Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle January 2023

 

Leading Character by Vismut

Some clues have three letter abbreviations missing from the wordplay. Two from the set they would complete are missing. 12 across clues have wordplay which leads to the grid entry with one incorrect letter. The incorrect letters spell out four thematic names, the correct letters are a jumble of two more. These hints indicate which leading character must turn up to reveal what has to be highlighted.

PDF version

Across

1 Yes, Dutch spy leaving government was habitually lazy (6)

5 Feverish bug (7)

10 No odd bits in small neat bone (4)

11 One leg in six say not real (8)

13 Glen’s estate owners hit Mr Sid Little’s front wing first (6)

15 Ordinary lady with husband who is “God” (4)

16 Protective coverings beside square (6)

17 Scrap reviewing The Hobbit initially (5)

18 Something pungent from measure of land by blue Nile (8)

20 Sanction supporter (3)

21 Useless creeps stripped (4)

25 Adult getting into kid cycling team in America (9)

27 Minutes putting coat inside out (4)

28 Short horse pushed back crowd (3)

33 Bits of parasite left rabbits when cooked (8)

35 Ian’s shabby eastern isle jumper on the counter (5)

36 Local coppers under British rule, historically 50% of messengers (6)

38 Fair number ignoring Sabbath (4)

        39    Oil producing family delegates regularly kiss naked (6)

40 Antipope accepted light gratin (8)

41 English girl’s name (4)

42 Perhaps Sibyl needs support on topless gown (7)

43 Cooler for rustic to not have any ducks (6)

Down

1 Timeless sun god associated with Caesar (6)

2 Warning sound before art work lifted (6)

3 Quarter of the pack bringing down horse for dens (6)

4 Note promotion in the year yields nothing (4)

5 Passionate fellow in for piano run through (6)

6 Partners swapped corsets (7)

7 Plant Scottish own beside British colony in recession (8)

8 Harden fertiliser by pushing out piece (5)

9 Former remover at home filling new role carrying earl (7)

12 Heavy metal hits on these! (6)

14 Take in current joke during conversation (6)

19 Cylinder, bolt and drone say protecting outside of turret (8)

22 Concerning European order (6)

23 Ties up fishing equipment carried by female donkey (7)

24 Tops of ash, viburnum and oak having eight leaves (6)

26 Mistake over relative’s massage (7)

29 Oscar’s entertained by 50% of Lhasa apsos barking welcomes (6)

30 Version of major Italian writing system (6)

31 Putting up short drunk relatives inside (6)

32 Letter’s got one fewer es (6)

34 Briefly embarrassed first female district judge (5)

37 Libel ignoring fourth letter raised standards (4)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image,  or in list format with an explanation of the shading  to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th February 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 December 2022

Crossword News December 2022

The November Prize Puzzle was Big Bang Theory by Poat. 

The puzzle commemorated the obliteration of an atoll in the Marshall Islands on 1 November 1952 as part of the US nuclear test programme known as Operation Ivy (spelled out by corrections to misprints). The delivery device was codenamed Mike, highlighted in the central spiral of cells, with letters of the island ELUGELAB eliminated in turn from eight answers. Solvers were also required to highlight the symbols for Fermium and Einsteinium in the grid (FM and ES), elements confirmed through later analysis of the fallout.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

This puzzle was all the more enjoyable because I had not previously heard of Operation Ivy (and even when I googled it the first references were to an American punk rock band of the same name!), nor of the former island of Elugelab, nor indeed that the Operation led to the discovery of two new elements. So warm thanks go to Poat for an instructive as well as entertaining and ingenious puzzle.

This puzzle was a blast! This was a challenging test of solving skills that required new clear thinking to determine which letters needed to fall out. Once I managed to marshall the mental energy to identify the puzzle's missing elements, it yielded megatons of fun. Poat makes a case to be the King of setters -- Bravo!

I found this quite a struggle with some answers (e.g. TALEGGIO) not in my edition of Chambers.  For a while I thought the theme was to do with the Hadron Collider at Cern but I needed Wikipedia on ELUGELAB to put me right.  A rather sombre subject in the end, all too relevant to what is happening in Europe at the moment.  Thank you Poat.

The puzzle proved a stiff challenge, well enjoyed by all.  A few mistakes, mainly through not spotting the newly discovered elements of fermium and einsteinium, but overall the puzzle was very well received. There were 45 entries, of which 9 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat was Adam Vellender, who will be receiving a copy of Chambers Crossword Dictionary donated by the publishers.

