Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle November 2023

 No Subtitles by Pandiculator

PDF copy

A work's subtitle, rendered cryptically, must be removed from several answers before entry into the grid. The nature of the work, along with the roles of two thematic individuals whose surnames (6 and 5) that appear within two symmetrically opposite entries in the grid, is spelt out by first letters of extra words in remaining across clues. The wordplay in all other down clues indicates the answer with an extra letter that is not entered in the grid. These letters spell out what solvers must change in the grid to reveal the work's title. Numbers in brackets refer to entry lengths. Real words or names are maintained at all stages. The Chambers Dictionary (2016) is the primary reference.

Across

1 Poet recalled Moll Flanders (4)

5 Self-built bed assembled in rough area (8, two words)

13 Perhaps oak intarsia losing outer covering is difficult to deal with (5)

14 Indian bear's losing head for his last potato (4)

16 Live parrot leads sailor's core mission for mast's valuable product (8)

17 Hamish's dish goes with sprinkled sage (4)

18 Ian's allowed baked tuile with new ingredient (6)

19 Extremely deep fabrications about force in narrow passage (4)

21 Royal satire's a cracker (5)

22 Recalling excavation difficulty with rock at fringes of abandoned mines (7)

24 NZ region with books heralding past champion (5)

25 Energy's given to great Olympian, primarily by Hoy's TV channel (3)

27 US border rule to trouble church beyond swamp (5)

30 Owner's cycling back more rapidly with tool (7)

32 Ill deeds of old men inhibiting opening of forest reserve (5)

35 Deception among cruellest rogues doubling (4)

36 Emperor backing Israel's oil syndicate (6)

37 Dance award's first for final Latin competitor in frame (4)

39 Acid rock's almost obtaining equality in press (8)

40 Frozen plane in diamond country (4)

41 European drink intertwining spirits with tips of Rossignola vines (5)

42 Exchange thousands within group of stars to mark event somehow (8)

43 Take away from excited white rabbit (4)

Down

2 Love story of old from sauntering extract (7)

3 Skilful opener leaves with chance of success (4)

4 Happy it's served up as filling for sandwich (5)

6 Prohibiting drug use, cautiously at first, in government (7)

7 City intermittently behind newer compound (6)

8 Remain lefties juiced fodder pests (5)

9 Creepy-crawlies penetrate rubbish blue-green coats (5)

10 Length of fruit gives Institute for Horticulture's term emotion, in a manner of speaking (9)

11 Ian's senile having rest after two-thirds of DIY? (6)

12 Silicate in case vertically tipped on girl (12, two words)

13 Egg, one surrounded by others, is next to send in a southern European city (12, two words)

15 In India, short white male absorbs gardener from the south with US allure (6)

20 Fishing nets and headlands in these? (9)

23 Director is capturing a queen for Arabs (6)

26 Pub staff duck tricky Listeners, losing skin off nose (7)

28 Musician is essentially vacating supporting group (7)

29 Pawpaw equipment's in two short vehicles (6)

31 East London thug "Crazy Toots" is making a comeback (6)

33 Harry ferries exhausted lame men behind squadron's rear (5)

34 Father drops climbing brother (5)

35 Destroyer remains afloat initially with four on board (5)

38 Fruits from edible marine algae (4)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format, to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th December 2023. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.

Crossword News October 2023

 Crossword News October 2023

The September crossword was Farewell by Hedge-sparrow. The theme is the SEA SHANTY “SPANISH LADIES” whose third verse describes a voyage from USHANT (a French island at the extreme south-western end of the English Channel) to SOUTH (S) FORELAND (a chalk headland on the Kent coast where there is a famous lighthouse), passing by several other LANDMARKS on the way.  The ROUTE starts at USHANT, passing by SCILLY, (the) DEADMAN, RAME HEAD, START, PORTLAND, WIGHT, BEACHY, FAIRLIGHT, DUNGENESS, and finally anchoring off S. FORELAND.  Clashes in the grid give the names of the various landmarks (which are generally either headlands or islands, sometimes with lighthouses) in approximately their correct geographical locations, to be indicated in the completed grid with first and final letters in the cells where they occur.  The puzzle’s title is derived from the first line of the shanty: “Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies”.

