July 2026 Pronouncement by Noctifer

 Pronouncement by Noctifer

Down clues contain extra single words. The positions of these words within their clues index letters, which taken together spell how most people treated a pronouncement.

Corrections to misprints in each across clue provide instruction on what and how to highlight cells to reflect the pronouncement more properly, after filling the central cell to show the key name involved.

One answer is an abbreviation.

Across

2    Roman haul buried in Gaul, allegedly (4)

5    Child forest animals identified by hedge tracks (8, 2 words)

10    Abruptly walk back in vestment (3)

11    Athletic need less easy influence (6)

13    Swat sponge (3)

15    King defers to knight in devolved part in Montenegrin bay (5)

17    Pudsy primate briefly covered in sauce (5)

18    Large deer is sour-tempered, striking rock (5)

19    Bedroom obliterated in rowdy nights for those just made to punch holes (4)

20    Fit up behind (3)

21    After half time, Athletic bind Ross's large chest … (7)

22    … Mexican had serious role until the end of the first half (8)

24    Gunners relinquishing lodgings for light tents (4)

25    Perth reorganised to accommodate English for its preps, eagerly (5)

28    Oedipus' wrongdoing produces $100 in dodgy fines (6)

30    Band formation in festival return? No thanks! (4)

31    Noctifer would be found in best mishap; far from Olympic extremes? (8)

35    Maintain bearing in twisted slender gutters (7)

38    Statisticians ignoring the cries of Reds (3)

40    Go back and turn up to see secret policy! (4)

41    Potations brewed from these essential oils and processed paan (5)

43    Vengeful sorceress in the middle of local river (5)

44    Focus of fraying around goat's hair cloth (5)

45    Henry involved in borderline thuggery of yob (3)

46    Threefold mental exercises (6)

47    Band leader in horrifying ties up on assault charge (3)

48    Mass suspended in some oozing treacle (8)

49    Idly note a couple of variables (4)

Down

1    Acorns as Bambi fodder are in fine tangled mats (7, 2 words)

2    Original Uptown Funk starts under a Latin ostinato at first, with detachment (5)

3    Country in SE Asia head also organised (4)

4    Reach a consensus on controversy regarding age limits (5)

5    Ornament with spangles once barest sexuality is out (6)

6    Small capitals in the manner of 1999 ladder-like structure (5)

7    Over-excited ones lacking delirious energy make heavy particles (8)

8    Bornean tribesman fitted up old landing-place with automatic notice (5)

9    Deceitful people of Spenser's America urge sly sham (7)

12    Coat of arms' red colour uncovered by one short kiss over Edmund's crown (5)

13    Arbroath's halfpenny ball, born in little mountains? (6)

14    Half of muscle T's are scandalous essentials (5)

16    Dorothy's companion's opulent cream coat in outskirts of Toledo (4)

23    Earlier sideboards exist - use 20 for insatiable regeneration (8)

26    Exclamation of fatigue as tons thunder, dropped from altitude - stop! (7)

27    Like waves some watercolourists apply after about 7 (6)

29    Silk colours unconventionally freshened up suits I left out; peach has worked? (7)

30    Solid-eating piglet's space has to transform (5)

32    Archery hit off centre: winners missing gold outside (4)

33    Racket sport spectators, musicology faculty presidents take in inspired finish (6)

34    Tiny hint fury leads to inflammation of the amygdala (4)

35    A bit of drum, guitar, bass defines Afro-Cuban dance (5)

36    New Uptown Funk dub intros regularly ease people out of clothes? (5)

37    One's nearest pub's familiar screwdriver suitable for those on a diet? (5)

39    Perhaps Mr Stiles noisy breakdown is dropped for books (5)

42    Musical pattern Baltimore Indians play in contrapuntal arrangement (4)

PDF version

   To enter this competition, input your solution into the website at https://cc.vellender.com before 8th August 2026. 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 2026

 

