Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle October 2023

 Strauss Work? by Chalicea

30 lies between 15 and 36 (all unclued). Solvers must appropriately shade 26 cells including the correct state, and obey a further instruction given by corrections of misprints appearing in the definition parts of 18 clues. 

PDF Version

 Across

    1    Southern conservative local taxes involving regularly well-set villeins (10)

    10  Barn's moved into depths of wood, space being of short tenure for starters (6)

    15    See preamble (2 words)

    17    Advantage to whatever degree arranged (5)

    19    Tacky mischarge, supported by unlawful mind-set (5)

    20    Curved shape in bark removed from deciduous conifer (3)

    21    Husband taken in by former shaper (5)

    22    Diminish, we're told, pet exercise (6)

    24    Information concerning literary style (5)

    25    Units of acceleration maintaining heart of patronage for Jags (5)

    26    One French king, top of pate trimmed, not peruked (6)

    29    Court in school returned, singing in harmony (6)

    30    See preamble (three words)

    33    Creatively cheer a maiden met in Dublin (7)

    34    Hillside facing glacial flow seen principally to be in violent commotion (5)

    35    Dark side claims coffers (4)

    36    See preamble (3 words)

Down

    1    Formation in cave of mostly tainted glassy rock base losing initial mass (8)

    2    About difficult deals comprehending ordinary volume of work (8)

    3    Masterly Scots lassie dancing around (6)

    4    Short like playlet, regularly cut (3)

    5    Scotch egg mash was valid, enthralling university (4)

    6    Wild Filipino creature's endlessly traumatic wandering (7)

    7    Without one of sex functions associated with a circle (4)

    8    Critically examine sulphur and tin (4)

    9    Beetle's way out, it's said (4)

    10    Beheld European constant primarily calculating energy (4)

    11    Holey portion of omelette (3)

    12    Aware of wife being drawn along (5, 2 words)

    13    Shylock dubiously admitting opening of commerce of inferior quality (8)

    14    Very French and mostly out of date art of interfering with another's property (8)

    16    Cold rage about student is a cross blunder (7)

    18    Person hauling mediaeval war machine (5)

    23    Exceptional Hasid, one who has attained perfection (5)

    24    Grand old school hoard (5, two words)

    25    Damaged goods producing an obsolete oath (5)

    27    Character's aces (putting clubs last) (4)

    28    Upset touchy deity representing Jove for the Greeks (4)

    29    Record find - second half lost (4)

    31   Wash up ornamental cutlery stand (3)

    32   Chatter just in the past (3)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format describing the final grid, to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th November 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 September 2023

 Crossword News September 2023

The August Prize Puzzle was Right is Wrong by Flowerman. Extra words had pairs of consecutive letters, some in the right order and some in the wrong order. However, only examples of the reverse order pattern can replace letters in perimeter cells such that all new entries in the grid are real words.

The title suggests which is the particular pattern to enable completion of the puzzle: “right”, ie correct, is the reverse pattern as exemplified by ON in WRONG, while the forward pattern as exemplified by GH in RIGHT is “wrong”.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

Great idea for a puzzle, brilliantly executed - many thanks to Flowerman and the Crossword Centre!

Enjoyed this puzzle, had a fair idea of what was coming in the end game as the solving progressed, but the neat part was that till every entry and extra word was sorted out, changes could not be visualised.  As it happened (and expected!), the pattern from extra words sorted themselves out into 2 neat groups of 10 each, so the title came in handy in the end.  Amazing grid construction skills and intricate clues.  It was satisfying that in the final grid AZ also materialised, so all 26 possible pairs were accounted for.  Many thanks.

A neat puzzle. The preamble and the unusual words were a bit of a giveaway, but I liked the way the twenty extra words were made up of two sets, and it was the reversed pairs that we needed. Adjusting the perimeter was a nice final challenge.  Thanks to Flowerman!

There were 36 entries, of which 8 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat, was Rod Beards who will be receiving a prize of a book donated by Chambers.

There is a full solution and notes at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2023/09/solution-to-right-is-wrong-by-flowerman.html

You have until 8th October to email your solution to the September challenge, Farewell by Hedge-sparrow.

The October Prize Puzzle will be Strauss Work? By Chalicea.

Since my last newsletter, I have received three submissions and the puzzles are fantastic! The pipeline is now full up to February. I am very grateful.
***
In a fascinating article by Alan Connor in the Guardian, he tells of how Douglas Adams and A J Ayer tackled the puzzles of Araucaria. In the article you can link to the relevant crosswords. The puzzle that Ayer attempted was one of Araucaria’s imaginative inventions – a Scrabble jigsaw puzzle!
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2023/sep/18/crossword-roundup-can-you-solve-guardian-puzzles-tackled-by-douglas-adams-and-aj-ayer
***
An article in the International Business Times lists Influential Masters In The Crossword World. They are mainly American masters but Ximenes gets a mention. You can read it here
***
Frank Paul’s book The Twelve Quizzes of Christmas will be published in paperback on the 26 October. You can pre-order now on Amazon.

