Crossword News September 2016
The August Prize Puzzle was Uncommon Sense by Vagans. The
twelve alternative entries are UK equivalents of US counterparts indicated by
the wordplay of their clues. The unclued entries AMERICA ENGLISH BRITAIN
reference the saying "Two nations divided by a common language".
Here are some of the comments from solvers.
Excellent implementation of the theme. The thematic clues
seem odd at first, but it only takes solving a couple of them to reveal the
theme. From then on, one tends to be looking out for one of those words that we
all know the Yanks have messed up!
An amusing and enjoyable theme - and now I know what a
popsicle is!
I liked the neat way in which the grid represented the expression "two
countries divided by a common language".
Excellent implementation of the theme. The thematic clues
seem odd at first, but it only takes solving a couple of them to reveal the
theme. From then on, one tends to be looking out for one of those words that we
all know the Yanks have messed up!
Fairly easy grid fill and the theme became apparent quite
quickly but I still don't think I got all the Americanisms - nor needed them.
Very enjoyable though - thanks.
There were 59 entries, of which 9 were marked incorrect. The
lucky winner, picked at random, was Alex Brash, who will be receiving a prize
of Chambers Crossword Dictionary, which was donated by the publishers.
There is a full solution at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2026/09/solution-to-uncommon-sense-by-vagans.html
You still have lots of time to enter our September
competition, I am the Eggman by Henri. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2026/08/september-2026-i-am-eggman-by-henri.html
The October Prize Puzzle will be Bad Actors by Pandiculator.
I am running out of prize books. For many years Chambers
have been kind to send me prize books that I can post as prizes. However,
although I have written to my contact, I have not received a reply. If need be,
I can offer copies of my book, The Apex Letters, of which I have a few left.
***
The new Crossword Centre Clue Writing Competition (CCCWC) has got off to an
encouraging start. For September the challenge is to write a normal cryptic
clue to CHARACTER.
Voting has started on the clues to COMEBACK. So far 83 users
have registered and there are 54 excellent clues to judge.
It is easy to sign up. Just enter your email address and
choose your own password. https://clue.vellender.com/
As voting opens for the first time, you'll see that you can
award up to 15 points in total with no more than five to any single clue. You
can also give "merits" to any clues you feel deserve some praise but
don't quite earn your points. You can also leave comments on clues; these
should be kind and constructive please. You'll likely find the voting interface
a bit nicer on a bigger screen (e.g. laptop) than on a smaller one (e.g.
phone). Happy voting!
***
Last month I mentioned that Keith Williams was planning to publish a collection
of the crosswords of Apex. The work is progressing nicely and we have been able
to find all of the Christmas puzzles from 1971 to 2001, when Apex handed the
series to Phi. Interestingly, we have discovered more unpublished puzzles which
will be added to the collection. Keith hopes that the book will be available
for this Christmas.
***
Chris Wheadon has applied comparative judgement to comparing the difficulty of
the Guardian Crossword over the years.
https://substack.nomoremarking.com/p/the-difficulty-of-the-guardian-crossword
***
The annual Times Crossword Championship is back for 2026. This year's event
will take place on Saturday, October 10 at The News Building, London.
***
Also in October, the York Sloggers and Betters will take place on the weekend
of the 23rd to 25th. John Henderson has recently posted
details about hotel bookings which you can read on Fifteensquared. https://fifteensquared.net/2026/09/01/york-sloggers-betters-2026/
***
There were some cracking clues in last weekend’s crosswords. This one from Dean
Mayer in The Sunday Times raised a smile.
Obstruction in new toilet makes one wee on foot (6, 3)
John Henderson’s Guardian Prize Crossword was tough with his
enigmatic clues. I liked this one.
Unable to outrun wolves, must one turn to this beauty
treatment (4, 4)
***
The Listener Dinner will take place on Saturday 3rd April 2027, at St George’s
Hotel, Llandudno. I will send a more official notification, with details of
costs and arrangements for accommodation, as soon as possible. The slight shift
into April is because: (i) Easter will be on 24th March 2027; (ii) in Wales, it
is even more important than usual to avoid Men’s 6 Nations match days. The
venue has been chosen after considerable searching for acceptable deals in
Wales. Llandudno* has good rail links, changing trains at Chester. This is not
the first time the dinner has been held in Wales. I remember Chepstow in 2010.
***
Best wishes
Derek Harrison
Answers to clues. LITTLE TOE, FACE PACK