I remembered that the song appears briefly in the movie Jaws. https://youtu.be/yrpmv_zOa0k?si=Fp8ZJ2H_cbQ70MNP

In the 1956 film The Buccaneers it was Robert Shaw singing. https://youtu.be/4NzCkr54LAA?si=vH8OX2iPNDj25hac

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

A fine follow-up to the excellent "Postcard". This time, Hedge-sparrow has us identifying coastal features along the English Channel, according to the words of an old sea shanty. The solve was initially tricky, but all became clear when I tackled the down entries and revealed 1 across. I wasn't entirely sure whether I should be Googling "Spanish Ladies" at that time of the morning, but fortunately it led to a very useful Wikipedia page with the required landmarks. Many thanks to Hedge-sparrow and the Crossword Centre.

An excellent puzzle. Great clueing. I never knew of Spanish Ladies before and the fact that it is a sea shanty with an oral history made finding the “right” list of landmarks was more challenging - there is quite a lot of variety out there! Many thanks for the high quality of puzzles.

An elegant puzzle with the placenames accurately located and cleverly assembled.  I spotted sea shanty as a likely 1 across, and getting fair/light as a clash made finding the source material relatively easy on the net, even though I’d never heard of it.  That helped a lot with getting other clashing entries making for a relatively smooth and enjoyable solve -- thanks to Hedge-sparrow.

This was the hardest puzzle in this series since I started sending in entries (which was only last year, I think, to be fair).  In fact I nearly gave up on it.  The sea shanty emerged fairly early on (although, to be pedantic, Spanish Ladies is not a shanty) .  What really threw me was my failure to realise that there could be more than one clashing letter in a cell - “clashing “ to me implies just two letters.  To add to the difficulty, the Wikipedia page on the song uses an alternative spelling of Rame Head.  But I’m glad that I persevered!

There were only 29 entries, of which 12 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat was Gerry Murtagh from Glasgow, who will soon be receiving his prize book which was donated by Chambers.

There is a full solution to Farewell at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2023/10/solution-to-farewell-by-hedge-sparrow.html

 

You still have time to email your entry for the October Prize Puzzle, Strauss Work? By Chalicea. https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2023/09/crossword-centre-prize-puzzle-october.html

The November Prize Puzzle will be No Subtitles by a new setter to the Crossword Centre, Pandiculator.

Pandiculator is a mathematics lecturer based in Aberystwyth. He found his way to thematic crosswords via solving a numerical Listener and wondering whether the cryptics might be just as fun, eventually concluding that the answer is an emphatic "yes". His early setting efforts were numerical puzzles appearing in the Listener, Magpie and Crossnumbers Quarterly series. More recently, he's dipped a toe into the waters of setting thematic cryptics, with a recent effort appearing in Magpie and hopefully more to come soon in other publications. Beyond crosswording, he has two young children and can often be found hill-walking or mountain biking around the forests of Mid Wales.
***
The Times Crossword Championship takes place on the 21^st October. Crossword groupies will tend to meet up in the George Inn.

On the weekend 27/28 October there is the legendary York S & B. John Henderson has posted a final plea for confirmation for those going. https://www.fifteensquared.net/2023/10/02/sb-york-2023-friday-27th-saturday-28th-october-2023-important-update/

I shall be there on Saturday 28^th and, looking at the list of names, I am looking forward to catching up with old friends. I have promised John that I will be bringing some copies of The Apex Letters to sell and one to offer as a prize.

