How does the PF Username Game work?

[Gokul43201]

It's been about a year now, so maybe it's time for another round, eh?

HOW THE GAME WORKS:

I make up cryptic clues, the answers to which are the usernames of different PF members. If you think you've got the answer, post it, along with the explanation. Sometimes, the answer may not be the complete username. For instance, I might refer to Greg Bernhardt simply as Greg.

Here's a very simple example:

i. Sounds like a cosmic bomb

Spoiler

Answer: Astronuc
Explanation: cosmic -> astro; bomb -> nuke, and nuc "sounds like" nuke

And here's a very difficult one:

ii. 10² Joule returned

Spoiler

Answer: Greg
Explanation: 1 Joule = 10⁷ erg, so 10² J = 10⁹ erg = 1 Giga erg -> Gerg; turn it back (i.e., return it) to get Greg

Most clues will be intermediate in difficulty to the above examples. Typical styles of crypticity will likely include anagrams, hidden clues, common abbreviations, Roman numerals, use of synonyms & homophones, and occasional sojourns into trivia.

I will get some clues ready sometime later today, when I've got less work to do...probably after dinner. Let's make it around 9:30pm EST (about 9 hrs from the time of this post).

In the meantime, please feel free to peruse earlier rounds (especially if you weren't around for them, and care to give this a shot ... moreso, if you are not terribly familiar with cryptic puzzles):

Round I
Round II
Solutions to Round II
Round III
Solutions to Round III

Any questions?

 

[neutrino]

Ha... it's good that I visited PF today. And I've doing cryptic crosswords for the past week! (it's a seasonal thing...) As always, looking forward to this.

 

[Evo]

Oooh, this is a great game Gokul! Too bad I stink at it.

 

[Kurdt]

Yey, although I guess I'll hae to wait until the morning.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Scout ran amok.

Edit: sorry it took so long to get it right.

 

[Andre]

In ran scout amiss, an engineer.

Anagram Astronuc

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Two crazy conjunctions followed by one.

 

[Gokul43201]

Two crazy conjunctions followed by one.

No idea who that is, jimmy.

Okay, I 've got a handful of clues ready. They're not as good as in previous years, but to make up for that, I'm trying out a few new ideas. As before, I will start off with somewhat easier clues, and eventually finish with harder ones.

Also, I will be imposing a limit (for now) on answering - anyone who has 4 correct answers will get a temporary time out, so others in different time zones and work schedules may get an opportunity to play as well.

Please answer by quoting the clue (or specifying the clue number) and posting your answer with a clear explanation.

Here we go ... (ummm, in a couple minutes)

 

[Gokul43201]

I haven't checked through my previous threads, so I hope I haven't accidentally come up with the same clues I made before.

THE CLUES:

1. Dangerous brakemen.

2. Be a moron, silly!

3. Mosul chai.

4. Cut SONAR, then put it back together.

5. Recall the tropical herb.

 

[Gokul43201]

6. A weather vane scholar, in hiding

7. Am I hot inside?

8. AP: Prez. screwed up!

9. The Terrible ruler of the ocean, we hear.

10. A way hot tum

(note: smilies are not germane to the clue)

 

[Math Is Hard]

3. Mosul chai.

Let's see.. if you're from Mosul, you're probably Kurdish. And Chai is a kind of tea ("T").

Kurd+T = Kurdt?

 

[Math Is Hard]

9. The Terrible ruler of the ocean, we hear.

Ivan (the terrible) + Sea King (ruler of the ocean) = Ivan Seeking?

 

[Gokul43201]

Correct & Correct! That's two up for you.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Yay! good puzzles, Gokul. These are tough.

 

[Riogho]

What about mine! I got the coolest game ever.

 

[neutrino]

Spoiler

1. Berkeman
2. Moonbear
6. vanesch vane scholar
8. Zapper[Z]

The rest are anagrams. I'm out. :(

 

[Math Is Hard]

It feels a little warm in here. Maybe I'll step outside.

 

[franznietzsche]

I'm so bad at these I would never get any of them.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

It feels a little warm in here. Maybe I'll step outside.