Crossword News June 2026

The May Prize Puzzle was Adorns Anew by Yimin. Solvers were asked to find three works and complete a perimeter quotation. The three works are Birth of Venus (11a/13d), Venus and Mars (13d/26d) and Primavera (12d) – paintings by Sandro Botticelli: the title being a clue to his first name. The perimeter quotation (and source) is BOTTICELLI ISNT A WINE YOU JUGGINS BOTTICELLI IS A CHEESE (PUNCH). Which explains why three wines (21a, 28a and 43a) must be changed to cheeses. It was an original idea to make extra letters check with the unchecked cells in the perimeter.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

 

Brilliant. Delightful clues (I loved 20). Allowing the extra letter to be anywhere in the clue gives great scope for finding ingenious places to hide it. A splendid ruse to reveal the unchecked perimeter letters. However, the art-works quickly revealed the perimeter subject and the ODQ then revealed the quotation. I suspect the great majority of solvers will have completed the perimeter via that route (as did I), rather than using the extra letters from the clues.

I have to admit to not finding the three wines (I assume that's what they were). This failure proved to be a significant advantage, as I encountered no clashes in cells, while the three cheeses readily became clear from crossing lights.

A good level of challenge was maintained from start to finish. It was delightfully satisfying to complete the puzzle.

 

Slow to get into, but I saw BIRTH OF VENUS and PRIMAVERA reasonably early, so BOTTICELLI followed. And having possession of a paperback collection of Punch cartoons used in their caption competition I knew the quote, so the perimeter promptly filled and it was a question of simply 'mopping up'. I had TOKAY and made it GOUDA, but I worked backward from RICOTTA (clue answer must be a wine...) and still haven't worked out what lurks behind PANEER!

 

Possibly the most bizarre quotation that's appeared in a puzzle -- presumably it made more sense in context. Worked well as a thematic device, producing an entertaining solve. The device of extra letters providing the perimeter letters was a novel one for me, adding to the interest.

 

There were 58 entries, of which 5 were marked incorrect. The winner, picked at random, was Paul Newell, who will be receiving a prize of Chambers Crossword Dictionary, which is donated by Chambers.

 

There is a full solution and notes at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2026/06/solution-to-adorns-anew-by-yimin.html The list of correct solvers in May is available on the entry page for the June competition.

 

There is still time to enter your solution to the May Prize Puzzle, Replace by Curmudgeon. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2026/05/june-2026-replace-by-curmudgeon.html

 

The July Prize Puzzle will be Pronouncement by Noctifer. Noctifer is an actuary from Dublin who fell in love with the Listener in 2015 and recently turned his hand to setting that style of puzzle. He would set more if inspiration would strike!

 

After my plea for submissions last month, we received 3 in the same week which kept John Nicholson and me very busy testing. So, I can promise some exciting solving this summer with puzzles from Noctifer, Vagans and Henri. Also, in the middle of a heatwave we tested the next Seasons Greetings for December and Arcadia has already sent his next Advent Challenge. Thank you all for your support. We would now welcome submissions for the autumn months.
***
Colin Inman, former editor of the FT crosswords died in May, aged 87.  He was a journalist at the Financial Times and wrote the FT Style Guide. He took on the role of crossword editor in 1979 when the FT had only three compilers. He was instrumental in commissioning and encouraging new talent. When he retired there were 30 setters and he had edited over 13,000 crosswords as well as instigating the Polymath general knowledge puzzle. Many current setters are indebted to Colin for his encouragement in starting their careers.

There is an obituary on Fifteensquared https://fifteensquared.net/2026/05/20/rip-colin-inman/ 

It is also worth reading the article written by Roger Blitz on Colin’s retirement. https://www.ft.com/content/c321ea22-57ad-450e-b9dd-86576231c6e5?syn-25a6b1a6=1
***
I have been subscribing to The Times on-line with their Light Pack subscription at £4.99 per month. I am very happy to only read 30 articles each month as I have access to all the crosswords, sudokus and puzzles. It is obviously much cheaper than buying The Times every Saturday to get the Listener Crossword. However, I have been warned that the price will almost double.

