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  • Re: Times Cryptic clues

    From Tim Chow@21:1/5 to Tim Chow on Wed Dec 1 15:17:02 2021
    It's been a while since I've posted to this thread...

    On Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 2:04:55 PM UTC-4, Tim Chow wrote:
    My colleagues and I have been doing some old jumbo cryptic crosswords from The Times and a few clues have stumped us even after we have seen the answer. I was wondering if someone could explain the following to us. Thanks!

    King's enemy active, bringing soldiers round him, properly following order OLIVER CROMWELL

    Do penance for previously holy female renowned for mischief
    EXPIATE

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  • From Duke@21:1/5 to Tim Chow on Thu Dec 2 10:10:37 2021
    On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 3:17:03 PM UTC-8, Tim Chow wrote:
    It's been a while since I've posted to this thread...
    On Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 2:04:55 PM UTC-4, Tim Chow wrote:
    My colleagues and I have been doing some old jumbo cryptic crosswords from The Times and a few clues have stumped us even after we have seen the answer.
    I was wondering if someone could explain the following to us. Thanks!
    King's enemy active, bringing soldiers round him, properly following order OLIVER CROMWELL

    "Active" is LIVE, the "soldiers" are OR, a British convention denoting "other ranks" (I guess corresponding roughly to American "enlisted personnel"). Then WELL ("properly") follows OM, the British "Order of Merit," one of those awards that gives you a
    medal and letters after your name. Cromwell is defined as "King's enemy."


    Do penance for previously holy female renowned for mischief
    EXPIATE

    "holy" clues PI, apparently short for "pious." ATE (two syllables) is "an ancient Greek goddess personifying the fatal blindness or recklessness that produces crime and the divine punishment that follows it" (from dictionary.com). And of course "
    previously" gives us EX, and the definition is "do penance for."

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  • From Tim Chow@21:1/5 to Duke on Thu Dec 2 15:04:59 2021
    On Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 1:10:38 PM UTC-5, Duke wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 3:17:03 PM UTC-8, Tim Chow wrote:
    King's enemy active, bringing soldiers round him, properly following order OLIVER CROMWELL

    "Active" is LIVE, the "soldiers" are OR, a British convention denoting "other ranks" (I guess corresponding roughly to American "enlisted personnel"). Then WELL ("properly") follows OM, the British "Order of Merit," one of those awards that gives you a
    medal and letters after your name. Cromwell is defined as "King's enemy."

    Thanks for this! But where do the letters CR come from?

    ---
    Tim Chow

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Luciano Ward@21:1/5 to Tim Chow on Thu Dec 2 15:45:32 2021
    On Thursday, 2 December 2021 at 17:05:00 UTC-6, Tim Chow wrote:
    On Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 1:10:38 PM UTC-5, Duke wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 3:17:03 PM UTC-8, Tim Chow wrote:
    King's enemy active, bringing soldiers round him, properly following order
    OLIVER CROMWELL

    "Active" is LIVE, the "soldiers" are OR, a British convention denoting "other ranks" (I guess corresponding roughly to American "enlisted personnel"). Then WELL ("properly") follows OM, the British "Order of Merit," one of those awards that gives you
    a medal and letters after your name. Cromwell is defined as "King's enemy."
    Thanks for this! But where do the letters CR come from?

    ---
    Tim Chow

    I believe it's an abbreviation for 'Charles Rex' or 'Carolus Rex', referring to King Charles I ('him'), who came to a bad end under said enemy.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David A@21:1/5 to Luciano Ward on Wed Dec 8 15:54:04 2021
    On Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 8:15:33 PM UTC-3:30, Luciano Ward wrote:
    On Thursday, 2 December 2021 at 17:05:00 UTC-6, Tim Chow wrote:
    On Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 1:10:38 PM UTC-5, Duke wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 3:17:03 PM UTC-8, Tim Chow wrote:
    King's enemy active, bringing soldiers round him, properly following order
    OLIVER CROMWELL

    "Active" is LIVE, the "soldiers" are OR, a British convention denoting "other ranks" (I guess corresponding roughly to American "enlisted personnel"). Then WELL ("properly") follows OM, the British "Order of Merit," one of those awards that gives
    you a medal and letters after your name. Cromwell is defined as "King's enemy."
    Thanks for this! But where do the letters CR come from?

    ---
    Tim Chow
    I believe it's an abbreviation for 'Charles Rex' or 'Carolus Rex', referring to King Charles I ('him'), who came to a bad end under said enemy.
    Good call, Luciano!

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    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)