Solution to Riddles by Gnomie

 Riddles by Gnomie - Solution

Extra letters in the wordplay spelled SHADE FIVE LETTERS THAT CORRECTLY SOLVE THE FINAL RIDDLE. The final solution was the name of the unknown prince in Puccini's opera TURANDOT, which was CALAF.

Clue explanations

 

Across: 

1 PRONUNCIAMENTO S: {RUIN[S]ACOMPONENT}*

11 SOLERA H: SOLE + RA[H]

12 AUGURERS A: {ARE[A] GURUS}*

15 MOES D: MO[D]ES

17 ABASED E: A BASE [E]D

18 IN SECRET F: INSECT round RE[F]

19 LARUS I: LA[I]R US

21 OCEAN V: {NA[V]E CO}<

23 POORI E: POOR I[E]

24 OLLIE L: (a)[L](o)O(f)L(y) + LIE

25 CLADIST E: CLAD I S[E]T

28 STAY T: S Y around TA[T]

31 EN EFFET T: [T]ENET around EFF

33 AGORA E: AGORA[E] 2 defs

39 LUCAN R: LUCA[R]N(e)

40 ROVER S: R + OVER[S]

44 SONERI T: SON + [T]IRE<

46 FLY-TOWER H: FLYER around T(echnicians) in [H]OW

47 ETTLES      A: TE[A]< (lef)T + LES

48 ASBESTOS CEMENT T: {BASEMENTS ETC [T]O S(eal)}*

Down: 

2 ROO BAR C: ROO(f) + [C]RAB<

3 OLEARIA O: (t)O[O]L(s) (r)EA(r) (t)RI(m) A

4 URGES R: {SURE[R] + G}*

5 NARDOO R: RAN< DOO[R]

6 CALICO E: CO around ALIC[E]

7 AGAS C: A + S[C]AG<

8 MURE T: MU[T]E around R(oles)

9 ERICA L: [L]AC< + IRE<

10 TREE LINE Y: {ENTIRE LE[Y]}*

11 SMALL CRAFTS S: S MALL[S] (pres)CR(ibed) AFT S(hip)

13 UNNERVE O: UN NE R[O]VE

14 EERILY L: [L]EERY around IL

16 STREET CRIES V: {SE[V]EREST CRIT}  

20 UNDO E: (t)UN[E] DO(wn)

22 NOTED T: (K)NOT[T]ED

23 PIPAL H: P[H]IAL around P(ilgrims)

26 LEG-PULLS E: LEG + S[E]LL UP<

27 TALCOSE F: {O[F] CASTLE}*

29 AFRO I: A F R[I]O

30 HOURLY N: O[N] in HURLY

32 FOVEOLE A: FOOLE(d) around [A]VE

35 OATERS L: OS around [L]ATER

36 ON SPEC R: ON(e) SP [R]EC

37 VERVEN I: VERVE [I]N

38 MATTE D: MATTE[D]

40 ROUTE D: [D]ETOUR*

42 NAOS L: SO[L]AN<

43 DOWT E: DO W[E]T

 

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle November 2020

 Hoping for a Hat-trick? by Yimin

Hoping for a Hat-trick? PDF

Some clues have an extra word.  The initial letters of those words in clue order spell three names associated with a place.  A prominent feature of the place appears in the unclued 14, 32 and 33 (four words).  Solvers should highlight the name of the place in the completed grid.

Across
1. Sporting authority starts to reduce competitors’ steroid evaluations – a mockery (5)
5. Invigorate Northern Italy for base, brought back Victor Emmanuel (6)
10. Exercise, remain active, and catch extremely gorgeous girl (5)
11. Regional Health Authority collects empty yogurt cups (5)
12. Refuse up North the hasty treatment (5)
14. Unclued
15. Navigation system unveils centre of Ossetia in Georgia (3)
16. Rod losing head in front of eastern Egyptian dancing girl (4)
19. Cavalryman’s pair of horses almost ready to tilt … almost (6)
20. Three kings? A couple followed by magnificent Nebuchadnezzar (9)
23. Oh! Set in rolled gold, emerald of luminous green (6)
26. “Instruct Fatima regularly,” rules mystic (4)
28. Fawn having lost Sergeant-Major’s weapon (3)
29. Half-unsighted, edge turning ball in start of night-time cricket (8)
32. Unclued
33. Unclued
34. Lance once intended to flee, hiding lover in Gretna Green (5)
35. Notice on X-ray – born with base of spine attached to different organ (6)
36. Lawless uncouth Yankee lost dosh (5)

