Thanks to Duke for running ASCWC 259 and picking my clue. For ASCWC 260,
please submit up to three clues for SUBATOMIC by the end of March 21 in your time zone. Bonus clues, as always, are welcome.

Thanks,
Kevin Wald wald@math.uchicago.edu | Some very http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~wald | eensy grain (3)

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Between Greeks, all Greek to a submariner! (9)

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Between Greeks, it's all Greek to a submariner! (9)

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On Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 12:54:06 AM UTC-2:30, David A wrote:

Between Greeks, it's all Greek to a submariner! (9)

Underworld (9)
Beneath immutability (9)

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On Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 1:09:45 AM UTC-2:30, David A wrote:

On Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 12:54:06 AM UTC-2:30, David A wrote:

Between Greeks, it's all Greek to a submariner! (9)

Underworld (9)
Beneath immutability (9)

Adjust: Beneath immutable (9)

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Extremely small and ultimately pathetic, I check a passenger vehicle for roadworthiness in reverse (9)

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SUBATOMIC:

Electronic music reverberates around Club Love (9)

Nuclear submarine (Cruise?) is sequestered by CIA upon return (9)

Luciano

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On Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 7:07:20 PM UTC-7, Duke wrote:
Sorry. I meant:

Tiny flier in Finland, in Helsinki, gets clearance heading (9)

Tiny, unusual tub mosaic (9)

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Tiny flier in Helsinki, in Finland, gets clearance heading (9)

Tiny, unusual tub mosaic (9)

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SUBATOMIC:

Strings might be so discordant I'm about to get consumed by Scotch! (9)

Luciano

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And now, here are my interpretations of the clues. ??? indicates a place where I'm unsure. Please let me know about anywhere I'm confused or incorrect.

David A

Between Greeks, it's all Greek to a submariner! (9)

??? I don't get this one.

Underworld (9)

??? This looks like a cryptic definition where "underworld" is taken to
mean something like "pertaining to the world at the lowest level, that
of the tiniest particles". Is that correct?

Beneath immutable (9)

??? This could be Beneath (= SUB) + immutable (= ATOMIC), but then it
seems to have no definition part.

Rob

Extremely small and ultimately pathetic, I check a passenger vehicle for roadworthiness in reverse (9)

Extremely small = definition
ultimately pathetic = C
check a passenger vehicle for roadworthiness = MOT A BUS
C + I + MOTABUS in reverse = SUBATOMIC

Luciano

Electronic music reverberates around Club Love (9)

Electronic = definition
reverberates = anagram indicator
Club = BAT
Love = O
MUSIC anagrammed around BAT + O = SU(BATO)MIC

Nuclear submarine (Cruise?) is sequestered by CIA upon return (9)

Nuclear = definition
submarine = SUB
Cruise = TOM
CIA upon return = AIC
SUB + A(TOM)IC = SUBATOMIC

Strings might be so discordant I'm about to get consumed by Scotch! (9)

Strings might be so = definition
discordant = anagram indicator
Scotch = SC
IM ABOUT anagrammed to get consumed by SC = S(UBATOMI)C

Duke

Tiny flier in Finland, in Helsinki, gets clearance heading (9)

Tiny = definition
flier = BAT
Finland, in Helsinki = SUOMI (Finnish for Finland)
clearance heading = C
BAT in SUOMI gets C = SU(BAT)OMI + C

Tiny, unusual tub mosaic (9)

Tiny = definition
unusual = anagram indicator
TUB MOSAIC anagrammed = SUBATOMIC

Kevin Wald wald@math.uchicago.edu | Very little is written about http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~wald | 101 1/2 more no-nos (9)

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On Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 11:48:18 PM UTC-2:30, wa...@math.uchicago.edu wrote:

And now, here are my interpretations of the clues. ??? indicates a place where
I'm unsure. Please let me know about anywhere I'm confused or incorrect.

David A

Between Greeks, it's all Greek to a submariner! (9)

Subatomic would appear to be a contradiction in terms since the word 'atomic' in Greek means 'indivisible'. So when the submariner is asked what sort of sub he's on, and he replies 'nuclear' or 'atomic', and is asked what that means, he'll likely answer '
search me, mate!' - as for the first bit, that refers to the distinction between Greeks acncient (class of Democritus) and modern (the subatomic brigade!)

Underworld (9)
This looks like a cryptic definition where "underworld" is taken to
mean something like "pertaining to the world at the lowest level, that
of the tiniest particles". Is that correct? Correct!

Beneath immutable (9)
This could be Beneath (= SUB) + immutable (= ATOMIC), but then it
seems to have no definition part. Pecisely! That is the point of the clue, that it appears undefinable!

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And now the judgements:

David A

Between Greeks, it's all Greek to a submariner! (9)

Having seen the author's lengthy explanation for this, I see no way
that explanation can be derived from the clue itself.

Underworld (9)

This is okay as a cryptic definition.

Beneath immutable (9)

This lacks a straight definition; the author's explanation is that
lack of a definition is intended to indicate undefinability, but I don't
see how undefinability clues SUBATOMIC.

Rob

Extremely small and ultimately pathetic, I check a passenger
vehicle for roadworthiness in reverse (9)

Having looked up what MOT means in this context, I really like the
whole-phrase reversal in the construction. The surface is fine.

Luciano

Electronic music reverberates around Club Love (9)

I've been wavering on whether "electronic" really works as a definition
for SUBATOMIC; I've decided it does. Very smooth surface; I
like the "Electronic music" phrase hiding the break, and the change in
meaning of "Club".

Nuclear submarine (Cruise?) is sequestered by CIA upon return (9)

The construction is fine; the surface is a bit rough.

Strings might be so discordant I'm about to get consumed by Scotch! (9)

Very nice definition, and I like the surface. Construction is good.

Duke

Tiny flier in Finland, in Helsinki, gets clearance heading (9)

I had to look up what a "clearance heading" is; having done so, I like
the surface quite a bit. Good construction.

Tiny, unusual tub mosaic (9)

Fine surface and construction.

And now, the winners:
First place goes to Luciano's den of dancing iniquity.
Second place goes to Duke's minuscule plane.
Third place goes to Rob's reverse road test.

Luciano?

Kevin Wald wa...@math.uchicago.edu | Little tot has destroyed http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~wald | boat #1,100 (9)

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