This was the bumper Guardian Christmas crossword by Maskarade, with a theme of place names around Great Britain. We thought this was a good theme, and an impressive grid fill – it was nice to have every answer being thematic, while still having a high proportion of checked letters. It was also a nice touch to add a helpful geographic definition for the more obscure clues. Thanks, Maskarade!
I think that for a crossword like this, unless you’re a UK place names savant, you’d need to extensively use an atlas or Google to check that the more obscure answers you’ve inferred from the cryptic indicator actually exist. I don’t feel that detracted from the enjoyment of this puzzle, however – it was a good one to do as a bit of a family project.
There’s the odd point here where I felt some part of the clue could have been improved (e.g. a couple of non-standard abbreviations) but basically these were very good clues, and fair to the solver.
For the record, the rubric read:
Special instructions: All solutions are locations or geographical features around Great Britain. 32 of the clues include a geographical or factual reference to their solutions, usually the least well-known ones. All the other clues are purely cryptic.
Across
1. Barn doors regularly reflected off 60 (4)
RONA
Alternate letters of [b]A[r]N [d]O[o]R[s] reversed
Definition: “off [SKYE]”
3. Ain’t professional on the Queen of the Hebrides (5)
ISLAY
If someone “ain’t (isn’t) professional” then perhaps they “is lay” (as in a “lay preacher”)
Definition: “the Queen of the Hebrides”. (Minor nitpick: I think the “on” doesn’t work here – it’s not a good link word and you wouldn’t say an island is on itself.)
6. Suggested residences for Aussie cricketing brothers (6,6)
HOLMES CHAPEL
Suggests / sounds like homes for the Chappell brothers, Greg, Ian and Trevor
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
14. Parted from praetorian guard wandering on Coll (9)
ARINAGOUR
(ORIAN GUAR)* – the anagram fodder is PRAETORIAN GUARD without PARTED
Definition: “on Coll”
15. Poor Neanderthal man lost tanner near Watford (8)
ALDENHAM
(DEHAL MAN)* – the anagram fodder is NEANDERTHAL MAN without TANNER
Definition: “near Watford”
16. Popular grammar school close to Lake Windermere (4)
INGS
IN = “popular” + GS = “grammar school”
Definition: “close to Lake Windermere”
18. Is obliged to admit scam (8)
HASTINGS
HAS = “Is obliged” around STING = “scam”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
19. A lad from Tyneside found on the River Dee (6)
ABOYNE
A BOY = “A lad” + NE = “from Tyneside”
Definition: “found on the river Dee”
20. Damage by those attending the game (7)
MARGATE
MAR = “Damage” + GATE = “those attending the game” (the attendance at a football match is often referred to as “the gate”)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
22. Dung beetle turns tail on isle near 3 (6)
SCARBA
SCARAB = “Dung beetle” with the “tail turned” (i.e. the last two letters swapped)
Definition: “near [ISLAY]”
24. Fish for salmon around borders of Cheshire (9)
LEICESTER
LEISTER = “Fish for salmon” (Chambers defines “leister” as “A salmon spear” or “To spear with a leister”, so the latter applies here) around C[heshir]E = “borders of Cheshire”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
26. Dutch graphic artist caught out (5)
ESHER
ESCHER (M. C. Escher) is the Dutch graphic artist, and “caught out” means removing the C (“caught” in cricket scoring abbreviations)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
28. Dad by inlet on stamp-issuing isle off 60 (5)
PABAY
PA = “Dad” by BAY = “inlet”
Definition: “stamp-issuing isle off [SKYE]”
30. A student of Schoenberg with parts of elegy (8)
ABERGELE
A + BERG = “student of Schoenberg” + ELE[gy] = “parts of elegy”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
31. Composer was first to leave the Towers? (5)
ALTON
WALTON = “Composer” without W (W[as] = “was first” “to leave”)
Definition: “the Towers?” referring to the nearby Alton Towers theme park
36. Partnership with Aussie jumpers is suggested (2,7)
ST ANDREWS
Sounds like “saint and roos”, which might be a partnership (“roos” being kagaroos, or “Aussie jumpers”)Update: Quirister points out that a “stand” in cricket is a partnerships, so STAND + sounds-like-“roos” is a better parsing.
