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After two weeks of progressively more "less easy" puzzles in the first two Sundays of October, I've kicked it up another notch today and have set a puzzle that I am grading as 3/5 in terms of difficulty. I hope you agree! As always, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.
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.
Across1 These are the facts I heard about the tax on trumpets (5,5)
6 Notice they aren't the bottoms in reverse (4)
10 The shortest streets around here (7)
11 Anna took ten ears for the rabbit (7)
12 This truck can follow car A as it's a convoy (3)
13 Obligations to make comments about that one trademark (11)
14 The mad one hundred razed the Fourth of July (5)
16 A spider that's a natural at disguise? (9)
19 Or else start to be refined (3)
20 Reserve some ice in the new centre (9)
22 Care about the fifty around Ennis (5)
23 Arrange the pay-scale for the musicians perhaps? (11)
25 Big article in the Financial Times (3)
26 A fishy card game for each? (7)
27 It's 10:49 and the doctor is in giving support to the whole plant (7)
29 That's twice you start to go up and down (2-2)
30 "After the three works found here", he wrote (5,5)
Down
1 However, an extra ton would close it (3)
2 A professional in an airport zone (5)
3 Draw the Wye, but not in too much detail (7)
4 Amount to a creation like R2-D2 (9)
5 Some might say the car key is yellowish-brown in colour (5)
7 SUBIROLA (9)
8 It's clear the first of them ran south, to Ma or Pa (11)
9 Don't go, guys! I hear there's a male part needed in "Jasmine" for example (6)
12 By proxy, Victor and Aristotle get round you ... that's sly! (11)
15 How to govern a carnation? (9)
17 A Catholic bow (3)
18 All the teen cared about was making it like the second show (9)
21 Sounds like a bird with a speech disorder (6)
22 Freed from Mark's "one hundred", when one was inclined (7)
24 Put you right back into the faster car (5)
25 An extra-large number (5)
28 The first of the lovers that is not true (3)
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 These are the facts I heard about the tax on trumpets (5,5)
BRASS TACKS
Trumpets (BRASS) tax, I heard as (TACKS) = BRASS TACKS: these are the facts.
6 Notice they aren't the bottoms in reverse (4)
SPOT
They aren't the bottoms (TOPS) in reverse = SPOT: notice.
10 The shortest streets around here (7)
TERSEST
"Streets" around, an anagram = TERSEST: the shortest.
11 Anna took ten ears for the rabbit (7)
AN(TEN)NA
Anna (AN-NA) took ten (TEN) = ANTENNA: rabbit ears ("ears for the rabbit").
12 This truck can follow car A as it's a convoy (3)
VAN
Car A (CAR A) followed by this truck (VAN) as it's = CARAVAN: a convoy.
13 Obligations to make comments about that one trademark (11)
COMMITMENTS
To make comments (COMM-ENTS) about that one trademark (I TM) = COMMITMENTS: obligations.
14 The mad one hundred razed the Fourth of July (5)
C-RAZ-Y
One hundred (C) ra-zed (RAZ) the Fourth of Jul-y (Y) = CRAZY: the mad.
16 A spider that's a natural at disguise? (9)
TARANTULA
That's a "natural at" disguise, an anagram = TARANTULA: a spider.
19 Or else start to be refined (3)
OR-E
Or (OR) e-lse start (E) = ORE: to be refined.
20 Reserve some ice in the new centre (9)
RET(ICE)NCE
In the new, an anagram, "centre" (RET-NCE) some ice (ICE) = RETICENCE: reserve.
22 Care about the fifty around Ennis (5)
C(L)ARE
Care about (C-ARE) the fifty (L) = CLARE: around Ennis.
23 Arrange the pay-scale for the musicians perhaps? (11)
ORCHEST-RATE
The musicians (ORCHESTRA) pay-scale (RATE) = ORCHESTRA RATE perhaps = ORCHESTRATE: arrange.
25 Big article in the Financial Times (3)
F(A)T
In the Financial Times (F-T) article (A) = FAT: big.
26 A fishy card game for each? (7)
SNAP-PER
Card game (SNAP) for each (PER) = SNAPPER: a fishy?
