John's avatarJohn

Born 1946. Since retiring (maths teacher) have spent an increasing amount of time on crosswords, something that was impossible before – am not in the sub-ten minutes league and surely never will be. Do The Times every day (more often than not in over half an hour), also an assortment of other puzzles. Did Azed monthly for some years and entered his clue-setting competitions, occasionally with some success (I even won once, had 38 VHCs and 140 HCs — yes, I kept a record, sad isn't it) but not enough for my liking. I've set a few crosswords: five in Oxford Today, a few on Derek Harrison's website, and five in The Independent, under the name Vernon. Also play a lot of chess and golf, although as I age I'm getting weaker at both.

Everyman 4,032

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A sound and good crossword from Everyman. Long ago the idea of this being an entry level crossword seems to have been abandoned and some of the clues, like 1ac, are rather tricky. But it all seems to be sound, and one could argue that that is more important. 3dn and 7dn are a rhyming pair (I can’t find any others) and there are the usual self-referential and first letters clues.

Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (homophone, hidden, reversal, etc) in italics. Link-words in green. Anagrams indicated (thus)* or *(thus).

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Azed No. 2,691 Plain

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It’s always a relief when blogging duty coincides with an Azed plain, because his specials, which are especially good, always take me ages to do. I admire his grid construction: OK some of the words are pretty wild, but they are all there in Chambers so far as I can see, and to fit words into a 12×12 grid where there are four 11-letter words abutting each other in pairs seems brilliant. 5 and 8dn are presenting problems, which I’m sure will be explained to me.

Definitions underlined in crimson. Anagrams indicated (like this)* or *(this), with their indicators in italics.

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Everyman 4,028

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The standard of these clues seems to me to be pretty high nowadays. Where I take issue with Everyman is in his use of question marks: he doesn’t always use them when he should, and he sometimes uses them pointlessly. There are several clues where the answer is a complete anagram of words in the clue. Very clever, but is the device overused? 3dn and 12dn are I think the pair, in that one begins with ‘Old’ and the other with ‘New’. 1dn is the self-referential clue and 22dn is the first letters clue.

Definitions underlined in crimson. Indicators (hidden, homophone, anagram, reversal etc.) in italics. Anagrams shown (like this)* or *(like this) [yes you’re right of course, Tony Collman@27]. Link-words in green.

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Azed No. 2,685 Plain- Competition Puzzle

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I was relieved that this was just a ‘plain’ Azed crossword, because his specials often take ages. In the event it was one of his easier ones I thought. All made sense and I felt as if everything was parsed OK. You may have different opinions. It seemed there were quite a lot of anagrams: I counted ten clues in which there were whole or part anagrams. Some of the definitions are a bit dense, but will be there in Chambers.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Anagram indicators shown like (this)* or *(this).

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Everyman 4,024

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As always seems to be the case this is well-constructed and there are no criticisms really. The usual things are there — the first letters clue, the rhyming pair, the self-reference. My moan at 6dn about the fact that it’s a CD is a voice crying in the wilderness: lots of people, including some good setters, like them.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, juxtaposition, hidden, etc) in italics. Anagram indicators shown like *(this) or (this)*, link-words in green.

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Everyman 4,020

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The usual (nowadays) sound and satisfactory crossword from Everyman. Because of the time of year, there is a bit of a fireworks theme and 4dn and 9dn don’t rhyme, as in the past, but are related in their subject matter.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, hidden, reversal etc.) in italics. Anagram indicators indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.

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Azed 2679 ‘Right and left’

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I found this rather difficult, and several held out for a long time. The left-hand answer to 12dn resolutely escapes parsing: I hope someone tells us how it works. The rather odd format … Read more >>

Everyman 4,016

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Everyman has given us more this time than he usually does: two first letters clues (not just one), the usual rhyming pair, and two symmetrically-placed answers both of which are fruits. Probably more, but I can’t see anything. With these limitations he has, as is now customary, provided us with a good sound crossword (I think, although 18dn still troubles me).

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, hidden etc) in italics. Anagram indicators shown *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.

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Everyman 4,012

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The usual good crossword from Everyman, all sound so far as I can see, and the usual rhyming pair, the self-referential clue, and the first letters one. Quite a task to produce these grids every time. You’d think he’d run out of rhyming pairs eventually.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, anagram, reversal etc) in italics, Anagrams shown (like this)* or *(like this), depending on where the indicator comes. Link-w0rds in green.

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Azed No. 2,673 Plain

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The usual display of words which are either completely unknown or have a sense that is hidden away in the depths of the entry in Chambers, but all of which seem to be explicable. How on earth Azed produces them without electronic aids (as I think is the case) always amazes me.

I think six of the clues are of the form ‘xxxx? yyyy’, an Azed characteristic. Usually (but not always) the xxxx is the definition.

Definitions in italics, underlined in crimson. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*, depending on whether the anagram indicator precedes or follows.

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Everyman 4,008

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Generally an enjoyable crossword, with one or two very nice clues, but in more places than usual I was a bit doubtful of the parsing. However, this may well be my own failing and no doubt I shall be corrected. I can’t find any rhyming answers but possibly 4dn and 7dn are related since they both refer to parts of the body. One might argue that six double definitions is too many.

Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (reversal, anagram, containment, etc.) in italics. Anagrams shown (like this)* or *(like this). Link-words in green.

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Azed No. 2,667 Plain

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What one expects from Azed: sound clueing, lots of crazy words that need a copy of Chambers, and all very enjoyable.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Anagram indicators in italics and shown *(like this) or (this)*

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Everyman 4,004

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Everyman has done all the right things here so far as I can see. Nice surfaces, sound clues, and all within the restrictions of the rhyming pair, the self-referential clue and the first letters clue. When history is written I suspect this Everyman will bear comparison with some of the greats of the past.

Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (hidden, anagram, homophone, reversal etc.) in italics. Anagrams indicated like (this)* or *(this). Link-words in green.

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Everyman 4,000

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It’s convenient that The Observer is today carrying an article about the Everyman which lists the setters — it says it started with Ximenes, who was Colin Macnutt: in fact he was Derrick Macnutt, which Everyman knows because he’s in the grid; there was Alec Robins, Dorothy Taylor, Allan Scott (who is there as ASCOT, also Alan Connor himself perhaps) and Colin Gumbrell. Because of the need to fit these names in, Everyman has apparently missed out on the usual rhyming clues and the self-referential clue. Can anyone say who Philippa is?

I thought this was trickier than usual, but it was a good crossword and there are no major gripes.

Definitions in italics, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, reversal, etc.) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.

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Azed No. 2,661 Plain

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The usual sound offering from Azed. I don’t think there is any clue that I question.

Definitions underlined in crimson. Anagram indicators in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*.

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