John

Born 1946. Since retiring (maths teacher) have spent an increasing amount of time on crosswords, something that was impossible before – am not in the sub-ten minutes league and probably never will be. Do The Times every day (more often than not in over half an hour), also an assortment of other puzzles. Have been doing Azed monthly for some years and entering his clue-setting competitions, occasionally with some success (I even won once, have had 36 VHCs and 138 HCs — yes, I keep a record, sad isn't it) but not enough for my liking. I've set a few crosswords: five in Oxford Today, a few on Derek Harrison's website, and five in The Independent, under the name Vernon. Also play a lot of chess and golf, although as I age I'm getting weaker at both.

Everyman 4,028

Sun January 7, 2024 at 11:53 amSun January 7, 2024 at 12:59 am by John

The standard of these clues seems to me to be pretty high nowadays. Where I take issue with Everyman is in his use of question marks: he doesn’t always use them when he should, and he sometimes uses them pointlessly. There are several clues where the answer is a complete anagram of words in the clue. Very clever, but is the device overused? 3dn and 12dn are I think the pair, in that one begins with ‘Old’ and the other with ‘New’. 1dn is the self-referential clue and 22dn is the first letters clue.

Definitions underlined in crimson. Indicators (hidden, homophone, anagram, reversal etc.) in italics. Anagrams shown (like this)* or *(like this) [yes you’re right of course, Tony Collman@27]. Link-words in green.

Azed No. 2,685 Plain- Competition Puzzle

Sun December 10, 2023 at 12:50 am by John

I was relieved that this was just a ‘plain’ Azed crossword, because his specials often take ages. In the event it was one of his easier ones I thought. All made sense and I felt as if everything was parsed OK. You may have different opinions. It seemed there were quite a lot of anagrams: I counted ten clues in which there were whole or part anagrams. Some of the definitions are a bit dense, but will be there in Chambers.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Anagram indicators shown like (this)* or *(this).

Everyman 4,024

Sun December 10, 2023 at 12:08 pmSun December 10, 2023 at 12:12 am by John

As always seems to be the case this is well-constructed and there are no criticisms really. The usual things are there — the first letters clue, the rhyming pair, the self-reference. My moan at 6dn about the fact that it’s a CD is a voice crying in the wilderness: lots of people, including some good setters, like them.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, juxtaposition, hidden, etc) in italics. Anagram indicators shown like *(this) or (this)*, link-words in green.

Everyman 4,020

Sun November 12, 2023 at 11:50 amSun November 12, 2023 at 12:50 am by John

The usual (nowadays) sound and satisfactory crossword from Everyman. Because of the time of year, there is a bit of a fireworks theme and 4dn and 9dn don’t rhyme, as in the past, but are related in their subject matter.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, hidden, reversal etc.) in italics. Anagram indicators indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.

Azed 2679 ‘Right and left’

Tue October 31, 2023 at 7:42 pmSun October 29, 2023 at 12:29 am by John

I found this rather difficult, and several held out for a long time. The left-hand answer to 12dn resolutely escapes parsing: I hope someone tells us how it works. The rather odd format … Read more >>

Everyman 4,016

Sun October 15, 2023 at 7:26 pmSun October 15, 2023 at 12:39 am by John

Everyman has given us more this time than he usually does: two first letters clues (not just one), the usual rhyming pair, and two symmetrically-placed answers both of which are fruits. Probably more, but I can’t see anything. With these limitations he has, as is now customary, provided us with a good sound crossword (I think, although 18dn still troubles me).

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, hidden etc) in italics. Anagram indicators shown *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.

Everyman 4,012

Sat October 28, 2023 at 10:38 amSun September 17, 2023 at 12:42 am by John

The usual good crossword from Everyman, all sound so far as I can see, and the usual rhyming pair, the self-referential clue, and the first letters one. Quite a task to produce these grids every time. You’d think he’d run out of rhyming pairs eventually.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, anagram, reversal etc) in italics, Anagrams shown (like this)* or *(like this), depending on where the indicator comes. Link-w0rds in green.