There is a full solution at 

https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2022/12/solution-to-big-bang-theory-by-poat.html

You still have time to email your solution to Seasons Greetings XIV before 8 January.
The January puzzle will be Leading Character by Vismut.
***
In the Guardian, Alan Connor interviewed the setter of the Everyman puzzles in the Observer. The setters are usually not named, although we know that in the past, such notable clue masters as Dorothy Taylor and Alec Robins were the compilers. At last, we know who is the current incumbent. https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2022/nov/26/meet-the-setter-the-observers-everyman
***
New to The Telegraph is the new Cross Atlantic crossword. As the name implies this an American style puzzle. You can try it for free. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cross-atlantic-crossword/ To solve the other crosswords you have to pay a subscription fee, although there is an option for a free month’s access to the puzzles.
***
When my subscription to Times on-line went up to £26, I phoned to cancel it. I mainly use it for the Listener crossword and I reckoned it would be cheaper to buy The Times every Saturday. However, the nice employee on the Cancellation Team persuaded me to change to the Light Digital Pack. This costs £4.99 per month and, although you can only open 30 articles in a month you have access to all the crosswords. I’ll let you know how this works out.
***
I have been having fun trying to solve one of Torquemada’s fun puzzles, Knock-Knock. It is based on the game, “Knock-knock.” “Who’s there?” “Cecilia who?” “Cecilia game than I thought”. I have had a few laughs, but it’s tough. You can try it here -https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/p/knock-knock-by-torquemada.html 

I did manage to fill the grid although I could not parse some clues. I will publish a solution next month.
***
I wish everyone a happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Best wishes
Derek
On Mastodon I have changed server, so my name is DerekHarrison@mastodon.social 

Solution to Big Bang Theory by Poat

 Big Bang Theory by Poat - Solution

 The puzzle commemorates the obliteration of an atoll in the Marshall Islands on 1 November 1952 as part of the US nuclear test programme known as Operation Ivy (spelled out by corrections to misprints). The delivery device was codenamed Mike, highlighted in the central spiral of cells, with letters of the island ELUGELAB eliminated in turn from eight answers. Solvers were also required to highlight the symbols for Fermium and Einsteinium in the grid (FM and ES), elements confirmed through later analysis of the fallout.

 ACROSS

  1    hoar-headed. Edited English.tsd - Chambers

        HOARD around HEAVE with D (500) for V (5)

10   au mieux. Edited English.tsd - MWCD,Chambers

        EU in AU MIX

11   earlap. Edited English.tsd

        ERA interwoven with ALP

12   Laodicea. Edited English.tsd - Location

        CALEDO(N)IA*

13   auto. Core English.tsd

        Alternate letters of vAlUaTiOn; misprint stack for stOck

14   fire-plug. Core English.tsd

        (GULPER IF)<

17   égarement. Edited English.tsd - Chambers

        GREENTEAM*, hinting at French word

18   arguli. Edited English.tsd - COD

        ARGU(E) LI(E), Brits being the fish

20   recto. Core English.tsd

        (E)RECTO(R), misprint wage for Page

21   royal. Core English.tsd

        ROY AL, misprint jolly for jElly

23   eothen. Edited English.tsd - Chambers

        EON round THE

24   aleatoric. Edited English.tsd - MWCD,Chambers

        ICAREALOT*, ‘cabbage’ being musical notes

27   starlets. Edited English With Inflections.tsd - Chambers

        (LASTRITES minus I)*

28   hear. Core English.tsd

        HERE homophone

29   Taleggio. Edited English.tsd - Chambers

        GI in GELATO*

31   ornate. Core English.tsd

        OR NATE(S)

32   Bohemia. Edited English.tsd

        BOA(T) around HEM 1

33   thread mark. Edited English.tsd - Chambers

        DARKMATTER* with H for T, misprint anti-fogging for anti-foRging

DOWN

  1    half-marathon.

        MARA is half of MARATHON

  2    amort. Edited English.tsd

        Hidden in (Fulh)AMORT(hereabouts), misprint sod for sAd

  3    rid. Core English.tsd

        RID(DLE), misprint show for shoT

  4    exclaim. Core English.tsd

        EX CLAIM, misprint charm for chIrm

  5    areg. Edited English.tsd - Chambers

        (TU)AREG

  6    dealer. Core English.tsd

        ALE in DER

  7    drupe. Core English.tsd

        PRUDE*

  8    patented. Edited English.tsd

        PA TENTED

  9    sport one's oak.

        SOAK after PERSONTO*, misprint Axbridge for Oxbridge

13   ammeter.

        AM MET ER, where I = electric current

15   equator.

        QUA in ROTE<, misprint rigg for riNg

16   drollery. Core English.tsd

        (ER after O LL) in DRY

19   keitloa. Edited English.tsd - Chambers

        LIKEASHOT* minus SH

22   loiter. Core English.tsd

        L O ITER (Latin for journey), misprint longer for lInger

25   avant. Edited English.tsd - MWCD,Chambers

        (S)AVANT, misprint precious for preVious

26   regma. Core English.tsd

        R EGMA

27   save. Core English.tsd

        First letters Soon And Very Early, misprint lad for laY

30   gem. Core English.tsd

        GE(R)M