The Medusa Fora

Rather randomly, The Pogues were the answer to one of the clues in the Guardian cryptic crossword earlier this week. Kudos for anyone who works it out:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crosswords/cryptic/25325

I'm crap at crosswords. I assume it's 29 across and some sort of anagram, but I can't see it as per usual!

Shaz wrote:I'm crap at crosswords. I assume it's 29 across and some sort of anagram, but I can't see it as per usual!

29 across is correct.
I was pretty much astonished when I worked it out, especially as a fair amount of the rest of the crossword is Marley/Wailers-related. A very random media appearance.

firehazard wrote:Rather randomly, The Pogues were the answer to one of the clues in the Guardian cryptic crossword earlier this week. Kudos for anyone who works it out:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crosswords/cryptic/25325

That CHEAT button is a travesty. You never get one of those in the paper. Everyday I fail to complete the Guardian crossword and end up doing the quick one instead. Knowing I can cheat online is going to destroy me.

So color me ignorant, but what does Uriah Heep have to do with the Pogues? How does this clue in any way point to our favorite dudes?

DzM wrote:So color me ignorant, but what does Uriah Heep have to do with the Pogues? How does this clue in any way point to our favorite dudes?

Nothing. That's the beauty of cryptics. Part of the clue (usually the first or last word or phrase) is the actual clue, while the rest is a clever description of the answer. In this case, "Leader of Uriah..." refers to the letter "u". (Get it? "Leader of Uriah.."?) Then, the other key phrase of the clue is "to reform". Cryptickers look for words or phrases like this as they are an indication that the answer is an anagram, as you'll have to "reform" part of the clue to get the answer. For this clue, "Heep's got" is the section that needs to be "reformed". So, we've got "U Heep's got" and when you sort it out you get "The Pogues". Or, the "group" that is referred to at the end of the clue.

So ... "Uriah Heep's got" as a jumble. So I should then rearrange that to be "The Pogues" and have a letter or two left over.

Really? People like doing this? Good Lord.

DzM wrote:So ... "Uriah Heep's got" as a jumble. So I should then rearrange that to be "The Pogues" and have a letter or two left over.

Really? People like doing this? Good Lord.

As a rule, I'm with you DZM. On the other hand, you haven't lived until you've finished the New York Times cryptic with James Fearnley and Cait O'Riordan on a flight from Heathrow to Dublin.

DzM wrote:So ... "Uriah Heep's got" as a jumble. So I should then rearrange that to be "The Pogues" and have a letter or two left over.

Really? People like doing this? Good Lord.

No,no. "U Heep's got" as a jumble. Remember we only use the "Leader of Uriah". Just the letter "u".

Could have been, "Red Roses for Me band pees tough all over the place."

philipchevron wrote:

DzM wrote:So ... "Uriah Heep's got" as a jumble. So I should then rearrange that to be "The Pogues" and have a letter or two left over.

Really? People like doing this? Good Lord.

As a rule, I'm with you DZM. On the other hand, you haven't lived until you've finished the New York Times cryptic with James Fearnley and Cait O'Riordan on a flight from Heathrow to Dublin.

The legends of Pogues Excess and Debauchery are quite clearly true. :

"And one this one flight we managed to do the Times of London AND The New York Times jumbles. We were so confident we even did them in INK. Mind you this was before sudoku was available."

runjohnnyrun wrote:

DzM wrote:So ... "Uriah Heep's got" as a jumble. So I should then rearrange that to be "The Pogues" and have a letter or two left over.

Really? People like doing this? Good Lord.

No,no. "U Heep's got" as a jumble. Remember we only use the "Leader of Uriah". Just the letter "u".

Could have been, "Red Roses for Me band pees tough all over the place."

Derp. You're right. U Heep's Got.

And finally we know who to blame for "SMS Speak." All along it was the puzzle writers destroying our ability to communicate. Bastards.

DzM wrote:

runjohnnyrun wrote:

DzM wrote:So ... "Uriah Heep's got" as a jumble. So I should then rearrange that to be "The Pogues" and have a letter or two left over.

Really? People like doing this? Good Lord.

No,no. "U Heep's got" as a jumble. Remember we only use the "Leader of Uriah". Just the letter "u".

Could have been, "Red Roses for Me band pees tough all over the place."

Derp. You're right. U Heep's Got.

And finally we know who to blame for "SMS Speak." All along it was the puzzle writers destroying our ability to communicate. Bastards.

Isn't Mick Box the leader of Uriah Heep?

soulfinger wrote:That CHEAT button is a travesty. You never get one of those in the paper. Everyday I fail to complete the Guardian crossword and end up doing the quick one instead. Knowing I can cheat online is going to destroy me.

Resist! Resist!

DzM wrote:Really? People like doing this? Good Lord.

Someone told me that doing the crossword every day is good for your mental health, staves off dementia, tones up your brain and improves your memory. I can't remember who it was that said it.