The pairs of words are clued in such a way that the definition part relates to the full word, but the cryptic indication relates only to the part not involved in the collision, i. If this is the way the Everyman puzzle is going to be from now on, I won’t be wasting any more time on it.

All the Across solutions consisted of two words with one or more letters in common entered in such a way that the two words run into each other. I agree about the recent standard: the clues have been frustratingly imprecise: poor definitions and/or indicators, and an over-use of solutions embedded in the clue, but above all they aren’t entertaining: ponderous and over-literal: none of the sparkling wit of the predecessor. I solved this but didn’t submit, as I was away skiing in France, without access to a printer – or a fax machine…perhaps the new Editor will modernise the Guardian/Observer prize puzzle submission process? I could not understand the symbol in 1a and could barely read it on my small phone screen, so that did not help me.

When I came back to cryptic crosswords again recently after a long hiatus, I started doing the daily puzzles in the Guardian. While the pitcher and the catcher are also positioned in the infield, they don’t count as infielders. Colin Gumbrell took over as Everyman setter in 2014 or thereabouts, and I think his puzzles are a little bit harder than the previous ones. GARDEN HOSE – I’d never heard of the forest of Arden, and only found it by googling after I got the answer with crossers.

Porsche Cayman The Model For EverymanPorsche is well known for its lead in the sports and recreational vehicle market. I do not necessarily endorse, support, sanction, encourage, verify or agree with the opinions or statements of any information or other content in the comments on this site and do not in any way guarantee their accuracy or reliability. Thanks for the blog, I also thought it was BRAS(s) , two very long complete anagrams for Jay’s list.com is not affiliated with SCRABBLE®, Mattel®, Spear®, Hasbro®, Zynga® with Friends, "Wordle" by NYTimes in any way. Because of the time of year, there is a bit of a fireworks theme and 4dn and 9dn don’t rhyme, as in the past, but are related in their subject matter.

Guardian daily puzzles are quite heterogeneous in both style and difficulty, because there are many different setters.

Then I could go back to 3 down, which had foxed me, and knowing that it probably rhymed with 11 down, I then I saw dressing room. Azed 2459 - Last Two + Parsing Queries 15a Little old bird tom's sneakily trapped in trough (7) TITM _ _ E I can find Titmice, but that is plural and doesn't parse. Down clues were `normal’, which helped a lot in providing checked lights to help in solving the trickier across clues. It seems the Observer had to find a crossword setter at short notice, which is some kind of excuse for the offering above, but it’s still the worst crossword puzzle I’ve ever seen in a supposedly quality newspaper.

MacNutt – who was a stickler for fairness and precision in his clues – must be turning in his grave. That’s not enough to merit a prize but at least gets me on the scoreboard for this year’s competition. I still have no idea how 10a is parsed - I can see the definition but have no idea how it's derived from "top spy"! Tls three-quarters through - now completely stuck viz A strange way to be alone in Anthony's 2014 first novel A? It is interesting though, that the most proficient solvers of cryptic crosswords, according to a study done by a UK University, (which was posted on 225 years ago and I can’t remember now), are people with science and technology backgrounds.

Sunday 21st January 2024: 'Theatrical farce no one gets rid of (though second character cut) (6,3)'. I actually knew LESOTHO is a monarchy, so that went in easily and parsed UNHINGED the same way as KVa, after squinting at it several times.