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
37. Help rejected in hostel by men near Goss Moor (6,6)
INDIAN QUEENS
AID reversed = “Help rejected” in INN = “hostel”, followed by QUEENS = “men” (“men” meaning chess pieces)
Definition: “near Goss Moor”
39. A recording and a new review by Helensburgh (12)
CRAIGENDORAN
(A RECORDING A N)* – “review” is the anagram indicator – the N in the anagram fodder is from “new”
Definition: “by Helensburgh”
40. Endless bad weather? Not at all (9)
STORNOWAY
STOR[m] = “Endless bad weather” followed by NO WAY = “Not at all”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
42. John Lennon keeps moving (5)
SPEKE
(KEEPS)*
Definition: “John Lennon” – a rather loose / allusory definition, referring to Speke being where Liverpool John Lennon Airport is
45. Enemy fleet the Spanish rebuffed on 60 (8)
ARMADALE
ARMADA = “Enemy fleet” + EL = “the Spanish” reversed
Definition: “on [SKYE]”
46. Some Like It Hot (5)
KEITH
Brilliant clue for fans of the Billy Wilder film: hidden in “[li]KE IT H[ot]” – the hidden indicator is “Some”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
50. Even innards of basset hound are required! (5)
ASTON
Nice if slightly alarming surface reading! Alternate letters (“Even innards”) in “[b]A[s]S[e]T [h]O[u]N[d]”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
51. Birds don’t start fighting around edges of the lake (9)
ULLSWATER
[g]ULLS = “Birds don’t start” followed by WAR = “fighting” around “T[he lak]E” (“edges of the lake”)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
52. All right in annexe? (6)
WOKING
OK = “All right” in WING = “annexe” (as in a wing of a house)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
56. Evergreen tree put back in lawn (7)
TURRIFF
FIR = “Evergreen tree” reversed in TURF = “lawn”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
57. Cannot be reviewed backwards in east Suffolk (6)
NACTON
CAN NOT “reviewed backwards” might be NAC TON, if you take each part and reverse it. For me, this clue doesn’t quite work – “be” in the cryptic reading is awkward and there’s nothing that suggests to me the reversing each part. (I spent a long time trying to think of things that might mean “cannot be reviewed” to reverse.)
Definition: “in east Suffolk”
59. Plant has somehow to subsume electricity (5,3)
IRISH SEA
IRIS = “Plant” + (HAS)* (“has somehow”) around E = “electricity” (I can’t remember coming across E being clued by electricity before – it’s not in Chambers, and I don’t know of it being used (perhaps outside electric company name acronyms?)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
61. Note one’s missing in Buckinghamshire (4)
IVER
[f]IVER = “Note” with “one [letter]” missing
Definition: “in Buckinghamshire”
62. Oven — round oven (8)
KILLEARN
KILN = “Oven” around LEAR = “Oven” (“A glass annealing oven” (Chambers))
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
63. King replaces lord in calligraphy? (9)
KETTERING
LETTERING = “calligraphy” but with K = “king” instead of L = “lord” (not sure about this abbreviation either)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
64. Background with hot milk containers in front (12)
HUDDERSFIELD
H = “hot” + UDDERS = “milk containers” in front of FIELD = “Background”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
65. Meal cut short by sound of loud bark (5)
TEBAY
TE[a] = “Meal cut short” + BAY = “sound of loud bark”
Definition: [omitted – thematic] – Tebay is notable for us as being the home of our favourite motorway service station!
66. Playwright has revised first of works in Greater Manchester (4)
SHAW
There are two subsidiary indicators here: “Playwright”, referring to George Bernard Shaw, and (HAS)* + W[orks] = “first of works”
Definition: “in Greater Manchester”
Down
1. The rocky ridge near Leek, thoroughfare almost on small adjacent county (7)
ROACHES
ROA[d] = “thoroughfare almost” + CHES = “small adjacent county” (the standard abbreviation for Cheshire)
Definition: “The rocky ridge near Leek”
2. Catch half of winter, say (7)
NAILSEA
NAIL = “Catch” + SEA[son] = “half of winter, say”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
4. Leading seaman on Irish waters (6)
SLOUGH
S[eaman] = “Leading seaman” + LOUGH = “Irish waters” (Lough is an Irish lake, like Loch in Scotland)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
5. Flower that is 50% wisteria on reflection (4)
AIRE
[wist]ERIA reversed
Definition: “Flower” (a river)
7. A body decomposed near 24 (5)
OADBY
(A BODY)*
Definition: “near [LEICESTER]”
8. Chaps suggested force to a unique Scottish lake (8)
MENTEITH
MEN = “Chaps” + TEITH sounds like (“suggested”) “teeth” or “force”
Definition: “a unique Scottish lake” – I think the “unique” part here is explained by the Wikipedia article: “The Lake of Menteith is often thought of as the only body of water in Scotland that is referred to as a lake. Actually, there are others, some of which are artificial bodies: […] Nearly all other major bodies of water in Scotland are known as lochs.”
