January 04 2012
Nosy Mappers
Yes, that is me. Or I should say it’s a bloke called David Knowles doing a reasonable impression of me. A fan of L&N, David had to dress as a TV character for a party last month, and thought he’d turn the dictionary bloke into a living burlesque. Safe to say he wasn’t mistaken for Lily. (Thanks for posting the pic, David – not.)
In more relevant crossword news, a note from Carla online let me know about the latest New Scientist, which carries a feature about our favourite puzzle genre. Seems the crossword is the perfect fusion of memory, logic and creativity. Did I say perfect? Make that diabolical. Worth grabbing a copy if you can.
News for Melbourne peeps: you can catch me gasbagging on RRR next week, a guest spot on The Breakfasters, as hosted by the lovely wags behind The Enthusiast, a cultural cheerleader I happen to relish. Only catch, you will need to tune the bed-sharing trannie around 7.30am. Ouch, I know.
Lastly, a bit of wordplay to keep your summer brain in gear. Thumbing through my ideas book – a catch-all of stray puzzle inklings – I came upon a list: Nosy, Mappers, Neutral, Limbo, Naive. See the pattern? Each word is a scrambled brand-name: Sony, Pampers, Renault, Mobil, Evian.
That’s when the lightbulb flickered. Let’s pretend the anagram is the brand, and invent a slogan that plays with both product and meaning. Such as:
NOSY – hi-fi made to pry your mind
Keep your fuel costs way down low with LIMBO
MAPPERS – the key to baby’s comfort
Over to you. Let’s keep anagrams down to single words only, just to spice the quest – though plausible pseudo-words are fine. A vintage bottle of SNOTYARD shiraz to the best.
Comments
RobT — 04 January at 10:57AM
EG - take this one
DA — 04 January at 11:02AM
GENERALIST - the Kiwi beer for all tastes
RobT — 04 January at 11:10AM
EG: Take this one for a fly
ERRATIC: Two hands for the whimsical
RobT — 04 January at 11:12AM
GIN: Stored just in case
RK — 04 January at 11:14AM
STARTLE - Surprise your mum with a call
RK — 04 January at 11:26AM
MOO - For udderly white whites
RobT — 04 January at 11:29AM
FORESTS: Pining for a cold one?
RobT — 04 January at 11:34AM
PB: Powering back into the lead
RobT — 04 January at 01:06PM
BOOTS: The juice for legends
DA — 04 January at 01:17PM
Some good'ns, like pining & udderly, and poor old Mum taken aback.
Driving a CAPTION tells a 1000 things
RK — 04 January at 01:20PM
Fly STEAMIER. A warm welcome to Dubai.
RK — 04 January at 01:53PM
Want to go red? Get ANGRIER.
RobT — 04 January at 02:10PM
PIPES: Purveyor of your own sticky brown crap
RobT — 04 January at 02:10PM
PIPES: Purveyor of your very own sticky brown crap
Boniface — 04 January at 02:40PM
MERITON contains all sorts of crawlers
Boniface — 04 January at 02:51PM
Actually make that
MERITON: Lowlives and crawlers stop with us.
DA — 04 January at 02:55PM
DALI - shop till you melt
CLOSE - there's one near you
Criseyde — 04 January at 02:55PM
POUTS: Carriage service for sulkies.
Criseyde — 04 January at 03:09PM
TESTERS: Try them ice cold.
Criseyde — 04 January at 03:23PM
PH: Sets the standard for photo quality.
KM — 04 January at 03:40PM
Nice one, Boniface. Took me ages to figure out that MERITON's an anagram for another brand.
KM — 04 January at 03:51PM
Lock out the heat with KEYS
KM — 04 January at 04:00PM
DEPOSE: They'll usurp your boardies
Criseyde — 04 January at 04:05PM
LEXOR: Our timepiece is out of this world.
KM — 04 January at 04:06PM
Enjoy rush hour in a PRONTO
Criseyde — 04 January at 04:07PM
DORF: We'll tap into Big Blue.
RobT — 04 January at 04:12PM
LIMBO: Grease-monkeys who bend over backwards
Criseyde — 04 January at 04:21PM
HELLS: Our angels will provide the spark.
DA — 04 January at 04:28PM
FERN: The green alternative to indoor games
Make your hair forest fresh with ACORNS
RobT — 04 January at 04:39PM
40WD: Dries your dollar ten times further
Criseyde — 04 January at 04:50PM
If anyone's listening to the cricket while nosily mapping, Ponting took his time to come out for an interview after his innings .. he was doing a crossword. Kind of fits with the article in New Scientist which David has provided a link to above. And his wife said in an interview earlier today that he's been a lot better husband and father lately!
RobT — 04 January at 04:59PM
NAGGER: You're bound to end up in a hermitage
RK — 04 January at 05:30PM
MANACLES - for that ring of confidence
DA — 04 January at 05:59PM
Brilliant, RK - and thanks for the goss, Criseyde. I have been streaming on and off today too.
EAGERNESS: Tuna to reach your tastebuds sooner
RK — 04 January at 06:25PM
Thanks DA.
