April 26 2011

New Word Rally

imagesCAUBQSN9 Every year the Macquarie Dictionary declares a list of words and phrases to be part of language’s new wave. In years past we’ve seen pod-slurp and tweet being anointed as Words of the Year. Very exciting, if you make crosswords for a quid, as often these terms present the terra nova of wordplay.

This week, scanning the Mac for 2010, I have picked nine new words and phrases to wet your cryptic whistles. Your challenge is to clue as many as you like, with the best clue for each word entering our Master List at week’s end.

Treat this Storm as one-part ruthless contest, and two-parts simpatico workshop, as together we refine our drafts into beautiful creatures. Be extra nice if all players could handpick their own clues and submit their favourite nine (or less) before the deadline of Thursday 9pm. Aside from that minor chore, please have fun, and wreak havoc with these nine newbies:

EGO-SURF – to search the net for your own name

FAUXMANCE – fabricated affair, often between celebs

GOOGLEGANGER – namesake you discover online (see ego-surfing)

LOW-HANGING FRUIT – easily attained objective

MAMIL – zealous cyclist aged in his 40s or 50s [Acronym for Middle Aged Male In Lycra]

POCKET DIAL – to make an inadvertent phone call by sitting on your mobile

PRESENTEEISM – the custom of attending work despite being ill, especially when falling below productivity

SCREWAGE – restaurant surcharge for BYO wine [screw(top) + (cork)age]

SHOCKUMENTARY – film or TV show highlighting violent footage from real life

Best way to submit any clue is your target word first, followed by the clue. For example:

SHOCKUMENTARY: Graphic show disturbing customer with hanky?!

Or POCKET DIAL: Mistakenly contact Spooner’s expense records?

If time is short, or inspiration finite, then choose the words that work best for you. Or treat this Storm’s next three days as a Nine-Clue Enduro, with your best list the final post. Blow the vuvuzela – the New Word Rally has begun!

Comments

DC — 26 April at 01:17PM

GOOGLEGANGER: Egg-heads love emulating Hermione (loser with virtually the same name)

EGO-SURF: Surge of rage at eponymous search

Sam — 26 April at 01:40PM

EGO-SURF: Server got wind of after I googled!

SK — 26 April at 01:47PM

POCKET DIAL: Nick face with ring by accident

SK — 26 April at 01:58PM

FAUXMANCE: Celeb gossip text..."Can u fax me details?"

LOW HANGING FRUIT: With drooping melons, she is a bit too easy

(ps Can't believe "low hanging fruit" is new term...seems like it has been around forever)

Peta — 26 April at 02:13PM

MAMIL : Mali mammals include backward specimen going through a mid-life crisis.

RK — 26 April at 02:26PM

MAMIL: Man in armour - Tony Abbott, perhaps?

RK — 26 April at 02:28PM

Or maybe this...

MAMIL: Iron clad man - Tony Abbot, perhaps?

Sam — 26 April at 02:30PM

Great 'virtually the same name' def DC.

FAUXMANCE: Cast axe cam. fun for Twilight stars, perhaps?

GOOGLEGANGER: As a result of nominal search, eye company wrapped in enthusiast

DC — 26 April at 02:42PM

SHOCKUMENTARY: War porn hysteria offends my nature

Sam — 26 April at 02:58PM

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Unfailing growth model easily attainable

DC — 26 April at 03:35PM

POCKET DIAL: Kinky plaid skirt; coke addled model: unexpected buzz

SK — 26 April at 04:15PM

MAMIL: Mid-life cycle sees man enrol in degree at 49

And a sort of &lit-

MAMIL: Essential that I back-pedal...I'm a man in my forties

Sam — 26 April at 04:31PM

A long-winded mamil...

MAMIL: Free-wheeling through mid-life crisis he meanwhile ran over mammal’s mother

SK — 26 April at 04:32PM

Maybe a bit wordy, but I liked the image-

FAUXMANCE: Trading FX, a cute man lost his shirt but was seen dating Kate Middleton

SK — 26 April at 04:37PM

PRESENTEEISM lends itself to a few relevant anagrams. A couple for starters-

Serene temp is faking it...she's too sick to be at work

A corporate culture of "work until you drop" creates tense empires

SK — 26 April at 04:43PM

PRESENTEEISM: Men persist working after taking drugs!

