From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Many thanks to Mark for moderating WG 64.
For WG 65, please write a clue whose answer is a code word used in the NATO 'phonetic' alphabet (see https://www.worldometers.info/languages/nato-phonetic-alphabet/). Your clue(s) should not contain the letter represented by your code word: for example, if the answer to your clue is Echo, your clue should not contain the letter E.
Up to three entries, please.
The deadline for entries is end of day, Tuesday the 21st of December.
Many thanks,
Luciano
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Mythological nymph from back in 0-hour A.D. (4)
Molly, stand-up comic who is an Asian lady parrot (4)
Amazon product built in Spain without start-up capital (4)
Bonus:
Transnational communications word for a symbol not found at all in this total posting (4)
Mark
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Monday, 13 December 2021 at 11:42:11 am UTC+11, Luciano Ward wrote:

Many thanks to Mark for moderating WG 64.

For WG 65, please write a clue whose answer is a code word used in the NATO 'phonetic' alphabet (see https://www.worldometers.info/languages/nato-phonetic-alphabet/). Your clue(s) should not contain the letter represented by your code word: for example, if the answer to your clue is Echo, your clue should not contain the letter E.

Jack Nicklaus once drove in this car (4)
Steve = : ^ )
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Enough to have a bowling alley in the back, perhaps? (5)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Enough to put a bowling alley in the back, perhaps? (5)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Long enough to put a bowling alley in the back, perhaps? (5)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Wherefore art thou, Romeo? (6)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Friday, December 17, 2021 at 12:48:53 PM UTC-3:30, David A wrote:

Wherefore art thou, Romeo? (6)

adjust to: Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Echo! (7)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Monday, 13 December 2021 at 11:42:11 am UTC+11, Luciano Ward wrote:

For WG 65, please write a clue whose answer is a code word used in the NATO 'phonetic' alphabet (see https://www.worldometers.info/languages/nato-phonetic-alphabet/). Your clue(s) should not contain the letter represented by your code word: for example, if the answer to your clue is Echo, your clue should not contain the letter E.

Engineers standing on stern of tug could be American (6)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Monday, 13 December 2021 at 11:42:11 am UTC+11, Luciano Ward wrote:

For WG 65, please write a clue whose answer is a code word used in the NATO 'phonetic' alphabet (see https://www.worldometers.info/languages/nato-phonetic-alphabet/). Your clue(s) should not contain the letter represented by your code word: for example, if the answer to your clue is Echo, your clue should not contain the letter E.

Can of orange makes brown vanish (5)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Dad's two doses of whiskey squeezed out of tree fruit (4)

Offense by capital lover (5)

Way to see in unknown light? (4)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Monday, 13 December 2021 at 11:42:11 am UTC+11, Luciano Ward wrote:

For WG 65, please write a clue whose answer is a code word used in the NATO 'phonetic' alphabet (see https://www.worldometers.info/languages/nato-phonetic-alphabet/). Your clue(s) should not contain the letter represented by your code word: for example, if the answer to your clue is Echo, your clue should not contain the letter E.

Expression of appreciation for fearlessness shown without the need for promotion (5)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Monday, 13 December 2021 at 11:42:11 am UTC+11, Luciano Ward wrote:

For WG 65, please write a clue whose answer is a code word used in the NATO 'phonetic' alphabet (see https://www.worldometers.info/languages/nato-phonetic-alphabet/). Your clue(s) should not contain the letter represented by your code word: for example, if the answer to your clue is Echo, your clue should not contain the letter E.

Expression of appreciation for fearlessness shown without the need for promotion (5)
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Apologies for the delay -- I was away. Hope to have the clues posted before New Year's Eve.