Down
1. Legal decision overturned 18th century enclosure – profitable days over! (6)
2. Once a month before a meal take one dose of laudanum (5)
3. Ditch Romeo in Glastonbury, run to mother in Stratford-upon-Avon (4)
4. Careless cloth-eared teen, amazingly talented, lacking someone who repeats things (6)
5. Bustles about local women and shapes frocks (5)
6. Reject marginal reading in the bible to annoy Levite (3)
7. Tailless cat ascended mountain pass – it killed antelope (7)
8. Budget we initially estimated covers case (5)
9. Princess born for king in extraordinary bond (5)
13. Order provided about nursing slightly mad white folk (5)
17. Poet’s youthful freshness marks a romantic yen over the first part of the day (7)
18. Crew lose most of young salmon from ship’s load (5)
21. By the way on Tiber? Indeed, curiously (6)
22. Delicate management uses diamonds in no trumps – endplay ultimately (6)
23. Country house where Head of Duma is served afternoon tea? (5)
24. Ros and Brian alternately constructed solution’s principal route (5)
25. Topless bloke in Ibiza’s game! (5)
27. Addict’s doomed state (5)
30. Once valiant prince now essentially weak (4)
31. Programme to raise awareness is French (3)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format including the highlighted name to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th December 2020. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.

This is Yimin’s 3rd Crossword Centre puzzle.  Yimin will offer an additional prize to the first solver drawn from the electronic bag whose correct solution is accompanied by the correct explanation of the title and theme.  The archive of Crossword News at the old Crossword Centre blog (https://crosswordcentre.wordpress.com/) will help, as will the ‘Themes’ of the 2009 puzzles in the database of Listener Crossword found under Crossword Links of that blog.   

Crossword News October 2020

 

Crossword News October 2020

The September Prize Puzzle was Minor Variations by Phi. Unclued answers are (or have the form of) reduplicative compounds such as LOVEY-DOVEY, with only one letter varying between the halves.  By squeezing both letters into one cell in the crossing word (FRAMPO(LD)), the unclued answers can be entered in half the space apparently necessary.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

Phi is one of my favourite setters and I always enjoy his puzzles in the i newspaper on Saturday mornings.  So I quickly settled in to solving some easy clues before hitting a block. I could not see what was going on and it took some repetition of my best tactic (put the puzzle down, do something else and then pick it up again) for gradual progress to be made on one or two less common words. Then, with grid complete (except unchecked in the unclued) my search for anagrams was fruitless.  After what seemed a lot of staring, "rope ripe" suddenly registered - and so the penny dropped. A lovely, clever puzzle that really tested me and gave me enormous satisfaction upon completion. Thank you, Phi.

TERU-TERO was my way into this – there not being many synonyms for lapwing!

I always find Phi puzzles tricky, and this was no exception. The theme remained unrevealed until quite late on and the identification of all the redundant words was not easily resolved because of the very smooth surface reading of Phi's clues, enhanced by the inclusion of an extra word or words, making solution just that bit trickier! All in all, a very neat theme beautifully executed.

Minor Variations proved to be a tough challenge. There were 42 entries of which 3 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat, was Michael Crapper, from Whitchurch, who will soon be receiving his prize of Chambers Crossword Dictionary, which was donated by Chambers.

A solution is available at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2020/10/solution-to-minor-variations-by-phi.html

You still have lots of time to solve this month’s challenge, Riddles by Gnomie. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2020/09/crossword-centre-prize-puzzle-october.html

The November Prize Puzzle will be Hat Trick by Yimin.
***
The death was announced of the crossword setter, John Dawson, better known as Chifonie in the Guardian. In the Financial Times he set puzzles under the pseudonym Armonie. The FT published this obituary along with his first FT crossword.

