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.
As it's the fourth Sunday in the October, today's puzzle is set at a difficulty level of 4/5. I hope you find it challenging, yet fair. The good news is that as there are only four Sunday's this month, you won't have to endure a 5/5 puzzle next week! As always, all feedback is great appreciated.
And a reminder ... the Sunday slot is still 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 Switch to no denims (6,3'1,4)
9 Either where there's blood at, or a disorder (5)
10 Enduring the French father before going back to the French inn (9)
11 I ran with this clue about a type of family (7)
12 Uses Tulane's words to make him hear how selfish he is (4,3)
13 Also moved to encircle one county for HRH (5)
15 In an embarrassing position for a Dalmation? (2-3-4)
18 They'd bother to tell the dogs to stand (9)
19 My heart was crossed down in Kerry, or over in Dublin. (5)
20 To get from 0 to 100 infuses the centres with attention (7)
23 Another way to say, "choose a low-sounding instrument" (7)
25 They tell me you're new, Ron, and a little excitable (5,4)
26 Tried to swap an "E" for a "3" (5)
27 I'm always meddling, but I bet it's south then east at the River Dee (4-4,6)
Down
1 Getting from Dover to Calais remotely? (7-7)
2 The dreadful actor was wrong to have debts (9)
3 It's gloomy at this end of Griffith Avenue (5)
4 Modifies or opens up by design (2,7)
5 Fears that Thomas Stearns has absorbed this wrong himself (5)
6 Can Nibbles make sounds like lions and tigers? (3-6)
7 How Adam says no? (5)
8 Did she film "The Great Escape"? (6,8)
14 Said figuratively, Soto is at its peak (2,2,5)
16 Putting toilet paper in the portable toilets can be a dangerous job! (4,5)
17 Flow back with Peter's creator (9)
21 About to see one record label (5)
22 Took it from the kid before 'e was dragged into court (5)
24 I'll provide something cuter, a replacement for you (5)
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 Switch to no denims (6,3'1,4)
CHANGE ONE'S MIND
Switch (CHANGE) to "no denims" (ONE'S MIND) = CHANGE ONE'S MIND.
9 Either where there's blood at, or a disorder (5)
AORTA
Either "at, or a" disorder = AORTA: or where there's blood.
10 Enduring the French father before going back to the French inn (9)
PERE-NNI-AL
The French father (PERE) before the French, la, inn, going back (NNI-AL) = PERENNIAL: enduring.
11 I ran with this clue about a type of family (7)
NUCLEAR
I "ran" with this "clue" about = NUCLEAR: a type of family.
12 Uses Tulane's words to make him hear how selfish he is (4,3)
ROAD HOG
"Uses Tulane's" are words that he would hear as 'uses two lanes' = ROAD HOG: how selfish he is.
13 Also moved to encircle one county for HRH (5)
LAO(I)S
"Also" moved (LAO-S) to encircle one (I) = LAOIS: Queen's County ("county for HRH").
15 In an embarrassing position for a Dalmation? (2-3-4)
ON-THE-SPOT
18 They'd bother to tell the dogs to stand (9)
UP-SETTERS
To tell the dogs to stand (UP SETTERS!) = UPSETTERS: they'd bother.
19 My heart was crossed down in Kerry, or over in Dublin. (5)
SW-OR-E
Down in Kerry, the southwest (SW) or (OR) over in Dublin, he east (E) = SWORE: my heart was crossed.
20 To get from 0 to 100 infuses the centres with attention (7)
F(O-C)USES
In-fuses (F-USES) to get from 0 to 100 (O-C) = FOCUSES: the centres with attention.
23 Another way to say, "choose a low-sounding instrument" (7)
PICCOLO
Another way to say "choose a low" (PICK A LOW) sounding = PICCOLO: instrument.
25 They tell me you're new, Ron, and a little excitable (5,4)
NERVE CELL
They tell me you're "new, Ron" which I hear as "neuron" = NERVE CELL: and a little excitable.
26 Tried to swap an "E" for a "3" (5)
TRI-A-D
TRI-E-D to swap an "E" for "A" = TRIAD: 3.
27 I'm always meddling, but I bet it's south then east at the River Dee (4-4,6)
BACK-SEAT DRIVER
But I bet (BACK) it's south then east (SE) at the River Dee (D-RIVER) = BACK-SEAT DRIVER: I'm always meddling.
Down
1 Getting from Dover to Calais remotely? (7-7)
CHANNEL SURFING
2 The dreadful actor was wrong to have debts (9)
ATROC-IOUS
The "actor" was wrong (ATROC) to have debts (IOUS) = ATROCIOUS: dreadful.
3 It's gloomy at this end of Griffith Avenue (5)
GR-AVE
At this end of Gr-iffith (GR) Avenue (AVE) = GRAVE: it's gloomy.
4 Modifies or opens up by design (2,7)
ON PURPOSE
Modifies "or opens up" = ON PURPOSE: by design.
5 Fears that Thomas Stearns has absorbed this wrong himself (5)
ERROR
That Thomas Stearns, as in T.S. Eliot (T-S) has absorbed this wrong himself (ERROR) = TERRORS: fears.
6 Can Nibbles make sounds like lions and tigers? (3-6)
MAN-EATERS
"Can Nibbles" make, sounds like 'cannibals' = MAN-EATERS: lions and tigers.