9. New tam o’shanter, but no hat! (8)
STANMORE
(M O SANTER)* – the anagram fodder is TAM O’SHANTER after removing HAT
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
10. Knight held by virile writer first found near Betws-y-Coed (9)
PENMACHNO
N = “Knight” (in chess notation) in MACHO = “virile” with PEN = “writer” first
Definition: “near Betws-y-Coed”
11. Derived from Israel and Denmark (8)
LISKEARD
(ISRAEL DK)*
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
12. Any basic change in hamlet near John o’Groats (8)
CANISBAY
(ANY BASIC)*
Definition: “near John o’Groats”
13. Clubs at town in Borsetshire (9)
CAMBRIDGE
C = “Clubs” + AMBRIDGE = “town in Borsetshire” – the fictional town and county in The Archers
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
17. One river? Good gracious! (6)
IRWELL
I = “One” + R = “river” + WELL = “Good gracious!”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
21. Artificial fishing flies recently stolen (9)
ALDERSHOT
ALDERS = “Artificial fishing flies” (that definition is in Chambers) + HOT = “recently stolen”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
23. It’s about time rich teas are distributed in the Fens (9)
CHATTERIS
(RICH TEAS)* around T = “time”
Definition: “in the Fens”
25. Obvious home of genial comic! (6)
EALING
(GENIAL)* – “comic” is the anagram indicator
Definition: the whole clue, really: EALING is the home of the Ealing Comedies
27. Graduate with sign about sailors near Edinburgh (7)
BALERNO
BA = “Graduate” + LEO = “sign” around RN (Royal Navy) = “sailors”
Definition: “near Edinburgh”
29. Cooked sardine by Morecambe Bay (7)
ARNSIDE
(SARDINE)*
Definition: “by Morecambe Bay”
32. No great shakes on east Cornish hamlet (7)
TREMORE
TREMOR = “No great shakes” + E = “east”
Definition: “Cornish hamlet”
33. Relative’s face gets beat in rhyme near Loughborough (9)
NANPANTAN
NAN = “Relative” + PAN = “face” (slang, in Chambers) + TAN = “beat” – the “in rhyme”, I think, indicates that all three of those syllables rhyme
Definition: “near Loughborough”
34. Comedian Vine’s with Kasparov on the Isle of Lewis (9)
TIMSGARRY
TIM’S = “Comedian Vine’s” (referring to Tim Vine) + GARRY = “Kasparov”
Definition: “on the Isle of Lewis”
35. Cockney highwayman’s demand (7)
ANDOVER
A Cockney highwayman might demand that you “‘and over” your valuables
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
38. Be in conflict; have an argument (6)
JARROW
JAR = “Be in conflict” + ROW = “have an argument”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
41. Actress Goldie’s embracing god at the football ground (9)
HAWTHORNS
HAWN’S = “Actress Goldie’s” around THOR = “god”
Definition: “the football ground” – The Hawthorns is the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.
