Bum rap: U.S. Mail pouches are found in this strange order.
Anagram ("Bum") of "rap: U.S. Mail"
= MARSUPIAL ("pouches are found in this strange order")
I liked this clue because I liked the actual definition part "pouches are found
in this strange order". Many people I thought gave away the clue with broad
references to Kangaroos and Opposums. I was hoping to get some phrases like
"playing possum" or "kangaroo court" but did not.
Now for the rest of the clues. Since I have no formal training in this
sort of thing, I will admit that some of the clues listed in the set
that I liked may have technical problems. For example, I did not follow
a Ximenean rule that a member of a larger class cannot be used to define
the class itself (one poster brought this up). I need to think more about
this, but it may be a good rule to follow in the future.
Other clues (sort of in the order that I liked them) were:
____
From: SHE...@ucs.indiana.edu (Steven J. Sherman)
Joey plus Maria: a bad combination. (9)
Joey= def (baby kangaroo) anag (bad combination) of plus maria
I liked the use of Joey. This was my second favorite clue.
----
From: Roger Phillips <ro...@quantime.co.uk>
US Mail parcel's half destroyed - I carry the litter in my pocket (9)
[anagram of "US Mail par" (parcel's half = half of parcel);
I (a marsupial) carry the litter (young animals) in my pocket (pouch)]
This had almost the same anagram as the winning clue. I liked the other clue's
definition a little better and the "I reference" I thought was strange (how
many marsupials are on the net, anyway?)
____
From: m...@src.dec.com
Joey, e.g., comes from a planet above the horizon; Alan and I follow,
but come the other way.
joey, a young kangaroo, is an example of a marsupial
planet = MARS
above the horizon = UP (as in the moon is up)
I = I
Alan = AL
I liked the Joey reference, but I thought the clue was wordy.
---
From: Jeremy Holden <jho...@netcom.com>
L.A. Rams one up! This baby's in the bag. (9)
(Anag of LA RAMS I UP)
This clue is probably flawed since there is really no anagram indicator.
However, I am a fan of the Los Angeles Rams (a professional American
football team), so I decided to list this one as one I liked.
___
From: Decay <kirby...@tandem.com>
I am with, oddly enough, Mrs. Paula Koala (9)
The Koala reference is a give-away, although I thought the Mrs. Paula Koala
phrase is cute.
----
From: Tom Deneau <to...@cayman.amd.com>
Having a baby carrier, Mom has to eat in rearranged den. (9)
Having a baby carrier = MARSUPIAL (the adjective).
Mom (MA) has to eat (SUP) in rearranged den (LAIR reversed).
Worth mentioning because I liked the use of marsupial as an adjective.
___
From: Wen-Ling Hsu <h...@learning.siemens.com>
Animal disturbed Puma's lair (9)
A marsupial is an animal, and an anagram of Puma's lair.
I like how simple this clue is, but animal is a less interesting definition
than some of the others.
---
From: j...@doc.imperial.ac.uk
Marshal drops first holdall but takes up one which may carry issue in pouch. (9)
------------- ------
H UPI
---------------------
MARSAL
------------------------------------
MARSUPIAL
This was an okay clue, but I thought it was a bit unwieldy and slightly
indirect.
---
From: Albert Young <yo...@mtl.mit.edu>
Animal mauls pair viciously; her pouch saved lives (9)
[anag. "mauls pair"]
I'm not sure if saved lives is equivalent to necessary for survival
of young.
---
The rest of the clues below all seemed to be give away the clue with
references to specific marsupials. I thought they were mostly okay,
except that I don't think Maria was a Shark in West Side Story. Her
brother was a Shark (a member of the Puerto Rican gang).
From: Ray Steiner <ste...@andy.bgsu.edu>
Manx cat in a den at morning flipped on seeing a possum, perhaps.
Explanation: PUS(s) in LAIR +AM (all reversed).
MANX: Indicates "tailless".
From: ura...@leland.stanford.edu
Wild pair? Mauls kangaroo, for example! (9)
Wild pair? Mauls : anagram MARSUPIAL
kangaroo, for example : MARSUPIAL
From: Clark <AT...@asuvm.inre.asu.edu>
An opossum, for example, is a rum pal. Rum, indeed! (9)
From: "David A. Mattingly" <dama...@starbase.spd.louisville.edu>
Scars up one, a left kangaroo.
MARS UP I A L defn
From: @orchard.la.locus.com:uunet!tadusa!tadtec!tjfs (Tim Steele)
Add a plum to Mrs. Gorbachev to make a kangaroo [9]
(anag. PLUM + RAISA)
From: Jerry Seligman <je...@phil.indiana.edu>
Messes up a metal kangeroo. (9)
[MARS UP I AL (Aluminium) MARSUPIAL]
From: Neil Morris <mor...@btcs.bt.co.uk>
Kangaroo and shark eat in Leatherhead.
Kangaroo = MARSUPIAL. MARIA (who was a shark in West Side Story) with
SUP (eat) in, then L = first letter of leather (Leatherhead).
N.B. Leatherhead is a large town in Surrey, England.
--
Warren Usui
aard...@locus.com
uunet!lcc!aardvark