Print today's WEB puzzle
Jump directly to today’s solution.
Jump directly to the explanations of today’s clues.
Here is WEB Crossword No: 015. Our own Tommy Moran has also just published his SunWeb10 crossword for our puzzling pleasure, so be sure to check it out (I am 2-in-a-row on Tommy’s puzzles now!). Today’s WEB Crossword should be much more user-friendly than last week’s offering, as I was in a much better mood when compiling it!
As a reminder, the Sunday slot is open for anyone who wants to post his or her own, original crossword. Just contact me and I will help you with the mechanics of compiling and posting.
Across
1 Cameron, put this first on your computer (6)
4 Gentle breeze, even though it's not really fair (1,3,4)
9 X soup? (6)
10 Anna's set is very cordial I am told (8)
12 I won't make a teenager drunk (5,3)
13 Attempt to swap F and T (6)
15 The cockney says to use her pal, Lee, which is convenient (4-8)
18 Thought about what he'd cut? (6,3,3)
21 Needed by an actor for a fair performance? (6)
22 My letters alone get very long (8)
24 Set about putting 501 men at the bottom (8)
25 Responsible for making useful beds? (6)
26 Exercises after the president eats? (5-3)
27 This issue, for example, is about a ship (6)
Down
1 It's not just worn around the Gulf exchanges (8)
2 Upset to find another in bed (8)
3 x (1,4,2,3,5)
5 Only 51 (4)
6 I am flunking, with his wild fantasy (7,8)
7 He had a salty wife that charged for the cream (6)
8 The mayhem of the War of the Roses? (6)
11 Sir, we've come about the inspections (7)
14 Nastily sly about Northern Ireland and Germany (7)
16 Get Scrabble Form B, and hurry up! (8)
17 I have endless changes in action (8)
19 It's wrong that M.S. is on the rise (4-2)
20 There is a 500, yes 500-pound character beside you in the Phys. Ed. pool (6)
23 It's a bargain back in ... in Spain (4)
Here is each clue alongside its answer, with an explanation of the link between clue and answer. I hope it all makes sense! As always, I welcome feedback via comment and/or email. I’m particularly interested in hearing about clues that were too obvious or easy, and clues that were annoying or perhaps caused frustration. But, I’ll listen to all suggestions on how to make my puzzles more challenging and more fun!
Across
1 Cameron, put this first on your computer (6)
WEB-CAM
Put this (puzzle) first (WEB) Cameron (CAM) = WEBCAM: on your computer.
4 Gentle breeze, even though it's not really fair (1,3,4)
A LOW BLOW
A LOW BLOW is a gentle breeze, and a move that isn’t fair, especially in boxing.
9 X soup? (6)
OX-TAIL
X is the TAIL of the word OX = OXTAIL: soup.
10 Anna's set is very cordial I am told (8)
ANISETTE
“Anna’s set” I am told (sounds like) ANISETTE: is very cordial. ANISETTE is an anise-flavored “cordial”.
12 I won't make a teenager drunk (5,3)
GREEN TEA
A “teenager” drunk, an anagram = GREEN TEA: which, when drunk, won’t make anyone drunk!
13 Attempt to swap F and T (6)
EF-FOR-T
F (EF) to swap (FOR) T (T) = EFFORT: attempt.
15 The cockney says to use her pal, Lee, which is convenient (4-8)
USER-FRIENDLY
Use her pal, friend, Lee, when said by a cockney is “use ‘er friend, Lee” which sounds like USER-FRIENDLY: which is convenient. And I hope you noticed my friendly use of USER-FRIENDLY in the introduction to today’s puzzle …
18 Thought about what he'd cut? (6,3,3)
CHEWED ‘THE CUD’
“He’d cut” = THE CUD when used in an anagram (CHEWED) = CHEWED THE CUD: thought about.
21 Needed by an actor for a fair performance? (6)
EQUITY
Needed by an actor, the actor’s union = EQUITY: fair(ness).
22 My letters alone get very long (8)
ELONGATE
My letters (in) “alone get” make ELONGATE: very long.
