Saturday, August 29, 2015

Bolt together

This phrase is a delightfully clever crossword clue for a five letter word.

The clued word is famous for having so many such clever clues devoted to it. It is a word that somehow and for unique reasons focuses the minds of constructors and steers them toward humor. Whenever a new clue is devised either by constructor or by their editor such as Will Shortz then the clue will be discussed the day of publishing at length in forums, posts, and all through their comments. People actually discuss the path they take to get at the word, which letters were missing, which other clues were needed and so forth.

These all clue the same word, lousy with puns, often a question mark indicates the clue is a trick.

Opt for the window instead of the aisle. (this clue was a big hit recently, now risks being overused already, just that fast, everyone loves the misdirection. It's spotted a million miles away.)
Split to be tied
Form a secret union
Use a ladder, stereotypically
Emulate running mates
Get a hand on the road
Fly away, in a way
Get right to the honeymoon, say
Make a running start at marriage
Alter altar plans, maybe
Expedite some union business
Run together
Form a clandestine union
Not do the rite thing
Run for one's wife
Waive one's rites
Not stand on ceremony
Skip town, in a way
Take the honey and run
Get an out of state license
Split to be spliced
Wedding bells sans wedding bills
Hie to the hitching post
Run off to say "I do"
leap like some lovers
Go with the beau
Marry modestly
Decamp for romance
Emulate Romeo and Juliet
Cut wedding costs
Slip away
Skip town with a lover
Skip off in the night
Get up and go
Fly by night
Run away, in a way
Leave by ladder
Sneak off to a J.P.
Emulate Jessica and Lorenzo
Absquatulate
Head for Gretna Green
Emulate Anna Karenina
Do the Gretna Green bit
What some lovers do
Make a romantic move
What Othello and Desdemona did

And many more too on the nose to bother with listing, the kind of clue that gives the answer away with no thinking, and that's no fun at all.

Any clue will be rejected that is devised around an any current event that might remotely disturb an easily-rattled solver with trigger finger emotional responses, any unhappy event that is not comfortably tucked into historical time, and that judgement is subjective. Someone is always offended. For example, a popular fill answer is "ADEN" but any clue having to do with U.S. naval ship being attacked there or mention of naval losses is verboten. For awhile. Too touchy. Then finally historical, no longer touchy no longer emotional and so then acceptable for clueing. On subject, we will not see any clue having to do with this unhappy event any time soon.

The link goes to American Thinker site discussing the event.

The two girls who must bear the punishment, twenty-three and fifteen years of age, fled the village. The logic in this alternate judicial universe is the two girls must atone for their brother's crime.

There's NYT crossword-worthy cluing right there. But no. Not now. And this whole time I thought the British imposed their British judicial system. We are told twenty times at least of the incident involving Charles James Napier's response in addressing this issue.

The article says the practice is illegal but still done anyway in remote areas. The villagers ransacked the home, the family is afraid to return due to threats, the married daughter also in trouble for marrying below her caste and for being pregnant, the whole thing messed up the village arrangements. Your life in not your own to live in those little villages.

2 comments:

ricpic said...

I hope nobody gets out of line and starts criticizing Indian culture. That would be so unevolved.

bagoh20 said...

"Bolt together" is the cleverest in all the land.