Posted by John on 13th May 2008
The usual wonderful Virgilius themed around one of our favourite activities. Every one (although perhaps 30 is stretching it a bit) of the across answers is in some way connected with crosswords. I think that’s all, but don’t dare to say categorically that it is.
| Across |
| 1 |
CROSSWORD - 2 defs |
| 6 |
POSER - (perso(n))* |
| 9/13/28 |
BAD HAIR DAY - 2 defs |
| 10 |
WORDS FAIL ME - 2 defs |
| 11 |
GRIDLOCKED - (did clerk go)* |
| 15 |
LAMENTATIONS - the Bible book and … |
| 19 |
I HAVEN’T A CLUE - a crossword contains clues, so a solver can’t say there are none. |
| 22 |
HAteful crosswoRD |
| 23 |
CAN’T BE DONE - cant bed one |
| 26 |
AT MY WIT’S END - I can’t see that this is more than two very similar meanings. Perhaps I’m missing something. |
| 29 |
SOLVE - (loves)* |
| 30 |
DISASTERS - (a distress)* |
| |
| Down |
| 1 |
CUB AGE |
| 2 |
ORDAIN - 2 defs |
| 3 |
SAW - I think this is 3 defs: ‘Understood’, ’saying’, that’s designed to be cutting’ |
| 4 |
(y)O(S)RIC(k) |
| 5 |
DYSPEPTIC - (depict spy)* |
| 6 |
P LAY - I think the def. is ‘Position’ but am not comfortable with this |
| 7 |
SALVADOR (Dali) |
| 8 |
RYE-GRASS - (grey)*(r)ass |
| 12 |
LEADER - “lieder”. Do only editors write leaders, or do editors write nothing but leaders? |
| 14 |
ATTUNE - at((nut)rev.)e |
| 16 |
EXTR(a) ACTED |
| 17 |
HIGH MASS - 2 defs |
| 18 |
LACRIMAL - (calm liar)*. I’m not sure why there isn’t a question mark at the end, since you can be lacrimal for many reasons. |
| 20 |
POO(D)LE |
| 21 |
BERYLS - (sly reb)rev. The word ‘reb‘ was new to me, although it always seemed likely. |
| 24 |
TEENS - 20 is the score |
| 25 |
concerT WE Enjoyed |
| 27 |
DIS - Walt Disney created the dog Pluto |
Posted in Independent | 5 Comments »
Posted by neildubya on 12th May 2008
I found this quite hard as birds, along with trees, are not a strong point with me. I’d never heard of a 13, a 14 or a 16 but eventually got them from the wordplay and/or educated guessing.
| Across |
| 1 |
(EPIS[-o]DE)* - ESPIED |
| 5 |
PL,OVER - the first thematic clue I got. |
| 8 |
GUIL[-e],(MOTEL)* - GUILLEMOT |
| 12 |
SCREE,CHOW,L |
| 13 |
L in (THE SORT)* - a guess, once all the checking letters were in place, as THROSTLE was new to me. It’s a song thrush apparently. |
| 17 |
hidden in “genERATOr” |
| 23 |
KING - I think this must be right because of the K in 2d but I can’t see how the clue works. |
| 26 |
PART,(DIRGE)* - PARTRIDGE |
| |
| Down |
| 2 |
K in SIMMER |
| 4 |
IM< in DOCILE |
| 5 |
TR in PEEL |
| 6 |
CROW in (DROVE)* - OVERCROWD |
| 7 |
E,PI,TOME - I guess that PI is “pious”. |
| 8 |
GETS,TH[EB-b]IRD - hesitantly filled this in because “contracts” for GETS wasn’t obvious at first, although now it’s as plain as day: you GET an illness if you contract it. |
| 10 |
(DOGGE[-r]EL,A L[-i]NE)* - the hard part with this one was working out what was anagram fodder and what wasn’t. |
| 14 |
STORMCOCK - another name for the mistle thrush apparently. Not sure about the wordplay, apart from “outcry” = STORM. |
| 18 |
hidden in “hALLE GROup” |
| 20 |
ARIA,END< - a reference to the Strauss opera Ariadne auf Naxos. |
| 24 |
R in WEN - WEN means “an enormous congested city”. |
Posted in Independent | 6 Comments »
Posted by John on 9th May 2008
All but three or four seemed to be the usual pleasant accessible Phi crossword, but then I became totally stuck on 11dn, 21dn perhaps, 22dn perhaps and 25ac, and eventually I had to use various electronic cheating devices.
