CLUE CONTEST #7

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With the release of Issue 7 we have a brand new clue contest. In keeping with our Simpsons theme and the countless characters that turn up in Springfield we’re not giving you a particular word to clue – anything you like that uses Simpsons characters or other references as part of the wordplay is what we’re after.

The winner gets a copy of the next magazine (or your pick of available back issues). And you just might win The First Annual Cruciverbalist Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.

And congratulations to the winner of our last DA-themed competition for the word DASH – SK with this elegant combination of definitions:

A little line to go with some speed? (4)

Competition closes Friday 6 October.

  • SK

    Nice policeman processes Marge and Ned (8)

  • Crude Cryptics

    Selma and Patty posed round the back of Kwik-E-Mart for centrefolds (9)

    • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com SL

      Nice one :)

    • CS

      PLAYMATES! Nice one indeed

  • Professor Aplomb

    Barney’s ruin? Broke, lazy and smokes (3, 7)

  • John King

    Devout man, Dutch, briefly in Belgium. (3,8)

  • https://jimjarmo.tumblr.com Jim Jarmo

    “Miserable Burns! ” Smithers yells (deep inside) (9)

    N.B. I justify ‘burns’ as an anag. Indicator on the basis of its slang definition of ‘destroy/make fun of’… although I’m not sure how you guys feel about misleading punctuation! Personally I’m all for it. 😉

    • Professor Aplomb

      FWIW ‘burns’ works for me.

    • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com SL

      Great surface Jim! I’m also a fan of misleading punctuation.

  • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

    Doctor Hibbert oddly showing rage on TV show (3,7)

  • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

    No closer to courtship with his Mrs, Moe is devastated (5,7)

  • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

    Rejected Duff beer? Not exactly (8)

    • CS

      REBUFFED

      • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

        :-)

  • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

    Comic Book Guy following Simpson boy? Not right! (6)

    • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com CB

      Hi Qix, thanks for all the fantastic clues. This one was our winner! If you get in touch via editor@cruciverbalistmag.com and we’ll send you a copy of the Simpsons mag (or a different issue if you prefer).

  • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

    Otto perhaps touched Marge Simpson’s rear (6)

    • CS

      GERMA+N! Splendid

  • CS

    Homer Simpson unfortunately caught Apu’s foot fungus (4,9)

  • CS

    Santa’s Little Helper upset, as he’s got these? (5)

  • CS

    Prank-caller, one that’s stopping Moe on the job? (9)

  • CS

    Rides Spider-Pig, bumping head unexpectedly (3,7)

  • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

    I put the heart back in Homer’s work (5)

    • http://twitter.com/CrypicQix Qix

      This one is a little tricky 😉

      • CS

        ILIAD? from I + L[AI]D

  • CS

    Santa’s Little Helper upset, as he’s got these? (5)

  • CS

    Ralph has seat in front of Principal Skinner (4)

  • Crude Cryptics

    Couldn’t resist doing another, although if we’re only allowed one entry count my first :-). This one’s just for the crack…

    Lenny and Carl aim at a Duff – shoot (so we hear) from mouth to ass (10,5)

    • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com CB

      You can enter as many as you like!

      • Crude Cryptics

        Cool. In that case I’ll do another. :)

  • Crude Cryptics

    God-slut banter excited Flanders for one! (13)

  • with_jest

    First time writing a clue – how’s this?

    Followers of Ned’s alter surround a thousand principals (7)

    • with_jest

      Skinner (Ned’s alter ego on the Simpsons is the devil, so Sinner with K added in … )

  • with_jest

    Marge carves nature’s small orange candy, making dough soggy (9)

    • with_jest

      Margarine (marg(e) + (tang)arine)

  • with_jest

    drunk bartender is too neglectful to smoke (4)

    not entirely sure if any of these worked, let me know!

    • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com CB

      Hi with_jest. We’re not 100% sure on these ones, perhaps you could provide the answers and we’ll see what we reckon?

      • with_jest

        Lazy. Anagram of Moe Szyslak is Lazy Smokes – Smokes

        • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com CB

          Great ideas behind the clues with_jest! This one suffers from a problem that we all fall into early on in clue writing – the indirect anagram. The convention is the letters to be rearranged by the solver have to be given, not a step removed, i.e. bartender is a step too far to indicate Moe Szyslak when it’s for an anagram.

          The others are good. Margarine needs a little more precision, indicating exactly what’s being taken from MARGE and TANGARINE. And ‘making dough soggy’ would probably be best structured as something like ‘it makes dough soggy’.

          And the other one, should have known it was about Ned as the devil! Great link with Skinner and sinners. Looking forward to seeing some more entries in our next competition hopefully.

  • CS

    Rainer Wolfcastle escorted to these —
    extravagant red-carpet premieres? (7)

  • Crude Cryptics

    Principal Skinner f*cked Edna on car (5)

  • Kate B Razzle

    Oh no, is it too late?? This is my first attempt:

    Simpsons villain favours method to shorten famous Plant (8, 3)

    Or

    Simpsons villain expressed disappointment out loud demonstration of nitwit losing love.

  • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com CB

    Thanks all for so many fantastic entries! Plenty of cromulent clues to choose from. We’ll announce a winner tomorrow.

  • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com CB

    It was tough to pick our favourite clue, but the best all made use of several Simpsons references in the one clue.

    Honourable mentions to:

    CS: Ralph has seat in front of Principal Skinner (4)
    Crude Cryptics: Principal Skinner f*cked Edna on car (5)
    SK: Nice policeman busts Marge and Ned (8)

    But our winner, with references to two Simpsons characters and a seamless combination of definition and wordplay is Qix:

    Comic Book Guy following Simpson boy? Not right! (6)

    • http://www.cruciverbalistmag.com CB

      In case you need the answers: SPEW, SEDAN, GENDARME, and BATMAN.