“Dear Derek,
Thanks for subscribing to The Times and Sunday Times.
We need to let you know that effective from July 8, 2026, the price of your Light Pack subscription will increase to £9.99 per month. The Light Pack is a bespoke invitation-only subscription offered to readers like you, who value flexibility for a lower cost than our standard digital subscription. We hope you agree that even with this change, the Light Pack continues to offer exceptional value to access our authoritative journalism.”
***
Last month I mentioned how the Guardian was celebrating their Cryptic Crossword no. 30,000. A complex trail led to the May Genius puzzle by Enigmatist. A lot of geniuses were found in the grid, with thinking outside the box! Here is how Alan Connor describes the event.
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2026/jun/02/crossword-editors-desk-celebrating-30000-cryptics-with-a-treasure-hunt
***
I see that the World Crossword Federation is holding an on-line championship in July for US residents and one for Canadian residents, with cash prizes for the winners. You can find out more and how to register at https://crypticsingh.com/new/home.aspx

Best wishes
Derek Harrison.

Solution to Adorns Anew by Yimin.

 Adorns Anew by Yimin - Solution

The three works are Birth of Venus (11a/13d), Venus and Mars (13d/26d) and Primavera (12d) – paintings by Sandro Botticelli: the title being a clue to his first name.

The perimeter quotation (and source) is

BOTTICELLI ISNT A WINE YOU JUGGINS BOTTICELLI IS A CHEESE (PUNCH)

Which explains why three wines (21a, 28a and 43a) must be changed to cheeses.

Across

7 (G)old GIAOUR UR after [GI A O]

9 b(U)y ISRAELI SERIAL* + I

14 NOLE (ei)NO LE(ino)

Eino Leino is one of the pioneers of Finnish poetry

15 fe(U)d RATER ATE in RR

17 bill(Y)’s SOREL SORREL – R

A (very weak) reference to Billy the Kid, a cowboy

18 SCOTOMA STOMA round C/O

20 la(I)d HITS ON H IT + SON

21 TOKAY OK in TAY

24 es(A) MOUE MOUSE – S

ESA is Employment and Support Allowance for disadvantaged people

25 (N)arrow OSSA

[S(laloming) O(n) A(rrow) S(kis)]*

27 (S)hocks HARIMS RI in HAMS

28 CANARY [YR A (k)NAC(k)]<

30 ASCI (trache)a’s ci(lium)

33 TEND CONTEND - CON

34 NAEVE A in EVEN<

35 a(I)m COMATE [AM TO]* in C(ornic)E

37 PRECAST PRE(ss) CAST

38 ba(L)m CHEAT C + HEAT

39 (C)hard EPHAH EP H HA<

42 ta(T)e INTO I(ngres) + N TO

43 (B)raving MADEIRA MAD E IRA

44 (C)old LEESIDE SEE< in LIDE

45 du(N)st SMOOCH [COOM in HS]<

Kirsten Dunst has played high school girls in film (Drop Dead Gorgeous, for one)

Down

1 ra(P)s JAILORS [LJ RAS I O]*

2 OUTROOPER OUT [RE POOR]<

Mounting in the surface as (eg) support for a painting

3 EYOT EY(e) TO<

4 (S)core NIFE KNIFE - K

5 WREST “REST”

6 TEA ROOM OOM under TEAR

8 t(H)in ORE E under OR

Jakob is Norway’s premier distance runner

10 ANOSMIA [MIASMA ON]* - M

11 lo(A)ch BOCKS BLOCKS – L

Ken Loach a well-known ale drinker!

16 tuts(I) AMUSETTES [TUTS A SEEM]*

19 topp(L)ing ADORN ADO over RN

22 AHEAP A [HAP round E]

23 DRIVE HOME DRIVE on HOME

28 ton(E)s PECHT (dee)PE(ned) CH T

29 wa(I)ter ANOESES NOES in SEA<

31 SHANTOU hidden

32 rec(T)al COSTA OS in (re)C(al) (si)T(es) (abr)A(ded)

36 (B)room ATTIC AT [TICK – (muc)K]

40 PREE PREE(n)

41 pla(I)ce HIDE HE round ID

42 ITO I T’ (hokkaid)O