On Saturday 28^th there will be a Listener gathering in London. As usual, solvers, setters and editors meet at the Sir John Oldcastle in Farringdon, from about midday onwards.
***
Jane Teather has announced that the 2024 Listener Crossword Dinner will take place on Saturday 9 March at The Lincoln Hotel, next to Lincoln Cathedral and a short walk from Lincoln Castle.
***
On the CC Clue Writing competition, the results are in for clues to WALES. Clear winner was Ramki Krishnan with this deceptive entry.

Part of the UK used to be occupied by the French

This month’s competition is to write a clue for GRANGER. http://www.andlit.org.uk/cccwc/main.php

The CCCWC site is an incredible piece of software designed by John Tozer. Robert Teuton has access to the setting up of competitions and results. However, since John Tozer’s illness, he has not been able to manage the membership. If anyone has the ability to look at the code or suggest a way round it we would appreciate it. As it stands, we are unable to accept new members.
***
Quote of the month from Private Eye - “Anagrams can’t tell their ears from their bowels.”

Best wishes
Derek

 

 

Solution to Farewell by Hedge-sparrow

 Farewell by Hedge Sparrow - SOLUTION

The theme is the SEA SHANTY “SPANISH LADIES” whose third verse describes a voyage from USHANT (a French island at the extreme south-western end of the English Channel) to SOUTH (S) FORELAND (a chalk headland on the Kent coast where there is a famous lighthouse), passing by several other LANDMARKS on the way.  The ROUTE starts at USHANT, passing by SCILLY, (the) DEADMAN, RAME HEAD, START, PORTLAND, WIGHT, BEACHY, FAIRLIGHT, DUNGENESS, and finally anchoring off S. FORELAND.  Clashes in the grid give the names of the various landmarks (which are generally either headlands or islands, sometimes with lighthouses) in approximately their correct geographical locations, to be indicated in the completed grid with first and final letters in the cells where they occur.  The puzzle’s title is derived from the first line of the shanty: “Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies”.

Full solution and notes

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle October 2023

 Strauss Work? by Chalicea

30 lies between 15 and 36 (all unclued). Solvers must appropriately shade 26 cells including the correct state, and obey a further instruction given by corrections of misprints appearing in the definition parts of 18 clues. 

PDF Version

 Across

    1    Southern conservative local taxes involving regularly well-set villeins (10)

    10  Barn's moved into depths of wood, space being of short tenure for starters (6)

    15    See preamble (2 words)

    17    Advantage to whatever degree arranged (5)

    19    Tacky mischarge, supported by unlawful mind-set (5)

    20    Curved shape in bark removed from deciduous conifer (3)

    21    Husband taken in by former shaper (5)

    22    Diminish, we're told, pet exercise (6)

    24    Information concerning literary style (5)

    25    Units of acceleration maintaining heart of patronage for Jags (5)

    26    One French king, top of pate trimmed, not peruked (6)

    29    Court in school returned, singing in harmony (6)

    30    See preamble (three words)

    33    Creatively cheer a maiden met in Dublin (7)

    34    Hillside facing glacial flow seen principally to be in violent commotion (5)

    35    Dark side claims coffers (4)

    36    See preamble (3 words)

Down

    1    Formation in cave of mostly tainted glassy rock base losing initial mass (8)

    2    About difficult deals comprehending ordinary volume of work (8)

    3    Masterly Scots lassie dancing around (6)

    4    Short like playlet, regularly cut (3)

    5    Scotch egg mash was valid, enthralling university (4)

    6    Wild Filipino creature's endlessly traumatic wandering (7)

    7    Without one of sex functions associated with a circle (4)

    8    Critically examine sulphur and tin (4)

    9    Beetle's way out, it's said (4)

    10    Beheld European constant primarily calculating energy (4)

    11    Holey portion of omelette (3)

    12    Aware of wife being drawn along (5, 2 words)

    13    Shylock dubiously admitting opening of commerce of inferior quality (8)

    14    Very French and mostly out of date art of interfering with another's property (8)

    16    Cold rage about student is a cross blunder (7)

    18    Person hauling mediaeval war machine (5)

    23    Exceptional Hasid, one who has attained perfection (5)

    24    Grand old school hoard (5, two words)

    25    Damaged goods producing an obsolete oath (5)

    27    Character's aces (putting clubs last) (4)

    28    Upset touchy deity representing Jove for the Greeks (4)

    29    Record find - second half lost (4)

    31   Wash up ornamental cutlery stand (3)

    32   Chatter just in the past (3)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format describing the final grid, to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th November 2023. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers.