Also recently published is the Sunday Times Cryptic Crossword Book 3.
***
The 2023 Times Crossword Championship will be held on Saturday October 21st at Times HQ. Booking started on 4^th September and there is room for 200 participants. There will be no space for spectators, although there is bound to be a gathering of like-minded souls at the George Inn on Borough High St.
***
The latest Azed Slip is available on the Crossword Centre at http://www.crossword.org.uk/Azedslip.html
In the competition for DEFINIENDA, our puzzle marker, Robert Teuton, gained first prize with this nice clue for a difficult word.

I find last ones in puzzle recondite and struggling I may look them up in Chambers

(anag. incl. e, e).
***
An article in the Guardian, with the sub-title not just a hobby for men like Inspector Morse, seemed interesting. However, it was, as Richard Heald commented, a scattergun piece that reads like an AI experiment. Make your own conclusion here

***
Finally, birthday greetings to John Green, whose 75th was celebrated in Tiburon’s Listener crossword which asked solvers to send a birthday card and not the grid. He must have received a record number of cards!

Best Wishes
Derek

Solution to Right is Wrong by Flowerman

 Right is Wrong by Flowerman - SOLUTION

In the twenty extra words, there are ten showing the pattern of two consecutive letters of the alphabet, and ten showing the pattern of two consecutive letters in reverse order. Entries provide five additional examples of the former pattern, meaning that ten examples are still available for the final requirement. They also provide seven additional examples of the latter pattern, meaning that there are eight examples still available.  At this point, potentially either pattern could be the particular one needed to enable completion of the puzzle. However, only examples of the reverse order pattern can replace letters in perimeter cells such that all new entries in the grid are real words. 

The title suggests which is the particular pattern to enable completion of the puzzle: “right”, ie correct, is the reverse pattern as exemplified by ON in WRONG, while the forward pattern as exemplified by GH in RIGHT is “wrong”.

Initial grid

Final grid.

Explanations

For across clues, extra words are shown after the entry. The relevant 2-letter pattern is shown in square brackets.

Across

1 HOUMMOS                  ca[fe]                    MUSH(r)OOM*

6 IDEATE                          [vu]lgar                 I D(uk)E ATE

10 ASSIGN                       [po]licy                 (S(pooner) GAINS)*

11 TRISTE                                                       ("tea" RITE) around S

14 FUROR                                                      FUR O R

15 LARI                             bijoux                   (spectacu)LAR I(n)

16 TEARS                                                       E in TARS

18 LUBES                         Wolfgang             SUB(t)LE*

19 WREAKS                     solemn                 (S(tage-struc)K W ARE)*

21 GENRES                      Rajkot                   NR in GEES

23 ARABICA                     fo[lk]                     A RABI(d) CA

24 JIGGLE                         churc[hg]oing      J (n)IGGLE(d)

25 ANEMONE FISH         top-quality           (E MEN FASHION)*

29 NATTER                       meanin[gf]ul        REAGAN< with TT for A G

31 SCORNED                    Ma[cb]eth            CRONES* D

33 PANNES                      sexy                      P SENNA<

35 TEWITS                       lo[wv]eld              (WEST I(n)t(o))*

37 NASAL                         loc[kj]aw              (LAS AN)<

41 SACRA                         cocc[yx]                (ACR(os)S* A

43 GITS                            anecdotes            GI(f)TS

44 UNDER                                                      (ch)UNDER

45 SEALCH                                                     SEARCH with R becoming L

46 REDCAR                      hubcaps               RED CAR

47 RESCUE                       QR-code               RES CUE

48 UNHANDS                  Byzantine             (NUNS HAD)*

 

Down

1 HALT                             (c)H(art) ALT

2 OSIER                            O RISE*

3 MIHRAB                        BAM< around (I HR)

4 ONUS                            (b)ONUS

5 STRIG                            (cross-section’)S TRIG(onal)

6 IRON                              NORI<

7 DIRL                               LaIRD*

8 ATABEG                        (A BEG) around TA

9 TERES                            (af)TER ES(timates)

12 MISREADS                  (SIRE DAMS)*

13 PAEAN                        PA(g)EAN(t)

15 LURGI                          IRREGULAR* - RARE*

17 SKIM                           (e)SKIM(o)

19 WARNINGS                N in (WAR IN GS)

20 SCORE                         SCARE with A replaced by O

22 EJECT                           C(arp) in (E JET)

26 ETNAS                         (A(re) SENT)*

27 FOES                           OF< ES

28 SNICK                          SN (qu)ICK

30 TASTES                        (SET(h) SAT)<

32 RWANDA                    W in (R AND A)

33 PAISE                          P(r)AISE

34 SADHU                        SAD H(ind)U

36 TREAD                         (philatelis)T READ

38 LULU                           (hopef)UL UL(timately)<

39 ANCE                           ANC(l)E

40 TERN                           "turn"

42 AIRS                            (ch)AIRS