In an effort to keep my fast-aging brain from atrophying, I've taken up doing crossword puzzles again. They easily fill small pieces of time, from a few minutes on hold for the utility company, to the longish wait at the doctor's office.
Except these are cryptic crosswords. I really think that if the British had flooded the colonies with these things after the Boston Tea Party, there would never have been a revolution. All the colonists would have gone stark raving mad.
For those not familiar with them, the clues have double meanings; one part of a clue will be a clear language hint to the solution, while the other part is a wordplay of sorts to "help" you solve it. What would you make of the following?
Get rid of gardener's building (4 letters)
Also, CIA leader holds party (6 letters)
Shorten grid Abe reconstructed (7 letters)
Sell bicycle, we hear (6 letters)
Answers in the comments...
Either I will be a language genius at ninety, or I'll be a lunatic by my next birthday. Care to place bets?
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