Methuselah provides our Tuesday challenge this week.
We found this much trickier than we expected. It took us a while to get onto Methuselah’s wavelength, and to sort out some of the crafty definitions, but we got there in the end.
As it is Tuesday, we then started to see if we could unearth a theme. After gazing at the completed grid for some time we realised that it is a pangram missing X, Y and Z – the co-ordinates in three-dimensional GEOMETRIES – which just happens to appear at 3d. Is there more?
It was interesting to note that we had Methuselah in yesterday’s Quince puzzle and we now have Quince in today’s puzzle. A sense of Déjà vu, especially as we have WOODCHUCK at 22ac!
A reversal (‘returning’) of EG (perhaps) GALS (young ladies) + D (diamonds)
Double definition
RAT (‘treacherous type’) In On (alternate letters or ‘regularly wanting’)
ABS (sailors – able-bodied seamen) TIN (can) E (middle or ‘essential’ letter of get) N (any number) T (first letter or ‘a little’ of tipsy)
MA’S (old lady’s) TEaRFUL (emotional) missing the ‘a’ (ace)
FEE (cost) round or ‘covering’ T (last letter or ‘base’ of font)
An anagram (‘in a puzzle’) of ENTER DEJA VU
GINGER (one of Posh’s bandmates in the Spice Girls) + a homophone (‘reportedly’) of BRED (produced)
TA (‘you shouldn’t have’) round or ‘bedecking’ Off-the-peG (first and last letters or ‘outsiders’)
D (day) in WOO (attempt to endear) CHUCK (cast)
An anagram (‘nouveau’) of RIOT AT ART
GO (move) after or with TAN (beat)
DISH (attractive person) round or ‘penning’ TIC (little quirk) – we had to check this – it’s two lines or verses, so one third of a sestet (the last six lines in a sonnet)
A reversal (‘turned’) of DrencheD AwningS with the middle letters missing or ‘on vacation’ + E (European) ST (street)
ShRIMP (seafood) with the ‘h’ (hot) replaced by C (cold)
AT (taking part in) TEST (dry run)
GE (first and last letters or ‘extremes’ of grave) O (old) ME (writer) TRIES (cracks)
Hidden (‘some’) and reversed (‘served up’) in halF-RAW Dinners
CE (church) ST (saint) LAV (privy) IE (‘to wit’ – that is)
I (today’s crossword setter) BID (offers)
SENT (dispatched) in PRE (advance) S (south – one of the poles)
RET (retired) + an anagram (‘about’) of pADRES missing the first letter or ‘head’
U (uniform in the phonetic alphabet) + an anagram (‘ground’) of DENUDEs missing the last letter or ‘shortly’ round or ‘home to’ CAT (kitty)
The financial turnover at Apple could be said to ‘feed’ Steve JOBS’ WORTH
IT in or ‘cracking’ AGATE (gemstone) + D (last or ‘final’ letter of burnished)
A NAGS (horse’s) round or ‘boxing’ RAM (farmyard animal)
QUIChE (tart) round or ‘containing’ N (first letter or ‘trace’ of nuts) and missing ‘h’ (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of Methuselah)
E K E (last letters or ‘bits’ of useable stock made) + OUT (available)
An anagram (‘baked’) of LOAVeS missing or ‘scrapping the ‘e’ (first letter or ‘starter’ of Easter)
Hidden in perpETUIty
Stunning – and every clue in Methuselah’s puzzle today contains a word or phrase from Quince’s grid yesterday. An incredible Groundhog Day theme! How would they have planned this? Thanks to the setters and bloggers – hats off to all.
Thanks Universal*Rundle – well spotted!
Hats off to Quince and Methuselah.
There was also a hint at 6d which we now realise should have prompted us to look further.