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MM Links November 2009 [Week 3]
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Welcome to the third week of links set by me, King Krophta the Quizzical, otherwise known as crofter. At this very moment I am in Tenerife enjoying the sun ~ it’s in the 70’s! I told you that I was trying to escape x-ray & Strix, as I once again rely on gen2 to act as locum. On holiday, we tend to relax during the day and plan an exotic meal in the evening. However, I shall miss my weekly cryptic challenges presented by Enigmatic Variations and The Spectator.
From an early age, I began to develop a competitive streak which started with cards and began to materialise in my school work. I began to enjoy examinations as providing a concrete way of demonstrating that I had more than a “Tom Sawyer” view of life. I was continually warned that I would eventually reach my pinnacle and I shouldn’t expect to come top of the pile forever. I suppose this was to prepare me for disappointment ~ but I was determined to ignore the warning and to realise whatever potential I had.
From an early age, I began to develop a competitive streak which started with cards and began to materialise in my school work. I began to enjoy examinations as providing a concrete way of demonstrating that I had more than a “Tom Sawyer” view of life. I was continually warned that I would eventually reach my pinnacle and I shouldn’t expect to come top of the pile forever. I suppose this was to prepare me for disappointment ~ but I was determined to ignore the warning and to realise whatever potential I had.
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Gaming has always featured as an important aspect of my social life. Initially it was family card games for pennies, but as an undergraduate I began playing Bridge and Darts,
Most Friday evenings four of us gathered for an all-night Bridge session in our Hall of Residence. We acquired a reasonable standard ~ sufficient to keep the game interesting and enjoyable. As for Darts, I would take a break from Mathematics by practising in the Games Room hours on end. Eventually, I reached a reasonable standard and I’ve had my share of 180’s.
As a postgraduate, I joined a group of students who were variously skilled at Darts. We practised going around the board on doubles with standard “pig’s bristle” boards, but the locals mainly played on Yorkshire boards ~ made from trunks of wood soaked in water with no trebles ring and a skinny doubles ring at that! Occasionally in the evenings, I would join a Poker School where the stakes were low but the enjoyment factor high. Perhaps surprisingly, I did also find time to complete my PhD Thesis on Epidemiology.
As a lecturer, I began to pick up Chess and Snooker in the Senior Common Room and (again) to a standard that allowed me to compete at a reasonable level.
Most Friday evenings four of us gathered for an all-night Bridge session in our Hall of Residence. We acquired a reasonable standard ~ sufficient to keep the game interesting and enjoyable. As for Darts, I would take a break from Mathematics by practising in the Games Room hours on end. Eventually, I reached a reasonable standard and I’ve had my share of 180’s.
As a postgraduate, I joined a group of students who were variously skilled at Darts. We practised going around the board on doubles with standard “pig’s bristle” boards, but the locals mainly played on Yorkshire boards ~ made from trunks of wood soaked in water with no trebles ring and a skinny doubles ring at that! Occasionally in the evenings, I would join a Poker School where the stakes were low but the enjoyment factor high. Perhaps surprisingly, I did also find time to complete my PhD Thesis on Epidemiology.
As a lecturer, I began to pick up Chess and Snooker in the Senior Common Room and (again) to a standard that allowed me to compete at a reasonable level.
Throughout these various stages, I was acquiring a fascination for cryptic clues which has been with me ever since I inadvertently “solved” my very first clue whilst in the Sixth Form at Grammar School. I can remember it clearly, as if it were yesterday. A friend called across to me asking for an African tribe with 9 letters, to which I responded HOTTENTOT. My curiosity got the better of me and upon further enquiry, he disclosed the clue “Savage, feverish child about ten (9)” [DT circa 1962]. This was my first contact with the Cryptic World of Crosswords and I was captivated by such a subtle use of the English language (although nowadays, the term “Savage” would not be seen as politically correct).
As far as my setting of Link Words is concerned, I shall adhere to my own rule relating the word length in that each of my chosen link words contains at least four letters and at most eight. Stray outside this range and you will be wasting one or more of your attempts! Each of my selected words may go in front of or after my challenge word. The competition will officially close at 7.00pm on Sunday evening when my selected words will be declared by my good friend gen2, and points awarded in the usual manner. My third set of words to be linked should appear below at 9.00am.
As far as my setting of Link Words is concerned, I shall adhere to my own rule relating the word length in that each of my chosen link words contains at least four letters and at most eight. Stray outside this range and you will be wasting one or more of your attempts! Each of my selected words may go in front of or after my challenge word. The competition will officially close at 7.00pm on Sunday evening when my selected words will be declared by my good friend gen2, and points awarded in the usual manner. My third set of words to be linked should appear below at 9.00am.
