Never knowingly undersolved
This week’s preamble: In most clues, the wordplay leads to the defined answer and an additional letter not to be entered into the grid. Additional letters from across clues identify where a source … Read more >>
A complex and multi-layered EV this week, which I think I solved, and definitely submitted, but can’t fully explain… The preamble states that: “The puzzle’s theme is a six-word phrase. A word that … Read more >>
’44 honoured ACCOMPLISHMENT in 1, 4, 21, 32 and 42 (all unclued); solvers must highlight one of his own. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
It may be me but the preamble took a long time to decipher this week. My rough translation – Down clues are normal but some have swapped their definitions and across clues lose … Read more >>
For those who didn’t see my blog last month, you didn’t miss much. It described the abject failure I had with Sadly Lacking by Ranunculus. I didn’t major in Happy Families… and I … Read more >>
Some nifty footwork from Samuel this week…
“In a game of LONDON SONGBOOK, six clues consist of a partial song title that can be completed in a punning fashion by adding the name of a part of London. For instance, If I Were a ____ (from Fiddler on the Roof) might be completed with the word ‘Richmond’ to give a punning version of the song title If I Were a Rich Man. Answers to these clues must be entered where they will fit. In ten across clues, the wordplay leads to the answer and an additional letter not to be entered into the grid. In clue order, these letters give a musical group and a further partial song title; solvers must highlight the eight-letter part of London which might complete the title.”
A seriously long preamble – extra letters and missing letters in alternating down clues. Something weird to happen to two across clues and 16 letters to find in a closed loop, inside which … Read more >>
The preamble, followed by a confession: In nine clues the definition contains an extra letter which must be removed before solving. In clue order, these letters, together with the solutions to these clues, … Read more >>
My solving notes for TREASURE HUNT simply say ‘WOW!’ once I got to the end of this Herculean task… Yet another carte blanche – no bars, clue numbers or even enumerations! – but at … Read more >>
‘The grid presents two works of CREATIVITY (unclued) which solvers must complete. The authors of both must be highlighted in the completed grid (a total of 22 letters). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
A puzzle based on the “I had a job …” joke. “It was ….” being the punchline. Also extra letters in the down clues spell out a further job, with its punchline to … Read more >>
In MAKING ENDS MEET, each clue is a pair, leading (in either order) to two six-letter answers which share a letter in the grey cell; this shared letter is not given by wordplay. … Read more >>
Is there such a thing as an ALTERNATIVE TO A BEER? Shurely just shomething to precede/follow/accompany/complement?… The preamble states that: “In ALTERNATIVE TO A BEER?, a theme word (4) must be written below … Read more >>
‘The grid illustrates a pioneering feat. The unclued entry must be left blank initially, and the grid completed by filling it with the name of the PIONEER. Solvers must also enter the same single letter into the two barred-off cells, highlight two points of interest in the grid, and connect them with a curved line (running through the term he
coined). Having disliked a term already in use, solvers must remove four letters from the grid (cryptically signifying the term itself). The final grid contains only real words; Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended, but does not contain the plural form at 32.”