Cryptic Station IV

[mps247]

This is my first time creating cryptic clues, so they will probably not be of a high standard. Anyway, it's supposed to be a bit of fun, so enjoy. You can PM me the answers if you wish:

1. Worse than biting one's hip.
2. Date a low-ranking noble.
3. Suite in mirror reveals unreversed portal.
4. Tree that was once ablaze.
5. Maneuver near gem necklace.
6. A street for monarchs.
7. Fish dies on road.
8. Pig migrates after fall of iron curtain.
9. Homeless rabbit.
10. A garden fit for the head of state.
11. House in Northern England.
12. Agreement in mirror for long-distance proposal.
13. 19th century American naval officer hides face.
14. Farmland towards equator.
15. Typical colour to position car.
16. Dig deeper.
17. Put away toys after use.
18. Russian station.
19. Bend legs in small hideout.
20. Enquire about wherabouts of the advantage.

I guess I'll give out the answers in a week. Let's say Thursday 12 February at 9:00 pm (GMT).

[mps247]

There are two clues that are extremely fiendish, and I will be very impressed if anybody gets them.

Just to help you out a bit, none of the stations are Overground-only or DLR-only. In other words, the 20 answers comprise solely of the 267 stations (Edgware Road, Hammersmith and Paddington are assumed to be one-station... ermmm... stations for the purposes of this quiz) that you need to visit on a GWR attempt.

[Going Underground]

Well just pm'd 9 answers but not confident many of them are correct

[tubeguru]

Question: are all of these clues plays-on-words or are there other cryptic devices such as anagrams employed here?

[mps247]

Question: are all of these clues plays-on-words or are there other cryptic devices such as anagrams employed here?

There aren't any anagrams, but there is one cryptic device that I've used in a couple of clues. The rest are all plays-on-words. I'll post the answers up in about 20 minutes, unless you would like more time... let me know !

[tubeguru]

Whoa, I only just started!

Can you hold off until tomorrow?

[mps247]

Whoa, I only just started!

Can you hold off until tomorrow?

Sure, no problem. I don't know where I'll be on Friday night (or Saturday night for that matter), so I'll post the answers on Sunday 9 pm GMT. If anybody wants more time than that, let me know - I'll just keep postponing the deadline until nobody wants anymore time .

[tubeguru]

Excellent. I've got five so far and still going ...

[mps247]

Just a quick reminder to all - if you would like more time with these, then let me know and I will gladly delay posting the solutions. Otherwise, if everybody's happy, I'll post them tonight at 9 pm. Have a lovely Sunday!

[mps247]

So, without further ado, here are the answers:

1. Barkingside
2. Barons Court
3. Moorgate
4. Burnt Oak
5. Stonebridge Park
6. Rayners Lane (Going Underground submitted Queensway, which it could have been, so I accepted this answer too )
7. Turnpike Lane
8. West Ham
9. Warren Street
10. Regent's Park
11. Boston Manor
12. Farringdon
13. Perivale
14. Southfields
15. Green Park
16. Borough
17. Plaistow
18. Vauxhall
19. Neasden
20. Edgware

Thanks to all those who PMed me:

Going Underground 8/20

... end of list... so Going Underground wins! Congratulations!

If anybody is having difficulty understanding and would like explanations for any of the answers given above, let me know and I will post them. Hope you had fun doing them. I did prepare some more cryptic clues, of a much better standard, but there didn't seem to be that much interest in them so I only got about half-way through writing them before deciding that it wasn't worth it. Of course, if I am mistaken, please let me know - I'll finish them off and post them.

[Soup Dragon]

Annoyingly I got 9 but forgot to enter, honest
Could you give full answers for the following answers:
1. Barkingside
5. Stonebridge Park
7. Turnpike Lane (get the pike but whats the turn?)
9. Warren Street (why is the Rabbit homeless when he lives in a street)
Other than these I'm kicking myself that I didn't get more.

[mps247]

Annoyingly I got 9 but forgot to enter, honest
Could you give full answers for the following answers:
1. Barkingside
5. Stonebridge Park
7. Turnpike Lane (get the pike but whats the turn?)
9. Warren Street (why is the Rabbit homeless when he lives in a street)
Other than these I'm kicking myself that I didn't get more.

No problem. Please bear in mind that this is the first time I have ever written any cryptic clues, so they are not of a very high standard. Accept my apologies for that. Let me go through the ones you asked about:

1. Barkingside - Worse than biting one's hip
A dog's bark is worse than his bite, so "barking" is "worse than biting". As one's hip is on one's side (and you can refer to "your hip" as "your side"), you get Barkingside.

5. Stonebridge Park - Maneuver near gem necklace
This one was a very difficult one in my opinion, and I was very impressed that Going Underground managed to get it. If you "maneuver" your car, you "park" your car. As a gem is a precious stone, and these stones are linked together in a necklace in the same way a bridge would connect these stones, you get Stonebridge Park. The word "near" also gives a bit of a hint as if something is a stone's throw away, it is near-by.

7. Turnpike Lane - Fish dies on road
Imagine what would happen if the pike is put on dry land and hence starved of oxygen. He would lash out and flip over, turning from one side to another. This is where the "turn" comes in.

9. Warren Street - Homeless rabbit
I was thinking along the lines of a rabbit without a home and therefore living on the street. Hence what the rabbit would call home (or warren) is the street. So, Warren Street.

[Soup Dragon]

Ah yes, I can see all of those now, I must have taken some stupid pills last night or been having a blond moment.