# Cryptic overlaps **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [June 25, 2021, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983 "2021-06-25T03:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 86
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2022, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1702 "2022-10-22T06:51:22Z")
Yup, that’s what I was going for - maybe not very cryptic, as you say it doesn’t really have 2 ways to the answer in the clue. Carry on! ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1703 "2022-10-23T03:56:38Z")
A giant man was left with a cancerous tumor.(9) ---
**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:** [October 23, 2022, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1704 "2022-10-23T13:28:23Z")
A giant man was left with a cancerous tumor.(9) MALIGNANT ( giant man + L anagram) +++++ The littlest guy of two thousand in hot tub party? (3, 5) ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1705 "2022-10-24T01:11:10Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > The littlest guy of two thousand in hot tub party? (3, 5) TOM THUMB (hot tub + MM) +++++ Dr. Honeydew’s assistant broke the glass vial.(6) ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1706 "2022-10-24T04:56:39Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Yup, that’s what I was going for - maybe not very cryptic, as you say it doesn’t really have 2 ways to the answer in the clue. Carry on! Some cryptic clues are straight definitions that don’t play it straight. Often homographs are used in a clue in a way to imply one context when the clue is going for a different one if you change the word the homograph represents. Also, sometimes the clue is just a pun. I find these clues more common in British cryptics as opposed to the American ones. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1707 "2022-10-24T10:47:34Z")
> [@Skunkdog](#): > > Dr. Honeydew’s assistant broke the glass vial.(6) BEAKER (double definition) * * * Alleged electronic speeder eliminates record. (6) ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1708 "2022-10-24T12:43:22Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Alleged electronic speeder eliminates record. (6) Eraser (e-racer) +++++ Quick trip to mountain top immediately precedes long jump (5) ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1709 "2022-10-26T12:39:01Z")
Hint: It’s a double definition with the two halves split between top and immediately. Also, depending on the context, the answer word(s) can be written three ways, as (3,2) or (3-2) or as in the answer (5). ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1710 "2022-10-26T13:13:57Z")
Couldn’t get it without the hint, but I think the answer is “RUNUP”? I didn’t know it could be spelled as one, unhyphenated word. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1711 "2022-10-26T14:55:56Z")
I think you’re right, since it can be spelled as run-up. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1712 "2022-10-26T14:58:10Z")
I also didn’t know there were variants of this term before doing this puzzle. There’s run up, run-up and runup. Interesting that the dictionaries don’t seem to be entirely consistent on when to use what. Runup is the intended answer. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1713 "2022-10-26T15:04:40Z")
That’s how I would normally spell it when used as a noun, in which case I would expect the setter to use “(3-2)” rather than “(5)”. But I see the hyphen isn’t required (they’re a dying breed), so I’ll carry on. Author said this is where a drowning Dutch rabbit runs (6) (As is often the case, I don’t know if this is a ‘good’ clue or not - but I like it! Probably easy given the overlap element.) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1714 "2022-10-26T17:18:34Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Author said this is where a drowning Dutch rabbit runs (6) UPDIKE (double definition) * * * Don’t worry about this kink, easy to confuse with author. (3, 5) ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1715 "2022-10-26T17:41:54Z")
KEN KESEY (author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, sounds like kink easy) +++++ What you might utter on the beaches here (10) ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1716 "2022-10-26T19:56:00Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > What you might utter on the beaches here (10) Seychelles (Say, shells!) +++++ Famous guitar player advises Beatles to diminish McCartney’s presence. (3,4) ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1717 "2022-10-26T20:06:30Z")
LES PAUL (less Paul) +++++ Alun confused radius with something of similar length (4) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1718 "2022-10-27T11:07:58Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Alun confused radius with something of similar length (4) AULN (anagram) (how do you _know_ that word, DC? It’s been obsolete for over a century.) * * * “Titanium replaces Helium in 0,” exhibitionist displays in forest of acclaimed sheriff. (10) ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1719 "2022-10-27T13:09:31Z")
First I’d heard of it! I was actually shooting for “ulna” (being a bone of similar length to the radius). Quite an amazing coincidence that another answer also fitted the clue AND the overlap. Very happy to continue regardless with NOTTINGHAM (“nothing” [0] but with “Ti” [titanium] replacing “H” [Helium, though maybe you meant Hydrogen? And even then it looks like technically we have an extra letter I], followed by “ham” [which can mean an exhibitionist, as in a hammy actor, the whole being where the famous sheriff was from]) +++++ Hit singer stripped of military cross (6) ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1720 "2022-10-28T12:47:07Z")
Hammer (w/o MC) BTW: Hammer is a hit singer? Nailed it! +++++ Reduces confused found lost (7) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983/1721 "2022-10-28T15:15:07Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > Reduces confused found lost (7) RESCUED (anagram) I neglected to fact-check those element abbreviations, DC. /forehead slap * * * Rock star brutally invaded Helena. (5, 3, 5) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983.md?page=85) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-overlaps/944983.md?page=87)