Crossword News September 2023

 Crossword News September 2023

The August Prize Puzzle was Right is Wrong by Flowerman. Extra words had pairs of consecutive letters, some in the right order and some in the wrong order. However, only examples of the reverse order pattern can replace letters in perimeter cells such that all new entries in the grid are real words.

The title suggests which is the particular pattern to enable completion of the puzzle: “right”, ie correct, is the reverse pattern as exemplified by ON in WRONG, while the forward pattern as exemplified by GH in RIGHT is “wrong”.

Here are some of the comments from solvers.

Great idea for a puzzle, brilliantly executed - many thanks to Flowerman and the Crossword Centre!

Enjoyed this puzzle, had a fair idea of what was coming in the end game as the solving progressed, but the neat part was that till every entry and extra word was sorted out, changes could not be visualised.  As it happened (and expected!), the pattern from extra words sorted themselves out into 2 neat groups of 10 each, so the title came in handy in the end.  Amazing grid construction skills and intricate clues.  It was satisfying that in the final grid AZ also materialised, so all 26 possible pairs were accounted for.  Many thanks.

A neat puzzle. The preamble and the unusual words were a bit of a giveaway, but I liked the way the twenty extra words were made up of two sets, and it was the reversed pairs that we needed. Adjusting the perimeter was a nice final challenge.  Thanks to Flowerman!

There were 36 entries, of which 8 were marked incorrect. The lucky winner, picked from the electronic hat, was Rod Beards who will be receiving a prize of a book donated by Chambers.

There is a full solution and notes at https://crosswordcentre.blogspot.com/2023/09/solution-to-right-is-wrong-by-flowerman.html

You have until 8th October to email your solution to the September challenge, Farewell by Hedge-sparrow.

The October Prize Puzzle will be Strauss Work? By Chalicea.

Since my last newsletter, I have received three submissions and the puzzles are fantastic! The pipeline is now full up to February. I am very grateful.
***
In a fascinating article by Alan Connor in the Guardian, he tells of how Douglas Adams and A J Ayer tackled the puzzles of Araucaria. In the article you can link to the relevant crosswords. The puzzle that Ayer attempted was one of Araucaria’s imaginative inventions – a Scrabble jigsaw puzzle!
https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2023/sep/18/crossword-roundup-can-you-solve-guardian-puzzles-tackled-by-douglas-adams-and-aj-ayer
***
An article in the International Business Times lists Influential Masters In The Crossword World. They are mainly American masters but Ximenes gets a mention. You can read it here
***
Frank Paul’s book The Twelve Quizzes of Christmas will be published in paperback on the 26 October. You can pre-order now on Amazon.

Also recently published is the Sunday Times Cryptic Crossword Book 3.
***
The 2023 Times Crossword Championship will be held on Saturday October 21st at Times HQ. Booking started on 4^th September and there is room for 200 participants. There will be no space for spectators, although there is bound to be a gathering of like-minded souls at the George Inn on Borough High St.
***
The latest Azed Slip is available on the Crossword Centre at http://www.crossword.org.uk/Azedslip.html
In the competition for DEFINIENDA, our puzzle marker, Robert Teuton, gained first prize with this nice clue for a difficult word.