DC — 26 April at 04:45PM

MAMIL: First Mr Bean backs incongruous spokesman.

SK — 26 April at 04:48PM

GOOGLEGANGER: Go back and forth, and look around the crowd until you find yourself

DC — 26 April at 05:00PM

SCREWAGE: Wise man accepted surcharge

Sam — 26 April at 05:10PM

POCKET DIAL: Tackle iPod malfunction for aberrant ringing

SK — 26 April at 05:11PM

SCREWAGE: Recoil, then press in opening charge

SK — 26 April at 05:14PM

EGO-SURF: Find yourself and set example for us!

DA — 26 April at 05:21PM

Some early gold, gang. DC, your wise man had me groping until I realised wise = sage, and man = crew. Good camouflage.

SK, most of your definitions are very smooth: ring by accident, opening charge, plus some stylish &lits.

TACKLE IPOD is newbie fodder for a newbie word, Sam. Props.

And RK, swap your MAMIL man for male I reckon. A sweeter payoff in my view for a very witty clue.

DC — 26 April at 05:43PM

FAUXMANCE: Enemy home eavesdropped in court intrigue

SK — 26 April at 05:54PM

SHOCKUMENTARY: Program to turn stomach, run key risk of offending viewers

DC — 26 April at 07:36PM

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Vulgar art-show date is easy

RK — 26 April at 07:55PM

FAUXMANCE: Encounter involving upstart Wolverine, perhaps not a genuine match.

SK — 26 April at 08:18PM

LOW HANGING FRUIT: Liquidator won gainful right to cherry-pick assets?

(Not sure if "liquidator" is a bit dodgy as an anagrind?)

SK — 26 April at 08:27PM

In honour of DA at the Archies...

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Quick wins with still-life art in children's gallery?

SK — 26 April at 08:35PM

And a minor improvement (I think) to an earlier offering-

SHOCKUMENTARY: Program will turn stomach, run key risk of offending viewers

SK — 26 April at 08:56PM

Another tweak, on the grounds that I don't think "liquidator" cuts it as an anagrind (pity)-

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Trump won gainful right to cherry-pick assets?

SK — 26 April at 09:29PM

FAUXMANCE: Iron out support crew and leading cox to make up fresh pairings

SK — 26 April at 09:41PM

Sam, re your GOOGLEGANGER, I like the idea of a "GOER" going around. Can I suggest an amendment-

GOOGLEGANGER: As a result of nominal search, enthusiast embraces focus group

Sam — 26 April at 10:14PM

Thanks SK, definately - focus group is a lovely pairing for ogle gang.

Do you think you could use 'the walking wounded' as a definition for presenteeism? Something like:

The walking wounded offer direction to semi-transport

DC — 26 April at 10:56PM

PRESENTEEISM: Advanced age ended egotism; got away and soldiered on

Could 'Pre-sent' mean 'advanced'? Not so sure. The definition is from an ad campaign, which may or may not ring enough bells to be legit. (An old ad campaign at that.)

Boniface — 26 April at 11:12PM

Screwage:

Scrooge drops his specs in awe, taken aback at the wine bill.

Boniface — 26 April at 11:35PM

Ego-surf:

Trawl net for oneself in waves?

Boniface — 26 April at 11:48PM

FAUXMANCE:

Sham affair to turn Wolverine into kisser.

Boniface — 27 April at 12:22AM

LOW-HANGING FRUIT:

Easy to get vulgar executing raspberry?

dg — 27 April at 12:29AM

SCREWAGE: Miser toll?!

dg — 27 April at 12:37AM

MAMIL: Bear, say, middle-aged spokesman

Boniface — 27 April at 01:06AM

Middle-aged cyclist seen riding from a mile!

Boniface — 27 April at 01:32AM

GOOGLEGANGER: Go forward, go back - walk to see Red Double on line.

SK — 27 April at 07:18AM

Nice screwage Bon.

dg, I'm not sure Screwage and Scrooge work as homonyms...recalling the grief people gave DA the other week for "golf" and "gulf". But Mamil definitely works!

SK — 27 April at 07:36AM

SCREWAGE: BYO juice...bugger the vintage!

RV — 27 April at 07:51AM

Ego sure is wanting a stroke. Look me up.

RV — 27 April at 07:56AM

Sorry. didn't put the word in.

