Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle July 2023

 Gravest by Stick Insect

PDF version

In each clue, two letters (not necessarily consecutive) must be removed from a word before solving, always leaving a real word.  In clue order, one letter contributes to a message showing how to find a cryptic representation of the theme; the other contributes to two instructions which solvers must obey to produce the final grid, which contains all real words or proper nouns.  Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.

Across

1 Pretending to piracy, perhaps not on the level (7)

7 Happen to replace panther’s head for one rousing game (6)

11 Fabric hood recycled by Tati (6)

13 Criminal inmate Mal makes propositions (7)

15 Hair-remover stung in odd application at first (5)

16 Cubicle building in ocean a U-boat periodically supplies (5)

18 Tweet seaports, not with head (4)

19 Drupel covers left shoe (4)

20 Lessee ashamed housing band (4)

21 Advanced heptads of Georgian recitals excited whistles (4)

23 Skier badly lusted for vessels (5)

25 Nine remoulades in very European French department (6)

27 Carer follows stink, finding fabulous bird (4)

29 Church half rueing of a bag in canal (5)

30 Nabobs, baron died in arrests (4)

31 American Norse disturbed about mother’s stinks (6)

34 EOKA pursuing South African piece of armour (5)

36 Lacking energy, recce west in compere’s car (4)

37 Opening by Lehar shows pace (4)

39 Complain in Scotland about obscene musical tenutos (4)

41 Look! Part of castle refound (4)

43 Ian and mate resolved to be as a friend (5, two words)

44 Baronne recruits fresh muscle (5)

45 Native American stung in Perth grasping heather (7)

46 Compounds fade and wane with entropy (6)

47 Listener entry about revolutionary (6)

48 Apparatus for webchat, perhaps, in TV farces before (7)

Down

2 With sails furled, a hand’s starting tug jettisoning pawpaw (5)

3 Singular fillies vote against you for French poems (6)

4 Scan cat, dog, head trout and sheep (8)

5 Blinks at his scent wrongly (8)

6 Expressionless, Faith and Gary less troubled,  strangely after being dumped (6)

7 Bating hot heat for Ed (5)

8 Involves one lasting in sombre novel (8)

9 Upset cleric within tannah’s eating place (7)

10 Curly with enthusiasm undressing Native American warriors (4)

12 American checks thrombi, cycling (4)

14 Bing supports male rug (3)

15 Stress amateur producer of earth in books (7)

17 Alien rent old giant (4)

22 Royal tip: back movie (7)

24 Beware Iona tin goddess hunt (8)

25 One dossing in prophet’s cave did it badly, ignoring God (8)

26 American charmed Edna, chaste for another, keeping diamonds to the end (8)

28 A Mexican polacre is blackish, Sian discovered (7)

32 Were editor’s grass (4)

33 Empty arums in thaw supply heat (6)

35 Striding in Jerusalem, Anselm finds old lovers (6)

37 Egg white dad and girl cooked (5)

38 Relabel island’s sock (4)

40 Little support for neon good for Zambian currency (5)

41 Spinal marrow is source of costal hurt initially (4)

42 Understanding martial art lacking skills (3)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format, with an explanation of the final grid, to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th August 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 June 2023

Crossword News June 2023

The May Prize Puzzle was Coronation by Chalicea and it was planned to coincide with the coronation of King Charles III. Extra letters gave 'Shade forty-five cells: four places and an iconic item once in each'. Solvers were required to highlight THE STONE OF DESTINY (that sits under the King's throne at the coronation) and SCONE, WESTMINSTER, ARBROATH and EDINBURGH.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

A timely puzzle.  Pleasingly simple.  WESTMINSTER, ARBROATH and EDINBURGH were easily spotted.  A little online reading revealed the name of the stone, and there it was on the principal diagonal.  That was 41 shaded cells, so a little more reading was required to find the fourth placename.  An extra letter produced by the wordplay tends to lead to slightly too many 'anagrams plus one' or 'containers plus one', making the solution fairly straightforward.  I shouldn't complain.  It's the first CC crossword I've completed this year.

This was an enjoyable puzzle with a straightforward end (although Arbroath took a bit of finding). I liked the travelling of the stone on its journey up and down the country (it was interesting to read about it on the internet).  Thanks, Chalicea.

As always with Chalicea, an enjoyable and not too difficult solve with smooth-reading clues and a lot of thematic material both extracted from the clues and in the grid. Thanks to the Crossword Centre and Chalicea.

There were 55 entries, of which 4 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat, was Mark Roberts from Hostert in Luxembourg.

There is a full solution at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2023/06/solution-to-coronation-by-chalicea.html

This month you have lots of time to complete Full of Beans by Road Gamer. Note that there was an error in the preamble for the first 24 hours of publication which has now been rectified.

