# Cryptic crossword puzzle - Crack the Safe **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 11, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432 "2016-11-11T00:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dominic65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@dominic65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dominic65)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/1 "2016-11-11T00:30:27Z")
So you’ve broken into the study containing the safe. But instead of the usual lock mechanism, it just has a QWERTY keypad, with a sticker saying “Enter password. Warning: deadlock operates after incorrect attempt.” Damn. You’ll never get past that deadlock once it has engaged. You look around for clues. Ah, there’s an envelope in a drawer, hidden under a small dictionary. TO BURGLAR, it says. Eh? You tear the envelope open to find this letter: \*======= Dear burglar, Solve the following puzzle to obtain the password to the safe. It is not an obscure word, but feel free to use the internet terminal on this desk. If you can crack the password then you are clearly a fellow crossword fan, and are welcome to the safe’s contents.\* ```auto ___________________________________________________________ |1 :2 : :3 : :4 : :5 : :#####| | : : : : : : : : :#####| | ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... :#####| |#####: :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####:6 | |#####: :##### :#####: :#####: :#####: | |#####: ... :#####: ... :#####: .. :#####: ... :#####: ... | |#####:7 :8 : : : : : : : | |#####: : : : : : : : : | |#####: ... : ... : ... : ... : .. : ... : .. : ... : ... | |9 : : : :#####: :#####: :#####: | | : : : :#####: :#####: :#####: | | ... : ... : ... : ... :#####: .. :#####: .. :#####: ... | | :#####:10 : :11 : :#####:12 : : | | :#####: : : : :#####: : : | | ... :#####: ... : ... : .. : .. :#####: .. : .. : ... | |13 : : :#####:14 : :15 : :#####: | | : : :#####: : : : :#####: | | ... : ... : ... :#####: .. : .. : .. : .. :#####: ... | | :#####: :#####: :#####:16 : :17 : | | :#####: :#####: :#####: : : : | | ... :#####: ... :#####: .. :#####: .. : .. : .. : ... | |18 : : : : : : : : :#####| | : : : : : : : : :#####| | ... : ... : ... : ... : .. : .. : .. : .. : .. :#####| | :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####| | :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####| | ... :#####: ... :#####: .. :#####: .. :#####: .. :#####| |#####:19 : : : : : : : : | |#####: : : : : : : : : | |#####: _____:_____ : _____:_____ : _____:_____ : _____:_____ : _____ | ``` Across 1. Short distance left in German car — be as quiet as possible (9) 2. Holes in ears erupt nastily (9) 3. Head of apparel tore a sort of sweater (4) 4. Insane way of measuring one hundred thousand (4) 5. Could one be a friend to certain people? (3) 6. Bits of music from the early 80s found here (3) 7. Holding record, as they’re prominent in Europe (4) 8. State University cap, perhaps put on backwards (4) 9. Draws attention to quiet watering holes outside central London districts (9) 10. Password (unclued) (9) Down 11. Horror’s two elements (4) 12. Turn over page in novel _Dune_ (5) 13. Admission that is gripping Northwest Territories and Alaska (6) 14. Place was the hollowed out ruin (3, 5) 15. Eccentric, this MP, a character out of Wodehouse (6) 16. Old man’s weapon is secret (8) \* 17. Confront electricity expenditure (6) 18. Call off part of Republican celebration (6) \* 19. Demanding toss up on pitch (5) \* 20. Cash gift with no envelopes? I don’t think so (2, 2) \* - encode before entering ======= ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/2 "2016-11-11T02:21:54Z")
I got this far: ```auto ___________________________________________________________ |1 :2 : :3 : :4 : :5 : :#####| | I : NF : A : U : D : I : B : L : E :#####| | ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... : ... :#####| |#####: :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####:6 | |#####: E :##### P :#####: N :#####: A :#####: P | |#####: ... :#####: ... :#####: .. :#####: ... :#####: ... | |#####:7 :8 : : : : : : : | |#####: A : P : E : R : T : U : RY : E : S | |#####: ... : ... : ... : ... : .. : ... : .. : ... : ... | |9 : : : :#####: :#####: :#####: | | A : R : A : N :#####: A :#####: W :#####: M | | ... : ... : ... : ... :#####: .. :#####: .. :#####: ... | | :#####:10 : :11 : :#####:12 : : | | C :#####: S : DI : C : K :#####: A : M : I | | ... :#####: ... : ... : .. : .. :#####: .. : .. : ... | |13 : : :#####:14 : :15 : :#####: | | C : D : S :#####: A : LE : P : S :#####: T | | ... : ... : ... :#####: .. : .. : .. : .. :#####: ... | | :#####: :#####: :#####:16 : :17 : | | O :#####: W :#####: N :#####: U : T : A : H | | ... :#####: ... :#####: .. :#####: .. : .. : .. : ... | |18 : : : : : : : : :#####| | S : H : O : W : C : A : S : E : S :#####| | ... : ... : ... : ... : .. : .. : .. : .. : .. :#####| | :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####: :#####| | T :#####: R :#####: E :#####: H :#####: I :#####| | ... :#####: ... :#####: .. :#####: .. :#####: .. :#####| |#####:19 : : : : : : : : | |#####: : DI : : LE : : YR : : FN : | |#####: _____:_____ : _____:_____ : _____:_____ : _____:_____ : _____ | ``` … but I didn’t get the final password. Is it maybe FIREBRAND? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/3 "2016-11-11T13:32:04Z")
**Manduck** , I think you got it. Unless the “study” is a kitchen in San Francisco, in which the answer could be: RICE-A-RONI ---
**Author:** ![dominic65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@dominic65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dominic65)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/4 "2016-11-11T14:36:02Z")
No, Manduck is quite correct. Unfortunately, the safe swings open and there’s nothing in there except a couple of viverrine dihedrons. Well done, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/5 "2016-11-11T15:16:08Z")
Did the password have to be a single word? I should have read the FINE PRINT. ---
**Author:** ![dominic65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@dominic65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dominic65)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/6 "2016-11-11T15:58:16Z")
That would be more like Part of contract’s withdrawn jail right in piercing attack (4, 5) ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/7 "2016-11-11T18:14:42Z")
Wisconsin plastered over alien place for stowing broads? (4, 5) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/8 "2016-11-11T20:22:12Z")
Nice puzzle, and I appreciate the effort it must have taken, but it drives me nuts when people put in gimmicks like having two letters in the same square without some instruction about it. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/9 "2016-11-12T01:13:51Z")
But discovering the gimmick is the fun part. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/10 "2016-11-12T01:15:47Z")
Incidentally, the paired letters anagram to FRIENDLY. For a while I thought that might be significant. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-crossword-puzzle-crack-the-safe/771432/11 "2016-11-12T05:22:42Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > But discovering the gimmick is the fun part. I don’t mind trying to figure stuff out from clues, but I do want there to be clues. I’ve done a lot of crossword puzzles, including a fair number of cryptics, and if they were gonna have two letters in some of the squares, they said so.