All creatures ...macmillan quiz

[ndofu]

Last 3
29) shake twist and turn
49) Quickly run away we hear
91) Boy Scout from Finchley
Brain freeze at the moment - please help.

[crofter]

29} Rattlesnake

[Feedthegoat9]

Is 49 flea (flee)?

[patchett]

Hi ndofu 91) I've got Bluebottle hope that helps Cheers

[ndofu]

Thanks Crofter,Feedthegoat and patchett should have got the first two but please can you tell me how you get to Bluebottle for 91? Cheers. Have a good weekend everyone. Ndofu

[crofter]

It comes from the famous Goon Shows, in which Spike Milligan was always having a go at those from Finchley. His character was an idiot Boy Scout whose name was Bluebottle.

To read more - type ... finchley spike bluebottle ... and see what you come up with!

patchett did well to remember this classic link!

[crofter]

Your very own cryptic clue .. see if you can solve it.
Q. Ndofu - caught red-handed? (5,3)

[ndofu]

Crofter - I'm no good at cryptic clues - youi will ahve to talk me through it, please. By the way I replied to your Bluebottle info ( should have remembered the Goons, I'm old enough) but it didn't get printed for some reason. ndofu

[crofter]

All cryptic clues have two disrtinct parts - the definition and the "word play" (anagrams homophones etc). In the clue "Bloodsucker - Quickly, run away we hear (4)" the solution is FLEA and the definition is "Bloodsucker". So the "word play" is "Quickly run away"( = Flee). "We hear" means a homophone (= same sound).

Hence the word play tells us that the solution sounds like "Flee". So it is FLEA!

The solution to your clue is FOUND OUT. Can you sort out which part of the cryptic clue is the definition and what the word play is?

[ndofu]

Crofter. Well found is an anagram of ndofu ( which I imagine you know is swahili for elephant) and I guess you would then say the'definition' of caught red handed is found out? Am I on the right track? Thanks. Ndofu

[crofter]

My knowledge of Swahili is limited to virtually one word:
UHURU (freedom)!

Yes! FOUND OUT = Caught red-handed (definition)
UsIng the command OUT to mean "anagram" then FOUND "out" becomes NDOFU (with rather reverse logic).

Solving cryptic clues takes time but the skill does eventually come. Good Luck!

[ndofu]

Thanks, Crofter, I will try and do a few more now. Have a good week.