Lol... ;-p

 

[Gokul43201]

Spoiler

1. Berkeman
2. Moonbear
6. vanesch vane scholar
8. Zapper[Z]

The rest are anagrams. I'm out. :(

Correct neutrino. I'll let you back in later (if you're up late enough).

berkeman = anagram of "brakemen"
moonbear = anagram of "be a moron"
vanesch - hidden clue, as pointed out
Zapper = anagram of "AP Prez"

In these clues, words like "screwed up" and "silly" indicate that the letters may be jumbled, pointing to an anagram. Also, the phrase "is hidden" is a direct indicator of a hidden clue.

 

[Gokul43201]

It feels a little warm in here. Maybe I'll step outside.

Lol... ;-p

I thought I knew what she was saying, but if you are laughing at her joke, and not saying anything more, then I may be wrong...but I think not.MIH - you saving up your turns for later?

 

[franznietzsche]

Correct neutrino. I'll let you back in later (if you're up late enough).

berkeman = anagram of "brakemen"
moonbear = anagram of "be a moron"
vanesch - hidden clue, as pointed out
Zapper = anagram of "AP Prez"

In these clues, words like "screwed up" and "silly" indicate that the letters may be jumbled, pointing to an anagram. Also, the phrase "is hidden" is a direct indicator of a hidden clue.

Well, when you explain it I just feel dumb.

 

[Gokul43201]

HOW THINGS STAND (clues in bold are as yet unsolved):

1. Dangerous brakemen. - solved by neutrino
Answer = Berkeman: anagram of "brakemen"

2. Be a moron, silly! - solved by neutrino
Answer = Moonbear: anagram of "be a moron"

3. Mosul chai. - solved by MIH
Answer = kurdt: Mosul is a town in Kurdistan, chai = tea -> T, kurd + t = kurdt

4. Cut SONAR, then put it back together.

5. Recall the tropical herb.

6. A weather vane scholar, in hiding - solved by neutrino
Answer = vanesch: hidden clue vane scholar

7. Am I hot inside?

8. AP: Prez. screwed up! - solved by neutrino
Answer = Zapper: anagram of "AP Prez"

9. The Terrible ruler of the ocean, we hear. - solved by MIH
Answer = Ivan Seeking: Ivan is from Ivan the Terrible (first Tsar of Russia), and "ruler of the ocean" = sea king, which sounds like (hence, "we hear") Seeking

10. A way hot tum

 

[Gokul43201]

MORE CLUES: (might help to try Google or Wikipedia on some of these)

11. My God! Be physical, but in shorts.

12. They whip it good, but not half grand

13. Living under the lighthouse, she was a martyr to logic.

14. Somehow, Mendeleev's Scandium is lacking an O.

15. Chromium is too!

The last couple are pure evil, but the early ones are not too hard.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Fantastic that you have done this again, Gokul! I was sad to miss the last one. Pleased there were some left for this time zone! I like number 12's clue, evo? 4. Astro? 4. mixes the letters, and 12. is Devo, 'Whip it', sans the roman numeral for 500, 'D'.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Ooo, and 13. is Hypatia, the martyr from Alexandria, like the lighthouse?

 

[cristo]

Is 15 me?

 

[Gokul43201]

Fantastic that you have done this again, Gokul! I was sad to miss the last one. Pleased there were some left for this time zone! I like number 12's clue, evo? 4. Astro? 4. mixes the letters, and 12. is Devo, 'Whip it', sans the roman numeral for 500, 'D'.

Ooo, and 13. is Hypatia, the martyr from Alexandria, like the lighthouse?

Good job, ff! All three are right.

Is 15 me?

Do you have an explanation?

C'mon folks! 7 and 10 are easy - 10 is a direct clue ... not a great clue, actually but kinda simple. I'd say this is close to the halfway point. Many more coming up soon.

 

[Kurdt]

7 Am I hot inside?

 

[Gokul43201]

16. "No, not any!" he rages.

17. In part, M and N are the middle letters.

18. In longer DNA, he is transcribed backwards.

19. Antonius, who wanted your aures.

20. It is not beneath him to interact like -(1/r)e^-mr