Friday 29 December 2023

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle January 2024

 ___________________ by Hawk

The grid is initially asymmetrical, and clues are in normal order: across, then down. Bars must be added, then finally repeated with 90-degree rotational symmetry, dividing many grid entries elsewhere. Solvers must highlight a thematically definitive path, passing through 36 cells touching at sides, without crossing any bars. The path passes through one corner cell and ends in the opposite corner. The single-word title must be written above the grid. Corrections to single misprints in the definition part of each clue provide a hint. The Chambers Dictionary (2016) is the primary reference. One answer is an abbreviation.

Hesitatingly stopped having members in English packs (7)

Bard from Brummagem area (5)

Having a hood fit loosely, I slice tofu (10)

Ten once shifted skip from Mars? (3)

Jerk fills pipe, having retired in Bootle (8)

Inner knowledge of vantage point guarded by Maori tribe before start of tangi (5)

Often cheated mystical force, otherwise dead (6)

Why joins aren't woven with Tarzan's clothing (7)

Men in reserve film finches (5)

Buried in attitude, right to instill in reverse (5)

Stare away, getting into flipping trouble (5)

Must broadcast this last for Australian, say (6)

They keep one trier in recurrent fiddle (4)

Maybe source joke name for judge in bard's fantasy (7)

Made holy water bottles (3)

English venue follows with some cooled Cava (8)

Curtailed lustful duke, but not everywhere (3)

Note about Henry's religious outrider (5)

Pub riot erupts (4)

Ten things may appear on these coins (5)

Tuba could be recommended for this historic tribute backing former pub (6)

Line of figure five in forged steel (6)

Care principles reflected in scientific book that covers it (6)

Pick-up stopping small boy getting tangled up in Forces (6)

Anonymous French settlement linked by carriage (6)

GIs separately corresponding, having despatched shell (4)

Wary feeling produce has changed hands (4)

From clod, almost turned up tapes of fungal spore (5)

Underworld shelter splits planks in a great division (6)

Open ballot box: one plays zero (8, two words)

Oriental stuck in this love angst, essentially (4)

Serf-moving vehicle involved nice kit (11)

Reason artist worked in cellars (12)

Poet's calm wife to drive dame into water (4)

Tuck grass beneath Tesla (5)

Bars words (4)

Girl's devouring half of Marx, destroying Engels, maybe (8)

One can heap most of thread on sore cut (7)

Source of starlet's delicacy lacking core dynamic (6)

Key in text: "These glasses aren't clean" (6)

Thin elastic filament scratching van (5)

Fine after compliance of herd element at number 58 (5)

Chemise could work with this elastic material, in retrospect, but lose the cape (4)

Quiet, independent adult - one regularly attends masque (4)

Glasgow teams struck awe (3)


To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format describing the final grid, to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th February 2024. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.




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