JOHN DAWSON, crossword compiler Armonie in the FT, died on September 24 after a long illness. Born in 1946, a Novocastrian, he worked as a design engineer in the chemical industry. His laboratory colleagues gathered round the crossword in the morning tea break and this led to a lifelong passion, first as solver and 20 years later as compiler. His pseudonyms, Chifonie in the Guardian and Armonie in the FT, early names for the hurdy-gurdy, reflected his love of early music.

Early retirement and a move to Kendal enabled him to indulge his passion for walking and his love of the Lake District, which resulted in the website lakedistrictwalks.com. With retirement supported by setting crosswords and work as a warehouse truck operator, he took up again a teenage enthusiasm for ballroom dancing and with his partner started competing in the National League.

As a compiler at the easier end of the FT cryptic scale, his puzzles were often seen as a template to guide aspirant setters. He filled the Monday prize puzzle slot for many years and only retired a few months ago because of health problems.

https://www.ft.com/content/28b67521-0722-4d9a-bc90-360e257cdd23

Alan Connor published an obituary in a recent Guardian blog. https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2020/oct/12/remembering-the-crossword-setter-john-dawson-aka-chifonie
***
The organisers of the Listener Crossword Dinner, John Henderson and Jane Teather, have announced that, due to the Corona virus, they have cancelled next year’s March event. They are discussing whether to have an on-line event in March, to move the event to October or to miss out on 2020 and organise a dinner for March 2021.
***
The Corona virus has also affected this year’s Times Crossword Championship. Crossword editor David Parfitt announced this week –

It won't surprise you to learn that sadly the Times Crossword Championship will not take place this year, owing to the Covid pandemic. However, we would like to try something new (and rather experimental) in its place. On Saturday, November 21, three additional Times Crossword puzzles will go live on the Crossword Club at 10.30am GMT. Solvers will have 90 minutes to complete all three puzzles and will need to submit each puzzle upon completion, as if entering one of the weekend prize puzzles. The solver who completes all three puzzles most accurately and in the quickest time will become the inaugural Times Online Crossword Champion. As ever, we will produce a full list of rankings, so you can see how you fare even if you don't think you'll be among the fastest few. A few points to mention:

- The contest is open to all subscribers with access to the Crossword Club, and there is no entry fee. If you know of any non-subscribers who might like to compete, there is currently a "first month free" deal running on our digital subscription page: thetimes.co.uk/subscribe/digital

- We have made the decision not to offer a prize, other than the pride of winning and the undying respect of crossword solvers everywhere. Given the online format, we felt the best chance of encouraging fair play was to make the competition just for fun.
***
Following the huge success of their Cracking the Cryptic YouTube channel, Mark Goodliffe and Simon Anthony are now planning to publish a book of 25 of the best Sudoku puzzles. They have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds. You can find out more at the link below, as well as watch a 2 minute video and order a book.
http://kck.st/3iR7WA0
***
With news of trouble with the Track and Trace system run by Dido Harding, it was apt, according to Private Eye, for Chambers Dictionary to remind us that “dido” means “a frivolous or mischievous act” and “to act dido” means “to play the fool”
***
On the Clue-writing site your challenge for October is a STANDARD CRYPTIC clue to GLORIA (6) by the closing date of MIDNIGHT GMT WEDNESDAY 28th OCTOBER.
http://www.andlit.org.uk/cccwc/main.php

***
Problems with the host service for the Crossword Centre means that future puzzles will be posted on the blog. Please add the URL to your favourites. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/

Best wishes
Derek

Solution to Minor Variations by Phi

 Minor Variations by Phi - Solution

Unclued answers are (or have the form of) reduplicative compounds such as LOVEY-DOVEY, with only one letter varying between the halves.  By squeezing both letters into one cell in the crossing word (FRAMPO(LD)), the unclued answers can be entered in half the space apparently necessary.

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle October 2020

 Riddles by Gnomie

Four unclued solutions, three of them translated from the original and one which is the work's title, are given as the answers to riddles in a work. The first and last lines of an aria from the work appear in the grid. The wordplay of every clue produces an additional letter that is not needed for the solution. These, read in clue order, give a further instruction.