24 Set about putting 501 men at the bottom (8)
SE(DI-MEN)T
Set about (SE-T) putting 501 (DI) men (MEN) = SEDIMENT: at the bottom.
25 Responsible for making useful beds? (6)
LIABLE
LIABLE: responsible for, and perhaps a useful bed is 'lie-able'?
26 Exercises after the president eats? (5-3)
PRES-S-UPS
After the president (PRES) eats (SUPS) = PRESS-UPS: exercises.
27 This issue, for example, is about a ship (6)
EG-RE-SS
For example (EG) is about (RE) a ship (SS) = EGRESS: this issue.
Down
1 It's not just worn around the Gulf exchanges (8)
“Worn” around, an anagram (WRON) the Gulf exchanges, another anagram (GFUL) = WRONGFUL: it’s not just.
2 Upset to find another in bed (8)
In bed (B-ED) to find an-other (OTHER) = BOTHERED: upset.
3 x (1,4,2,3,5)
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
x is A SIGN OF THE TIMES in a multiplication.
5 Only 51 (4)
L-ONE
5 (L) 1 (ONE) = LONE: only.
6 I am flunking, with his wild fantasy (7,8)
WISHFUL THINKING
I am “flunking with his” wild, an anagram = WISHFUL THINKING: fantasy.
7 He had a salty wife that charged for the cream (6)
LOT-ION
He had a salty wife (LOT) that charged (ION) = LOTION: for the cream.
8 The mayhem of the War of the Roses? (6)
WREATH
The mayhem of, an anagram, “the War” = WREATH: of the Roses.
11 Sir, we've come about the inspections (7)
REVIEWS
“Sir, we’ve” come about, an anagram = REVIEWS: the inspections.
14 Nastily sly about Northern Ireland and Germany (7)
S(NI-DE)LY
Sly about (S-LY) Northern Ireland (NI) and Germany (DE) = SNIDELY: nastily.
16 Get Scrabble Form B, and hurry up! (8)
SCRAMBLE
From SCRAMBLE you "get Scrabble” by using for-M a B, i.e. swap M for B. And SCRAMBLE is to hurry up.
17 I have endless changes in action (8)
I-DLENESS
I (I) have “endless” changes, an anagram (DLENESS) = IDELNESS: in-action.
19 It's wrong that M.S. is on the rise (4-2)
M-ESS-UP
M.S. (M-ESS) is on the rise (UP) = MESS-UP: it’s wrong.
20 There is a 500, yes 500-pound character beside you in the Phys. Ed. pool (6)
P(U-D-D-L)E
In the Phys. Ed. (P-E) beside you (U) there is a 500 (D) yes 500 (D) pound character (L) = PUDDLE: pool.
23 It's a bargain back in ... in Spain (4)
S(NI)P
In Spain (S-P) back in (NI) = SNIP: it’s a bargain.
10 comments:
Hi Bill,
I thought you said this was going to be easier than last week's!
Eventually got all but 'anisette'..never heard of it and thought it was an anagram but couldn't make it fit..reckoned it had something to do with aniseed...aw well!! Late night/early morning for me...hope you get to King's Canyon!
Cheers Moley
Hi Bill and Moley,
Thanks, Bill, for a very clever puzzle. Very challenging at first glance, but I managed to finish it after googling for ANISETTE (very knowledgeable about cordials now!).
Liked most of the clues, especially OXTAIL, EFFORT, USERFRIENDLY, EQUITY, SEDIMENT, LIABLE, A SIGN OF THE TIMES, IDLENESS PUDDLE
Hope the trip is going well.
Best wishes to all
Eleanor
Hi Moley,
I guess I will have to recalibrate again! I did honestly try to make it easier, honest I did!
Thanks for trying it out, and sticking with it, and solving it except for ANISETTE.
Re ANISETTE
I guess I've drunk too much in my time, because I notice that Eleanor had trouble with ANISETTE as well. I admit I do often use words and wordcounts that suggest an anagram as a deception, but I did have the "I am told" to indicate the "sounds like". But, if you've not heard of it before, that doesn't help much. I also try to avoid words that aren't in common usage, and I guess ANISETTE pushed that rule to its limits.