I find last ones in puzzle recondite and struggling I may look them up in Chambers

(anag. incl. e, e).
***
An article in the Guardian, with the sub-title not just a hobby for men like Inspector Morse, seemed interesting. However, it was, as Richard Heald commented, a scattergun piece that reads like an AI experiment. Make your own conclusion here

***
Finally, birthday greetings to John Green, whose 75th was celebrated in Tiburon’s Listener crossword which asked solvers to send a birthday card and not the grid. He must have received a record number of cards!

Best Wishes
Derek

Solution to Right is Wrong by Flowerman

 Right is Wrong by Flowerman - SOLUTION

In the twenty extra words, there are ten showing the pattern of two consecutive letters of the alphabet, and ten showing the pattern of two consecutive letters in reverse order. Entries provide five additional examples of the former pattern, meaning that ten examples are still available for the final requirement. They also provide seven additional examples of the latter pattern, meaning that there are eight examples still available.  At this point, potentially either pattern could be the particular one needed to enable completion of the puzzle. However, only examples of the reverse order pattern can replace letters in perimeter cells such that all new entries in the grid are real words. 

The title suggests which is the particular pattern to enable completion of the puzzle: “right”, ie correct, is the reverse pattern as exemplified by ON in WRONG, while the forward pattern as exemplified by GH in RIGHT is “wrong”.

Initial grid

Final grid.

Explanations

For across clues, extra words are shown after the entry. The relevant 2-letter pattern is shown in square brackets.

Across

1 HOUMMOS                  ca[fe]                    MUSH(r)OOM*

6 IDEATE                          [vu]lgar                 I D(uk)E ATE

10 ASSIGN                       [po]licy                 (S(pooner) GAINS)*

11 TRISTE                                                       ("tea" RITE) around S

14 FUROR                                                      FUR O R

15 LARI                             bijoux                   (spectacu)LAR I(n)

16 TEARS                                                       E in TARS

18 LUBES                         Wolfgang             SUB(t)LE*

19 WREAKS                     solemn                 (S(tage-struc)K W ARE)*

21 GENRES                      Rajkot                   NR in GEES

23 ARABICA                     fo[lk]                     A RABI(d) CA

24 JIGGLE                         churc[hg]oing      J (n)IGGLE(d)

25 ANEMONE FISH         top-quality           (E MEN FASHION)*

29 NATTER                       meanin[gf]ul        REAGAN< with TT for A G

31 SCORNED                    Ma[cb]eth            CRONES* D

33 PANNES                      sexy                      P SENNA<

35 TEWITS                       lo[wv]eld              (WEST I(n)t(o))*

37 NASAL                         loc[kj]aw              (LAS AN)<

41 SACRA                         cocc[yx]                (ACR(os)S* A

43 GITS                            anecdotes            GI(f)TS

44 UNDER                                                      (ch)UNDER

45 SEALCH                                                     SEARCH with R becoming L

46 REDCAR                      hubcaps               RED CAR

47 RESCUE                       QR-code               RES CUE

48 UNHANDS                  Byzantine             (NUNS HAD)*

 