Luciano
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Thanks to those who contributed clues for this. My interpretations are below. Please comment, if necessary.
And a very happy, healthy and Hogmaniacal 2022 to you all.
Luciano
----------
From Mark:
Mythological nymph from back in 0-hour A.D. (4)
ECHO: 0-H CE rev; def = mythological nymph
Molly, stand-up comic who is an Asian lady parrot (4)
ECHO: Molly (drug) = E + CHO (stand-up comic who is an Asian lady); def = parrot
Amazon product built in Spain without start-up capital (4)
ECHO: E (Spain) + something?; def = Amazon product
----------
From Steve:
Jack Nicklaus once drove in this car (4)
GOLF: double def
Engineers standing on stern of tug could be American (6)
YANKEE: YANK + EE (engineers); def = American
Expression of appreciation for fearlessness shown without the need for promotion (5)
BRAVO: BRAV(ad)O; def = expression of appreciation
----------
From David:
Long enough to put a bowling alley in the back, perhaps? (5)
DELTA? (only one that fits without using the letter indicated): not sure how it works, though
Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Echo! (7)
JULIETT: other than the reference to the play, not sure
----------
From Rob:
Can of orange makes brown vanish (5)
TANGO: TAN+GO; def = can of orange
----------
From Duke:
Dad's two doses of whiskey squeezed out of tree fruit (4)
PAPA: PAWPAW minus W twice; def = dad
Offense by capital lover (5)
ROMEO: ROME+O; def = lover (dependent on my correct interpretation, the R in the clue is an issue)
Way to see in unknown light? (4)
X-RAY: X+RAY; def = way to see
----------
Bonus clue:
From Mark:
Transnational communications word for a symbol not found at all in this total posting (4)
ECHO: self-referential clue referring to all of MarkrCOs clues
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Last year, Luciano wrote:

Amazon product built in Spain without start-up capital (4)
ECHO: E (Spain) + something?; def = Amazon product

Here in the US many products say HECHO EN MEXICO meaning in Spanish MADE IN MEXICO, so it's HECHO (built in Spain) without its initial letter (start-up capital).
Happy new year, everyone! Mark
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Saturday, 1 January 2022 at 06:56:15 UTC-6, Mark Iredell wrote:

Last year, Luciano wrote:

Amazon product built in Spain without start-up capital (4)
ECHO: E (Spain) + something?; def = Amazon product

Here in the US many products say HECHO EN MEXICO meaning in Spanish MADE IN MEXICO, so it's HECHO (built in Spain) without its initial letter (start-up capital).
Happy new year, everyone! Mark

Thank you.
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Friday, December 31, 2021 at 9:34:14 PM UTC-3:30, Luciano Ward wrote:

From David:
Long enough to put a bowling alley in the back, perhaps? (5)
Eartha Kitt reference to her preference for a Cadillac in Old Fashioned Girl, and the answer of course, is OSCAR!

Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Echo! (7)
Again citing your desire for a codeword of your preference:
Juliett sounds like an Echo of Juliet, does it not? And remember that 'wherefore' is supposed to mean 'why'! Romeo and Echo are both code words.
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

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From Duke:
Offense by capital lover (5)
ROMEO: ROME+O; def = lover (dependent on my correct interpretation, the R in the clue is an issue)

Egad. I think I was going for "love" there. Withdrawn.
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Result over the weekend. Sorry for the delay.