27 It's 10:49 and the doctor is in giving support to the whole plant (7)
TEN-DR-IL
It's 10:49 (TEN-IL) and the doctor is in (DR) = TENDRIL: giving support to the whole plant.
29 That's twice you start to go up and down (2-2)
YO-YO
Yo-u start (YO) that's twice (YO) = YO-YO: to go up and down.
30 "After the three works found here", he wrote (5,5)
RODDY DOYLE
After "the" three works found here (VAN, COMMITMENTS, SNAPPER), the novels of the Barrytown Trilogy by RODDY DOYLE.
Down
1 However, an extra ton would close it (3)
BUT
However (BUT) an extra ton (TON) = BUTTON: would close it.
2 A professional in an airport zone (5)
A(PRO)N
In an (A-N) a professional (PRO) = APRON: airport zone.
3 Draw the Wye, but not in too much detail (7)
SKETCHY
Draw (SKETCH) the Wye (Y) = SKETCHY: but not in too much detail.
4 Amount to a creation like R2-D2 (9)
AUTOMATON
"Amount to a" creation, an anagram = AUTOMATION: like R2-D2.
5 Some might say the car key is yellowish-brown in colour (5)
KHAKI
The "car key", some might say and I might hear as = KHAKI: yellowish-brown in colour.
7 SUBIROLA (9)
PEN-IN-SULA
SU(BIRO)LA = BIRO IN SULA = PEN IN SULA = PENSINSULA
8 It's clear the first of them ran south, to Ma or Pa (11)
T-RAN-S-PARENT
The first of t-hem (T) ran (RAN) south (S) to Ma or Pa (PARENT) = TRANSPARENT: it's clear.
9 Don't go, guys! I hear there's a male part needed in "Jasmine" for example (6)
STAMEN
Don't go, guys! (STAY MEN!) I hear as = STAMEN: there's a male part needed in Jasmine for example, and other plants.
12 By proxy, Victor and Aristotle get round you ... that's sly! (11)
VIC-ARI-O-U-SLY
Victor (VIC) and Aristotle (ARI) round (O) you (U) that's sly (SLY) = VICARIOUSLY: by proxy.
15 How to govern a carnation? (9)
AUTO-CRACY
I suppose the government of a car-nation might be by AUTOCRACY!
17 A Catholic bow (3)
A-RC
A Catholic (A RC) = ARC: bow.
18 All the teen cared about was making it like the second show (9)
REENACTED
All the "teen cared" about, an anagram, was making it = REENACTED: like the second show.
21 Sounds like a bird with a speech disorder (6)
CHEEPS
With a "speech" disorder, an anagram = CHEEPS: sounds like a bird.
22 Freed from Mark's "one hundred", when one was inclined (7)
C-LEANED
One hundred (C) when one was inclined (LEANED) = CLEANED: freed from marks.
24 Put you right back into the faster car (5)
T(U-RB)O
In-to (T-O) put you right back (U-RB) = TURBO: the faster car.
25 An extra-large number (5)
FORTY
An extra-large (XL) = FORTY: number.
28 The first of the lovers that is not true (3)
L-IE
The first of the l-overs (L) that is (IE) = LIE: not true.
11 comments:
Hi Bill
Loved it...very SNAPPY....tantara!
...really great clues, and very fair...
Comment manana...
Liz
Hi Liz,
The Midnight Crosaire Club strikes again! I'm delighted to hear your trumpet call, even though I was trying to ratchet it up a little.
Thanks for checking out the puzzle. Sleep well :o)
Hi Bill,
Wow that was a tough one today. Only managed to get a bit less than half the grid out but I like the way it was a tough one because I think you have really identified the difficulty levels. I would love to see a 5/5 puzzle. But would not be able to get one. lol so stick to below 3 if you want. The RODDY DOYLE connections were very sharp and clever. Just finished reading a bio on Colm Meaney (one of my favourite Irish actors) and it was very appropriate. The anagrams today were very strong yet had difficulty.
PENINSULA was absolute genius. I did not get it I should of because I kept thinking of TURDUSTKEY from a few puzzles ago but BIRO just did not stick out. A beautiful clue if I may say so and clear winner of the day!