EGOSURF: Ego sure is wanting a stroke. Look me up.

DA — 27 April at 08:33AM

Bon, I applaud your screwage. (Not a sentence you'd want to read out of context.) Though do we all think 'wine bill' is enough as def? The wordplay is five-star.

RK — 27 April at 09:06AM

EGO-SURF: Vainly search for one love - certain trim female

Boniface — 27 April at 09:38AM

Ta DA and SK for the feedback. A minor refinement:

SCREWAGE: Scrooge drops his specs in awe, taken aback at wine surcharge (8)

RK — 27 April at 10:00AM

This one's a bit of a work in progress. Not sure about 'silence' equalling 'shock' and my def is a bit dodgy, but anyway...

SHOCKUMENTARY: Silence Barmy Army tune following show of real aggression.

47 — 27 April at 10:13AM

SCREWAGE: I massacre, taken as I am, but what I work for is a new bill addendum

SCREWAGE: Keith Richards' ethos now in charge?

SCREWAGE: Bets going around for an opening partnership century: only five more dollars

MAMIL: A rider of years, oddly, my arm firstly indicates left

GOOGLEGANGER: Go eye off a Grange blend - the first hit for me

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Annoyingly, our fat, whinging student, from the start, is easy to pick

EGOSURF: Searching for yourself can, for example, fail in the end, or bring us back together

FAUXMANCE: "Our love is fabrication" cry the packaging workers

PRESENTEEISM: See, Mister Pen is ill but attentive!

POCKET DIAL: The object of a stroke, Capone went after little Diana, making a call unawares

SHOCKUMENTARY: Spent years in and around scary mock hunt, making a startling film

RK — 27 April at 10:22AM

POCKET DIAL: Take control - sit down and crunch the numbers

Boniface — 27 April at 10:27AM

One for the golfers:

PRESENTEEISM:

Glasshouses seen shattered? Tee not working properly, as a rule (12)

Boniface — 27 April at 10:27AM

One for the golfers:

PRESENTEEISM:

Glasshouses seen shattered? Tee not working properly, as a rule (12)

DA — 27 April at 10:32AM

47, welcome. All you need is a couple more to be a total square. Some nifty clues too.

DC — 27 April at 10:34AM

Nice. I was trying to do something with PRISM and TEE, but failed at both.

I was thinking of this, but maybe not:

Display existentialism without lax stint, I soldier on (12)

Boniface — 27 April at 11:01AM

Thanks DC. Like my golf stroke, I'm irretrievably hooked on these...

Mr X — 27 April at 11:11AM

I've been off line over Easter so here's my first effort:

POCKET DIAL: Opal ticked off by bum call

Mr X — 27 April at 11:14AM

I think others are going down this route but:

MAMIL: Man in armour is a rider in the Middle Ages.

SK — 27 April at 11:24AM

An amendment-

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Easy to pick still-life artworks for children's gallery?

Boniface — 27 April at 11:39AM

SHOCKUMENTARY- Harry S Truman: Hockey displays the ugly side of humanity

Mr X — 27 April at 11:59AM

Looks like I'm still heading into the spam filter:

SCREWAGE: Rip off time for restaurant charge.

Mr X — 27 April at 12:05PM

FAUXMANCE: Turn Wolverine, for example, into celebrity tabloid creation.

Boniface — 27 April at 12:11PM

POCKET DIAL

Mistakenly call cabbage laid-back? (6,4)

RV — 27 April at 12:53PM

FAUXMANCE: Betrothed: "I was replaced by a short auxiliary male. It is a farce!"

Sam — 27 April at 01:23PM

Two, possibly, for PRESENTEEISM but can't get the definition quite right:

Give drug to semi-prepared walking wounded

Erroneous esteem ripens for unproductive workforce

RV — 27 April at 01:26PM

GOOGLEGANGER: Egg, say, inserted into former opener's modern namesake.

RK — 27 April at 01:41PM

This is slightly out there, but might make a bit of sense if you are a Star Wars or Family Guy fan.

LOW HANGING FRUIT: Easy target Han going loveless in Blue Harvest

AE — 27 April at 02:00PM

Hi, 47 showed me this -- I'm not sure if all of these work, but it was fun coming up with them.

