Print today's WEB puzzle (spoiler alert ... today's solution and clue explanations are included on a second page!)
Jump directly to today’s solution.
Jump directly to the explanations of today’s clues.
Here's the 23rd WEB Crossword. There are a lot more clues today, as I've avoided the long, 15-letter answers. We'll see what difference it makes, if any. As always, a special thanks to those of you who take a moment to give me feedback. I enjoy the compliments, but I don't mind the "could do better" feedback too! If you'd rather send me a private email instead of leaving a comment, feel free to do so. Enjoy ...
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
9 Separate the images from the Associated Press (5)
10 GOB (2,2,3,2)
11 State that you're away, and not in abstinence (7)
12 Start to 25-across quickly north of the border (7)
13 R.E. 'as these, I hear (5)
14 Heading for Anne's heart (3)
15 That is a hundred in the gym class and it's still not complete (5)
16 The Spanish for the head fairy (3)
18 I'll double you, and I'll feel this hostility (3,4)
19 Thanks be ... for the label (3)
21 That's fine, Albert ... I hear it's for the last two (5)
22 Crosaire finally shows some anger (3)
23 My favourite bit of Manilow (5)
25 Young Quasimodo is seen at the hotel (7)
27 Want to know about that cowardly dog and his debts? (7)
29 Make the run in case, in case of a loss (9)
30 It sounds so shabby, to be followers (5)
Down
1 This Father made like the Pope when he hit fifty (4)
2 That little plum is mad about my boy (6)
3 Stop the two saints over not feeling well (10)
4 Reed was instrumental, but put nothing into that British award (4)
5 Back there, emit twice as much, and faster (6,4)
6 Without Di's details at the end of the list (2,2)
7 Describing an immoral soul with just ten teeth perhaps? (8)
8 At ease after having a go at his chin (6)
13 She makes a good solicitor? (3)
14 I'm lying-in, crazy with the flu, so I am cancelling everything (10)
15 This employer is used to make plastics, for example (10)
17 Settle on who is in the finale (8)
20 He can get the buoys without us (3)
21 Richard, I'm telling you that material is fabulous! (6)
24 Come back soon, 'e is making those loops (6)
26 You listen, and I'll write, but not by column (4)
27 That cook, he's in the football club back there (4)
28 Maintains the strays with the trout (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
9 Separate the images from the Associated Press (5)
AP-ART
From the Associated Press (AP) the images (ART) = APART: separate.
10 GOB (2,2,3,2)
BE ON THE GO
GO-B
11 State that you're away, and not in abstinence (7)
ABSENCE
ABS-tin-ENCE and no-"t in" = ABSENCE: state that you're away
12 Start to 25-across quickly north of the border (7)
BEL-FAST
Start to BEL-LBOY (BEL) quickly (FAST) = BELFAST: north of the border.
13 R.E. 'as these, I hear (5)
SONGS
R.E. 'as, I hear as ARIAS = SONGS
14 Heading for Anne's heart (3)
NNE
A(nne)'s heart = NNE: a heading.
15 That is a hundred in the gym class and it's still not complete (5)
P(IE-C)E
In the gym class (P-E) that is a hundred (IE-C) = PIECE: and it's still not complete.
16 The Spanish for the head fairy (3)
EL-F
The Spanish (EL) "f-or" the head (F) = ELF: fairy.
18 I'll double you, and I'll feel this hostility (3,4)
I'LL W-I'LL
I'll (I'LL) double you (W) and I'll (I'LL) = ILL WILL: feel this hostility.
19 Thanks be ... for the label (3)
TA-B
Thanks (TA) be (B) = TAB: for the label.
21 That's fine, Albert ... I hear it's for the last two (5)
FINAL
That's fine, Albert (FINE AL) I hear as FINAL: it's for the last two (teams/players).
22 Crosaire finally shows some anger (3)
IRE
Crosa-ire finally = IRE: shows some anger.
23 My favourite bit of Manilow (5)
M-AND-Y
My (M AND Y) = MANDY: favourite bit of Manilow.
25 Young Quasimodo is seen at the hotel (7)
BELLBOY
Quasimodo is the deformed bell ringer in Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre-Dame, so a young Quasimodo would be a BELL-BOY, and a BELLBOY "is seen at the hotel".
27 Want to know about that cowardly dog and his debts? (7)
CUR-IOUS
That cowardly dog (CUR) and his debts (IOUS) = CURIOUS: want to know.
29 Make the run in case, in case of a loss (9)
INSURANCE
Make the "run in case", an anagram = INSURANCE: in case of a loss.
30 It sounds so shabby, to be followers (5)
SEEDY
To be followers, it sounds like 'two B followers' (CD) it sounds = SEEDY: so shabby.
Down
1 This Father made like the Pope when he hit fifty (4)
PAPA
This father (PAPA) when he hit fifty (L)) = PAPAL: made like the Pope.
2 That little plum is mad about my boy (6)
DAM-SON
Is mad about (DAM) my boy (SON) = DAMSON: that little plum.
3 Stop the two saints over not feeling well (10)
ST-AND-ST-ILL
The two saints (ST AND ST) over not feeling well (ILL) = STANDSTILL: stop.
4 Reed was instrumental, but put nothing into that British award (4)
OB(O)E
Into that British award (OB-E) put nothing (O) = OBOE: reed that was instrument.
5 Back there, emit twice as much, and faster (6,4)
DOUBLE TIME
Twice as much (DOUBLE) back there, emit (TIME) = DOUBLE TIME: and faster.
6 Without Di's details at the end of the list (2,2)
ET AL
Details (d-ETA-i-L-S) without Di's (d-i-s) = ET AL: at the end of the list.