FORTY was a lovely but of number play. I was thing of a word with XL in it for ages until it came to me. Silly me.
APRON was new to me I had it in as a guess but was so unsure if it was the answer or not.
As always was a delight printing and solving your Sunday offering. Let us know difficulty rating for next weeks.
Mark
Hi Bill and other MCCs,
Finished in just under a leisurely 1/2 hr...bring on the 5/5 is all I can say...
Great puzzle but eminently doable as far as I'm concerned...
Loved the Roddy Doyle theme...love the Commitments and the Van in particular but not a fan of some of his later stuff....
Quite a few anagrams in there for 'not a fan of anagrams' type person...
For a more in-depth analysis see Moley@Pluto.ie
Cheers, Moley
Hi Mark,
Well the good news I suppose, is that you found today's puzzle harder than the past two weeks. At least I go that right! Thanks for having a go, and sticking at it.
I'm glad you liked the PENINSULA wordplay. I was stuck for a clue, so was delighted to come up with BIRO idea.
I was a tad worried about APRON being known well enough (not something that stops M. Crosaire!) but figured it was a reasonably common word. I figured it depended one one's exposure to the world of travel and aeronautics!
I started next week's puzzle this morning, and as it will be the fourth puzzle of the month, it will be a 4/5. Luckily for you, Mark, there's no fifth Sunday this October :o)
Thanks again for taking the time to give me feedeback. I really, really do appreciate it.
Moley,
You're just too good at crosswords for me! I think my goal for next Sunday is to mute that Kilkenny trumpet.
My wife and I are big fan's of Roddy Doyle too. She, being a librarian, is a fan of the books. Me, being a Philistine, and more of a fan of the movies!
I take your point about the number of anagrams. Looking back, I count 6(!). Gonna have to fix that. Well spotted.
Thanks for checking out the puzzle, Moley. I think you might have spent more time giving me feedback than you actually spent solving the puzzle!
Hi Bill,
Another lovely puzzle from you. My last one was peninsula which was a great clue.Your snapper clue brought back a happy memory of my then boyfriend/now husband's first introduction to 'red snapper' while on holiday in Crete in the late 80's. oh happy days....
Martina
Martina,
I'm glad you enjoyed the puzzle, and got through successfully. Hopefully you'll get a chance to try out next week's "4/5" offering and we'll see if I can case you a tad more trouble :o)
Holiday's in Crete ... lucky you!
Thanks for checking out the puzzle, and telling me how you got on, Martina.
Hi Bill and All
I think trying to rate the level of difficulty is interesting...I found last week's 2/5 puzzle a bit tough for that grading...and on that basis this 3/5 was gentler than I expected...but then I think Mark had the opposite experience...sometimes it's more about timing or frame of mind...I could be given the same clue on different days...solve it instantly one day and go off on a totally wrong tangent the next...
There were some really great clues today and I'd give it a top rating for enjoyment...at the end of the day, that's why I do crosswords...challenge is great, frustration tolerated but I can handle a few 'gimmes' if it makes for a pleasant experience...and one person's 'gimme' is another's frustration...PENINSULA jumped out at me today!
My favourites were...TRANSPARENT, AUTOCRACY, AUTOMATON, TURBO, CHEEPS, STAMEN, TARANTULA and SKETCHY...
Loved the Roddy Doyle theme...and the auto/car sub-plot 'thingy' that was going on!
Thanks Bill
Liz
Me again
Forgot to say...TERSEST was my last!
Liz
Hi Liz,
I think I need to put a little more "science" into the difficulty grading. As the puzzles get harder, using fewer "gimme" clues, introducing multi-level clues, less obvious anagrams, shying away from 3-letter answers, that kind of thing. You've given me something to think about (as always)!
I'm glad you liked the RODDY DOYLE theme. The auto/car subplot was unintended!
I threw in the TERSEST anagram because I was able to use "streets", usually an indicator of STS. As TERSEST isn't a word that we use every day, I thought the anagram might not be too obvious :o)
Thanks again for the feedback, Liz, and taking time out to do the puzzle.
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