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.
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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.
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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
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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/
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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
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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!
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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.

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle September 2020

 Minor Variations by Phi

Minor Variations PDF

Eight clues contain a redundant word or words not necessary for solving.  These words define the eight otherwise unclued entries, which exhibit minor variations that enable them to fit in the spaces available and also accommodate answers to eight normal clues which seem not to fit.  Numbers in brackets give the number of cells available for the answer. 

ACROSS

1    Tempt translator into a show of diplomacy (7)

6    Vital link that is fine by church leader (5)

11    Radical lines penned by a lecturer (4)

12    Curious image in lamellae showing no initial shortage of blood (8)

14    Free love in Scotland - very affectionate erotic activity (not kiss) (5)

16    Figure runs from opening (4)

17    Strip Henry, going after muscle (4)

18    Exhaust possibly put after one vehicle (4)

20    Scots pinch sample without using spades (4)

21    Attract fish coming round away from the wind (7)

23    Indication to stop collecting rent was entertaining (7)

24    Hurries to depose first little deity (4)

25    Aged couple can, wife acting internally (4)

27    Sound of impending doom heard for high-ranking mistress ready to be hanged (4)

29    Handel opera composer’s expected to suppress? (5)

32    Competitors about to put away petition (8)

33    Religious period in holy city runs late (4)

34    Old axes and temper implying particular stress (7)

DOWN

1    Lined up any old local twaddle dismissing a rule (4)

2    Ablutions a burden - I suffered internally (7)

3    Put sailor up for accommodating - say - marine gatherings (8)

4    A score falling short in the smallest degree (2,3)

5    Source of call sign identifying Queen (colloquially) (4)

7    Dislike expedition losing heart (4)

8    King occupying central point in court in Middle Ages (4)

9    Loose sodium compound involving oxygen cleared in chimney (7)

10    Small piece accepted by editor showed excessive passion (6)

13    Period of history in Libya revealing African defence system (6)

15    Feature of Solway Firth then spread around a couple of areas by fellow (6)

18    Lapwing experiencing most winds in duplicate rugged site (8)

19    Disorderly woman once accepted by congregation is no longer peevish (7)

21    Picked up sailors stuck in local millrace (6)

22    Statement in response: adopting Liberal, not Conservative (7)

26    Viruses in US city making you anxious (5)

28    Humourless approach to work in reactionary style (4)

29    Quantity of wood filling two channels, nothing less (5)

30    Historic mount beside unknown river (4)

31    Character observed in chatty Scottish gossip, perhaps (4)

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

Crossword News August 2020

 Crossword News August 2020

The July Prize Puzzle was What’s Here? by Vismut. Extra letters/words generated by the wordplay in across clues spell out CROSSWORD DOT ORG DOT UK, the location of The Crossword Centre. The circled letters spell out APOSTROPHE; the letter inserted in the middle of the grid is S. All the s’s in the grid are shaded to show an S which can be found at the crossword’s centre.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

Very clever puzzle - what a lovely idea for a theme. Thank you, Vismut! Of all the aspects that impressed me, the most impressive was how Vismut managed to have esses only in the places where they mattered!

I didn't have much trouble solving the clues except for the two across clues with wordplay generating three extra letters, and I only solved those after I realised that the location was a web address. When there are clues of two types, I suppose I shouldn't assume that all clues are of the more common type, especially with clues like 30a where I initially thought that the wordplay was generating too many letters, but I still didn't think that it was one of the clues generating three extra letters. I had guessed the contents of the central cell and what to highlight before I understood what was meant by "insertion to the location's name". Now I wonder if S is supposed to be both the letter at the centre of the word "crossword" and the letter at the centre of this crossword. I liked that every cell containing S needed to be shaded.

An entertaining solve and a nice play on the site name.  I spent far too long trying to find Derek Harrison in the grid before the penny dropped!  Thanks to Vismut for an enjoyable puzzle.

There were 51 entries, of which 5 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner from the electronic hat was Phil Caine from Formby, who will be receiving a copy of Chambers Crossword Dictionary, which was donated by Chambers.

A solution to What's Here? is available here. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2020/08/solution-to-whats-here-by-vismut.html 

The September Prize Puzzle will be Minor Variations by Phi.

Phi was first paid for a crossword over 40 years ago, and has been setting for The Independent for over thirty years, now in a weekly slot.   He also provided nearly 700 Beelzebub puzzles for The Independent on Sunday.  There are also over 50 Listener puzzles, over 150 Inquisitors, nearly 300 for the BBC Music Magazine, over 100 for the Church Times, and over 60 Enigmatic Variations puzzles in the list, but this is his first one for the Crossword Centre.

