Merry Christmas to our solvers or depending on the time of day, well past merry by now. It may be Christmas day but we do have a new crossword on line.
A Filbert thematic puzzle with many clues and some answers being Christmas thematic in some way, thanks Filbert. Don’t know quite how many replies we’ll get today, not many I suspect.
DRAM – a tot of drink & AT 1 – an hour after midnight & start of C(hristmas). I’m not utterly convinced how I’ve parsed this one
IMP – devil & A-LA – like, similar to
N(umber) inside MIXES – medleys
DELI – sandwich shop possibly inside – fed by – SINE – trigonometrical function
COMET – one of Santa’s reindeer & a nuts [HANG OUT]*
Spoonerism of SPELL – incantation WOKEN – revived
SEE – get, understand & D – old penny, that is, the middle of (pud)D(ing)
Sounds like Oliver’s MORE
UMBER – shade of brown & ROO – Aussie jumper – all in L(arge) & M(edium)
Well Liverpool as opposed to Everton fans might be – an upset [IN RED VILLA UP]*. Very nice Filbert
PAST – before now & ORAL a test
Hamlet is a brand of CIGAR & end of thaT all reversed, reflected and another all in one referring to the play
A dodgy [DO DEAL]*
W(omen) inside SEATING, pews perhaps
Albrecht Durer never saw a rhinoceros just was told about them – this might make [RICHER SOON]*
James Clerk MAXWELL did magnetic work in the 1860s. M(aiden) & A & X – kiss & WELL – skillfully
ESC(ape) key clothed by TO
COS, (lettuce) leaves & a SACK for pressies
IN – popular & GEN(eral) in DICE
Starts of Add Tone inside PILES – loads
N(orway) in LOG – a felled tree trunk possibly
DEC(ember) – time for Christmas & ORATION – speech
PAL – friend & AVE – greeting & alternate letters of fRiEnDs
R(ex) – king & ELATED
BLARE* out in M&S
A shot [ALERT IN]* Reliant, a now defunction car maker, made the (intentionally!) three wheeled car the Robin
A topless (a)UNTIE
Hidden – secured by hitcH A LOop
Well, you ought to get at least one comment, if only to wish both setter and blogger a Happy Christmas – though I’m sure I wished Filbert all the best only yesterday!
Not that I’m complaining; a lovely way to get the day started whilst my sons fight over how to prepare breakfast for their parents! (One could understand that when they were 7 and 10 but they’re both in their 20’s now!)
As always, a brilliant set of assemblies with a nice gentle Christmassy theme to top it off. Faves inc COME TO NAUGHT, LIVERPUDLIAN, TRAGIC, COSSACK, LONG and UNTIE. Not that you are losing sleep over it I’m sure, flash, but I parsed DRAMATIC as did you.
Thanks Filbert and flashling
Happy Christmas to all!
Thanks, Flibert for the lovely puzzle and flashling for the neat blog!
Liked DRAMATIC, LIVERPUDLIAN and COSSACK.
DRAMATIC
Parsed it as flashling and PM did.
Merry Xmas!
Thanks Filbert for the grid, and flashling for being on blogging duty today.
Very enjoyable. Thanks both!
Filbert two days running is a Christmas gift in itself.
Loved both puzzles.
Very best wishes to all
gsolphotog #5, my thoughts exactly
I’m pretty sure I’ve not scheduled setters on successive days before, but I thought these two fitted the bill nicely, with Mr Dickens (Grecian) to follow on Boxing Day
A belated Merry Christmas to all