tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760307254603261893.post730458564427876208..comments2023-07-30T21:23:49.509+08:00Comments on Because I say so...: 1st Anniversary Virtual Hunt—Search For Half Of Cryptic ClueCorneliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049388322332876859noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8760307254603261893.post-4821688127954085512008-12-01T14:44:00.000+08:002008-12-01T14:44:00.000+08:00A master hunter called me up shortly before lunch ...A master hunter called me up shortly before lunch break to say that I did a good job for this virtual hunt. But he said there is an alternative answer for Q7.<BR/><BR/><B>Q7) _______ nut = worm<BR/><BR/>A7) TOTO</B><BR/><BR/>His approach is also very simple. He inserted TOTO into that blank and then used that "nut" as an anagram indicator. Thus by rearranging the letters in TOTO to arrive at OTTO, which is apparently the name of a computer virus! Brilliant, isn't it?<BR/><BR/>But I am unhappy with "nut" used as an anagram indicator. And I was told that it has been used for that purpose in past hunts before too.<BR/><BR/>Earlier on, I was discussing Q1 with another master hunter through email, and a similar issue arose. <BR/><BR/>As a result of those 2 discussions, I propose to discuss it here.<BR/><BR/>NUT is basically a fruit consisting of a hard shell around an edible kernel. In that sense, it is not qualified as an anagram indicator. Anagram indicators usually comprise words that signals: <BR/><BR/>(i) Some sort of disturbance, e.g. shaken, stirred, disturb etc; <BR/><BR/>(ii)Something modified or subject to modifications, e.g. adjusted, changed, altered, become, form, make, create etc;<BR/><BR/>(iii) Adjectives implying something is not quite right or suspicious, e.g. strange, maybe, perhaps etc.<BR/><BR/>It can be seen therefore, that NUT can't qualify as an anagram indicator. However, NUT has several synonyms, one of which is the word CRAZY. <BR/><BR/>CRAZY is a word that hints some sort of unstable (mentally) or disturbance, and therefore qualifies as an anagram indicator.<BR/><BR/>So if we look at NUT => CRAZY, can we accept NUT as an anagram indicator? Obviously those CoCs who've adopt NUT as an anagram indicator before must have said "yes" to this question. <BR/><BR/>But I beg to differ. When we use a word in the cryptic clue meant as a cryptic indicator, I don't think it is fair to expect the solver to find the synonym (s) of that word first so that it can then be used as the intended indicator.<BR/><BR/>Imagine if I were to construct a clue containing the word PHYSICIAN in it. PHYSICIAN in itself is a noun which does not qualify as an anagram indicator. But imagine that the solver converts that to its synonym, DOCTOR, which is an acceptable anagram indicator and then uses that to rearrange letters of an adjacent word to derive a new word. Does it look correct to you?<BR/><BR/>To the CoCs who've used NUT as an anagram indicator before, perhaps he'd be kind enough to justify himself please?Corneliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08049388322332876859noreply@blogger.com