Cryptic Étude: Containers, Contents and Hidden Words

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• Morendil 🤓2:00 · 2024-11-28T19:37:04.976Z

  

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  • Jake A constructor · 2024-11-28T19:56:40.936Z

    

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• JeffsPuzzles 🤓3:01 · 2024-11-29T14:25:57.932Z

  Thanks - these are great for me as a cryptic neophyte!

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  • Jake A constructor · 2024-11-29T17:49:02.856Z

    Excellent! Glad to hear it, Jeff!

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• rjy 🤓2:29 · 2024-12-05T15:37:39.965Z

  Got pointed here from Mike's email... fun mini! Curious about 1A tho - I think I see what you're doing there, but wondering if the IN that's triggering the notion of an embedded word, whether that should be part of that word? Wasn't sure what to make of the "Brilliant" on one side and "gems" on the other... was actually looking for something within "your gems". Maybe I misinterpreted something?

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  • Jake A constructor · 2024-12-05T19:49:02.003Z

    Thanks, rjy! I confess that 1A was a bit tricky by design. I used a less obvious but well-established Hidden Word indicator at one end of the clue and a thematically related definition at the other end. On top of that, I used “in” as part of the fodder to amplify the misdirection. Here is what I was going for: Definition-Brilliant. Hidden Word indicator-gems. Fodder-flaSH IN Your.

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    • rjy 🤓2:29 · 2024-12-05T21:39:49.305Z

      Ah, ok. I had never run into "gems" as an indicator. In that case, I tip my cap to your deceitful trickery!

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• David Ellis Dickerson 🤓1:08 · 2024-12-07T10:22:48.250Z

  How is "gems" a hidden word indicator? I can't see anything in Merriam-Webster that justifies it, but maybe it makes sense in Chambers?

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  • Jake A constructor · 2024-12-07T17:45:44.293Z

    Hi David! Thanks for solving! I haven't checked Chambers. I have seen “gems” used as hidden word indicators in a puzzle and cited elsewhere as one. I think it evokes the notions of “hidden gems” or “diamonds in the rough” or even the imagery of gems embedded in the wall of a mine. The more I write on it, the more I think “gems” could be better considered as a Contents indicator.

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