MAMIL: My husband's mom from Cambridge is an old spinster, sounds like a hairy one

POCKET DIAL: Engineer's timepiece is sat upon, punching buttons

FAUXMANCE: A latin wife with another man has an about-face: "Our love is a sham"

EGOSURF: Not to hang ten in a Freudian way, but to find yourself on a page

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: I unwhirl oft gang awry, but this is an easy one

PRESENTEEISM: Giving enemies strep by coming in sick

AE — 27 April at 02:10PM

reconfiguring the last one:

PRESENTEEISM: Coming in sick to give enemies strep

SK — 27 April at 02:15PM

FAUXMANCE: Ironclad support being challenged initially by rumours of infidelity

(Question- What's the verdict on "support" being ok for "Aux"? Is it too much of a stretch, or is it reasonable to assume Aux as a common abbrev of Auxiliary?)

DC — 27 April at 02:16PM

Hey AE, very cool PRESENTEEISM.

Your 'gang awry' puts me in the mind of 'gang aft agley' (as in "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley") although I'll admit it's not the most obvious anagrind. It's a pity the original phrase doesn't have two As.

RK — 27 April at 02:21PM

@AE: I really like your PRESENTEEISM too, but I'm not sure that 'give' is enough of an anagrind. Perhaps adding infection or disease might help?

DC — 27 April at 02:24PM

I thought 'giving' was better than 'give' -- it put me more in mind of giving way.

Not so sure on Aux though.

Boniface — 27 April at 02:25PM

GOOGLEGANGER

Wrong'un shortly pitched on leg to infuriate online double (12)

Sam — 27 April at 02:32PM

SCREWAGE: Practice after howler – 50% off wine surcharge

SCREWAGE: Half! Pursue payment for new service charge

DC — 27 April at 02:45PM

An attempt to get around my 'advanced' problem.

PRESENTEEISM: Gift horse's rump sickens me; is working regardless

DA — 27 April at 02:53PM

Two new players in one day - welcome AE, and a promising debut to boot.

And if that's not enough, the blog is poised to register 5000 comments in its weblife. May need to crack a pinot gris sans screwage tonight.

As for AUX as Auxiliary, that is an old VCR button, I seem to recall. Though maybe a wiser tack is to play that cluster as the French 'to' or 'at'. (Of course, that would spark a riot among more Francophobic solvers.)

Sam — 27 April at 02:54PM

A re-edit on my second SREWAGE:

Half! Pursue payment for opening service

Sam — 27 April at 04:10PM

SHOCKUMENTARY: Volatile unrest may outwardly disable happy slapping

Sam — 27 April at 04:15PM

Contrary opinions for a dodgy definition?

SHOCKUMENTARY:
Volatile unrest may outwardly disable happy slapping

Volatile unrest may outwardly sell happy slapping

Mr X — 27 April at 05:02PM

PRESENTEEISM: 7 points ? About time! Refractor loops, turning up crook.

JPR — 27 April at 05:17PM

POCKET DIAL
In-off goal, laid back -- bum rap!

RV — 27 April at 05:27PM

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Frowning laugh confused it and provided an easy pick-off.

MAMIL: Mailman lost his last couple of letters and, confused, presented as a middle aged man on a bike.

JPR — 27 April at 05:51PM

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Howl, grunt, if a gin becomes Tantalus' torment!

Sam — 27 April at 07:21PM

FAUXMANCE: By morning back in drunken snafu, cancels church for sham couple

RV — 27 April at 08:01PM

POCKET DIAL: Club paid Lockett not to make unintentional contact from deep in back pocket.

SK — 27 April at 08:13PM

Ok I will drop the "AUX = support" line (though I seem to see the abbreviation everywhere. Maybe I need to upgrade my audio/video gear...)

Here's a tag-line for Mike Willisee's biography-

FAUXMANCE: Turn unknown bloke into face of "A Current Affair", perhaps?

DA — 27 April at 08:16PM

@RV - beware. If POCKET is in the answer, then the same word can't be in the clue, despite being in a different context. A cardinal sin.

DA — 27 April at 08:17PM

PS - will be away Thursday, so a reminder to all clue-smiths. Please submit your final faves as your own Master List by 9pm. Thanks.

SK — 27 April at 08:28PM

I'll post my 9 now, as I think I'm off line tomorrow. And I've run out of ideas.

EGO-SURF: Find yourself and set example for us

FAUXMANCE: Turn unknown bloke into face of "A Current Affair", perhaps?

