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Dave Gorman Profile picture
@DaveGorman
Sep 30, 2020 • 17 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
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Yesterday's Independent cryptic crossword contained something of a tribute to one of my favourite TV shows... Homes Under The Hammer...
Before I carry on... I ought to say that this thread is obviously going to contain spoilers. If you like cryptic crosswords and you think you might like to try this one... you can it's here:
puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/cryptic-…
Whenever I mention that I've set a crossword I get a few tweets from ppl expressing surprise at what is, I can see, an odd career turn. So I should probably mention at the top; this isn't something I spotted, but something I did. I set crosswords for the Indy under the name Bluth
Using a couple of clues to get the title of the show in wasn't enough... if you're going to mention Homes Under The Hammer, I think you've got to mention the main man, Martin Roberts. But how best to describe him... I think this does the job...
But if you're mentioning one of the presenters... surely the others deserve a mention as well... what about Dion Dublin and Martel Maxwell...
At which point, I know what you're thinking.

Yes. I have got too much time on my hands. But also. What about Lucy Alexander? She co-presented the show with Martin for 13 years before having to end her connection with it because of, um, advertising carpets...
Well... there's a clue for that...
Of course, it's impossible to think about Homes Under The Hammer without thinking about the show's incredible Literal Music Selection...
I might well have mentioned the Literal Music Selection before now, myself...
So I could hardly leave it out of the crossword...
What more could I add? Well... a sprinkling of clues that relate to the show... I'm sure there was an episode where they showed an ugly new-build making money in between some short VTs about a motel...
You know the one, the one where that couple fell out about buying the property without seeing it... and there's always some rubble when they knock through...
And of course, they feature the top auctioneers and all kinds of properties... and people might want to buy because they have a particular location they're after... and they renovate the properties in all sorts of styles...
I guess some of you might never have seen the show... but you're right, the series does sound good...
Anyway... if you're the kind of person who is interested in cryptic crosswords but is put off by the lack of content relating to daytime TV property shows, this was for you.
Or maybe the bit of the Venn diagram showing people who are interested in cryptic crosswords and HUTH has only one occupant... in which case this was for me.
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More from @DaveGorman

Dave Gorman Profile picture
Jan 21, 2022
(1/4) I have a theory about W*rdle.

What if, rather than just being a harmless word game, it's actually a way of sending coded messages to sleeper agents? Maybe members of the British press?

I have evidence to back this up...
(2/4) On January 2nd, the word was BOOST.
On January 3rd, the word was TRUSS.
BOOST TRUSS

A few days later the Mail ran this story - clearly designed to boost the image of Liz Truss. Coincidence? I think not.
(3/4)
January 10th: QUERY
January 11th: DRINK

You can take your pick of articles doing just that, of course, but for example, a few days later, the Mail ran this:
Read 4 tweets
Dave Gorman Profile picture
Jul 15, 2020
1/? Being asked this question a fair bit... so... personally, I think the best way is to just try and do them - and look up the answers for the ones you can't do and try and work out why they are what they are. That doesn't mean there aren't some really useful resources
2/? Start from the position that (almost) every clue has two elements: a definition and some wordplay that should help to guide you, completely fairly, to the answer. They can be in either order.
3/? You can solve clues in lots of ways. Sometimes you unpick the wordplay & build up the answer, sometimes you guess as to which bit might be the definition, guess at an answer based on the letters already in & then see if you can make the wordplay work to confirm it. All valid
Read 8 tweets
Dave Gorman Profile picture
Oct 16, 2019
My plan today: trains: Bournemouth to Waterloo. To St Pancras &then to Sheffield. But this am all trains out of Bomo were cancelled. So a fleet of taxis took ppl to S’hampton. Where chaos reigned bc all the trains ppl wanted didn’t exist bc they couldn’t come through Bomo. (1)
I missed all connections & have ended up travelling a different route. Stood for lots of it. Now in Brum waiting for a Sheffield train. And I find myself thinking about the ppl I shared a taxi to S’hampton with. Chaos breeds community spirit.
Anyway... I hope 6 year old Alex and his Dad managed to get their flight to Glasgow. They’re moving there and Alex needs to get back to his Lego. And I hope Simon managed to meet up with his daughter in London, too. I liked my cab mates. (3/3)
Read 4 tweets
Dave Gorman Profile picture
Apr 10, 2019
1/8 Stumbled upon Unilever’s explanation of the elements in their logo. It’s v weird. It feels like they had a brainstorm, threw some ideas on the board and then couldn’t be arsed to write them up properly because they didn’t expect anyone to ever read them. Eg: ice cream:
2/8 “Okay team, I’ll put ‘treat’ and ‘pleasure’ down. What’s that, Grant? ‘Enjoyment Pleasure’? I like where you’re coming from but Sophie’s already said, ‘pleasure’… really? ‘Enjoyment pleasure’ is different to ‘pleasure’ is it? Ok. What about you, Bob? ‘Enjoy’? Really?”
3/8 “The palm tree. I’ll start: ‘A nurtured resource, symbolizing our respect for the natural world.’ I think we can probably leave that one there. You want the pen, do you, Grant? You can’t just add the word ‘tree’. ‘Natural world tree’ isn’t a thing. No, no… you carry on”
Read 8 tweets
Dave Gorman Profile picture
Feb 4, 2019
The Brexit thing that saddens me most=tribalism on both sides. Leavers defending Kaczynski bc he’s a leaver prompt the thought but it goes both ways. Remainers citing Gove’s ‘had enough of experts’ also annoying. He didn’t say that.If only 1side’s lies matter to you, truth loses.
Of course lots of people now telling me that Gove did say that. No, I’m context he was saying
Image
Read 5 tweets
Dave Gorman Profile picture
Feb 2, 2019
1/7 Last night our tour was in Northampton. Backstage there’s a big, white breezeblock wall that visiting companies are encouraged to sign. When it’s a big cast they create a section just for them, like these: Image
2/7 ... but when it’s a solo show or something small, people just tend to choose a breezeblock for themselves. For example, here’s Jimmy Tarbuck Image
3/7 ... and here’s Jack Whitehall Image
Read 7 tweets

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