You can find out more about Phi and his puzzles on his blog at https://phionline.net.nz/
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As part of the Edinburgh Book Festival, New York Times digital crossword editor Joel Fagliano will be explaining how a crossword is made, how the team works, and you’ll get to take part in a live mini crossword-making session. Joining him in this event is Adrienne Raphel, author of Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures with Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can't Live Without Them. This event will take place at 17.30 on Sunday 23 August and, as the festival is entirely on-line, you don’t have to go to Edinburgh. More details at this link - https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/working-with-words-inside-the-new-york-times-crossword
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I have to recommend a YouTube video from Cracking the Cryptic, where Simon Anthony solves a sudoku with a Fawlty Towers theme. Fascinating to watch his brain working https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE-4k9s9aZc&feature=youtu.be
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During lockdown I have tried some word games on my iPad. One that is very simple but also a challenge is Word Collect. You have to make words by anagramming letters from a key word. The words fill spaces, so you can see the lengths required and they are listed in alphabetical order. It probably is a US app so there are occasional American spellings, labor for example. This app can be very annoying because of the frequent and tedious adverts. However, there is an easy way to stop them. You just switch off the wi-fi on your iPad.

Best wishes
Derek

Solution to What's Here by Vismut

 The July Prize Puzzle from the Crossword Centre.

What's Here? by Vismut

Extra letters/words generated by the wordplay in across clues spell out CROSSWORD DOT ORG DOT UK, the location of The Crossword Centre. The circled letters spell out APOSTROPHE; the letter inserted in the middle of the grid is S. All the s’s in the grid are shaded to show an S which can be found at the crossword’s centre.

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle August 2020

In The Chair by Phylax

Narrative

Bizarrely, I've won! Watch television set:  empty seat, with first of contestants on screen, approaching. "Name?" Attention required, wanting last round close to ideal. Get hard posers - saving skin, slips to some extent put right? Sound right. Expressionless, wise not showing one's beginning to relax...

In The Chair pdf

Several solutions to numbered clues must be modified prior to entry in the grid; lengths given are for grid entries throughout. The unnumbered entries wholly or partly within the main grid are thematically linked and are individually clued in the narrative; these clues do not overlap or have superfluous words separating them. Solvers must deduce the five-word phrase to be entered on the top and bottom lines, the unchecked letters of which can be rearranged to form SO SAGE DON SAT. All entries are real words.

Across

5 Boss got covering removed from protective footwear (4)

7 Will's stocking small shop - love special finishing touch from Kate (8)

10 'Junior' judge being one thoroughly backward (6)

12 Short cut to the ground protects United fan (4)

13 Favoured man in black when wearing a different colour (9)

14 Sure about embracing unknown older person in Elizabethan theatre? (7)

16 I move rapidly to destroy resistance (8)

17 Defeat for men over radical expansion that isn't wanted (8)

20 Closed up shack in street before start of demolition (4)

23 Quiet fellow penning a note in style of rambling autobiographer (4)

24 Solitary quote about sandwiches couple found following do (4)

25 Abandoned well had a steeply sloping area around the rim (8)

26 Stokes curtailed slog, coming in to milk erratic spinner (8)

28 Prescribed slaughtering of animals that lady collided with in Canada on vacation (4)

30 Pistol taking out odd characters when running through this, possibly? (7, two words)

32 English league delayed by a muppet essentially having power to change decisions (9)

33 In Paris, goes for smoke (6)

34 Related to doing divinity in college, I'd messed around with a lot of ladies outside 8)

35 Notable merchant at sea like notable merchant on UK high streets? (4)

Down

1 In the same place lives long-legged water bird (4)

2 Soft parts male kissed amorously under female domination (9)

3 In Rome, it is so Italian to pinch rounded bottom (6, two words)

4 Tricksters once tormented the RAC over Sierra belonging to us (5)

5 Legendary poisoner regularly served pet curare as dog's breakfast (8)

6 Traditional medicine seldom utilizes nurses (4)

8 Practise taxidermy on duck, returning to check about bits left over (7)

9 Ancestor recalled not enjoying California quakes (5)

11 Sun tolerating use of bad language (4)

12 Tool used for cutting nettles dislodging gnome's head (7)

15 In Perth, noisy row that is holding up introduction of runner (6)

18 Pedant dismissing conclusion of this puzzle (7)

19 Dates with debs unfolded here? (9)

21 Slow about quitting Conservative chatline, perhaps? (8)

22 Convoluted rule presented in full depth (7)

27 With boozer unfinished, opening for nocturnal opportunist theft (6)

28 Mollusc shell she's left amongst haul (4)

29 This country air could make Parisian dizzy (5)

30 From Japan, a huge upright drinking vessel (5)

31 Small change over in South America (4)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format including the 5 word phrase to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th September 2020. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.