GOOGLEGANGER: Go back and forth, and look around the crowd until you find your namesake

LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Easy to pick still-life artworks for children's gallery?

MAMIL: Essential that I back-pedal...I'm a man in my forties

POCKET DIAL: Nick face with ring by accident

PRESENTEEISM: Men persist working after taking drugs!

SCREWAGE: Recoil, then press, in opening charge

SHOCKUMENTARY: Program will turn stomach, run key risk of offending viewers

RV — 27 April at 08:29PM

Thanks for only showing me the yellow card DA. It could have been red! Here's my amended version.

POCKET DIAL: Club paid Lockett not to make unintentional contact from behind.

DA — 27 April at 08:35PM

Much better, RV, and you still retain the footy trope. Neatly.

(And thanks SK - appreciated.)

RK — 27 April at 09:12PM

PRESENTEEISM: Is man on latest drugs working below par?

Boniface — 27 April at 10:41PM

Trying the Royal angle:

EGO-SURF: Ferguson lacks new nuts? Search me!

Sam — 27 April at 10:55PM

I think this is my final selection:

EGO-SURF: Self-server heard of googling oneself
FAUXMANCE: By morning back in drunken snafu, cancels church for sham couple
GOOGLEGANGER(thanks to an SK improvement): As a result of nominal search, enthusiast embraces focus group
LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Unfailing growth model easily attainable
MAMIL: Free-wheeling through mid-life crisis he meanwhile ran over mammal’s mother
POCKET DIAL: Tackle iPod malfunction for aberrant ringing
PRESENTEEISM: Give drug to semi-prepared walking wounded
SCREWAGE: Half! Pursue payment for opening service
SHOCKUMENTARY: Volatile unrest may outwardly sell film depicting real violence

Sam — 27 April at 11:21PM

Did anyone see ‘Hungry Beast’ earlier – it may be an old phrase, and may already be in the Macquarie, but it was the first I’d heard of ‘uncanny valley’ – describing a theory that the closer a robot/animated character gets to looking, or acting, human (but not quite there), the more revolted we become… graphically represented as a steep valley between near human and human.

Inspired depression between humans and their avatars! (7,6)

RV — 27 April at 11:28PM

PRESENTEEISM: Ill-attendance at work; misrepresent routine condition.

DC — 27 April at 11:42PM

I've heard of the uncanny valley for several years now, so I wouldn't be surprised if it has turned up in dictionaries.

Meanwhile, a completely gratuitous clue based on my earlier comments. Not an &lit, I just think it needs some over-excited emphasis!

Confounding libbers gang aft agley! (14)

Boniface — 28 April at 12:01AM

Here are mine with a couple of refinements:

EGO-SURF: Breaking up, Ferguson loses first name? Search me! (3-4)
FAUXMANCE: Celebrity affair to turn Wolverine, for one, into kisser (9)
GOOGLEGANGER: Wrong'un shortly pitched on leg to infuriate double when on-line (12)
LOW-HANGING FRUIT: Easy to get vulgar executing raspberry, say? (3-7,5)
MAMIL: Grey cyclist riding in trim a mile! (5)
POCKET DIAL: Mistakenly call cabbage 'laid-back'? (6,4)
PRESENTEEISM: Glasshouses seen shattered by tee not working properly, as a rule (12)
SCREWAGE: Scrooge drops his specs in awe, taken aback at wine surcharge (8)
SHOCKUMENTARY: Harry S Truman: "Hockey displays the ugly side of humanity" (13)

Boniface — 28 April at 12:03AM

@DC - I'm flabbergasted as well.

DA — 28 April at 06:07AM

Only caught Hungry Beast late - and loved it. The cockroach facts, the OCD profiles, and then the body-builders. Three gems.

Uncanny valley is an intriguing concept - and phrase - to explore. Cheers, Sam.

RK — 28 April at 07:41AM

My tribute to Wills and Kate...

FAUXMANCE: Bogus celebrity engagement mug contains dregs of Bonox within (being Cockney)

RV — 28 April at 07:42AM

SCREWAGE: "Smart to hold", bragged (UK) restaurant's fine wine policy.

SHOCKUMENTARY: Chose manly truck, configured with clout, showing real biffo.

RV — 28 April at 07:53AM

Here's my full list;