43. Frame of picture with a three-D representation (9)
PETERHEAD
P[ictur]E = “Frame of picture” with (A THREE D)* – the anagram indicator is “representation”, which might be best thought of as “re-presentation”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
44. Scots know small diagram of village near Bridgend (6)
KENFIG
KEN = “Scots know” + FIG = “small diagram” (an abbreviation of “figure”)
Definition: “near Bridgend”
46. Half of the sledge with awfully wonky exterior (8)
KNOWSLEY
SLE[dge] = “Half of the sledge” in (WONKY)*
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
47. Grandma with new canine indoors (8)
NANTWICH
NAN = “Grandma” + (WITH)* (the anagrind is “new”) around C = “Canine” – a dentist’s abbreviation, in Chambers
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
48. Mudd turns up dropping last chips (8)
DUMFRIES
MUD[d] reversed = “Mudd turns up dropping last” + FRIES = “chips”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
49. Left narrow road, having flipped over badly (8)
LLANELLI
L = “Left” + LANE = “narrow road” + ILL = “badly” reversed
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
53. One takes power — by using this, reportedly? (7)
IPSWICH
I = “One” + P = “power” + SWICH sounds like “switch” (“by using this, reportedly?” – a switch would turn on or off power to a device)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
54. Like end of evening bathed in light (7)
GLASGOW
AS = “Like” + [evenin]G = “end of evening” in GLOW = “bathed in light”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
55. Back worker to get some work (6)
GRETNA
ANT = “worker” + ERG = “some work” all reversed (“Back”)
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
58. Cream’s first track in the East Neuk of Fife (5)
CRAIL
C[ream] = “Cream’s first” + RAIL = “track”
Definition: “in the East Neuk of Fife”
60. Channel broadcasting cricket to Spain (4)
SKYE
SKY = “Channel broadcasting cricket” + E = “Spain”
Definition: [omitted – thematic]
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but it was still a bit of a slog, especially where the wordplay for the beginning of the name wasn’t clear: I did a lot of just going through very long lists letter by letter. I’m not a UK solver, though, so I’m guessing it was a lot easier for people who might know more of the names than I do.
In 36a, I think the first part might be STAND = partnership in cricket, for example a last-wicket stand. Then a homophone of ROOS, as you say.
I didn’t get to the end of this; I chipped away at it for a while, and managed to deduce a lot of unfamiliar place-names from the wordplays, but then decided I didn’t feel like trawling through an atlas just for the sake of it. Still enjoyed it, though. Thanks Maskarade and mhl.
Very well-constructed and entertaining puzzle. Also a great geography lesson … didn’t know many of these places even when I lived there, but all were exactly defined by the clues, and then confirmed on maps. This was my puzzle highlight of the holiday period.
When I sent this in, I was unsure of 32d – I knew it couldn’t be anything else, but struggled to parse it – I kept trying to find an anagram somewhere (“…shakes…”) but couldn’t make it work – now I see it – D’OH!
Thanks to Maskarade for a terrific workout and to mhl for the blog
I was hoping for something more interesting and my wish was granted. I love geography and can spend hours looking at my atlas. So this puzzle was right up my street.
It wasn’t so much difficult as demanding in terms of time and effort. I haven’t got an encyclopaedic memory of all the places and features in the British isles, (who has?), so found myself sitting in front of the maps of Mr Google checking anagrams and the existance of possible places.
And yes, the puzzle did tend to rely a little too heavily on anagrams, though there were a number of clues I liked: Hastings, Stornoway, Ullswater, Huddersfield, Cambridge (bringing in the fictional Ambridge, here, nice!), Glasgow – all deserve a mention.
Trevor, leister, lear all new meanings to me, and not quite happy with parsing for Ulverston.
Not the sort of puzzle we need to see very often. But as a one-off at Christmas – great!
Thanks to Maskarade and to mhl.
I am afraid I did not find this as enjoyable as most holiday specials. I completed it in a couple of days, but it was a slog through the online atlas and became a geographical knowledge test rather than a cryptic puzzle. Also too many of the clues were anagrams or dropped letters. At 32d, I entered Tregona, an anagram of ‘no great’, which fits the grid, but I agree Tremore works better.
I agree with Quirister@2 about STAND in 36a, and with the comment about trawling through the atlas.
I found this a lot of fun, although it took quite a while to work through it all. After a first pass where I got nothing until 46 across (KEITH, appropriately, and a very nice clue, as you say, mhl), I realised I wasn’t going to be able to solve this like most crosswords, where you look at the wordplay in conjunction with a vocabulary that you expect to have most of the answers, and the combination will get you there, with luck. I don’t have all the British place names in my vocabulary (in the end, out of the 68 answers, I think I’ve been to six, and there were 32 I don’t believe I’d ever heard of before.)
So I treated it as a sort of treasure hunt, leading me through Great Britain virtually, first with an atlas and then with Google maps. And I enjoyed it, wandering around the Scottish islands and other distant places, and I learned things I’d not known before. I ended up reading most of the Wikipedia article on Helensburgh in order to spot CRAIGENDORAN. I couldn’t parse IVER or NANTWICH, but they had to be right – and obvious in retrospect.