Down

1 HALT                             (c)H(art) ALT

2 OSIER                            O RISE*

3 MIHRAB                        BAM< around (I HR)

4 ONUS                            (b)ONUS

5 STRIG                            (cross-section’)S TRIG(onal)

6 IRON                              NORI<

7 DIRL                               LaIRD*

8 ATABEG                        (A BEG) around TA

9 TERES                            (af)TER ES(timates)

12 MISREADS                  (SIRE DAMS)*

13 PAEAN                        PA(g)EAN(t)

15 LURGI                          IRREGULAR* - RARE*

17 SKIM                           (e)SKIM(o)

19 WARNINGS                N in (WAR IN GS)

20 SCORE                         SCARE with A replaced by O

22 EJECT                           C(arp) in (E JET)

26 ETNAS                         (A(re) SENT)*

27 FOES                           OF< ES

28 SNICK                          SN (qu)ICK

30 TASTES                        (SET(h) SAT)<

32 RWANDA                    W in (R AND A)

33 PAISE                          P(r)AISE

34 SADHU                        SAD H(ind)U

36 TREAD                         (philatelis)T READ

38 LULU                           (hopef)UL UL(timately)<

39 ANCE                           ANC(l)E

40 TERN                           "turn"

42 AIRS                            (ch)AIRS

Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle September 2023

 Farewell by Hedge-sparrow

PDF version

A 1 describes a 19 defined by 28.  Extra letters removed from thirteen clues prior to solving give the name of the 1, while clashes produced by crossing entries in eleven cells indicate 28 which the 1 refers to: the 28 should be indicated in the grid by their first and final letters.  In the filled grid, solvers must show the approximate 19 by drawing a line passing through cells containing the 28.  One of the 28 omits an article, and another incorporates an abbreviation.  Enumerations refer to entry lengths. Chambers 2016 is the primary reference.

Across

1 Unclued (9, two words)

8 Italian sport’s pitch rejected by Tito Gobbi? (4)

11 Clergyman discarding what’s reportedly sea salt (5)

12 According to Gnostics, power of God exorcising daemon’s Lord and Master (4)

13 Come round at intervals in preference to encountering dog (5)

14 Outlaws baiting some  Gujarati traders (7)

15 Endures frost and blazing sun at the outset (6, two words)

16 Believer endlessly casing Troy is Achilles’ man (6)

17 Brief flood overwhelming northern hill initially swamps weasel cats (7)

19 Unclued (5)

22 Girls test the revamped illuminations in Mayfair, say (8)

25 Numskull’s ancient prayer taking an hour (4)

27 Malt liquor consumed by reserve firemen? (6)

29 Learner twice ejected from avant-garde health club amenity on seafront (4, two words)

31 Classical French architect – artsman extraordinaire! (3)

33 Ed’s fixed member in rowing-boat (4)

35 Posited missing sailor’s deserted (4)

36 Tableau incorporating Titian’s original Daughter with Bouquet (6)

37 Displays velocity and volume of respirable gas (8)

40 Advocates independent politician’s swearing involving extremes of behaviour (7)

41 Hop about with workmate retreating about a foot (5)

42 American range incorporating hot receptacle for charred remains (6)

43 Growing out, having eaten extravagantly (5)

44 In brief outburst, she is highly sentimental (4)

45 What stops citizens ignoring standard? (6)

46 In review, sum up English mythical prose (4)

Down

1 Hitch lifts in vehicle heading north for dormitory town (6)

2 Klee’s last love imbued with abstract art’s divine inspiration (5)

3 Swelling you once found after recurrent case of tetanus (4)

4 US picture-house not showing Top Gun to older folks there (6)

5 Lens distorting crown of subject’s head (4)

6 In the Highlands, slay creature skirting a traditional paddock there (4)

7 Callous diplomat abandons innocent (7)

8 Miscreant buys teapot in Land’s End, maybe (10, two words)

9 Regrets being seen outside haunt of vice and – ultimately - amorous vulgarity (4)

10 Country hotel trashed by hardline criminal (3)

12 Cordial Australian is in demand (7)

15 Fortune-teller’s reading for one supporting lad (4)

18 Cutting grass, spot a little fluttering Australasian bird (8)

20 Like restless spirits, mostly in subjection before the day (3)

21 Notice dandy turning up where dudes may board streetcars (7)

23 Feel discontent on Tiree (6)

24 Blonde US agent arresting idiot (7)

26 Honour Byzantine saint, showing reverence (6)

28 Birds and animals essentially block signposts (6)

30 Billy, cycling in scruffy Aussie’s aboriginal sack (5, two words)

32 Upright tablets of stone recalled the Bard’s evil? (5)

34 Squeeze queen into van (5)

38 Stable having no supply of food possibly woke pair of horses (4)

39 Perhaps Saudi Lord and King? (4)