The world of crosswords is generally a happy and sensible place. The human mind being what it is, though, we are not immune to entertaining ideas that are less than true.<\/p>\n
Our equivalent of the conspiracy theory that humankind is being controlled by 5G phone masts<\/a> is that puzzles are appearing that have not been created by people.<\/p>\n Yes: we\u2019re talking about artificial intelligence. Some solvers reckon that they can discern, from a sideways definition or a piece of punctuation, the kind of clue only an AI would generate.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve discussed here before<\/a> the feeble efforts AI has so far offered when invited to create clues<\/a>. But we last did so more than three years ago; I expect the efforts would be better now, but still subpar. And I expect the time will come when AI can spit out cryptic clues that are perfectly sound.<\/p>\n Still, though: what would be the point? When a human plays a computer at chess, the challenge is to see whether a brain can produce better strategies than a machine and get to checkmate.<\/p>\n In crosswords, though, there is no winner. The setter wants the puzzle to be solved. The solver wants to be entertained by the clever, amusing or devious choices a setter has made; a setter is more like a poet or a comedian than a chess player. And the idea of being entertained by code-generated witticisms and deceptions is frankly eerie.<\/p>\n On the topic of slyness: in July\u2019s Genius<\/a>, the message hiding in the clues is CONTAIN SAME LETTER AS TODAY\u2019S CRYPTIC. Once you find the overlap with that day\u2019s regular puzzle<\/a>, you find the contents of the safe:<\/p>\n Genius 277 merged with cryptic 30,051.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll include the actual normal answer grid below, but you can see that the goodies in the notional safe are a dagger, a diamond ring and fake ID. August\u2019s Genius awaits you<\/a>!<\/p>\n The solution for Genius 277.<\/p>\n Thanks for your clues for EDDIE<\/a>. The audacity award goes to Wellywearer2 for the verse:<\/p>\n double quotation markDo anything you wanna do The runners-up are a pair of tributes to the real Eddie who inspired the conference, Brockwell\u2019s late yorkshire terrier<\/a>: Matty36251\u2019s \u201cA little Yorkie I\u2019d delighted over\u201d and Schroduck\u2019s \u201cRecalled doggie I\u2019d definitely embrace!\u201d And the winner is bawdy: \u201cElegant head, big chest, incomparable wings \u2026 the Eagle?\u201d<\/p>\n Kludos to Gurkentruppe; please leave clues for EERIE below, along with any favourite clues or puzzles you have spotted.<\/p>\n
His Hot Rods might advise you
Their \u2018leader\u2019 might say as well
Losing me hurts like hell (5)<\/p>\n