Riddles by Gnomie PDF

Across

1  Formal proclamation sadly ruins a component (14)

11  Only brief expression of approval for system of sherry production (6)

12  Area gurus adjusted for bard's diviners (8)

15  Fashions for wry faces long ago (4)

17  A reprehensible senior journalist humbled (6)

18  Wretched little person getting round umpire on the quiet (8, 2 words)

19  Beasts' enclosure unserviceable for family of birds (5)

21  Main, central area of church company reviewed (5)

23  Of an inferior quality that's hot, deep-fried Indian bread (5)

24  Aloofly now and then assume horizontal position for skateboard trick (5)

25  Believer in taxonomic theories equipped international coterie (7)

28  Endure tasteless odds and ends in small yard (4)

31 Philosophical belief including obscenity in fact according to Voltaire (7, 2 words)

33  Israeli monetary unit in ancient market places (5)

39  Window to the sky, mostly related to gospel writer (5)

40  Runs and several series of balls for player with no fixed position (5)

44  Descendant to become weary about cloth of gold (6)

46  Leader of technicians going into 'how' in promotional leaflet for stage contraption (8)

47  In Holyrood, purposes of upset drink left finally by the French (6)

48  Building material of constructed basements etc - to seal principally (14, 2 words)

Down

2  Shelter mostly and portable winch set up for Perth's vehicle protection (6, 2 words)

3  With no limits tools rear and endlessly trim a daisy tree (7)

4  Surprisingly surer about grand impulses (5)

5  Aborigine’s food plant spread up to front entry (6)

6  Cotton company clothing Carroll's heroine (6)

7  American heroin casually turning up in cooking ranges (4)

8  Actor with no words to speak welcomes first of roles as Bard's wall (4)

9   Heather's anger over upset resin (5)

10  Entire ley strangely where growth of timber stops (8, 2 words)

11  Little boats' special promenades essentially prescribed on aft and fore of ship (11, 2 words)

13  Disconcert one in Nice born to ramble (7)

14 Openly distrustful, circling Israel in a strange and frightening manner (6)

16  Severest crit, perversely, for slogans of hawkers (11, 2 words)

20  Tune down, somewhat and bring to nothing (4)

22  Closely united but not initially celebrated (5)

23  Small bottle containing bit of pilgrims' bo tree (5)

26  Following stage of journey, returning, sell up for jokes (8)

27  Of castle constructed of mineral found in dolomitic limestone, say (7)

29  A fine South American city hairdo (4)

30  Functioning in commotion at regular intervals (6)

32  Mostly fooled about average small depression (7)

35  At a subsequent time getting into old style westerns (6)

36  As a gamble cutting back one special recipe (6, 2 words)

37  Vigour and spirit in Ed's magical, medicinal plant (6)

38  Produced dull surface on coarse metal (5)

40  Rambling detour's the road to take (5)

42  Old white gannet turning up in inner temple (4)

43  Arrange to pour water on Ian's fag end (4)

Crossword News September 2020

 

Crossword News September 2020

The August Prize Puzzle was In the Chair by Phylax. The theme of the puzzle was the BBC quiz show Mastermind. The eight modified entries must have a word meaning 'pass' removed:  SH(UTTER)ED, S(HAND)EAN, ER(EMIT)IC, SHE(CHIT)A, AR(GO)SY, S(WEAR)ING, S(COL)LOP and T(REACH)OURS. The eight unnumbered entries can all be prefixed to 'point': TRIG, VIEW, NEAR, STAND, POWER, COVER, SORE and NEEDLE. The five-word phrase is therefore EIGHT POINTS AND NO PASSES.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

Great puzzle! Cleverly conceived theme and excellent clues, including some very amusing ones. Although I soon figured out how to modify the answers, the common thread "pass" eluded me for quite a while. Same thing with "point" from the narrative (an amazingly plausible narrative, given the words Phylax had to work with!). Then the whole thing fell into place all at once. Thank you, Phylax, for a most enjoyable mental workout.  

