# Cryptics **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [March 29, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525 "2016-03-29T14:43:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [March 29, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/1 "2016-03-29T14:43:36Z")
Solve the previous cryptic clue and then post your own. I will start with one I have posted before: Tired riddle: Words ending in “-gry” (6) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/2 "2016-03-29T15:13:32Z")
[Ah, cryptics! Great! I suck at cryptics. Let me see… a six-letter word meaning riddle. Okay, enigma. The word “ending” has 4 of the letters in enigma, but where does the “ma” come from? And why is it tired? “Words ending in -gry” with 6 letters would be hungry, and if I anagram that, I get “ghyrun”, an Alpatian weasel-hound, or maybe “runghy”, a dwarf boat, neither of which have anything to do with tired riddles. Off to ponder some more…] ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/3 "2016-03-29T22:22:19Z")
[The letters r, i, d, e appear in both "tired and “riddle” . What’s a six-letter word for an angry ride? A donkey? Maybe it’s just “puzzle” but I can’t see it…] ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/4 "2016-03-30T00:23:38Z")
[Tired could be weary… maybe it’s “weagry”?] ---
**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:** [March 30, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/5 "2016-03-30T00:46:16Z")
Perhaps this game will work better if the new clue answer must intersect the previous clue answer like in a true cryptic crossword. So if the last clue answer was C **R** YPTIC, then this clue answer will intersect \*\*R \*\*, also in the second position. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/6 "2016-03-30T13:25:17Z")
[Right! A good night’s sleep to clear away the cobwebs! Obviously, scrambling the letters in “riddle” gives us “dreidl” (I make you out of clay), which has the R in the second position. And no other reason to commend it.] ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/7 "2016-03-31T19:33:20Z")
> **[169: Words that End in GRY - explain xkcd](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/169:_Words_that_End_in_GRY)** > > Explain xkcd is a wiki dedicated to explaining the webcomic xkcd. Go figure. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/8 "2016-03-31T20:36:53Z")
But… there’s no “R” in "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ". ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/9 "2016-03-31T21:42:14Z")
Drowsy! (Anag WORDS + y) An easy one: Shoots vegetables from Brussels (7) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/10 "2016-03-31T21:46:39Z")
Oo! Aah! I’m impressed, really! I’ve been puzzling at that for days. Sprouts. Inside the humongous Western tough. (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:** [March 31, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/11 "2016-03-31T22:39:54Z")
Mongo ^^^ Rather good rats (4) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/12 "2016-03-31T23:55:11Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Solve the previous cryptic clue and then post your own. I will start with one I have posted before: > > Tired riddle: Words ending in “-gry” (6) > [@gigi](#): > > Drowsy! (Anag WORDS + y) But the clue was: Words ending in “-gry”, not: Words ending in “-y”. Is this how cryptic clues are supposed to work? ---
**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:** [April 1, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/13 "2016-04-01T00:57:23Z")
> [@glee](#): > > But the clue was: Words ending in “-gry”, not: Words ending in “-y”. > Is this how cryptic clues are supposed to work? You “riddle” (anagram) the word “words”… and add the ending in “-gry” which is, of course, the letter “y.” Tired is the definition part of the clue. In most American cryptic clues, the clue can be split with the definition on one side and the wordplay on the other. Punctuation is usually just for the “surface sense” and is best ignored. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2016, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/14 "2016-04-01T03:10:49Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > You “riddle” (anagram) the word “words”… and add > > the ending in “-gry” which is, of course, the letter “y.” > > Tired is the definition part of the clue. > > In most American cryptic clues, the clue can be split with the definition on one side and the wordplay on the other. Punctuation is usually just for the “surface sense” and is best ignored. On a further note, this is what’s known as a “Complex Clue” in that it uses two forms of wordplay (i.e. anagram + charade) to arrive at the answer. Complex clues tend to be tougher than those that resort to only one form of wordplay. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/15 "2016-04-01T03:28:15Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Rather good rats (4) Dang (DAN + G) Destruction sounds uplifting (6) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/16 "2016-04-01T04:28:40Z")
razing (homop raising) Unusually remote celestial body (6) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/17 "2016-04-01T04:31:16Z")
> [@glee](#): > > But the clue was: Words ending in “-gry”, not: Words ending in “-y”. > Is this how cryptic clues are supposed to work? Yeah – I usually mark mine up with // separating the synonym of the word to solve for, and then / between the parts making it up: Tired // riddle: Words / ending in “-gry” ANSWER? // Part 1: Riddle words = scramble “words” / Part 2 “ending in gry” = y drows / y drowsy! ETA: obviously this isn’t always the pattern, but the _/_//\_ or _//_/\_ usually works somehow. Or there are three or more pieces making up the word. Or… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/18 "2016-04-01T04:39:01Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Inside the humongous Western tough. (5) > [@Biotop](#): > > Mongo Similarly: Philosopher retreats in total panic (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:** [April 1, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/19 "2016-04-01T04:40:17Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Unusually remote celestial body (6) METEOR (anagram “remote”) ### Unruly baby won noted fictional dramatic home (7, 5) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2016, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525/20 "2016-04-01T04:48:47Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Unruly baby won noted fictional dramatic home (7, 5) Unruly [anag] “baby won noted” // fictional dramatic home Downton Abbey Oinking tendency? (8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptics/750525.md?page=2)