Nice and easy, easy and nice. I recommend this to anyone getting started on cryptic puzzles. I enjoyed this: it shows that a puzzle doesn’t have to be hard to be enjoyable. Thanks Falcon.
| Across | ||
| 1 | POLES APART | In complete opposItion, some central Europeans excepted (5,5) |
| POLES (Poles, some central Europeans) and APART (excepted) | ||
| 6 | SLOW | Beginning to seem backward in culture, behind the times (4) |
| Seem (first letter, beginning to) then LOW (backward in culture) | ||
| 9 | CONTACT | Get in touch with shrink right way (7) |
| CONTrACT (shrink) missing R (right) | ||
| 10 | NO-HOPER | Rank outsider? Work inside on her jumping (2-5) |
| OP (opus, work) inside anagram (jumping) of ON HER – only just an anagram! | ||
| 12 | WELL I NEVER | Thoroughly at home, always? Surely not! (4,1,5) |
| WELL (thoroughly) IN (at home) EVER (always) | ||
| 13 | IVY | Climber in cream, not gold (3) |
| IVorY (cream, colour) missing OR (gold) | ||
| 15 | ASTUTE | Wily, like ancient king, leader of Egyptians (6) |
| AS (like) TUT (ancient king) then Egyptians (first letter, leader of) | ||
| 16 | STRUGGLE | Labour pains (8) |
| double definition | ||
| 18 | CAROUSEL | Drink freely by left luggage facility at 27 (8) |
| CAROUSE (drink freely) then L (left) | ||
| 20 | SEE RED | Get the message about ending of aid, and lose one’s temper (3,3) |
| SEE (get the message) RE (regarding, about) then aiD (end letter of) | ||
| 23 | DUO | Pair, uneasy at first, entering party (3) |
| Uneasy (first letter of) inside DO (party) | ||
| 24 | NEAR ENOUGH | Almost her age, nun worried about head of order (4,6) |
| anagram (worried) of HER AGE NUN containing (about) Order (first letter, head of) | ||
| 26 | EMBARGO | Ban therefore must include doctor, American (7) |
| ERGO (therefore) contains MB (doctor) A (American) | ||
| 27 | AIRPORT | Perhaps John Lennon tune on piano, or beginning of “Thriller” (7) |
| AIR (tune) on P (piano) OR then Thriller (first letter, beginning of) – Liverpool airport | ||
| 28 | SASH | Say nothing about a small band (4) |
| SH (say nothing) contains (about) A S (small) | ||
| 29 | PENTATHLON | On tenth lap, running in athletics event (10) |
| anagram (running) of ON TENTH LAP – an apt anagram | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PACE | Speed of expert under pressure (4) |
| ACE (expert) follows P (pressure) | ||
| 2 | LENIENT | Tolerant of knight that is breaking fast (7) |
| N (knight, chess) IE (that is) inside (breaking) LENT (a fast) | ||
| 3 | SCARLET RUNNER | Climber in vivid red, athletic type (7,6) |
| SCARLET (vivid red) then RUNNER (athletic type) – a climbing plant | ||
| 4 | POTENT | Very strong, round number in gym (6) |
| O (something round) TEN (a number) in PT (physical training, gym) | ||
| 5 | RENOVATE | To give a facelift to US city, tax highest of earners? (8) |
| RENO (US city) VAT (a tax) Earners (first letter, in highest position) | ||
| 7 | LAPWING | Bird got in annexe after friend turned up (7) |
| WING (annexe) follows PAL (friend) | ||
| 8 | WORRY BEADS | They may relieve tension in derby as row irrupts (5,5) |
| anagram (irrupts) of DERBY IN ROW | ||
| 11 | HERCULE POIROT | Detective in our helicopter, squirming (7,6) |
| anagram (squirming) of OUR HELICOPTER – nice anagram! | ||
| 14 | FANCY DRESS | Take a shine to groom in fun costume (5,5) |
| FANCY (take a shine to) and DRESS (groom) | ||
| 17 | LET ALONE | Not to mention bird’s claw found in shelter (3,5) |
| TALON (bird’s claw) inside LEE (shelter) | ||
| 19 | RHOMBUS | Figure runs home, not quite ahead of coach (7) |
| R (runs) HOMe (not quite all of) then (ahead of) BUS (coach) | ||
| 21 | RAG DOLL | Toy dog lost during short mass meeting (3,4) |
| anagram (lost) of DOG inside (during) RALLy (mass meeting, short) | ||
| 22 | REPAST | Meal about finished? (6) |
| RE (about) PAST (finished) | ||
| 25 | STUN | Enthusiasts pulled up in shock (4) |
| NUTS (enthusiasts) reversed (pulled up) | ||
definitions are underlined
I write these posts to help people get started with cryptic crosswords. If there is something here you do not understand ask a question; there are probably others wondering the same thing.
Exactly what you said PeeDee. Every clue is perfect, concise and accessible. I looked up Falcon as a setter and see he set the Everyman puzzles for years – would that be would return to doing so. Thanks to him and you.
Nice, enjoyable, straightforward – definitely one for beginners to have a go but a nice solve whatever your level of experience
Thanks to Falcon and PeeDee
What I enjoy about Falcon is the smooth surfaces, of which every word is part of the solution. Thanks Falcon, thanks PeeDee
Thanks to PeeDee and Falcon
Lovely, the cluing seems effortless which means of course that it isn’t.
8d slightly wrong fodder
Thanks Falcon and PeeDee
Down to the last three from April and as stated above, not overly difficult but very entertaining. Stretched out across a good part of the day as I could only get three 5 minute windows in what was a pretty busy day to get to it.
The gimme PACE was first in and finished with the ‘John Lennon’ AIRPORT and the related CAROUSEL as the last couple in.