Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle December 2022

 Seasons Greetings XIV by Eclogue

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PDF version

Clues are presented in conventional order.  The completed grid, which has no unchecked letters, displays 90’ rotational symmetry including 8 bars and 64 black squares.  Two straight lines, whose ends touch the frame of the grid, should be drawn thematically through five identical and symmetrically placed letters.  The 21 clashes in the grid must be resolved in favour of the entries that ensure the final grid only contains real words, phrases and proper nouns.  The discarded letters can be arranged to provide an alternative three-word title which should be written below the grid.

   Across

Fine glazed fabric flips over

Springtime in Scotland brings conflict with English

American fibres fall on back street

Party-goer is amongst extraverts

Parrots’ stomachs contain calcium

Lowland fog covers gunners in marsh

Jonathan’s guitar, perhaps, one found in obsessive irregular

Rock’s incisiveness consumes a wife

Auxiliary control affected Rio Verde

Cleverly silly, in a way

Lady of peace, not once adhering to resentment

Are wearing preposterously small cloths

I spin a leg round on lobe

Be once more about headless discriminator

Liberal liked scum and failed in Edinburgh

Agent that’s true to men

Sailor crossing rough sea retreats

Small sailing ship that’s winking

The grape relaxes Erastian

In Devon, say, grapples with republican and pivots

Priest with team (scientists) producing chemical preparations

Hamish’s barred rotten European for independence

Dirty jokes repulsed, what a surprise

They heat teas brewing around noon

Share number involved in pillage

Close National Emergency Alarm Repeater, primarily

Resorts existing in times past

Down
Wandsworth has nine in the Spanish manuscript
Soft passage constant before play
Carved part of figure within hollow almost getting old
Cajolers from firm to reduce runs on Sunday
Communist to interfere with old follower of Jesus
Benefits past profit at the heart of historic pound
Lies initially revised extended standard theory section
Lake is strange, giving off energy
Female entertains Irish county
Body check without escape for ideal partner (two words)
Informal round’s arisen out of order
Highlanders like appearing in French month
Superior to remain set on point, once
Stag’s roar that is going across because it’s spoiling for a fight
Law is trammelled in sheer interweaving
Stickler fermenting a succession of drops
Glaswegian scatters ships round Cape
Insular beast, a cross between king and queen? (two words)
The old rose up and remained to expel American
Nerve cells one cut short in fellows
Ancient Celtic warriors, embraced by ruffian natives
Rats making a circuit inside ship
Incite supporter to remove a king (two words)
Old jalopy beginning to cut speed
Take cutting in equal quantities from tree
At which point does warrior begin to lose courage at Culloden?
Scots ditch Kirkpatrick? Yes, funnily enough!

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image, including the alternative title, or in list format with an explanation of the lines, to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th January 2023. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers. 

Crossword News November 2022

Crossword News November 2022

The October Prize Puzzle was Nemesis by Chalicea. The theme was the nursery rhyme of the Gingerbread Man. The Gingerbread Man challenged the duck, horse, cow, pig, dog and little old lady and man to catch him. He met his nemesis with the fox.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

A puzzle on the easy side, even for Chalicea, but one featuring an amazing number of place and language locations, from Scotland to among others, Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, Australia and New Zealand, China, the USA and back to Scotland. I have eaten my share of Gingerbread Men, but didn't realise there was a fairy tale involved. The Wiki article gives a lot of interesting detail on folk tales which involve runaway food items, and which have been found in nearly as many societies as Chalicea visited in her puzzle. Thanks, Chalicea.

After last month's very challenging "Postcard" from Hedge Sparrow, this seemed quite straightforward but I will admit that I had to resort to the internet to remind myself what happened to the Gingerbread man in the end.  Well, it was a very long time ago that I last sang it!  Thank you Chalicea for a charming puzzle.

In contrast to last month's puzzle this was much more straightforward but no less enjoyable. As always with Chalicea, a set of neat clues, lots of thematic material and pleasing endgame.  Thanks to Chalicea and the Crossword Centre. 

There were 64 entries, of which 8 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat was David Beamish, from London, who will soon be receiving a prize of Chambers Crossword Dictionary which was donated by Chambers.

There is a full solution at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2022/11/solution-to-nemesis-by-chalicea.html

There is still lots of time to send an entry for the November challenge, Big Bang Theory by Poat. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2022/10/crossword-centre-prizepuzzle-november.html

