iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

I got confused for a while since the anagram also spells 'avocet', which does not have scales 😅

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Just change America to US 😅

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Are you UK based? If you can get the Metro they have a cryptic, relatively simple as they go, but published every weekday so good to get the brain working in the morning

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Voted, thanks for the reminder

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Would sandwich not describe what the word tuna is doing?

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Correct! Hid your reply for spoilers sorry, but student or learner often represent the letter L for learner in cryptics (British ones at least)

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

This is simultaneously a good argument for impeachment and the banning of AI

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Today's Cryptic Crossword clue: Bone found in tuna sandwich by student forum (8)

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Thank you! I'm pretty new to solving and even newer to setting so have a lot to learn - appreciate any feedback

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

One of the worst podcasts ever to exist. He's almost as bad as Jordan Peterson at rambling on about nothing and ignoring his guest

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

That, and generally simpler/more obvious wordplay than the main puzzles

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Thanks to @lowdowncryptic.bsky.social and @crypticblah.bsky.social for feedback on my previous cryptic crossword clue. New version below - hopefully this is an improvement! Dip in power, AI tanking (5)

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Spooky - I'll keep an eye out! 👀

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Thanks - appreciate the feedback and have taken the clue down - perhaps I'll try a rewrite and pop it back up 🙂

Fair enough - I suppose the question would be what the best way to add challenge to these kind of clues is, since they always seem quite easy. I guess a puzzle needs one or two simpler clues

I'm sure I've seen some in a Mail book I have, though I'd have to dig to check. If it's likely to draw ire, perhaps it's not worth doing 😂

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I feel like 'shouldn't' is probably too strong a word, I find some fodder in these types makes for a better clue, since otherwise they are always incredibly easy to solve. Though ofc I know people don't like it and generally avoid it as much as possible in other clue types

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As a hint, there are a few redundant words here to make the sentence read better

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It can work - but it never works immediately. People need time to take the ideas away and think about them. Yeah, the success rate is probably pretty low but not impossible

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I would love to set people the task of solving an AI generated cryptic puzzle, with solvers knowing full well that most of the clues will have significant mistakes 😅

I totally get this POV but personally I love messing with punctuation 😅

Apparently they've had some new setters. I've still got the last couple but the Vlad one was a pretty bad clue since it could be solved by reading the word 'Vlad' and ignoring the rest of the clue entirely.

000

Some site (like Crosshare) allow you to switch to a Rebus mode to enter this. If the site the crossword is on doesn't allow you to do that, the clue shouldn't be there IMO

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A most incisive clue, your crowning glory, perhaps

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Tbh if Bluesky starts integrating AI anything, I'll probably leave here too.

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Some fine entries this week, really pleased to make top 10 in such a strong field 🙂

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

What a deranged comment 😂

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

This is sometimes true but I do think that Zelensky's appearance on Lex Fridman's show was impressive, despite Lex basically ignoring him and talking about how Russians just love their country and he should make friends with Putin

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Cis-het here lacking understanding, what do you mean by the above? What is the difference between q***r and 'normal'?

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Didn't Trump just immediately handicap the FDA? Seems unlikely that things like this will happen in the next 4 years

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And also thinks women should be banned from the military

I loved this game but I sucked so bad at it and had no idea what I was doing - might be good to watch someone competent

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Also note that this man was caught on film verbally abusing his wife and on his show said that she shouldn't be allowed to divorce him.

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

'Being kind to people is Satanism' - Stevey Chowder

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Thanks - might be misunderstanding but the issue is I can't remember how the words connected in the grid and can't fit them all back into a 15x15. Can't see a why to get Crosshare to work this out for me...

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Thanks Aaron. My personal laptop is currently broken so on a work machine which won't let me download software... Thank you for the suggestion, though!

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Thanks Ray, unfortunately only have access to a work computer at the moment so won't let me install the software. Do you think it could build a valid 15x15 from the word list? I know it's possible since it was done once 😅 If it does work, might I be very cheeky and send you the word list?

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

I spend what seems like forever on these sometimes and maybe solve 3 or 4 maximum per puzzle 😂 Independent and Guardian can be a bit more solvable but depends a lot on the setter

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

To other crossword or cryptic crossword setters - is there an app or website where words can be automatically fit into a 15x15 grid? Made a grid a while ago on Crosshare and have since written out all the clues but the grid has not saved and I can't get all the clues to fit back into a new grid 😅

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Sorry to hear that - I hope it will go eventually 🙏

Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Hey - really sorry, I have been quite sick for the past week 😔 Slowly recovering so hope to be back for the next clue 🫡

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

The answer is CANOED CAN + 'book of words' = OED (Oxford English Dictionary)

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Top Womble @topwomble.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Today's cryptic crossword clue: Can book of words be paddled? (6)