Luciano
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

Repeated thanks to those who contributed clues for this. My opinions are below. The result is at the end (posted Sunday, aka Tuesday; apologies).
Luciano
----------
From Mark:
Mythological nymph from back in 0-hour A.D. (4)
ECHO: 0-H CE rev; def = mythological nymph
-- The wordplay works, as does the definition. Not sure that the surface reading is MarkrCOs most elegant, though.
Molly, stand-up comic who is an Asian lady parrot (4)
ECHO: Molly (drug) = E + CHO (stand-up comic who is an Asian lady); def = parrot
-- I had to look up the Molly (and, to be honest, the Cho) reference, which in no way diminishes the clue (nothing wrong with learning a thing or two). The whole clue is sound and funny.
Amazon product built in Spain without start-up capital (4)
ECHO: HECHO (= made/built in Spanish) without initial letter; def = Amazon product
-- Again, had to have help re the HECHO business. rCystart-up capitalrCO seems tautological in the wordplay, but otherwise the clue is fine.
----------
From Steve:
Jack Nicklaus once drove in this car (4)
GOLF: double def
-- I do like double definitions that, in their lengthiness, are not obviously double definitions. The Nicklaus reference of course telegraphs rCygolfrCO, but I like this all the same, because I like golf and I esteem Mr. Nicklaus.
Engineers standing on stern of tug could be American (6)
YANKEE: YANK + EE (engineers); def = American
-- I could find rCyengineerrCO = rCyErCO, but it doesnrCOt seem so commonplace. This aside, all is good, here: in the context, rCysternrCO and rCytugrCO are cleverly used.
Expression of appreciation for fearlessness shown without the need for promotion (5)
BRAVO: BRAV(ad)O; def = expression of appreciation
I like all of this except the word rCyforrCO, which, I think, should precede the definition, not the wordplay.
----------
From David:
Long enough to put a bowling alley in the back, perhaps? (5)
As per David: Eartha Kitt reference to her preference for a Cadillac in Old Fashioned Girl, and the answer of course, is OSCAR!
-- I still donrCOt get this. In any case, Oscar stands for rCyOrCO, and there are examples of that letter in the clue, so if the answer is OSCAR, the clue doesnrCOt meet the criteria.
Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Echo! (7)
As per David: Juliett sounds like an Echo of Juliet, does it not? And remember that 'wherefore' is supposed to mean 'why'! Romeo and Echo are both code words.
-- Juliet (as implied by the quote) is indeed an rCyechorCO of rCyJuliettrCO. It was certainly bold to include rCyRomeorCO and rCyEchorCO in the clue. That said, the *answer* is a bit too obscurely indicated for me.
----------
From Rob:
Can of orange makes brown vanish (5)
TANGO: TAN+GO; def = can of orange
-- Not sure what the surface reading might indicate in practice. That aside, IrCOm more a fan of wordplay making the answer than the answer making the wordplay.
----------
From Duke:
Dad's two doses of whiskey squeezed out of tree fruit (4)
PAPA: PAWPAW minus W twice; def = dad
-- All good, though IrCOm not sure why rCytreerCO is in there.
Offense by capital lover (5)
ROMEO: ROME+O; def = lover (dependent on my correct interpretation, the R in the clue is an issue). Withdrawn.
Way to see in unknown light? (4)
X-RAY: X+RAY; def = way to see
-- rCyway to seerCO seems slightly tenuous as a definition, but otherwise sound.
----------
Bonus clue:
From Mark:
Transnational communications word for a symbol not found at all in this total posting (4)
ECHO: self-referential clue referring to all of MarkrCOs clues
-- Yes. I mean: Yos.
--------------
The winner is:
Mark, with his ECHO clue. Mark, with his ECHO clue.
The runners-up are:
Steve with his GOLF clue, and Duke with his PAPA clue.
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From Newsgroup: rec.puzzles.crosswords

On Wednesday, 26 January 2022 at 8:27:34 am UTC+11, Luciano Ward wrote:

From Mark:

Mythological nymph from back in 0-hour A.D. (4)
ECHO: 0-H CE rev; def = mythological nymph
-- The wordplay works, as does the definition. Not sure that the surface reading is MarkrCOs most elegant, though.
Molly, stand-up comic who is an Asian lady parrot (4)
ECHO: Molly (drug) = E + CHO (stand-up comic who is an Asian lady); def = parrot
-- I had to look up the Molly (and, to be honest, the Cho) reference, which in no way diminishes the clue (nothing wrong with learning a thing or two). The whole clue is sound and funny.
Amazon product built in Spain without start-up capital (4)
ECHO: HECHO (= made/built in Spanish) without initial letter; def = Amazon product
-- Again, had to have help re the HECHO business. rCystart-up capitalrCO seems tautological in the wordplay, but otherwise the clue is fine.
The winner is:

Mark, with his ECHO clue. Mark, with his ECHO clue.

Which of Mark's clues got the gong?
A deserved winner. When you announced the rules for this contest I started thinking of clues for Quebec, Zulu, X-ray and other letters I could possibly craft a clue without. Meanwhile, Mark comes up with three cluesrCoand a fourth meta-cluerCo*for the single most common letter in the English language!* Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! (each quieter than the preceding)
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