The December Prize Puzzle will be our traditional offering from Eclogue. Watch out for Seasons Greetings XIV.
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The next Listener Crossword Setters’ Dinner will be held at the Mercure Hotel, Bristol on 4^th March 2023. It is 50 years since Ploutos (Mike Rich) held the first dinner at the Cock Tavern in 1973 and the dinner will celebrate this golden anniversary. Guests will be invited to wear gold and special gold ties are to be made for the men and gold brooches for the women.
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It's that time of the year when you might be looking for Christmas presents. I would suggest you look at the 3D puzzle calendar for 2023. With a puzzle a month set by some of the top setters, it makes a beautiful gift for a cruciverbalist, as well as making a contribution to charity. You can order a copy from this link -
https://3dcalendarpuzzles.co.uk/shop/3d-crosswords-2023-calendar-printed/
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Congratulations to the Magpie magazine on its 20^th anniversary. It was founded 20 years ago after the death of Mike Rich who published Tough Puzzles, The Guardian had an interview with the founders of the Magpie, Mark Goodliffe and Simon Anthony.
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2022/oct/31/twenty-years-of-the-magpie-crossword-magazine?CMP=share_btn_tw
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Having tried a few OCR apps on my PC and Mac, I have found Photo Scan for PC gives the best results. To test it I got it read a photo of a page of clues. It worked very well with the need for only a few changes. The puzzle was a Letters Latent puzzle by Ximenes. I have put the puzzle on the blog. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/p/ximenes-lett6ers-latent.html
I also noticed that the link to the Double Entendre puzzle by Ximenes was defunct, so I have updated it. http://www.crossword.org.uk/double.htm
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The Crossword Club is being relaunched with its November 2022 issue, where each of the three prize puzzles has a chance to win a copy of the forthcoming 2023 3D Crossword Calendar (entry is open to subscribing members only).  This relaunch issue is available free to anyone emailing a request to:  clubcrosswords@gmail.com
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On the day that Rishi Sunak became PM there was this very timely clue in the Telegraph crossword, with an equally timely answer:

Rishi's scratching head in horror after Conservative catastrophe (6)
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If you want to practise your wall skills for Only Connect, I can certainly suggest the Pussgrid site. Lots of walls and 3 minutes to try to solve them. I find it great fun.
https://puzzgrid.com/
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Quiz master, Frank Paul, has published a new book, The Twelve Quizzes of Christmas. He was recently interviewed by Alan Connor in the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2022/nov/14/crossword-book-club-artist-quizmaster-frank-paul-the-12-quizzes-of-christmas

The Guardian published some of Frank Paul’s word puzzles. They are a real pleasure to solve and you can try them here. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/oct/31/can-you-solve-it-brilliant-brainteasers-by-the-wizard-of-witty-wordplay
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And finally, one for the pedants. The Washington Post published this correction.
The crossword puzzle in the Oct 23 Washington Post Magazine included an incorrect clue for 95 Across (“Fictional graduate of Springfield High School during the 1970s”). The answer HOMER refers to Homer Simpson, who didn’t graduate from high school in the 1970s because, during that time, he didn’t pass Remedial Science 1A, as seen in a season 4 episode of “The Simpsons”, “The Front”.

Best wishes
Derek
Now on Mastodon – DerekHarrison@mastodon.iriseden.eu

  

Solution to Nemesis by Chalicea

 Nemesis by Chalicea - SOLUTION

The Gingerbread Man challenged the duck, horse, cow, pig, dog and little old lady and man to catch him. He met his nemesis with the fox.

 

Across: 9 Egally, 10 Super, 11 Merops, 12 Blancos, 13 Horse, 14 Elemi, 15 Kain, 17 Cease-fire, 19 Birr, 22 Enters, 24 Aholism, 25 Old man, 27 Cow, 28 Chat, 29 Beryl, 30 Tool up, 33 Amis, 34 Nicad, 36 Tirrs, 37 Pig, 38 Dog, 39 Toheroa.

Down: 1 Narras, 2 Gloss, 3 Elpees, 4 Bibliomaniac, 5 Ruler, 6 Examen, 7 Duck, 8 Aesir, 10 Snirtle, 16 Air, 18 Fish, 20 Shoo-in, 21 Old lady, 22 Extort, 23 Saligot, 26 Drapes, 29 Buroo, 31 Udon, 32 Ashy, 35 Coo.

 

Across: 9 LEGALLY less first L, 10 SUP bEeR, 11 SPORE + M(eal)<, 12 BLANC + O + S(oldier), 13 HOE round R[ow]S, 14 IE< around LEM, 15 K + A + W(in)E, 17 C + EASE + F + IRE, 19 Two meanings, 22 CENTERS less C, 24 {IS MY HALO less Y(our)}*, 25 {ALMOND}*, 27 Two meanings, 28 CAT around H, 29 Hidden, 30 TOO + PUL(l)<, 33 AMIS(s), 34 Hidden, 36 (a)T(l)I(b)R(a)R(y) + (shameles)S, 37 First letters, 38 Two meanings, 39 {HARE TOO}*.

Down: 1 SARAN around R<, 2 Two meanings, 3 STEEPLE less T<, 4 {BINOMIAL ABC I}*, 5 Two meanings, 6 EX A MEN, 7 Two meanings, 8 ARISE*, 10 {LISTEN + (me)R(ry)}*, 16 RIA<, 18 Two meanings, 20 "SHOO" + IN, 21 Two meanings, 22 EX + TORT, 23 SALT around I(n)G(o)O(d), 26 SPREAD*, 29 {OO + RUB}<, 31 Hidden, 32 AS H (dr)Y, 35 COO(l).