As I went, I got the impression the distribution of places was a bit uneven, but having amused myself by plotting them using Google World, I’m not sure it actually shows anything interesting. Still, having done it, it’s here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1mtlsd71j9pgn1r/UKPlaces.jpeg?dl=0
Thanks Maskarade for an impressive and well-clued grid, and thanks for that comprehensive blog, mhl.
Thanks Maskarade and mhl
The grid-fill was a tour de force, but it was a chore, rather than fun, to solve. Maps and Google were essential. It took a reasonable time, but only because it was so big; many of the clues were really easy. Overall a disappointing holiday special.
Mainly trivial clues to unknowable answers. Another holiday spoiled by the bizarre employment of this setter to produce a humourless slog rather than giving some of the great regular setters a chance (not you Paul!)
Thanks Maskarade.
I found this surprisingly easy for a holiday special, though a few of the more obscure ones took a bit of digging out. TREMORE was last in but once found it was obviously right. I probably knew at least three quarters of the places.
Thanks to Maskarade and mhl
Hurrah! At last a Maskarade we were able to complete, even if impossible without the Web.
As mhl says, it helped having geographic definitions for the more obscure clues.
Thanks m & m
There was fun to be had here, but finishing it was a bit of a slog. I just don’t think it is possible to clue so many obscure words completely and as the answer to many will not be in our vocabulary bank, there was a significant amount of time with Google maps. At first that was fun (because I am the sort of person who loves studying maps) but in the end it was a bit of a chore. Still, congrats to Maskarade for managing to set this with 100% thematic words, and, mhl, that’s one heck of a blog experience!
Two things to add:
1. Absolutely what TheZed says
2. The only place I couldn’t find or parse was IVER although it had to be that.
pedro @13 re your point 2, being, literally “of that parish”, this is a prime example of one person’s general knowledge being a total obscurity to another!
IVER was my last one too. I couldn’t find it on a map, for some reason, but Google gave me an alphabetical list of places in Buckinghamshire, in which I found it. I thought it was one of the weaker clues – “one missing” to mean “take off F” is rather loose.
KeithS@7 – thanks for the distribution map. Whilst solving, I was convinced places in Scotland dominated, but they clearly don’t. The parsing of the first part of 36A bypassed me and not surprised now that I see it’s yet another cricketing term. Many places I didn’t know but was happy researching them. Congratulations Maskarade on devising this and many thanks mhl for the extended work needed for this.
Really enjoyed this. One of my favourite Maskarade puzzles.
Really impressive. I imagine getting ALL the answers to fit the theme is twice as much work as getting 90% of them to fit.
Thanks mhl and Maskerade.
Generally I liked this: with an oversized grid, if the clues aren’t fairly easy it would take me forever to finish. I did think some of the “definitions” were too obvious – e.g. for 39a you just had to look at Helensburgh on Google maps and find likely-looking places nearby. (Though I don’t think SCARBA is particularly near ISLAY, as the whole length of Jura is between them.)
A dnf, though, as I had ELLAND for EALING (having decided there must be some way that EL was a comic). I also had BARROW for JARROW, which I think is almost as valid an answer, though I suppose strictly speaking it’s Barrow-in-Furness.
KeithS@7, Larry@16 – I too thought there were a lot of Scottish places. KeithS’s map shows the distribution to be fairly random by area; but as well over a third of the places are indeed in Scotland, and Scotland has relatively few cities and towns because of the sparse population, there does seem to be a bit of Scottish bias. Perhaps Maskerade is a Scot?
Even after all my years of charioteering, I discovered new place names solving Maskarade’s tour de force.
My thanks to him and to mhl.
Also thanks to KeithS @7 for the map!
We loved this. A real Christmas holiday family project. Made a bit easier since we’d had several family holidays in the Western Isles.
We also plotted a map and concluded that Maskerade was probably from the South East but enjoyed holidays in Scotland and Cornwall (Scottish places are mainly in the less inhabited parts). But a bit of research suggests he’s from the West Midlands, so he has been commendably non-parochial in his choice of locations.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
While we were completing this we said that a lot of people would moan about having to use maps to find the answers, but we looked upon it as a sort of cryptic quiz, and really enjoyed it. We have always struggled with Maskarade in the past and felt very frustrated by the endless alphabetical crosswords, and we were pleased to assume that the editor had listened to us and many others.
More of the same please for the Easter crossword.
Thanks
I don’t normally enjoy puzzles that I can’t solve without aids but this was an exception. I seem to remember saying something similar about Maskarade’s last offering.