Was an extremely interesting puzzle and perhaps one of the toughest I've tackled here.  A great find for the catchphrase and theme, and a nicely constructed grid.  Quite a feat to include so many thematic entries, having as many passes as points, and all the more so because there were largely no unfamiliar words.  Not that it made getting the answers any easier, the delightfully tricky wordplay in many a clue required several rounds of reading before yielding.  Even with a fully filled grid (adjustments having been made with 'educated' guesses but with no idea why) I was left staring at it trying to figure out the theme.  Went on a wild goose chase, getting reacquainted with some trigonometry in the process, till fortuitously getting introduced to 'Dadstermind', and then everything clicked.  Excellent stuff, thanks for the entertainment.  Note: 26d had me confused for quite a while, not being sure whether the narrative covered it, since it was a 'numbered' entry.  Finally slotted that as the last one in after disposing of the others, and at the very end saw that it was also part of the thematic set. A 'stand out' puzzle!

When I saw the puzzle title, I immediately thought of Mastermind, but as I filled the grid, it was only on realising that AND NO PASSES would fit on the bottom line, that I saw I had been right, that the eight narrative words could precede POINT and the words removed in modified entries were all synonyms of PASS. I liked the rather whimsical nature of some of the clues, eg for DILATORY, DEICIDAL and HITLIST. Also, some difficult clues, in particular that for SHANDEAN caused me most bother. Many thanks to Phylax.

There were 48 entries, of which 8 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat was Mark Nichols from Rugby, who will soon be receiving a prize from the Chambers range.

A solution and explanation are available at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2020/09/solution-to-in-chair-by-phylax.html

The September Prize Puzzle is Minor Variations by Phi and you still have lots of time to solve it and email your entry. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2020/08/crossword-centre-prize-puzzle-september.html

The October challenge will be Riddles by Gnomie.
***
Steve Bartlett, editor of the Enigmatic Variations puzzles in the Sunday Telegraph has announced this on our message board.

For solvers who are interested in attempting barred puzzles, http://bigdave44.com/ is now providing a weekly hints post for the Enigmatic Variations series in The Sunday Telegraph. Solvers who are inexperienced with barred-grid puzzles can find valuable information about how to tackle these each week with information relevant to the current puzzle. The introduction of these posts runs alongside an offering of accessible puzzles for the first few EVs in September. Please do give it a try and leave a comment about your experience on the blog; it will also be good to see some new names among the entrants for the prize.
***
One of the highlights of my year has been John Henderson’s York S & B meeting. However, with social distancing and the rule of six this has seemed unlikely this year. However, John thinks that there may be a chance of doing something puzzle-oriented related on that weekend and there are still rooms available at Stableside should anyone fancy a weekend in York on the 30/31 October. More details here http://www.fifteensquared.net/2020/09/14/sb-york-2020/#more-144140
***
Scrabble fans who are interested in the statistics of the game might like to look at the Unscrambler site. You will find it at https://www.unscramblerer.com/scrabble-twl-dictionary-statistics/
***
On the Clue-writing Competition the challenge for September is to write a Printers Devilry clue to SEVEN. The competition closes on 30 September. More details at http://www.andlit.org.uk/cccwc/main.php
***
The BBC 2 quiz programme, Only Connect, will start a new season on Monday 21 September. I wonder if they have had to socially distance the teams!
***
Having been in Portugal to see our family, we are now in quarantine. However, as Northumberland is now in special measures, I will have lots of time to solve more crosswords.

Best wishes
Derek

 

 

Solution to In The Chair by Phylax

 Solution to In The Chair by Phylax

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle August 2020

The theme of the puzzle is the BBC quiz show Mastermind. The eight modified entries must have a word meaning 'pass' removed:  SH(UTTER)ED, S(HAND)EAN, ER(EMIT)IC, SHE(CHIT)A, AR(GO)SY, S(WEAR)ING, S(COL)LOP and T(REACH)OURS. The eight unnumbered entries can all be prefixed to 'point': TRIG, VIEW, NEAR, STAND, POWER, COVER, SORE and NEEDLE. The five-word phrase is therefore EIGHT POINTS AND NO PASSES.