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Incognition

15 March, 2016

Contest time on the DA blog - your chance to win a mind-mangling collection of US puzzles called Tough & Tougher Crosswords by Karen Tracey & Byron Walder.

And since so many of these crafty American clues deal with contemporary culture, then so too does this week's Storm, swivelling the spotlight onto stage names, aliases, pseudonyms and general alter egos. 

The trick demands you clue both the stage name (T Rex) and the real name (Marc Bolan) - or vice versa - as if the one entity. Here's what I mean:

ERIC BLAIR GEORGE ORWELL - Anger about radio show-off - ogre twice whipped skilfully

[IRE< + CB + LAIR + OGRE*x2 + WELL]

Okay, that's one clumsy clue, but you get the gist. You need to fabricate one whole unit that focuses on the two names combined.

Please note, unless it's obvious, you'll also need to parse your own clue, as sometimes a clever trick can be neglected.

Last thing - choose your own alias to keep the judging fair. (Something related to this incognito topic. And submit your TWO best efforts as a separate post before this Thursday 8pm.

BATMAN BRUCE WAYNE -  Box bantam beer-lover, say

[BANTAM* + 'brew swain']

Mask on. Shades on. Cape on. Lights on. Stage names lit. Go.

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Text-speak is creeping into Scrabble. Where do you sit?
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