Welcome to Another Simple Clue Writing Contest, edition #271. Thanks to Bob Nichols for moderating #270.

The very first published crossword puzzle had a starter word FUN already written in without a clue for it. Now is the time to produce that missing clue, indeed a cryptic clue. To enter ASCWC 271, please compose and post here by February 14 up to three cryptic clues for FUN. Bonus clues are also welcome.

Ref: https://lithub.com/can-you-solve-the-very-first-published-crossword-puzzle/

FUN:

Enjoyment to be found in combining tofu and noodles (3)

Luciano

Soul endlessly produces pleasure (3)

FUN:

Pleasant if unspectacular houses (3)

Luciano

Diversion of staff underground, in hiding (3)

Fair dos! (3)

Good time to play trick (3)

Sport which is kind of fair (3)

Junketing money is a penny short (3)

--
Bob Nichols
(for e-mail remove .invalid)

On Monday, 7 February 2022 at 1:54:10 pm UTC+11, welli...@verizon.net wrote:
To enter ASCWC 271, please compose and post here by February 14 up to three cryptic clues for FUN. Bonus clues are also welcome.

King of funk shunned R & R (3)

Here are the clues and interpretations for ASCWC 271, which all lead to FUN.. I’ll judge in a couple days.

Luciano:
Enjoyment to be found in combining tofu and noodles (3)
in toFU+Noodles; def = enjoyment

Duke:
Soul endlessly produces pleasure (3)
FUNk; def = pleasure

Luciano:
Pleasant if unspectacular houses (3)
in iF+UNspectacular; def = pleasant

Duke:
Diversion of staff underground, in hiding (3)
in stafF+UNderground; def = diversion

David A:
Fair dos! (3)
cryptic definition for doings at a fair; surface is expression meaning “fair’s fair”

Bob Nichols:
Good time to play trick (3)
double definition, noun and verb

Bob Nichols:
Sport which is kind of fair (3)
double definition, referring to a funfair

Bob Nichols:
Junketing money is a penny short (3)
FUNd; def = junketing

Steve:
King of funk shunned R & R (3)
FUNk; def = R & R (rest and relaxation; in surface it’s rock and roll)

On 2022-02-17 Thu 08:28:17 -0800, Mark Iredell wrote:
> Good time to play trick (3)
> double definition, noun and verb

That would work too, but I actually intended a triple definition.

--
Bob Nichols
(for e-mail remove .invalid)

Here are the results for ASCWC 271 in which making FUN is mandated. Judgment at bottom.

Luciano:
Enjoyment to be found in combining tofu and noodles (3)
in toFU+Noodles; def = enjoyment
I should try that sometime; I tend to combine tofu and rice which is more like fur I guess.

Duke:
Soul endlessly produces pleasure (3)
FUNk; def = pleasure
Funk is related enough to soul to make this work. The simple pleasures are the best.

Luciano:
Pleasant if unspectacular houses (3)
in iF+UNspectacular; def = pleasant
Smooth surface and nice switching houses. I’d rather live in a pleasant house than a spectacular one.

Duke:
Diversion of staff underground, in hiding (3)
in stafF+UNderground; def = diversion
Tight consistent surface achieved, especially in a crisis.

David A:
Fair dos! (3)
cryptic definition for doings at a fair; surface is expression meaning “fair’s fair”
I didn’t know this expression, but fair dos after all my Americanisms.

Bob Nichols:
Good time to play trick (3)
triple definition, noun, noun, and verb
This worked as a double definition also. Always nice to define different parts of speech.

Bob Nichols:
Sport which is kind of fair (3)
double definition, referring to a funfair
Good switch on the part of speech of fair in the surface.

Bob Nichols:
Junketing money is a penny short (3)
FUNd; def = junketing
This was going to be a pretty cheap junket if one penny short makes a difference.

Steve:
King of funk shunned R & R (3)
FUNk; def = R & R (rest and relaxation; in surface it’s rock and roll)
Is this James Brown? Great switch on R & R and inventive wordplay construction.

All entries were dandy and doable. I choose Steve’s battle of the musical genres as the winner. And David’s fair dinkum cryptic definition is runner-up. Steve is invited to host the next competition. Thanks everyone for clueing us in on the fun.

On Saturday, 19 February 2022 at 11:59:32 pm UTC+11, welli...@verizon.net wrote:
> Here are the results for ASCWC 271 in which making FUN is mandated. Judgment at bottom.

> Steve:
> King of funk shunned R & R (3)
> FUNk; def = R & R (rest and relaxation; in surface it’s rock and roll)
> Is this James Brown? Great switch on R & R and inventive wordplay construction.

Yes, James Brown was generally considered, and sometimes called, the king of funk.

> All entries were dandy and doable. I choose Steve’s battle of the musical genres as the winner. And David’s fair dinkum cryptic definition is runner-up. Steve is invited to host the next competition. Thanks everyone for clueing us in on the fun.

You're too kind. I'm afraid that, sadly for a man of my age, I have too many commitments to be able to moderate the next competition anytime in the foreseeable future. Bueller?

Thanks for a fun contest.

On Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 9:16:29 PM UTC-3:30, Steve = : ^ ) wrote:
> On Saturday, 19 February 2022 at 11:59:32 pm UTC+11, welli...@verizon.net wrote:
> > Here are the results for ASCWC 271 in which making FUN is mandated. Judgment at bottom.
> > Steve:
> > King of funk shunned R & R (3)
> > FUNk; def = R & R (rest and relaxation; in surface it’s rock and roll)
> > Is this James Brown? Great switch on R & R and inventive wordplay construction.
> Yes, James Brown was generally considered, and sometimes called, the king of funk.
> > All entries were dandy and doable. I choose Steve’s battle of the musical genres as the winner. And David’s fair dinkum cryptic definition is runner-up. Steve is invited to host the next competition. Thanks everyone for clueing us in on the fun.
> You're too kind. I'm afraid that, sadly for a man of my age, I have too many commitments to be able to moderate the next competition anytime in the foreseeable future. Bueller?
>
> Thanks for a fun contest.
I too am snowed under, but I rather like Luciano's Pleasant if unspectacular houses, so I defer to Luciano for ASCWC 272. Thanks, everyone.