Azed No. 2,673 Plain

Sun September 17, 2023 at 12:25 am by John

The usual display of words which are either completely unknown or have a sense that is hidden away in the depths of the entry in Chambers, but all of which seem to be explicable. How on earth Azed produces them without electronic aids (as I think is the case) always amazes me.

I think six of the clues are of the form ‘xxxx? yyyy’, an Azed characteristic. Usually (but not always) the xxxx is the definition.

Definitions in italics, underlined in crimson. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*, depending on whether the anagram indicator precedes or follows.

Everyman 4,008

Sun August 20, 2023 at 12:58 am by John

Generally an enjoyable crossword, with one or two very nice clues, but in more places than usual I was a bit doubtful of the parsing. However, this may well be my own failing and no doubt I shall be corrected. I can’t find any rhyming answers but possibly 4dn and 7dn are related since they both refer to parts of the body. One might argue that six double definitions is too many.

Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (reversal, anagram, containment, etc.) in italics. Anagrams shown (like this)* or *(like this). Link-words in green.

Azed No. 2,667 Plain

Tue August 8, 2023 at 10:27 pmSun August 6, 2023 at 12:04 am by John

What one expects from Azed: sound clueing, lots of crazy words that need a copy of Chambers, and all very enjoyable.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Anagram indicators in italics and shown *(like this) or (this)*

Everyman 4,004

Mon July 24, 2023 at 9:36 pmSun July 23, 2023 at 12:49 am by John

Everyman has done all the right things here so far as I can see. Nice surfaces, sound clues, and all within the restrictions of the rhyming pair, the self-referential clue and the first letters clue. When history is written I suspect this Everyman will bear comparison with some of the greats of the past.

Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (hidden, anagram, homophone, reversal etc.) in italics. Anagrams indicated like (this)* or *(this). Link-words in green.

Everyman 4,000

Sun June 25, 2023 at 12:55 am by John

It’s convenient that The Observer is today carrying an article about the Everyman which lists the setters — it says it started with Ximenes, who was Colin Macnutt: in fact he was Derrick Macnutt, which Everyman knows because he’s in the grid; there was Alec Robins, Dorothy Taylor, Allan Scott (who is there as ASCOT, also Alan Connor himself perhaps) and Colin Gumbrell. Because of the need to fit these names in, Everyman has apparently missed out on the usual rhyming clues and the self-referential clue. Can anyone say who Philippa is?

I thought this was trickier than usual, but it was a good crossword and there are no major gripes.

Definitions in italics, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, reversal, etc.) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.

Azed No. 2,661 Plain

Sun June 25, 2023 at 12:29 am by John

The usual sound offering from Azed. I don’t think there is any clue that I question.

Definitions underlined in crimson. Anagram indicators in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*.

Everyman 3,996

Sun May 28, 2023 at 10:16 pmSun May 28, 2023 at 12:54 am by John

I always seem to be saying this, but Everyman’s crosswords get better and better. Apart from my doubts over the STRADIVARI clue, which I may well be wrong on, he has produced a set of sound clues with good surfaces and also managed to include all the trademarks seamlessly: the rhyming pairs, the self-referential clue and the first letters clue.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, reversal, missing letters, etc.) in italics. Link-words in green. Anagrams indicated (like this)* or *(like this).

Azed No. 2,655 ‘Printer’s Devilry’ – Competition Puzzle

Tue May 16, 2023 at 11:31 amTue May 16, 2023 at 12:33 am by John

Azed produces these every year or two and they are very clever and great fun, but when I saw that it was a P.D. my heart sank, as they take me a long time to do and I wasn’t sure that I’d finish in time. However, having done several of these over the years I’m probably finding them easier. Why it should be that they appeal to the majority of solvers goodness knows, but they do, and the names of the prizewinners in Azed’s lists are much the same names as in his regular crosswords. They divide opinion a bit, and a few don’t like them at all. Personally I enjoy them despite their difficulty: the moment of realisation when what was a slightly clunky and incomprehensible sentence reveals itself is very nice.

The instructions I find pretty incomprehensible and it’s only by learning from various other sources that I know what to do. Why Azed bothers to say ‘Preference is given to…’ I can’t understand, since all the clues that I’ve ever seen quoted have been ‘correct’. Should he not make it a rule?