Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle June 2022

 Repatriation by Hawk

The government is in the process of repatriating a set of (in its view) unwanted characters. Most are waiting for flights alongside regular travellers. Two have gone to ground, and are hiding elsewhere in unchecked cells.

1A and 47 represent the airport departure lounges, initially to be filled with seven answers entered side-by-side where they will fit, but without separating bars. Clues for these are given in alphabetical order of their answers.

Solvers must systematically identify all unwanted characters in the completed grid, and replace them with acceptable alternatives. Eight of the numbered clues contain an extra word, to be removed before solving. Each is a definition of one of the new entries formed by the exercise. In addition, the departure lounges must display two four-word phrases providing some oblique commentary, possibly suggesting that the process i) isn't ideal and ii) reveals a somewhat casual attitude.

The Chambers Dictionary (2016) is the primary source. 1D and one final phrase are in The Collins Dictionary

PDF copy

Departure Lounges

Nightjar dropping setter's insect (3)

Girl making short spacewalk (3)

Oundle's first former pupil's clutching The Dandy (3)

Musical essentially lacking syrup of old (4)

State letter eaten by marmoset (6)

Busybody buries spring onion (4)

Which publisher's case? (5)

 

Across

11  In which activity is in me – the wrong way? (6)

12  Uzbekistan’s capital of sport (4)

13  Sad cry from carriage interior (4)

15  Cupar's rogue male adult deer briefly shelters (5)

17  Mark arrives to replace bar's new bird impersonators (5)

19  Shed divides sheep, after a fashion (8)

21  Lord tucks into El Salvador terrapin (4)

23  They’re used in Yokohama sushi (5)

24  Floating matter around Portobello to disgust passing swimmer (4)

25  Oilseed plant to appear all over Mauritius (6)

27  Basically they mean powdered trifle's incomplete (7)

29  Pipes Queen aboard marine dockside, essentially (7)

30  Is occupying No 10 mostly criminal? (6)

32  Shoot captured in legacy media (4)

34  Fools tree-huggers in Millets (8)

38  Victim of corrupt Iago's schemes isn't wanting the messing about (6)

40  Contrarily, sink's a space-filler (3)

41  Schutzstaffel entertained by letter’s poetic end (5)

42  Retired face-ache's stuffing pouches (5)

43  Stews 70% of semolina varieties (7)

44  Cairngorms shelter's southern projection (4)

45  Advancing son is swearing – Mum pardons (6)  
46  They partially digest Aberdeen's seagulls (4)

 

Down

1    Historically execute dictator's feudal tenures (5)

2    Penny red's heading off for British halfpennies down under (5)

3    Bugs could be seen in Michigan film (5)

4    Ceremonial chain link being shortened (3)

5    Cry of delight, having made pawn advance in game (4, two words)

6    College eccentric issues protective legwear (7)

7    Members acquiring another's books (5)

8    Local frames poetry, ignoring title (5)

9    Academic union in lawsuits to reveal political activities (8)

10  Is arrogant when electromotive force set in problems (7)

14  Understanding terrible omens in more than one department (5)

16  Farrow excluded, number reveals source of milk (5)

18  Tear gas commanders initially sprayed in clubs (5)

20  Recalled what fraudsters do in trees (6)

22  Malta's rivals leaving navy in hysterical fits (7)

25  Accountant blocks appeal for bishop's vestment (6)

26  Girl's ulcer is ignored (3)

28  Mobile art galleries? Maybe Clio's not sure (7)

31  Slimy surface – lettuce mould’s reduced with it (6)

33  Wood from Caribbean island around and about (5)

34  Edible tuber in Cape palm houses (5)

35  Rusty lock's English after German's left (5)

36  Try a bit of something easy for a change (5)

37  Plaster bandages stop soda bottles (5)

39  Herbal remedies a gypsy protects (4)

40  Ingredient of wild ragu? (4)

42           Aging relative to chat endlessly (3)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list forma giving the final entries to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th July 2022. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.

Crossword News May 2022

 

Crossword News May 2022

Last month our Prize Puzzle was RR XIV. The theme of Round Robin XIV was Easter Island. That name was given to it by JACOB ROGGEVEEN, who landed there on Easter Sunday, 5th APRIL 1722. Solvers were to change the bottom row to EASTER ISLAND and highlight it along with six MOAI, one of them the ‘unusual’ TUKUTURI.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

A very clever puzzle, with excellent clues throughout, and a well-hidden theme. Many thanks to John Nicholson for putting it together!

