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Diabolically Arcane

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Niche Marketing

18 October, 2011

On paper, hidden clues are the easiest to solve – once you twig to the recipe. Though that can take an age before you think to look within the clue’s letters.

Guardian blogger Alan Connor recently did a feature on the hidden formula, and wheeled out some true gems of the genre. Among them:

Some forget to get here for gathering = GET-TOGETHER

Leaves wasp in a cheese sandwich = SPINACH

Horatio Nelson’s address ? = ORATION

Rummaging among my own UK archives, I have found these zingers:

Means to fill crew here with alarm = WHEREWITHAL

Part of impeccable career that could make one upwardly mobile = CABLE CAR

So many riches inspire a Storm, with one commercial twist. Seeing as though most Brit crosswords exclude brand names, let’s cook up hidden clues that involve trademarks – car models, detergents, consortia – any brand, biz or other commerical enterprise, so long as the hidden reciupe applies. Two instances:

Car parked in arena ultimately (7)

Or a backwards bid: Some local let under backspread (7)

RENAULT and NUTELLA are those first answers, in case you need a nudge. But consider the gauntlet to be thrown. Who can make the best commercial hidden? The premium clues will carry no excess language, and display both hidden indicators, as well as a reversal signpost, if backspin is required.

Deadline is sundown, Thursday. With virtual medals for best three, plus Popular Choice. Feel free to help fellow Stormers to finesse their clues, and help us all by solving the trickier samples. (To that end, numbering your clues may help – ) More the point, have fun. Should be a real expo.

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Riddledom Rave

If you missed my riddle chat with Richard Fidler, then feel free to slurp the podcast at http://ab.co/1I9t1x5

Text-speak is creeping into Scrabble. Where do you sit?
OBVS I'm fine with it
Entrenched stuff - like LOL and OMG - but no more.
Words With Friends, maybe. Scrabble, no
Let the 'real' dictionaries decide first
Just the handy stuff, like FAQ and EUW
I mean, WTF?! No way
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