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Diabolically Arcane

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Cryptic Square-Off

22 March, 2011

Here’s a word square of ten different words. All we need are ten clever clues and we’d have a puzzle ready to roll. And that’s where you can help. As your challenge is to devise a clue for each of the ten before sundown on Thursday. With one catch – this time we’ll play the game INCOGNITO.

Just an experiment. A bid to eliminate any umpire bias, as I swear to keep my eyes off the sender’s details during all deliberations. That way we also keep the forum and minds more open to any offerings, from prior winners or rising rookies.

Let’s face it. We all know SK and Boniface have a certain maverick flair. And Mr X is traditionally succinct. Or Mauve sports the new Loroso mantle. Or JD…. Or Sam…. Or dg…. Or GymB…. Or the many other regulars and promising novices have their own reputations as auras.

But not for this square-off. You won’t even know which clues are mine, or which belong to a first-time setter. Though to keep a handle on things, let’s all pick an alias that relates to SQUARES. You may choose NERD. Or TRAFALGAR. Or 144. Or anything square-related.

We good to play? Here’s a trio of samples to warm you up:

ARSONStars only cluster in bad lighting?
CANOECraft exhibited by miler swamping bloke losing lead
NOOSEDangerous loophole will make goose leave

Remember, choose the one ‘square’ code-name for the whole Storm. And come the weekend, with the best ten clues hand-picked, we’ll see which square tops the pyramid.

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If you missed my riddle chat with Richard Fidler, then feel free to slurp the podcast at http://ab.co/1I9t1x5

Text-speak is creeping into Scrabble. Where do you sit?
OBVS I'm fine with it
Entrenched stuff - like LOL and OMG - but no more.
Words With Friends, maybe. Scrabble, no
Let the 'real' dictionaries decide first
Just the handy stuff, like FAQ and EUW
I mean, WTF?! No way
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