The word play was mostly clear enough and there were plenty of crossers so, for most of the 20+ places of which I had never heard I was able to Google search to confirm my answer. This had the disadvantage that when I checked a wrong answer for 6a it suggested the correct one thus giving me 5 down starters – which was a pity. There were 3 or 4 at the end for which I had to resort to Google maps, which on another day I would think of as cheating. Even then I had at least made a start, getting the KEN part of KENFIG and INDIAN at 37a.
I parsed 36a in the same way as Quirister @ 2. I can’t see how “saint” is clued if mhl is right.
Thanks to Maskarade and mhl.
The usual wretched effort from Maskarade, designed to demonstrate how clever the setter is rather than to interest the solver. Anything that can be solved solely by using Google Maps is pretty much a waste of time. Why are we subjected to these ego-trips (often with mistakes, to boot) every time there’s a bank holiday. It’s time to give Maskarade a holiday. A long one.
The comments show that one person’s treat is another’s desperate disappointment. We started out feeling this crossword was a dull slog, but got hooked even so. It was more like a general knowledge crossword and we spent quite a bit of time checking (or finding) answers on google maps, but in the end quite enjoyed it as an occasional variation to the norm. Thanks mhl for a marathon blog and to Maskarade.
Sandman@25
For me the challenge was to see how much I could solve without Google maps and I found the challenge enjoyable.
Well after this I’m going to have to get new unthumbed copies of Google Maps and Wikipedia! Actually, although it appeared daunting at first, I finished on the Saturday afternoon and was a little disappointed it was over. At least the instructions made sense this time. I did like the trick in 4d where the temptingly GB geographic description was part of the wordplay, not the definition – well Masked!
I agree that the gridfill is impressive, but I found the solving experience tedious. I don’t think that the clues were generally good. Most were either trivial or dodgily written (e.g. for HOLMES CHAPEL, NACTON, ABERGELE) leading to extensive trawls of Google maps to try to locate a possible place. I got all but 4 of the answers, then just ran out of energy, so a DNF for me.
A couple of parsing suggestions. For ULLSWATER, I think there is a definition (lake) and the TE comes from “edges of ThE”. For SPEKE, I think the definition is fine, as John Lennon airport was once called SPEKE airport, so the connection is more solid than suggested.
Bravo on completing the blog, mhl. Thanks, Maskarade, but not my cup of tea, I’m afraid.
Regarding the preponderance of obscure Scottish names, it may just have to do with the letter formations in those words and nothing else. I remember in college in a course on the statistical theory of information, when entropy was being discussed, it was mentioned that the English language is suitable for 2-D crosswords but wouldn’t work for 3. Maybe for large grids it gets more difficult and so some more unusual permutations help things out.
Another one on the not liking this puzzle at all side, although we seem to be in the minority. Obviously an impressive gridfill, but a boring slog to solve – and I’d had enough after ploughing about halfway through.
Blast. Friday, and I wanted to remember to reply first. Really enjoyed this, knew it would divide and rue. Yes completed, so rare, but the sheer joy of the place names esp Scottish ones (Arinagour Canisbay, Timsgarry, Menteith) was such a thrill, sheer celebration of the wealth of images in our place names let alone a thinly veiled device for Scottish independence. I’d initially hoped the grid would represent a loose formation of the UK with all those North East corner Scots names but Glasgow in the south east rather scotched (hmm) that. Possibly a further underpinning of independence,
with Scottish names cropping up all over the grid. My biggest joy was finding Arnside and Stanmore. I confess to being a Scrabbler first and foremost so seeing SARDINE and M O SANTER knowing the obvious anagrams was a nice challenge. I’m surprised these columns have little mention of Scrabble’s insane word knowledge with hardly any need to know the meaning. Terrific puzzle. Thanks mhi and master(class)ade.
Really enjoyed this geography crossword. One quibble is that the rubric says “geographic features” but so many were town or suburb names. Would have liked some of variety like The Minch or Scafell Pike or Norfolk.
Phitonelly mentions SPEKE — I thought this clue was pure genius — within the constraints of the theme with undefined solutions this actually is like an &lit (if I understand that concept correctly), since John Lennon (as a synecdoche for the airport) keeps Speke moving.
My LOI was Killearn, never having heard that Lear (or lehr or leer) could be an oven. Saying that I wrote in PAPAY for one of the answer (an island I knew) rather than PABAY so no prize for me !
