Crossword News May 2022
Last month our Prize Puzzle was RR XIV. The theme of Round
Robin XIV was Easter Island. That name was given to it by JACOB ROGGEVEEN, who
landed there on Easter Sunday, 5th APRIL 1722. Solvers were to change the
bottom row to EASTER ISLAND and highlight it along with six MOAI, one of them
the ‘unusual’ TUKUTURI.
Here are some of the comments from solvers.
A very clever puzzle, with excellent clues throughout, and a well-hidden theme. Many thanks to John Nicholson for putting it together!
A lovely construction, seasonal theme, and some excellent clues. I remember thinking last year that the Round Robin format had led to quite a variation in clue quality, and a reduction (or perhaps imbalance) in clue variety. That didn't seem to be the case at all this year - it held together very nicely as a puzzle, with the balance of clues seemingly just about right (not too many hiddens, composite anagrams, anagrams etc.). Thanks to all involved for an enjoyable solve.
Another fantastic puzzle, a great job by whoever thought up the concept, game and grid design. Very interesting to solve and educational too. Many thanks to all involved.
A nicely constructed puzzle on an interesting theme: thanks to John for that and for pulling the whole thing together.
There were 53 entries, of which 3 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, drawn from the electronic hat, was John Reardon, who will be receiving a prize of Chambers Crossword Dictionary.
There is a solution at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2022/05/rr-xiv-second-capital-solution.html
Many solvers voted for their favourite clues It should be noted that when one of the answers was TEUTON, John thought it apt to give the clue to Robert Teuton
These top 5 clues were the only ones that made it into double figures, so well done to these 5:
1st - TEUTON - 32 pts - Robert Teuton
2nd - TOO BAD - 31 pts - Anax
3rd - DATUK - 26pts - Andrew Macleod
4th - GERONIMO - 24 pts - Phylax
5th - TESTIS - 14 pts - Luciano Ward
Robert has kindly deferred , so the prize will go to Anax.
Other clues that received points:
ATOCIA - 9pts
DESPAIR - 9pts
INDENT - 6pts
MINOS - 5pts
STEEM - 4pts
TESTE - 4pts
CHILE - 4pts
ESSENE - 3pts
ODIUM - 3pts
CENTIMO - 3pts
LIANE - 3pts
UNMOOR - 2pts
Those on 1pt
HODGE
ICIER
BUTTIES
ESLOIN
TUSSER
TURIN
You still have time to complete the May puzzle, Mayhem Parva by Vagans.
The June Prize Puzzle will be Repatriation by Hawk.
***
It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of
Neil Shepherd, who set puzzles in the FT as Alberich and in the Independent as
Klingsor. Neil was always willing to give help and advice to novice setters and
his website Free Crosswords Online was always a good place to find out how to
compile and to create grids.
After I pointed out Alberich’s web site I have received a
number of requests to save the pages on the Crossword Centre in case the site
closes. I am looking seriously into this.
***
It was a shock for me to read of the death of John Young. John Henderson wrote
this on 15Squared.
With a very heavy heart, I must pass on to crossword friends
the sad news of the death of the compiler John Young. Financial Times solvers
will have known him as Dogberry; to Guardian aficionados, he was Shed – and of
course one quarter of Biggles. He had been in deteriorating health for some
time, never having fully been able to get over the death in 2018 of his mother
Audrey (the Guardian setter Audreus)
Hugh Stephenson wrote an obituary for the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/2022/may/12/john-young-obituary
***
The Times also published an obituary to Barbara Hall, the setter behind the Sunday Times crossword for almost 40 years.
Barbara Hall obituary
***
I was not surprised to learn that the Sunday Telegraph plan to close the EV series by the end of July. They want to make more space in the paper version and, as all of their crosswords are going on-line, the EV is often not suitable for interactive solving. Like lots of others, I often do the EV but never post an entry. I feel it would be a great pity if the EV were to come to an end. Paul Henderson expresses similar opinions in his blog. Phi On-line
***
Kate helps solve the Times Crossword.
The duchess of Cambridge revealed her hidden talent as a cruciverbalist during a visit to
the University of Glasgow campus where she and Prince William spent 20 minutes
meeting students.
Jack Baird, 21, a second-year student, caught the duchess’s
eye waving a copy of an old crossword puzzle from The Times. One answer was
eluding him: the one about the royal family. The duchess, who has a 2:1 degree
in the history of art, grabbed the print-out and offered to help.
The clue concerned a subject on which she should be
well-briefed: the Queen’s financial arrangements. Kate was, apparently,
“thrilled” to get it right.
Baird said afterwards that he had been stuck on
“seven-down”, which was about the “sovereign’s annual allowance”.
“It was two words of five and four letters,” he said. “I
couldn’t get the second word. I gave it to Kate and asked her as I’m sure she
would have known. And she said it was ‘Civil List’.
Best wishes
Derek
