# Does this seem like a really weak crossword clue to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 27, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763 "2008-10-27T14:42:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/21 "2008-10-29T01:07:37Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Quick, answer this: > > Clue: People who annoy you. > > Answer: N \_ G G E R S Naggers, duh! ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/22 "2008-10-29T05:25:27Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > During my break this morning I was doing a corner of the World’s Most Ornery Crossword Puzzle in Games magazine (the latest issue, Dec. 2008). One of the clues is “Afraid (of)”. > > The answer is IN FEAR. This just seems like a really lame clue/answer combination, especially for the Hard clues of TWMOCP. > > Am I the only one for whom this just feels off, like it’s not up to Games’s usual 3-star clues for TWMOCP? Twickster gave a good explanation of how such a weak puzzle entry made into the grid (when I was a constructor, I had a few entries just as lame… or lamer). In a large puzzle, a few awkward entries like that are inevitable, understandable and forgivable. But when you’re stuck with such an entry, a more clever clue is definitely called for. Surely, there MUST be a memorable movie, book title or quotation that includes the words “In Fear.” The constructor and/or editor owed the readers a much better clue than “Afraid.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/23 "2008-10-29T09:09:05Z")
> [@glee](#): > > h,i,j,k,l,mm,n,o (5) Water (H2O!) This is one of the puzzles in the Nintendo DS game Professor Layton. I’m ashamed to say it took me…a while…to get it. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/24 "2008-10-29T09:54:06Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > This is one of the puzzles in the Nintendo DS game Professor Layton. I’m ashamed to say it took me…a while…to get it. Professor Layton is a good example of ‘shit we need something NOW’ puzzle design, sometimes. There’s some really clever puzzles - like that one - others were absolutely illogical (the ‘who ate your fish’ one), or else ‘there are 3 words in the English language’ trick wording… ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/25 "2008-10-30T06:09:55Z")
h,i,j,k,l,mm,n,o (5) Oh. Ha ha ha ha ha! I get it! But… but I just can’t quite put an explanation into words, you know, just in case Mrs. Dvl wants to know what it means. Can anyone help me out here? On a side note, this is the first time I’ve subscribed to Games since the eighties. This month’s issue came in (this is only my third issue) but it didn’t have a cover – just a cheesy cardstock subscription card. Is this normal now? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/26 "2008-10-30T06:42:13Z")
[from] “h” to “o” -\> H[sub]2[/sub]O -\> water ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/27 "2008-10-30T11:59:23Z")
> [@glee](#): > > The Guardian crossword clues: > > Gegs (9,4) Scrambled eggs > > h,i,j,k,l,mm,n,o (5) Water (H2O!) Yogdaws (3,5,2,10,4) God moves in mysterious ways ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/28 "2008-10-30T14:04:53Z")
> [@glee](#): > > h,i,j,k,l,_ **mm** _,n,o (5) > [@TWDuke](#): > > [from] “h” to “o” -\> H[sub]2[/sub]O -\> water That’s what I thought, but I don’t understand why there are two ems. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/29 "2008-10-31T05:20:14Z")
It’s a typo, there should only have been one. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/30 "2008-10-31T05:42:30Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > It’s a typo, there should only have been one. That is _beyond_ evil. Besides, there can be only one. ---
**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 31, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763/31 "2008-10-31T14:33:52Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > It’s a typo, there should only have been one. > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > That is _beyond_ evil. Besides, there can be only one. No he was right the first time. As far as those movies go, there should have been only one.[/hijack] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-seem-like-a-really-weak-crossword-clue-to-you/469763.md?page=1)