Lowdown Cryptic

Not a great one. I think you could come up with a nicer clue for this word (I say that because many of your other clues have been more satisfying to solve!)

I know the answer, but is “kicked” supposed to be an anagram indicator here?

Thanks, Nat! You’re still the greatest (and fastest) Scrabblegram response writer of all!

Unch crossword magazine received in Canada with a handwritten note saying "Sorry it took so long to get to you!"

Unch finally arrived in Canada!

Recent strikes by Canada Post delayed delivery – I appreciated the hand-written note (from Matt, not Canada Post!)

Thanks, @unchcrosswords.com, and congrats on Issue 1 selling out! #cryptic #crossword #magazine

I understand the school of thought against using connectors, but that's just one school. Still, I'll give you that avoiding connectors can often make a clue more "pure" and elegant.

My philosophy about connector directionality is in line with US cryptic experts Joshua Kosman & Henri Picciotto

My philosophy is that connectors are fine but they should either lead you to the answer (WP for/into/becomes Def; Def from WP) or be non-directional (WP and/or Def)

So I always used to think "WP to Def" was OK, but I've seen a lot of folks don't like "to" and I try to avoid using it now

Nice!

To me, since "losing directions" can mean remove an N, a W, and two Es (for example) it's not a stretch at all for "losing water" to mean remove two Hs and an O

SPOILER ALERT

It works because ----- is two parts -------- and one part ------. You can treat those three parts as separate components.

It's whimsical/stretchy but you can see why Minute Cryptic often goes for looser, entertaining clues rather than tighter, more elegant ones.

It's a valid clue, just a style that some Xims/purists won't like. A few MC clues have bothered me for other reasons, but I like today's clue!

Minute Cryptic is doing a great job of helping them catch on with a new generation world-wide! www.minutecryptic.com

Despite major news outlets dropping them, I see North American interest in cryptic crosswords increasing 🤓

The Browser has included a weekly US cryptic for the past 5 years but sadly that's ending next month

AVCX is an awesome subscription for high-quality crosswords (including a regular cryptic) www.avxwords.com

Crosshare has lots of indie cryptics www.crosshare.org

and GAMES mag still has cryptics

US cryptics have dropped from newspapers and mags but continue via online subscription outlets and indie xword sites

Subscribe to Out of Left Field by Joshua Kosman & Henri Picciotto (formerly of The Nation) www.leftfieldcryptics.com

and Cryptic Crossweird www.patreon.com/cw/CrypticCrossweird

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Congrats, Sowmya! Amazing milestone 🎉

Thanks, v.edgy! 🎃

Thanks, Dave! Yes, it's an exciting #Halloween here in #Toronto with the #BlueJays playing at home tonight to become #WorldSeries champions!

(Let's see what happens - I could always write a baseball Scrabblegram later)

Thanks, Skinny!

Check out the #Scrabblegram hashtag for more of my 'grams and a few by the master, @dcscrabblegram.bsky.social

Thanks, @guineverecryptic.bsky.social!

Check out the #Scrabblegram hashtag for more of my 'grams and a few by the master, @dcscrabblegram.bsky.social

Scrabblegram displayed on a Scrabble board, using all 100 tiles (blanks are G and H): a body exhumed a casket ajar zombies go free howling afar turning on evil insidious plot creepy date night we quiver a lot

Illustration of silhouetted zombies in a graveyard. Title: “undead”. Text below: a body exhumed a casket ajar zombies go free howling afar turning on evil insidious plot creepy date night we quiver a lot Scrabblegram (100 tiles) Blanks: G, H

It's my October #Scrabblegram and I'm going #darkmode for this one! 🎃👻👹 (board in reply below)

#halloween #scrabble #poem
#constrainedwriting #poetry
#undead #zombies #creepy

Halloween Scrabblegram A great masquerade, by jack-o-lantern light, to view people in costume with obvious need of a candy fix (mini- or regular-sized). Blanks: C, M

I'll post my new #Scrabblegram later today, but first enjoy this classic from the master, @dcscrabblegram.bsky.social
#Halloween #Scrabble

Visit davesscrabblegrams.com for his thrilling collection of 400+ Scrabblegrams!

Prize crossword No 29,446 Prize crossword No 29,446

There was a Guardian cryptic last year with some very sneaky hidden elements themed on this song!

www.theguardian.com/crosswords/p...

I got it the other day and “liked” it to indicate I’d solved. NGGYU!

Fyi, “mainly” doesn’t indicate first letters

Subtractive anagrams may be ok, but not abbrevs as part of anagram fodder. No "cryptic def" clues (those belong in American non-cryptic xwords!). Don't combine a homophone with anything. Less tolerance for ambiguous connectors or positional indicators (e.g. has/gets should be containment only).

It’s not frowned upon at all in North American cryptics to combine two types of wordplay in a clue

However, there’s a general expectation in NA cryptics for clear indicators and precise cryptic grammar (more than in UK), so not as much leeway for wordplay ambiguity

AVCX is an awesome, independent publisher for all kinds of cool #crosswords (including North American #cryptic!), plus variety #puzzles and #trivia 🤓

Try a subscription and/or give one as a gift 🎁

Got it after seeing Champ’s hint. But why dots instead of commas in the enum?

Sounds good! I’ve climbed Snowdon but I’ve never been to South Wales

That’s ok, it works in English spelling

Nice meta-clue!

And I learned a bit more about Wales/Cymru (cc @guineverecryptic.bsky.social)