But thanks for checking it out, Moley, and a special thanks for taking time to give me feedback, as always.
Hi Eleanor,
Thanks for coming back and checking out the puzzle. I was afraid I might have scared you away last week!
I'm glad you managed to finish it, but I'm sorry you had to google ANISETTE. As I said to Moley, it's one of my "rules" to only use words and phrase in common usage, and ANISETTE probably pushed that one a little bit.
You picked out some of my favorite clues. I usually start constructing a puzzle around 4-5 clues that come to me during the week. This week they were A SIGN OF THE TIMES, CHEWED THE CUD, OXTAIL and EFFORT. I tend to like that wordplay!
No more ANISETTE ... will stick to BRANDY and WHISKEY!
Hi Bill
That's you being nice????
Loved user-friendly, but managed to miss the hint in the intro.
How sad is that?
Megan
Hi Bill, and all
yes, I nearly got there this week. I had BASEMENT for SEDIMENT which made it more difficult down in that bottom left corner.
I MESSED-UP on MESSED-UP, PUDDLES, EQUITY and SEDIMENT.
I enjoyed the puzzle greatly after a slow start.
I particularly liked GREEN TEA anagram and OXTAIL and BOTHERED and A SIGN OF THE TIMES and PUDDLES.
Standard is just right on this one, I should have solved the rest especially SEDIMENT.
Well done and thanks for the challenge.
Megan,
Well, I did try to be nice, and use-friendly, I really did. I promise to ratchet it down just a tad more next time (there won't be a WEB puzzle on Sunday while I am on the road, but the Sunday after).
But ... thank you so much for checking it out!
Tommy,
Thanks for hanging in there after the slow start. I am going to try and "speed up" the start next time with a few more approachable clues thrown into the mix.
With how you're killing the Crosaire puzzle these days, Tommy, you not finishing must be my fault!
Thanks for checking it out, and taking the time to comment.
Hi Bill and everyone
Its Wednesday here in Brittany...in fact suppose it's Wednesday most places!...but only just got round to downloading my first puzzles since arriving...have been suffering from withdrawal symptoms but server was down and though supposed to be working now is still very poor!
Enjoyed doing your puzzle today although it took me quite a while to get started. Enjoyed it a lot once I got stuck in though have to admit I'm feeling very rusty in the whole puzzle department...brain slightly disengaged...or more disengaged than usual!
Finished WEB though not without a few hiccups along the way....and ANISETTE...despite drinking my aperitif each evening since arriving, you nearly caught me on this! Always knew it simply as ANIS/PASTIS/RICARD but ANISETTE is a new one on me! Is ANISETTE a non-alcoholic version of PASTIS or is it just another name for it?...I just tried googling it but I'd be waiting til tomorrow for a response....
Loved CHEWED THE CUD, A SIGN OF THE TIMES, WISHFUL THINKING, EFFORT, SCRAMBLE and PRESS-UPS.
Internet connection here is absolutely brutal...very frustrating! It's as slow as a wet week...you could go off to the bar and drink a bottle of Ricard while waiting for a single page to load...reckon I won't be commenting too often unless they get their IT problems sorted!
Hope you're having a great holiday Bill...things are going swimmingly this end!
Talk soon
Liz
Hi Liz,
I know I can always rely on you to have a go at the WEB crossword, but to do so on your holiday, with a slow connection ... that's above and beyond the call of duty!
ANISETTE does seem to be the bogey of the day. I think I am familiar with the word from the New York Times crossword, as I don't think I have have actually tasted it myself. I know you like your Ricard, but I am not really into that aniseed flavor, not in my drink anyway!
I hope you and yours continue to have a great holiday. If you can't get to the Crosaire puzzle, maybe you could go pick up an International Herald Tribune, and do the New York times puzzle instead? That's what I used to do in France. It's fun :o)
Post a Comment