Puzzle Description:

Getting head of Police to uncover swindle -- See comment 1

#1: Joe (infrapinklizzard) on May 17, 2018

The description is a clue to the subject using cryptic crossword clue rules.*

Every cryptic clue is made up of two parts; a definition, and a literal description of the answer using wordplay. They can be in either order (though not intertwined) and there is no separation between them.

Here is a page describing some of the techniques:
http://gamesmagazine-online.com/cryptic-crosswords/
or an easier-to-read PDF:
http://gamesmagazine-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/CrypticsGuide.pdf

*The length is not given because the picture gives another clue.

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints

Ooh Mr. Hertz got it ...

Yep, must be Sting! The capitalized Police clued me in.

Fun fact: young Gordon got the name Sting because he habitually wore a yellow-and-black striped sweater (or jumper).

Fun puzzle(s)

Please explain. Just when I thought I was starting to get these, this one goes right over my head.

I had forgotten that Sting was lead vocalist for The Police.

Is "sting" a slang word for uncovering a swindle?

One type of sting operation run by the police is a fake offer made by undercover police to ensnare greedy crooks into exposing themselves. The tricky part is to avoid entrapment.

Sometimes the sting is used to get fugitives all in one place to arrest them. "Congratulations, you just won all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas. Come to the Pierre Hotel at 7:00 tonight to redeem your prize"

OK, here's the breakdown:

This is a double definition

Getting (believe it or not this is a link)
head of Police (Sting was the lead singer of the Police)
to uncover (the rest of the link)
a swindle ("sting" does not only mean a con by the police)

The "grammar" of the literal sense is "Getting [the first bit] to uncover [the second bit]"

Here's a link to sting as a swindle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sting_operation#Sting_operations_in_popular_culture

For anyone who has not seen the movie "The Sting" I would highly recommend it. It was a big hit with first rate actors and a really fun movie to watch.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sting

Show: Hints

Goto next topic

You must register and log in to be able to participate in this discussion.