# Cryptic Crossword Clue

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [January 30, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683 "2009-01-30T04:33:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683/1 "2009-01-30T04:33:33Z")

</div>

Maybe this should be in the games room, but I thought it was pretty mundane and pointless 🙂

I picked up an old paper and was doing a few of the cryptic crosswords and this one has me stumped.

**Dog’s Bum (4)**

I think I’m over thinking it or it’s quite obvious, I’ve asked a few of my other occasional cryptic crossword friends and they can’t come up with anything that seems to fit nicely.

It’s such a pain it’s an old newspaper, I just want the answer! Any thoughts?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683/2 "2009-01-30T04:50:45Z")

</div>

Tail?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683/3 "2009-01-30T05:27:20Z")

</div>

> [@Elyanna](#):
>
> Tail?

That’s not really cryptic though. I’m thinking it’s ‘bum’ like a homeless person and not so much ‘bum’ like rear/bottom. Maybe a slang term which relates to a breed of dog or some dog related thing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683/4 "2009-01-30T05:30:26Z")

</div>

> [@Incref](#):
>
> That’s not really cryptic though. I’m thinking it’s ‘bum’ like a homeless person and not so much ‘bum’ like rear/bottom. Maybe a slang term which relates to a breed of dog or some dog related thing.

Tail is it. Dog is not the animal - dog is as in follow, which is tail. Bum is also tail, of course.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683/5 "2009-01-30T05:43:36Z")

</div>

> [@Incref](#):
>
> That’s not really cryptic though. I’m thinking it’s ‘bum’ like a homeless person and not so much ‘bum’ like rear/bottom. Maybe a slang term which relates to a breed of dog or some dog related thing.

I think you’re overthinking it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-clue/483683/6 "2009-01-30T05:47:03Z")

</div>

> [@Voyager](#):
>
> Tail is it. Dog is not the animal - dog is as in follow, which is tail. Bum is also tail, of course.

AAAHHH! Thank you, thank you! I knew it was just something out there glaring at me! Of course! I was so stuck on dog being the animal I didn’t even think dog being ‘follow’. :smack:

This is why I love SD! Thanks again.