Guardian Prize Puzzle 25,508 by Paul

by

Good stuff from Paul, I found this hard to get started and then quick to finish once I got going.  Thank you to Paul, and a merry Christmas to everyone.

The theme is children’s playground games,.  I remember all of these from school and/or cubs, though not always with the same name.  As far as I know they are still played now.

CLUE OF THE DAY– My favourite clue was 1,5 across, click a ‘vote’ link to vote for your favourite clue. See the results so far here.

Hold mouse over a clue number to read the clue.

Across
1,5 BRITISH BULLDOG vote THIS* BULL (nonesense) inside (breaking) RID (free) all inside BOG (toilet) – playground game
5 vote See 1
10 JINX vote Jack IN X (the number of this clue as Roman numeral) – playground game
11 PROCLIVITY vote Teeth (first letter of) in anagram of CLIP IVORY – definition is ‘bent’
12 EMBRYO vote MB (doctor) RY (railway, tracks) in centre of vidEOing – definition is germ
13 HISPANIC vote ‘his panic’ is the opposite of ‘her serenity’
14,24 KNOCK DOWN GINGER vote KNOCK (a go at, an attempt) DOWN (blue) GINGER (red) – playground game
16 vote See 27
17 VAGUE vote AGUE (fit, siezure) following V (the V sign made famous by William Churchill) – definition is ‘general’
19 CONSENSUS vote ON Sloppy (leading letter of) inside CENSUS (survey)
23,26 WHAT’S THE TIME MR WOLF vote (WITH TWO HAMMERS FELT)* – playground game
24 vote See 14
26 vote See 23
27,16 KISS CHASE vote I’S (one as Roman numeral) SCH (school) AS inside KEy (important, not entirely finished) – playground game
28 SMASHER vote Double definition
29 GRIDDLE vote Good and RIDDLE (question)
Down
2 RAIN MAN vote Spoonerism of “main ran” (paramount=main, directed=ran) – 1988 film starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise
3 TAXER vote AXE (cut) inside (stolen by, taken by) ToRy (odd letters only, regularly)
4 SAPWOOD vote P (power) inside (retained by) SAW (identified) with O (zero) and DO (party) reversed – definition is ‘inner area of plant’
6 UNLESS vote sUNLESS (not bright) without the first letter (ignore capital) – definition is ‘saving’, with the exception of
7 LEVIATHAN vote (HIT A)* rabid=anagram inside NAVEL (something one contemplates) – definition is ‘sea monster’
8 OBTAINS vote anagram of SINking BOAT with KING (monarch) removed – definition is ‘comes by’
9 GO THE WHOLE HOG vote GO (a try) with THE WHOLE HOG (trotters and all)
15 COUNTLESS vote Solver (primarily, first letter of) underneath (in support of) (CLUES NOT)* foreign=anagram – definition is ‘legion’
18 ATHEISM vote A THEM (rival, us and them) containing I’S – definition is ‘disbelief’
20 SIGN FOR vote F (fine) inside SIGNOR (Italian chap) – definition is ‘accept the delivery’
21 UTENSIL vote U (upper class, classy) with TEN (a number, figure) IS reversed on Larger (initial letter of) – definition is ‘spoon perhaps’
22 STARVE vote STARE (watch) going around (about) V (five, Roman numeral) – definition is ‘go without’
25 NAKED vote DEAN reversed (up…) containing (…holding) K (abbreviation for Köchel Catalogue, chronological catalogue of Mozart’s work) – definition is ‘defenceless’

*anagram

6 comments on “Guardian Prize Puzzle 25,508 by Paul”

  1. Biggles A
    #1 - Sat 24th Dec 11, 00:09

    Thanks PeeDee. Like you, I found it a bit difficult to get going on this one. Lacking the advantage of English schooldays I had to resort to the internet to find most of the playground games but the other answers fell into place readily enough. I knew 7 had to be LEVIATHAN but did have to contemplate it for some time before realisation dawned.

    Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all.

  2. grandpuzzler
    #2 - Sat 24th Dec 11, 00:16

    Thanks Paul and PeeDee. Other than never hearing of the themed answers, this puzzle was a snap.
    Not complaining; appreciate being able to broaden my knowledge.

    Cheery Christmas…

  3. molonglo
    #3 - Sat 24th Dec 11, 01:06

    Thanks PeeDee. Took a longish lunch over this, and liked it because the five games were within the farthest limits of my knowledge, but gettable without aids: though Google was called for to check each of them. Good marks as well for the distracting use of ‘bent’ in 11a, ‘clues for’ in 15d, and ‘saving’ in 6d.

    Merry Christmas all – and for those across the ocean, happy holidays.

  4. Stella Heath
    #4 - Sat 24th Dec 11, 09:46

    Thanks Peedee and Paul.

    My way into the theme was 23, 26; the names of other games were vaguely familiar, but there are so many versions of “tag” 🙂

    Season’s Greetings to all!

  5. Cosafina
    #5 - Sat 24th Dec 11, 11:12

    Difficult to know which clue to vote for, given that the puzzle was a week ago so I can’t remember which ones made me chuckle as they went in!

  6. tupu
    #6 - Sun 25th Dec 11, 18:50

    Thanks PeeDee and Paul and season’s greetings to all.

    Several nice clues, e.g. 13a and 18d and the odd anagram, and a generally enjoyable puzzle.

Comments are closed.