Signmaker

[Zag]

I mentioned Signmaker puzzles to one of our great, new members, so I figured I'd better deliver one. For those unfamiliar, in a Signmaker puzzle, there are two sentences (or longer lines) clued. The two different sentences will be made up of exactly the same letters, in the same order, with only the spaces and the punctuation different. The numbers following the clues are the number of words in that sentence.

Feel free to post bits of it that you have figured out -- you don't have to solve the whole thing on your own.

"Cleverness," the man mentioned, "protects the thing a bit." (6)

Using a system that supports both voice and data, tree-creature Teddy reclines with no worries. (6)

[referee]

"Wit," he said,...
With...

At least it's a start.
_________________
Jan 21st, 2008: The pillaging continues.
Mar 4th, 2008: Rest in Peace, Gary Gygax. May your dice always roll a natural 20 wherever you are.

Be the Ultimate Ninja! Play Billy Vs. SNAKEMAN today!

[jbvntx]

Here's what I have so far. Missing the middle...

Wit, he stated,  ???s  it slightly
With ESTA ted    ??? sits lightly
_________________
jbv

[Vagrant]

could BEAR go into both missing spots?

[Zag]

Not ESTA. More generic.

[Vagrant]

Wit, he commented, wards it slightly
With e-comm ent Edward sits lightly

Doesn't seem quite right when I see it written down.

[Zag]

That was the intended answer. Not my best signmaker, I'm afraid. As I started it, I got distracted by another project which is time sensitive.

[Vagrant]

[Elethiomel]

I've seen this before, but I didn't realize it was called a signmaker. Why is it called that? "Space warp" seems like a cooler, more accurate name. :p

Anyway, I think the surface reading on this one was excellent, considering the restrictions.

[Suspence]

I've actually wondered about the name, as well as whether this puzzle type is unique to the GL (or maybe just the name we use for this puzzle type is), since I don't find much via Google.

They're also very fun to write. Do you think a Signmaker take-over style thread would work?
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[L'lanmal]

Like DITLOIDs (One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich), signmakers get their name from a single puzzle which illustrated the idea.

It was a chestnut where a signmaker was fired for making a gravemarker that read "He relies on everything rump". Why?

I believe we at the GL took this chestnut, made variations, and assigned the name. Luna should know more.

[Suspence]

I wonder if they are called something else in other places?

Anyhow, shall we try takeover style? If you solve A1, post a new one as A2.

A1)
"Will you give me permission to roost in this location over the course of many years", the man said amusingly (8)
Puppies, accordingly, atop Tommy Lee Jones character (5)
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[Zag]

I think one at a time is plenty. Otherwise it gets confusing what people are adding to.

Can I nest here ...
Canines there ...

[novice]

Can I nest here for eon
Canines therefore on

[Elethiomel]

"Can I nest here for eons?", he riffed.
Canines, therefore, on sheriff Ed.

[Elethiomel]

I take it Ed is some vampire sheriff played by Tommy Lee Jones.

[Suspence]

Nice job. TLJ played Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in No Country for Old Men. I was gonna continue with "Sheriff Ed Tom e.../he riffed to me ..." but I had to leave for a bit and wanted to post before I did.

Feel free to take over with A2, Elethiomel. (As a total aside, is there a shortened form of your username that you wouldn't mind us using? I keep having to look back to ensure I've spelled your name correctly. By the way, if you hate typing "Suspence", then "Spence" is fine.)
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[Elethiomel]

I suppose El is fine, or L if you're running very low on ink.

I also go by the name of Zakalwe, but I thought I'd spare you all the Zak/Zag confusion when I signed up, so I used my alternate nick.

Anyway,

A2)

Lower than a plant: a champion. (5)
Exist with elegance, maintain/acquire an austere gloom. (7)

[ralphmerridew]

Beneath a ve ...
Be neat, have ...

[Quailman]

Beneath a vegetable a knight
Be neat, have/get a bleak night

[edit] Oops! I shouldn't have solved/stolen that. Next is up to someone else.[/e]

[Suspence]

I don't think swooping in and finishing is wrong in this thread (see posts 13, 14, and 15 above).

If people weren't expecting that to happen, I assume they would not post until they had solved completely. I'd say it's on you, Quail.
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[Quailman]

[ralphmerridew]

This was made up real quickly, and I really doubt that any puzzle that Quailman came up with could be that much worse.

A3)

Exaggerated sketch be a way out(3)
Automobile also gives title to cloak (4)

[Suspence]

Gotcha, Quail...on to the next:

Cartoon am escape
Car too names cape
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[Suspence]

A4)
Food-Searching Epoch - grains are compulsory (5)
To be given to a red-headed expert: true-to-life paintings as well as one British Conservative (8)
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[novice]

Foraging era cereal is mandatory.
For a ginger ace realism and a Tory.

[Suspence]

Nicely solved, novice. You are on the clock...
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[novice]

[novice]

Restlessly, your smart alter ego homestead discovered in Indian time zone. (8)

Suction cup, extremely discordant, devourer of creativity. (9)

[Suspence]

I'm rather stuck on suction/suction cup. I don't have any words that I could think to replace those with, other than vacuum, which doesn't seem a likely Signmaker word.
_________________
I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[novice]

[Zag]

I've given this one a fair bit of time and haven't gotten anywhere, either.

Some thoughts, which didn't go anywhere, at least for me.

Indian time zone is IST, but maybe it is Hindi and EST (or other ways to break up the phrase).

I tried discovered = found, and 'devourer of creativity' is "und___ist" where the und is from found. Didn't lead anywhere.

Alter ego might be id, but not really.

homestead could be estate; If it were 'devoured' instead of 'devourer', I'd feel pretty good about that (for the 'ate'). I imagine that he'd just put 'dwelling' if the word were 'house,' so I doubt it's that, but there are still lots of other possibilities.

So not a single hook. My experience with these is that they fall pretty quickly once you've got one place to stand, but I got nuttin'.

[Elethiomel]

Me neither; I also looked at IST but got no further. One thing to note is that the second phrase has nine words but just seven clue words, so some of the clue words must map to multi-word phrases.

[novice]

Homestead = TOFT.

[Quailman]

[jesternl]

No, from the Dutch word 'tocht', which means draft, and those homesteads were quite drafty

[novice]

Oh, so you had already figured that one out? More hints then?

[novice]

[novice]

Two hints:

Suction cup: It's organic

Devourer of creativity: Pleasure-seeking glutton for creative works.

[Zag]

I had considered HEDONIST, but had discarded it for collapsing too many words. I hadn't considered an adjective for it.

Restlessly, your smart alter ego homestead discovered in Indian time zone. (8)

Suction cup, extremely discordant, devourer of creativity. (9)

...hed on IST
... hedonist.