
LEGIBILITY FEMININITY
*instantrimshotdotcom*