The July Prize Puzzle will be Gravest by Stick Insect. We have puzzles for August and September now but always welcome submissions for the autumn.
***
When solvers saw that Paul’s Guardian crossword was a tribute to a departed friend, it came as a shock to see that it was Roger Squires. Roger was a prolific crossword setter and was famous for his mentions in the Guinness Book of Records. As the setter Rufus, he delighted solvers with his Monday crosswords. I met him many years ago and was impressed by his honesty and friendliness. Afterwards, he continued to supply me with information and he wrote the page about himself. I shall miss him.
http://www.crossword.org.uk/rsquires.htm

Hugh Stephenson wrote the obituary in the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/2023/jun/14/rufus-roger-squires-obituary
***
It was also sad to hear of the death of Big Dave, an influential crossword blogger and a huge personality. He set up Big Dave's Crossword Blog in 2009 and it became a popular spot for solvers seeking hints in Telegraph crosswords. He encouraged new setters and many published their first attempts on his Rookie Corner.  He will be sadly missed. 

There is a full tribute with many comments on the Big Dave site. http://bigdave44.com/2023/06/01/big-dave/
***
The 18^th June marked the 4000^th edition of the Observer’s Everyman crossword. Alan Connor wrote a tribute. https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/2023/jun/18/forget-wordle-and-sudoko-how-the-observers-crossword-has-stood-the-test-of-time
***
Several people showed an interest in the book I have written on my friendship with the crossword setter, Apex. I am pleased to announce that I will be able to have the book ready for purchase on the 5^th July. A press release is available at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/p/the-apex-letters.html

If you wish to buy a copy, please email me and I can send you details of how to pay.

Best wishes

Derek 

Solution to Coronation by Chalicea

 Coronation by Chalicea - Solution

Extra letters gave 'Shade forty-five cells: four places and an iconic item once in each'. Solvers were required to highlight THE STONE OF DESTINY (that sits under the King's throne at the coronation) and SCONE, WESTMINSTER, ARBROATH and EDINBURGH.

Across: 1 Scones, 5 Rickshaw, 12 Hernia, 13 Axe, 14 Neon, 15 Articles, 17 Nannoplankton, 18 Fewest, 20 Minster, 21 Restroom, 26 Out-half, 28 Epochal, 29 Paratha, 30 Decarbs, 33 Theatral, 36 Loudens, 39 Onsets, 42 Prestigiators, 45 Selenian, 46 Fiat, 47 Din, 48 Burghs, 49 Day-sight, 50 Eatery. 

Down: 1 Sinner, 2 Ohone, 3 Ergo, 4 Snips, 5 Rialto, 6 Catnip, 7 Sects, 8 Helots, 9 Akene, 10 Wastrels, 11 Tea, 16 Rammed, 18 Feuar, 19 Erato, 22 Thar, 23 Cocas, 24 Scat, 25 Cabas, 26 Opalised, 27 Fatsia, 31 Burley, 32 Anting, 34 Hognut, 35 Lastly, 37 Opera, 38 Deeds, 40 Nitre, 41 Toise, 43 Alga, 44 Ran. 

Across: 1 S: S(i)C(k) [S]ON E(at)S, 5 H: RIC[H] + HAWKS*, 12 A: HE[A]R AN, round I, 13 D: A X E[D], 14 E: NE + ON[E], 15 F: AR I CLE[F]S, 17 O: {PLONK AT INN A NON[O] less I}*, 18 R: FE W [R]EST, 20 T: MIN[T] + STER, 21 Y: {M[Y] SO RETRO}*, 26 F: {HAUL OF[F]}*, 28 I: EP[I]C around O + HAL, 29 V: PA (t)R(e)A(t)T(o) HA[V](e), 30 E: DE[E] CAR BS, 33 C: THE [C]AT R(e)A(l)L(y), 36 E: (c)LOU(t) DENS[E], 39 L: {[L]ETS SON}*, 42 L: {GRIS[L]IEST PART round O}*, 45 S: LES[S] EN I A (unk)N(own), 46 F: FAT around I[F], 47 O: D[O]-IN, 48 U: (b)[U]G(s) in SHRUB<, 49 R: YA[R]D + SIGHT, 50 P: (s)EATE(d) + [P]RY. 

Down: 1 L: CRIMINA[L]NESS* less {I SCAM}*, 2 A: ONE around HO[A], 3 C: [C]ORE< around G, 4 E: SNIP[E]S Double definition, 5 S: O[S]T L AIR<, 6 A: CAT + P[A]IN<, 7 N: SCE[N]TS with E moving up, 8 D: HEL[D] OT S(acred), 9 A: AK[A] + first letters, 10 N: STER[N]LAWS*, 11 I: [I]T EA, 16 C: [C]RAMMED, 18 O: FEAR around [O]U, 19 N: ETO[N] around R(e)A(d), 22 I: T(angled) HA[I]R, 23 C: SAC[C]O C<, 24 I: {ACT [I]S}*, 25 T: CA BA[T]S, 26 E: O PAL[E] (d)IS(c) E(namel) (adde)D, 27 M: FAT SIA[M], 31 O: (t)R[O]UBLE(s)* + Y, 32 N: AN[N]OTATING less TAO*, 34 C: HO[C] GNU (a)T(e), 35 E: L[E]AST L(ad)Y, 37 I: Hidden (c)OP[I]ER A(dvertised), 38 N: DS around [N]EED, 40 E: NI TRE[E], 41 A: TO I(nland) SE[A], 43 C: (s)[C]AL(e) + AG<, 44 H: (p)R(e)A(c)[H](i)N(g).