Many thanks to Maskarade for a geographical tour de force and to mhl for explaining it all so well.
And to all the learned contributors on here, even those who were manifest in their dislike of the puzzle. Here’s wishing you all much happy solving and completed grids in 2020.
I really enjoyed this, and it was especially nice to be able to do a holiday special online.
Thanks Maskarade and mhl
I persevered with this one, as I thought the concept of filling a large grid with UK place names was a major feat. Some of it was a slog, and some of it was enjoyable. It certainly took into the second day.
re 61 & “one’s missing”, i took “one” to mean the first letter, so it may not be as loose as some have suggested.
For me this became more of a research project than a crossword. At first sight I thought nonresidents would be at a disadvantage but I doubt that a good number of the answers would have been any more familiar to residents than they are to outsiders so I don’t think it was unfair. I’m unashamed to acknowledge that I would never have got there without Google for confirmation and, probably more importantly, a good UK road atlas. I did enjoy my vicarious visits to new and interesting places though and was glad to add to my education accordingly.
Filled in the first clue, thought “Oh, that’s how its going to be, is it?”, and went off to do a different crossword. (Hint, plenty of Aruacaria in the archives). Looking up anagrams of obscure places on openstreetmap isn’t my idea of fun.
Sofa-snug at the parental home in Sheffield, armed with the big spiral-bound atlas out of the car (and my phone, obviously), I luxuriated in this puzzle for just over 3 hours. Big fan. What an astonishing grid-fill.
Another fan here – thanks to setter and blogger too.
Some well-known organisation must have been based in “Iver, Bucks” when I was much younger, as it came to mind immediately.
Not only did I solve this one, I also made a map of the solutions!
https://b-rowlingson.gitlab.io/guardianxword/#5/54.456/2.616
Click the point for the clue. You may have to zoom in to see some of the points and the underlying location on the base map. I’ve marked the river at its source.
Excellent grid-fill and really impressive blogging. Many Thanks Maskerade and mhl.
You must have both spent some good amount of time on each of your tasks!
I found this enjoyable and think I would have done so even more if I had the chance to tackle it as mhl did i.e. as a joint venture with other family and friends as the clues, although fair, did have a level of obscurity. I need to work on getting my family more into crosswords.
Bodge @ 37
I hope the different crossword you went off to tackle was not Christmas special in the FT – Maskerade under his alter ego of Gozo, this time trying to get as many obscure carols (which were described as ‘well-known’) into a crossword grid. Both were (generally) impeccably clued and were impressive pieces of grid-filling but did anyone ever use the term ‘grid-filling’ to describe an Araucaria puzzles?
It is not as if the Guardian is short of setters – i would like to see what mischief Arachne could get up to, given a larger, or even a double grid – and there are half a dozen other setters who could do much the same
BarryR@40. Thank you for the map. With so many Hebridean names coming up in the NE quadrant (which I tackled first) I wondered if Maskerade was making a grid of the map itself. Not so, but still a wonderful exercise in buried knowledge and nostalgia for this expat of almost half a century. It was as good as driving again down country lanes!
All those teenage years spent poring over maps and railway timetables (instead of engaging in more interesting activities) have finally paid off! I am that UK place-name savant mentioned by mhl. Sad to admit, only 2 of the places (32 and 33down) were unfamiliar to me, so it was over within a day. Still a struggle to parse everything, but I was left feeling a bit short-changed against my expectation of the usual heroic struggle that the seasonal puzzles involve.
But no complaints, and it will no doubt be back to normal for the next one. As always, Maskarade’s ingenuity is a wonder to behold. Thanks to him and mhl.
I really enjoyed this. Thanks to Maskarade and mhl.
Thrown by 32.I read it as anagram(shakes) of No Great gives you Tregona.
Stopped me from seeing Keith.
Only just noticed this blog. I did start this but laid it down and meant to come back to it- but I never did. It struck me that the puzzle was going to be more of a chore than a pleasure- and who needs chores?
Thanks but no thanks Maskarade.
This was a huge disappointment. I’ve sometimes returned again and again to the Christmas puzzle right through the holidays and even then not finished it. Yet this I polished off over a couple of evenings and found little enjoyment or challenge in it. Put simply, half the challenge of a cryptic clue is figuring out which part of it is the definition – the geographical element removed that. And searching a map of a tiny Hebridean island for a nine-letter place name is not solving a cryptic clue.