Observer

Gemelo No. 15 – it could be verse

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A nice crossword from Gemelo but probably not one of his most difficult. The construction is often quite simple and one just has to see it.

He has made a rod for his back by having the clues written in iambic pentameter with an ABAB rhyme scheme. This is very clever and must have made it quite difficult for him, but I can’t see the point. The solver is in just the same position as normal; all the extra difficulty is with the setter: one can admire his ingenuity but doesn’t have to do anything special.

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

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Everyman 4,124

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I thought this was good but on the hard side for an Everyman and some clues held me up for quite a while. There are the usual Everyman extras which are highlighted in the grid. Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, containment, anagram, juxtaposition, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in olive.

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Azed 2772

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This Observer barred puzzle was published on the first Sunday of November, so under the new arrangements it is set by Azed as a plain competition offering.

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Gemelo No. 13 – Plain

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Stepping back from last week’s anagrammatic convolutions, this week’s “plain” Gemelo seemed relatively straightforward by comparison.  Completion of the grid was helped considerably by solving the four perimeter clues.

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Gemelo 11

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I continue to find Gemelo quite a challenge, and I think this was one of the hardest yet, with several clues taking me a while to parse even after I was confident of … Read more >>

Everyman 4,120

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A pleasant Everyman this week.

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

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Azed No. 2,771 plain – competition puzzle

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A slightly odd grid in that there are the usual straddling 12-letter answers and sixteen 4-letter ones. But this apart we have a perfectly pleasant crossword with many of the usual nice clues. Sometimes Azed has just relied for difficulty on strange words, it being fairly obvious what is happening in the wordplay, but he is also as one would expect clever from time to time.

Definitions underlined, in crimson. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*.

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