A lovely construction, seasonal theme, and some excellent clues. I remember thinking last year that the Round Robin format had led to quite a variation in clue quality, and a reduction (or perhaps imbalance) in clue variety. That didn't seem to be the case at all this year - it held together very nicely as a puzzle, with the balance of clues seemingly just about right (not too many hiddens, composite anagrams, anagrams etc.). Thanks to all involved for an enjoyable solve.

Another fantastic puzzle, a great job by whoever thought up the concept, game and grid design.  Very interesting to solve and educational too.  Many thanks to all involved.

A nicely constructed puzzle on an interesting theme: thanks to John for that and for pulling the whole thing together.

There were 53 entries, of which 3 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, drawn from the electronic hat, was John Reardon, who will be receiving a prize of Chambers Crossword Dictionary. 

There is a solution at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2022/05/rr-xiv-second-capital-solution.html

Many solvers voted for their favourite clues  It should be noted that when one of the answers was TEUTON, John thought it apt to give the clue to Robert Teuton  

These top 5 clues were the only ones that made it into double figures, so well done to these 5:

1st - TEUTON - 32 pts - Robert Teuton 

2nd - TOO BAD - 31 pts - Anax

3rd - DATUK - 26pts - Andrew Macleod

4th - GERONIMO - 24 pts - Phylax

5th - TESTIS - 14 pts - Luciano Ward

Robert has kindly deferred , so the prize will go to Anax. 

Other clues that received points:

ATOCIA - 9pts

DESPAIR - 9pts

INDENT - 6pts

MINOS - 5pts

STEEM - 4pts

TESTE - 4pts

CHILE - 4pts

ESSENE - 3pts
ODIUM - 3pts

CENTIMO - 3pts

LIANE - 3pts

UNMOOR - 2pts

Those on 1pt

HODGE

ICIER

BUTTIES

ESLOIN

TUSSER

TURIN

You still have time to complete the May puzzle, Mayhem Parva by Vagans.

The June Prize Puzzle will be Repatriation by Hawk.
***
It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Neil Shepherd, who set puzzles in the FT as Alberich and in the Independent as Klingsor. Neil was always willing to give help and advice to novice setters and his website Free Crosswords Online was always a good place to find out how to compile and to create grids.

After I pointed out Alberich’s web site I have received a number of requests to save the pages on the Crossword Centre in case the site closes. I am looking seriously into this.
***
It was a shock for me to read of the death of John Young. John Henderson wrote this on 15Squared.

With a very heavy heart, I must pass on to crossword friends the sad news of the death of the compiler John Young. Financial Times solvers will have known him as Dogberry; to Guardian aficionados, he was Shed – and of course one quarter of Biggles. He had been in deteriorating health for some time, never having fully been able to get over the death in 2018 of his mother Audrey (the Guardian setter Audreus)

Hugh Stephenson wrote an obituary for the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/2022/may/12/john-young-obituary
***
The Times also published an obituary to Barbara Hall, the setter behind the Sunday Times crossword for almost 40 years.
Barbara Hall obituary

***
I was not surprised to learn that the Sunday Telegraph plan to close the EV series by the end of July. They want to make more space in the paper version and, as all of their crosswords are going on-line, the EV is often not suitable for interactive solving. Like lots of others, I often do the EV but never post an entry. I feel it would be a great pity if the EV were to come to an end. Paul Henderson expresses similar opinions in his blog. Phi On-line

***
Kate helps solve the Times Crossword.
The duchess of Cambridge revealed her hidden talent as a cruciverbalist during a visit to the University of Glasgow campus where she and Prince William spent 20 minutes meeting students.

Jack Baird, 21, a second-year student, caught the duchess’s eye waving a copy of an old crossword puzzle from The Times. One answer was eluding him: the one about the royal family. The duchess, who has a 2:1 degree in the history of art, grabbed the print-out and offered to help.

The clue concerned a subject on which she should be well-briefed: the Queen’s financial arrangements. Kate was, apparently, “thrilled” to get it right.

Baird said afterwards that he had been stuck on “seven-down”, which was about the “sovereign’s annual allowance”.

“It was two words of five and four letters,” he said. “I couldn’t get the second word. I gave it to Kate and asked her as I’m sure she would have known. And she said it was ‘Civil List’.

Best wishes
Derek

RR XIV - Second Capital SOLUTION

 Round Robin XIV Solution

The theme of Round Robin XIV is Easter Island. That name was given to it by JACOB ROGGEVEEN, who landed there on Easter Sunday, 5^th APRIL 1722. Solvers were to change the bottom row to EASTER ISLAND and highlight it along with six MOAI, one of them the ‘unusual’ TUKUTURI.