PUZZLES - CRYPTIC CLUES AND ANSWERS

[plaques]

Puzzle No 39. Showing your age here PanBiker. The modern versions aren't the same thing are they?

[plaques]

Puzzle No 30.

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[Tripps]

Well - that's occupied a Friday evening - result nil.

[plaques]

The comment below is to help Tripps, The rest of you can suffer a bit longer.

► Show Spoiler

I suspect you've been allocating values to each letter of the alphabet and getting nowhere, especially to Las Vagus. Climb out of that particular box and look at the construction of the words as a way to get to the numbers.

[plaques]

Puzzle No 31

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[Tripps]

► Show Spoiler

Yul Brynner
Cary Grant
Clark Gable
Keanu Reaves (sic)
Tony Curtis

[plaques]

Puzzle No 31. Tripps strikes again. Must admit that I had never heard of (sic), But that's not surprising because I never watch films and my knowledge of film stars is virtual zero.

[Tripps]

► Show Spoiler

Well that's today's puzzle 'right there' as they say in USA.
What does 'sic' mean and why was it used here.

[plaques]

SIC. Thus as written.

► Show Spoiler

The puzzle has his name spelt as Reaves where the standard spelling is Reeves. It is quoted without change.

[Tripps]

Well done - I couldn't have put it better myself.

[plaques]

Puzzle No 40.

A knight which moves either one square horizontally and two vertically or two horizontally and one vertically starts at the shaded square of this chess board visiting each square without returning to the same square twice .
Find the route which spells out the names of six famous film stars.

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For those who are not totally familiar with this type of movement here is a guide.

Starting at the shaded square 'T' the possible landing letters would be L, N, O.
If you were to start mid board say on the letter J, this would give eight landing spots, G, D, A, D, A (no2), B, R, E,

[chinatyke]

► Show Spoiler

I can see the first one TOM CRUISE. Then possibly FRED... I'll have a look later.

[plaques]

Good start China, Second one off target. I struggled with the first four but then had to rely on pure guesswork and permutations for the last two. My problem is that I don't know many film stars. By-the-way all the letters are used up.

[chinatyke]

I've got the second one but now I'm struggling. It should go easier as you go along as there are fewer options. I'll keep trying!

► Show Spoiler

#2 MEL GIBSON

[plaques]

No 2 OK. I found it harder. Brain ran out of film stars.

[PanBiker]

I think I have the next two:

► Show Spoiler

Tom Cruise
Mel Gibson
Robert de Niro
Steve Martin

[PanBiker]

Sorted, two girls to finish:

► Show Spoiler

Tom Cruise
Mel Gibson
Robert de Niro
Steve Martin
Whoopi Goldberg
Jane Fonda

[plaques]

Fantastic PanBiker. It took me forever to get the first lady. Never watch any films and haven't watched any TV for nearly 10 years, but I'd heard of the name but didn't know how to spell her first name, dyslexic, Makes life difficult, you either know it or you don't.

[PanBiker]

They are all actors who were in lots of movies round about 20 - 25 years ago. Maybe an indication of roughly when the puzzle was created. When I saw the first two I didn't expect to see Idris Elba, or Benedict Cumberbatch in the mix.

[plaques]

I didn't expect to see Idris Elba, or Benedict Cumberbatch

Who are they?

[PanBiker]

Present day actors, try Googling them.

[chinatyke]

Well done, Ian. I'd got as far as #4 but then got stuck and went to bed.

[plaques]

China, the same thing happened to me, Finally when I got the eureka moment Mrs P said it was obvious and went on to describe him and list all his films. Show off!,
PanBiker having me look at a list of modern actors would fall in the same category as a list of Premier League footballers, snooker players or even Formula One racing drivers. I suppose that's the downside of being 'normal'.

[PanBiker]

Fantastic PanBiker. It took me forever to get the first lady. Never watch any films and haven't watched any TV for nearly 10 years, but I'd heard of the name but didn't know how to spell her first name, dyslexic, Makes life difficult, you either know it or you don't.

I'm confused Plaques, a few months ago didn't we help with configuring your TV recording box and you mentioned contemplating a Sky package. Is this all for Mrs P's benefit? I would have thought that even someone with only a passing interest in TV would have heard of a few of the current generation of actors, very difficult to miss them really.

[plaques]

a few months ago didn't we help with configuring your TV recording box and you mentioned contemplating a Sky package

Dead right. Mrs P is an avid film watcher but only in the evenings the rest of the day is spent finding jobs for me to do. Since that time we have gone from the old recorder to a TalkTalk box. into a sky package which was dropped for the entertainment package plus Netflix but she still has a preference for Kodi which she can whizzle round like a professional. As for my part once they are installed that's me finished I'm not allowed to touch the remotes at all. The only time I see the TV is a fleeting visit when I take a cup of tea in.