7 Describing an immoral soul with just ten teeth perhaps? (8)
DECA-DENT
With just ten (DECA-) teeth ('DENT') perhaps = DECADENT: describing an immoral soul.
8 At ease after having a go at his chin (6)
GO-AT-EE
After having a go (GO) at (AT) ease (EE) = GOATEE: at his chin.
13 She makes a good solicitor? (3)
SUE
Well, maybe she would!
14 I'm lying-in, crazy with the flu, so I am cancelling everything (10)
NULLIFYING
I'm "lying-in" with the "flu" crazy, an anagram = NULLIFYING: so I am cancelling everything.
15 This employer is used to make plastics, for example (10)
POLYMERISE
This "employer is" used, as an anagram = POLYMERISE: to make plastics, for example.
17 Settle on who is in the finale (8)
FINAL(IS)E
In the finale (FINAL-E) is (IS) = FINALISE: settle on who.
20 He can get the buoys without us (3)
BOY
The B-u-OY-s without "us" = BOY: he can get.
21 Richard, I'm telling you that material is fabulous! (6)
FABRIC
Fabulous Richard (FAB RICK) I'm telling you, so it sounds like FABRIC: that material.
24 Come back soon, 'e is making those loops (6)
NOOS-'E'S
Come back soon (NOOS) 'e is ('E'S) = NOOSES: making those loops.
26 You listen, and I'll write, but not by column (4)
No by column (BY ROW) you listen, and hear as = BIRO: and I'll write.
27 That cook, he's in the football club back there (4)
C(HE)F
In the football club, 'FC', back there (C-F) he is (HE) = CHEF: that cook.
28 Maintains the strays with the trout (4)
SAYS
The S-tr-AYS with the tr-out = SAYS: maintains.
6 comments:
Hi Bill
Great puzzle...but I didn't finish! It was the musical clues that tripped me, missing arias/SONGS and MANDY,…had M-N-Y, and knew it was all about Barry…but MandY still didn’t register…I’m putting it down to ‘Barry not MY favourite’!
Filled NNE because I saw it as the heart of A(NNE)'S....although I still don't really 'get' it!
So many of today's clues read very smoothly...CURIOUS, STANDSTILL, BELLBOY, GOATEE, NULLIFYING, POLYMERISE, FABRIC...
Nice deletions for BOY, SAYS and ET AL
INSURANCE, NULLIFYING and POLYMERISE were lovely anagrams….and was very proud that I spotted your chemiclue POLYMERISE...BEFORE I had a lot of the across clues for assistance!
There were three short solutions that I really liked:
OBOE….lovely clue and my redemption in the music department today!
SEEDY was a great clue…got it quickly from the down clues and ‘shabby’….but it took longer to see where ‘followers’ came in…Be…CD…fabulous!
Hard to pick a favourite today….but the short and sweet 'by row/BIRO won in the end!
Thanks Bill
Liz
Hi Bill and Liz,
Another cracker of a puzzle. Very enjoyable and all clues read great. I managed to finish in 3 sittings but none the less I got it.
For MANDY I had BARRY stuck in from the beginning but realised my mistake. An honest mistake :)
The clue of the day had to be FABRIC, made me laugh. You hear so many words on a daily basis and never consider half of them as potential for these puzzles. Good job.
My reasoning for NNE is that heading in the direction of North North East. Is that the same logic?
The level of difficulty was just nice. Enough gimme clues and enough challenging clues with conventional answers.
BE ON THE GO was also nice. Was thinking at first it was a reference to the Bee gee's but alas not as convoluted as I thought.
Thanks Bill,
All the best,
Mark
Hi Liz,
I'm sorry you missed MANDY ... I liked that clue :( SONGS was a bit tough, as it required you to get to 'arias' and then make a leap to SONGS. Maybe it wasn't as fair as it could have been.
As Mark explained below, NNE is a "heading" or a bearing, used in navigation of a boat or a plane, or anyone using a compass to get from A to B.
I was a tad worried about POLYMERISE, the "chemiclue". I had to include it fit with the rest of the puzzle, and you know I like to stick with answers that are common enough words.
Glad you liked SEEDY, it was one of the anchor clues that I started with (answers that I already had clues for). The others today were, BE ON THE GO, NNE, MANDY, SUE, and BIRO.
Thx for checking out the puzzle, Liz. Hope you noticed that I avoided all references to weapons and wars!
Hi Mark,
Thx for sticking with it. I didn't intend it to be a "3-sitter", but as you know, you just can't tell sometimes!
I try to throw in as many different types of clue as possible. MANDY was something new for me, using the M-AND-Y device. Maybe I should have chosen something less painful than a Manilow song! Maybe something from the Bee Gees would have worked better! :o)
Thanks for the feedback, Mark. It's all very helpful.
Hi Bill,
it was late last night that I put the final touches to solving your puzzle, hence the posting today.
Again you are getting a nice balance of clue types and clever wordplay. Very enjoyable.
Last to go in for me were SEEDY, MANDY and POLYMERISE.
At one stage for BELL BOY I saw that I had BOLOBBY, I knew the BOY was there, Lobby was trying to get in until I realised where you were going.
My favourite was STANDSTILL.
Well done.
Tommy
Hi Tommy,
I hadn't intended producing a puzzle that would be a solving-marathon, but it looks like I did. Thanks for hanging in there, Tommy.
I thought I'd throw in a "chemiclue" like POLYMERISE, just to irk you physicist types :o)
Re BOLOBBY
One rule I do try to stick to, is avoiding obscure answers. So if I seem to pointing you to a word that you don't recognize, I am probably looking for something different.
Thanks for the feedback, Tommy.
Post a Comment