Nick:  Fairly difficult AZED this week, due to a competition puzzle, I suppose, but great to solve.  30ac and 12dn seemed to be very convolute to work out, with 30ac being the ‘gotcha’ clue that could lead unsure solvers into entering the wrong word (I hope I am correct ).  9dn is a compilers Christmas present, and I was amazed when I read it in Chambers. ‘So-and-so’ in 1ac made me laugh – being from Pompey I was once told off by my (female) boss in Montreal for using it, until I explained it also meant ‘idiot’ here…

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I generally find Everyman puzzles to be on the easy side and this was no exception, though it did provide a gentle warm up in preparation for the Azed and EV. So far as I can see, there were only two answers that may be unfamiliar to some, 6dn which was clued in such a way that the solver needed a knowledge of French and science fiction in order to parse the wordplay, which was perhaps a little unfair, and 25ac where the wordplay was quite straightforward.

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