| Across |
| 1 |
SHANTYTOWN - shanty, w in (not)rev. |
| 6 |
C(hemistry) LEF(t) |
| 9 |
SILVERWARE - (were rivals)* |
| 10 |
D(r)AFT |
| 12 |
WORLD-BEATING - (girl downbeat)* |
| 15 |
IN THE MAIN - 2 mngs |
| 17 |
TASER - (resat)rev. |
| 18 |
TENCH - (net)rev. CH. Is this a case of definition by example insidiously creeping into the Indy, as it already has The Times, or is it OK? Not sure. |
| 19 |
SPHERICAL - (his parcel)* |
| 20 |
STAINED (G)LASS |
| 24 |
O(bserve) B(erlin) O(rchestra) E(xcitedly) |
| 25 |
POST MODE RN. The word wasn’t generated by my simple little Chambers Concise handheld electronic thing because in Chambers (even 2006) it’s hyphenated (I had to use one on the internet), and the definition didn’t help, although I see now that perhaps it should have done. |
| 26 |
(l)EVE(l) N. An &lit. that doesn’t in my opinion quite come off. ‘note’ seems to be uncomfortable in the surface. |
| 27 |
ASCENDANCY - (candy-canes)* |
| |
| Down |
| 1 |
S(AS)H |
| 2 |
(p)ALLY |
| 3 |
THE DONE THING - the do(n the*)ing |
| 4 |
T(r)OWEL |
| 5 |
WORKBENCH - w broken* ch |
| 7 |
LEAF INSECT - (cat’s feline)* |
| 8 |
FITZGERALD - f (Zelda rig(h)t)* |
| 11 |
TAX THRESHOLD - CD. This took me ages. |
| 13 |
BIRTHSTONE - (this Bronte)* |
| 14 |
S((foo)T)ANDAL ONE |
| 16 |
ASS I(DUO U)S |
| 21 |
LAT(T(ea))E? It seems to be the only coffee that fits, but ‘late’ for ‘out of office’ seems a bit odd. OK if you’re out of the office you may well be late, but … I’m very unsure about this. |
| 22 |
‘VE IN? Again I’m very unsure. It’s possible, but the definition seems to be only loosely supported by Chambers. |
| 23 |
ENVY - “n(ot) v(icious)” |
Posted in Independent | 4 Comments »
Posted by neildubya on 9th May 2008
Great puzzle from this highly consistent setter with a mini-theme I would never have spotted if fellow blogger nmsindy hadn’t sent me the following:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/7380607.stm
6 and 12 aren’t blogged but are part of the theme (look at the list of players at the end of the BBC article). And now we know why Bannsider is Bannsider!
| Across |
| 1 |
M in (COLERAINE)* - CEREMONIAL. |
| 9 |
M in (COLERAINE)* - REAL INCOME. |
| 10 |
T in PEE - “Best of the Beatles” is the definition, a ref to that band’s original drummer. “Slash” has a capital as it’s the name of the guitarist from Guns N’Roses. |
| 14 |
OLD IRIS,H - nothing to do with Rupert but a reference instead to the writer Iris Murdoch. |
| 16 |
(FUN A CLIP)* - CUP FINAL. Which, along with the last word of 14 provides the basis for the mini-theme. |
| 18 |
hidden in “KirK GOT LAmbasted” - somehow managed to guess this as I couldn’t see any alternative wordplay. |
| 20 |
YC in TOO,N |
| 21 |
GOO, L in DUCK - is this a message to Coleraine on the occasion of the 14 (part 2) 16? |
| 23 |
O,R,TO,LANS - “nearly closed” seems to indicate TO but I don’t know why. A LAN is a Local Area Network. |
| 27 |
BREADCRUMB - was a bit baffled by “comfort food” but perhaps it’s something to do with “a crumb of comfort”? A bit tenuous but that’s all I’ve got. |
| 30 |
N in (COLERAINE)* - OCEAN LINER. |
| |
| Down |
| 1 |
SON in [-s]CARCITY - CARSON CITY is the capital of Nevada. |
| 4 |
NIC[-k]HOL(A)S |
| 7 |
(YET AS AN)*,OUCH - AN EASY TOUCH. |
| 8 |
TEEM - not sure if this is right but can’t think of anything else. “Tip it down” (i.e. rain) sort of fits as the definition. |
| 13 |
(ETC)* in A SPRAT,IO - tough one to parse. “Fan of lean cuisine” for (Jack) SPRAT is very good. |
| 19 |
(WANTS)* in BOA - “to be constricted” for (something) inside BOA is indirect but the whole clue is very fair I think. |
| 22 |
FAB,RIC[-h] |
| 25 |
alternate letters of “MeAnS sKy” |
| 28 |
URN - must be right although I can’t see the wordplay in “elimination of sides from tournament”. URN is in “tournament” but “elimination of sides” is a bit vague if it’s suggesting we get rid of all the other letters. |
Posted in Independent | 5 Comments »
Posted by neildubya on 8th May 2008
I found this very tough, despite a quick start. Still not sure about 8 and 11 though.
| Across |
| 1 |
MUGGLE in S,D - in the Harry Potter books, a MUGGLE is someone who isn’t a wizard. |
| 9 |
MIT,RE BOX - “they” being RE from the previous clue. A MITRE BOX is a tool for guiding handsaws. |
| 10 |
TON[-y],IN,G - not sure how the missing Y is indicated by “term cut”. |
| 14 |
(IN OHIO DUKE’LL)* - UNLIKELIHOOD, and an unlikely set of letters for an anagram. |
| 18 |
E in PHOTON,GRAVE |
| 21 |
A in IM ON(reversed) |
| 22 |
REM, IS in (NICE)* - REM is the “rock group”. |
| 24 |
[H for W]EIGHT |
| 25 |
STAND[-h]ARD |
| 26 |
(CHAPEL)* - PLEACH was a new word to me so this was a guess and one of the last words to go in. |
| |
| Down |
| 2 |
(TURN)* EU (going up) |
| 4 |
(YOUR LOVE AINT)* - EVOLUTIONARY. |
| 6 |
PRO,K(OF)IEV |
| 8 |
RAG TRADE - “fashion industry” is the definition but I don’t understand the rest of the clue. |
| 11 |
TELEPROMPTER - don’t understand this one either. |
| 15 |
(ONE)*,LITHIC |
| 17 |
COLON,IS,E |
| 20 |
WE,ED(going up) in DD |
| 23 |
NO(N)ES |
Posted in Independent | 11 Comments »