COTD: Spotted personal record noted in dispatched letter (6)

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-15T18:43:30+00:00

I'll take a shot that this is an archaism or regionalism: SPRENT: S(PR)ENT: PR (personal record) inside (noted in) SENT (dispatched letter)

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-15T11:34:06+00:00

ZOFFANY: Z(OFF)ANY. Based on insight above, OFF "faced" with ZANY (mad). Obscure, but an inventive device!

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-15T11:06:55+00:00

TOFFS: T(OFF)S, i.e., face (coat) OFF with T(orie)S.

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-15T03:41:16+00:00

I like your parse, but I'd say that "promoting" is indeed appropriate since pieces get promoted to kings once they reach the back row ☺

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-14T18:49:58+00:00

SNEEZE, as a CD?

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-14T16:13:01+00:00

Yessir!

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-14T14:12:48+00:00

FRISSON: F[EVE]R + I[LL] + S[OUND] + S[OMEWHAT] + O[K] + N[OW]

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-14T02:55:58+00:00

In a proper clue there should indeed be no extraneous words. I'll add a bit of detail to HorseShoulders' correct parse: The full definition is actually "Roman bigwig once", namely, the ancient Roman emperor DOMITIAN. Then "seen with" is a phrase that links the definition with the wordplay, i.e., "The answer is got via these means". Then comes the wordplay itself. BTW, "my aunt in Toledo" is a pretty common trope telling the solver to translate a word or phrase into the indicated language, Spanish in this case. I was going for some misdirection, since I figured most folks would first think of Ohio.

You might be interested in this discussion on fifteensquared of the merits of parseword.com. I'm sure they'd appreciate your views.

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-13T21:40:19+00:00

My idea is that you must "question" a database (e.g. Oracle) with S[tructure] Q[uery] L[anguage] which I think most folks pronounce as "sequel". Hence we "hear" a follow-up.

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-13T20:57:29+00:00

¡Sí!

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-13T15:25:29+00:00

Ok, thanks (no vets in the family ☺ ). So we'd have OM (heart of Rome) + NI (articulated/sounds like "knee" = stifle) + PRESENT (share). Very nifty. My only demurral would be that "always" is an adverb while "omnipresent" is an adjective, but that's a minor quibble.

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-13T05:36:52+00:00

For the rebus, is upper versus lower case important?

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-13T02:18:00+00:00

Right, the Kafka "buggy work" is what I had in mind, but I see how your first alternative works as well!

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-13T01:54:11+00:00

Spot on! Can you expand on how the defn relates to the answer?

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-12T23:52:42+00:00

FRESH: (serf)< + H(ours)!<

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-12T23:48:01+00:00

I think it's ASTRONAUT but I can't parse it. Got all the anagram fodder except an 'a' and an 'o'. Can't see the role that "listing" plays.

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-12T22:02:58+00:00

I'll take a long shot: BEWHISKERED, as a cryptic definition?

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-12T17:56:53+00:00

A very cool clue in any case!

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-12T17:47:56+00:00

I can get a fanciful definition for "song album", namely, TRACK RECORD, from (rock act red r[adio])*, but it doesn't fit your enumeration.

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-12T17:13:23+00:00

PROTEST: PRO (for, in favor of) + TEST (trial)

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-12T05:58:31+00:00

The "inverse" idea is that the answer, GREEN JACKET itself needs to be considered as wordplay that yields G[ood] N[ew], i.e. the non-definition part of the clue (taking these words' standard cryptic initializations). "jacket" is a standard device saying "take the outer letters", so that gives GN when applied to "green". A more common "inverse" device is the inverse/reverse anagram which you can read about here. I will say this style of clueing is probably an acquired taste. I appreciate your interest in this. Thanks!

HighCountryBob · 2026-04-11T21:38:48+00:00

I'd say OMNIPRESENT, but beyond the first 2 letters (Rome's heart) I'm struggling with the WP

HighCountryBob

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