OGLE - Feel like a real builder
Mauve — 04 January at 07:13PM
NEMESIS: The phone you'll be clashing with for the rest of your life
RobT — 04 January at 07:19PM
FLOG: the car for whipping up to the shops in
PRS — 05 January at 01:22AM
A courageous journey with a LATVIAN
GELLED beans in aspic
Pick me up in a chocolate LIMO
PRS — 05 January at 01:29AM
CLOSE - Your nearest supermarket
PRS — 05 January at 01:39AM
ITEMS - News (and crosswords)
PRS — 05 January at 01:43AM
BAN - We don't want your business
PRS — 05 January at 01:45AM
ACRE - A screen with a view
RobT — 05 January at 06:29AM
DOKKA: packing our bags, for the record.
Criseyde — 05 January at 07:46AM
RANCID: The smell of dressing for success.
Criseyde — 05 January at 08:02AM
CLOVER: We'll wrap you in comfort.
RobT — 05 January at 08:02AM
AIRMAN: Trimmed for immediate take-off
Criseyde — 05 January at 08:05AM
CAB: Join the top ranks of the literati.
Criseyde — 05 January at 08:06AM
Ha ha RobT.
Criseyde — 05 January at 08:13AM
Was still pondering the longest anagram, so far, DA's EAGERNESS, and just found it in my cupboard.
Criseyde — 05 January at 08:30AM
ROAMS: Seek the light!
Ignite the flame for those who ADHERED to our message.
RobT — 05 January at 08:39AM
AFAR: Wings across the World
RobT — 05 January at 08:44AM
NRA: Sub machine-guns - at your service
RobT — 05 January at 08:46AM
FAD: Fashion to die for
LR — 05 January at 09:07AM
ELVIS: Don't you step on my blue denim pants
DA — 05 January at 09:26AM
RANCID and CARDIN - what a double! Some variations, enlisting Spanish and a phrase:
Whack on a BANDIDA - she rips off easily
CATS ONLY: The pets you have when you don't have pets
Criseyde — 05 January at 12:00PM
BRIO: A dashing writer.
MONOGRAPH: The way to record your single.
RK — 05 January at 01:06PM
PESTER - Give in to the kids this summer
RobT — 05 January at 01:18PM
FARKT: Nothing to crow about
RobT — 05 January at 01:20PM
FARKT: Not a slice of anything to crow about
RobT — 05 January at 01:44PM
ROOL: 100% chocolate for Bogans
RobT — 05 January at 03:11PM
Aside:
With a nickname like Pup, aren't those tatts all Tramp stamps?
RobT — 05 January at 05:03PM
TALES: Fabulous ideas man
Sam — 05 January at 05:27PM
MARGIN - locate nearest Borders
DEPOSE - suit the opposition?
Sam — 05 January at 05:28PM
sorry, just realised KM beat me to it!
RobT — 05 January at 05:44PM
EX-TACO: Oil with Tex-Mex origins
PMCD — 06 January at 03:04AM
MASHING - Soft and tender chicken
RIPEST – with the great taste of lemon
NAIVE – is also for those who think skin care products really work
AVIS – Drives your dollar further !
RobT — 06 January at 06:51AM
HIJ FIB: Characters who lie in order to be heard
LR — 06 January at 10:58AM
You have to be quick. I was about to give my definitions for TESTERS and NEMESIS, but Mauve and Criseyde were all over it.
Graeme Gee — 06 January at 10:02PM
I'm an aussie living in England...enjoyed Countdown on TV there...for 9 months...great to see the show Letters and Numbers on SBS.
My fiancee, Hilary, English bought me your Puzzled for Christmas...working my way through and really enjoying it....grateful thanks.
Years ago a a teacher (primary) I tried my Year 5 students with simple Cryptics...they enoyed.
RobT — 07 January at 02:15AM
EEGL: soaring vocals and plenty of talon
Criseyde — 07 January at 07:47AM
BESTREWS: Spread the word!
RobT — 07 January at 08:30AM
EEGL: soaring vocals; talonned on display.
Criseyde — 07 January at 08:56AM
Puff yourself up. Get our LOOK.
DA — 07 January at 10:54AM
@GG, thanks for the note, and hope you enjoy the read, and the puzzles down back.
And Criseyde, your BESTREW is a beauty.
Washing day is always MONDAY
HINZE - soup with heft
ESCHEWS P-P-pretenders
Unlimited broadband for the discerning DOOD
PRS — 07 January at 11:36AM
Hilts - We handle chainsaws
Abode - Replace your photo shop
RobT — 08 January at 03:01PM
HARMS-NOT: We deny we're to die for
RobT — 08 January at 05:08PM
HOSTY: Tickets and drinks for everyone!
RobT — 08 January at 09:07PM
SANTA-Q: High-fliers let by a bright spark
RobT — 08 January at 09:20PM
DRUGGIN'.: the ultimate in home entertainment
RobT — 09 January at 01:30PM
...just wondering when the judging will be in for the bottle of ARTY-NODS.
DA — 09 January at 02:01PM
More of a romp than a Storm, Rob. I know I pledged a 'Snotyard' - but what's a Snotyard?!
Just for these next few weeks, I'm taking a spell from the shortlisting and sifting - and hoping the fun is undiminished from your patch.
It certainly was a kick of a list, with two gems springing to mind: RK's MANACLES and Criseyde's BESTREWS. But there was a dozen zingers at least.
RobT — 09 January at 02:22PM
No probs DA. It was fun.
By the way, I have never tried a SNOTYARD but I do know a good ANTSY D'OR when I see one.