Easier-than-usual puzzle from Virgilius but with another clever bit of grid trickery – every down clue (except 9D, which reveals the theme) is a reversal of its (180 degree) symmetrical opposite . Of course, once you’ve twigged this it makes the puzzle very easy as you only really have to solve half the down clues.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 6 | RINGER – double definition. A “dead ringer” looks like someone else, so might be a “double”. |
| 7 | (RUN ONE)* |
| 11 | SUP(p)ER |
| 12 | IE in VW |
| 13 | (j)OCULAR – simple clue but a nice definition (“connected with viewers”). |
| 22 | O SOLE MIO – I thought that this might have been I SOLO MIO or E SOLO MIO or a couple of other variations but only O SOLE MIO works with the wordplay which is SOLE,MI in O,O |
| 24 | ELI in RCS – Eli is this priest. |
| 26 | hidden in “olDER Vehicles” – didn’t know this word but with ?E?V it’s easily gettable. |
| 28 | RINGS – a good opportunity to have a laugh at the 2012 logo |
| 29 | MO,PE |
| Down | |
| 2 | hidden in “mAN I MALigned” |
| 3 | DESSERTS – double definition. |
| 4 | RED,RUM |
| 5 | A,N(o)TE |
| 8 | EVIL in RED |
| 9 | UPS AND DOWNS – which reveals the theme of this puzzle. |
| 14 | CAM(p)US |
| 16 | SUMAC – I’d never heard of this but I could be doubly sure it was right because of the straightforward wordplay and the fact that it’s a reversal of 14D. |
| 18 | DELI,VER(y) |
| 27 | odd letters from “EsToNiA” |
Excellent grid but the theme meant that this was one of the fastest puzzles I have ever done. I saw LAMINA and RED RUM straight away noticed their reversals by accident and then checked their opposite clues. I was initially expecting a palindrome at 9dn.
Good fun though.
Yes, it was easy, but great. Marvellous to fit the theme in and still find familiar words for the acrosses – and, as always from Virgilius, the clues were top drawer, reading so naturally.
What my mum used to call a good meal – takes hours to cook but minutes to devour.
I broke my own record for solving because I spotted the gimmick, but also broke the record for the number of (even non-crosswording) people to whom I’ve shown the puzzle’s solution. They were in awe.
Magnificent.