7 How Adam says no? (5)
NEIGH
How a-dam says = NEIGH: which sounds like "nay", or "no".
8 Did she film "The Great Escape"? (6,8)
FLIGHT RECORDER
14 Said figuratively, Soto is at its peak (2,2,5)
SO-TO 'S-PEAK
Soto is (SOTO'S) at its peak (PEAK) = SO TO SPEAK: said figuratively.
16 Putting toilet paper in the portable toilets can be a dangerous job! (4,5)
TES(T P)ILOT
In the portable "toilets" (TES-ILOT) putting toilet paper (TP) = TEST PILOT: can be a dangerous job.
17 Flow back with Peter's creator (9)
PROKOFIEV
Peter (PETER) with "flow" back (WOLF) creator = PROKOFIEV: writer and composer of Peter and the Wolf.
21 About to see one record label (5)
C-I-RCA
To see (C) one (I) record label (RCA) = CIRCA: about.
22 Took it from the kid before 'e was dragged into court (5)
SUED-E
Was dragged into court (SUED) before 'e ('E) = SUEDE: took it form the kid (young goat, the poor thing).
24 I'll provide something cuter, a replacement for you (5)
C-U-TER
C-U-TER with "A" replacement for "U" = CATER: I'll provide something.
8 comments:
Hi Bill,
Full success today in just under 40 minutes. Not trying to sound smug but seemed a lot nicer than a 4/5 difficulty rating. In my opinion it may be the answers to the clues that provide the difficulty or maybe I just had a lucky go. Will wait to see what anyone else says. As you always say to me, take it with a pinch of salt NaCl :)
But all in all it was very entertaining. I did have trouble with a few but they came to me as soon as the rest fitted in nicely.
ON THE SPOT was a great clue. I cannot remember wehter it was a similiar one you hade beofre or M.Crosaire had but I will just call it a Bill classic. lol
UPSETTERS was the clue of the day for me. Very clever indeed.
I loved the use of your sounds like clues such as NEW RON and PICCOLO. Both brilliant. How long must it take for you to think of these baffles me.
Re: BACK SEAT DRIVER. I was a bit put off because I knew that TEAS BEHIND meant BACK SEAT but I always thought back signified a reversal and came up with SAET, whereas the use of around may have made me avoided this thought provoking dilema.
And finally, bravo with FLIGHT RECORDER. Nearly the clue of the day for me but the she reference seemed a bit out of place. Perhaps you can elaborate.
I know as of recent I have not commented that much on the blog but always have time on a Sunday for your puzzle.
Thanks Bill.
Hi Bill and Mark
You didn't fox me today....you out-WOLFed me.....by ONE LETTER! Peter and the Wolf....I spelt it PROKOVIEV! There's a copy of it somewhere in the house (narrated by Gavin Friday...remember the Virgin Prunes?...recorded as a fundraiser for the Irish Hospice Foundation). Despite getting the spelling wrong, it was a great clue!! To be honest I was suprised I even got that close because if anyone had asked me yesterday who wrote it I'd have drawn a blank...but the across clues nearly got me there!
Great puzzle today Bill....level of difficulty was up a bit but still nicely doable....although not in one sitting...had my breakfast bash but had to have another go later to try and sort out PROKOFIEV...and the North East....although when I did get it I loved ROAD HOG.......very clever using capital T and italics for Tulane's....I was fooled for awhile into thinking I just didn't know this author/poet/whatever!! Similarly MAN EATERS/'cannibals' took a long while to reveal itself! It's always nice when the clues that take time to tease out actually turn out to be really good and worth the effort!
I SWORE a little trying to think of a place linking Kerry and Dublin....lovely clue...........
LAOIS/Queens County came easy (having done some genealogy searching in the Q.C. archives!)...but a very clever clue.
UPSETTERS! What can I say...a bit of corny humour never goes astray...loved it!
ERROR...thanks for the education re T.S. Eliot's first names! Never knew....was wondering who Thomas Stearns was!
NUCLEAR....very smooth reading!
SUEDE....just very smooth!
So now so! That's some of my favourites list......there were many more.....but I think I have to nominate ROAD HOG for Clue of the Day!
Talk soon
Liz
Hi Mark,
Well it looks like I have to work harder to hone in on degree of difficulty. But, the good news is that you solved it. I just hope it was too easy for you.
I'm glad you liked UPSETTERS ... it was a tad tongue in cheek.
Re FLIGHT RECORDER, I wrote the clue to point at someone who would RECORD (videotape) a FLIGHT (escape). That person could be a "she" (or a "he" for that matter). Of course the accepted meaning of the term is "a black box", so maybe I broke the rules here. I didn't actually make a non-cryptic reference to the accepted meaning. Might have been a bit unfair.
Maybe with the long weekend, you'll have time for Monday's Crosaire, Mark ... if final year physics doesn't crowd it out.
Thanks for the feedback, Mark. It was very, very useful.
Hi Liz,
I think you should give yourself a moral victory (a moral tantara), as a misspelling of a Russian name probably isn't a misspelling at all. Every time I see Tchaikovsky written down it is spelled a different way! I am sure it is the same for PROKOFIEV. Anyway, I am glad you unraveled the clue.
Based on Mark's feedback, and now yours, I don't think I upped the difficulty level nearly enough. I think the outside clues were probably too easy, giving an easy entree into the grid. Ah well, hind sight ...
I've learned (from xword fiend, Peter Biddlecombe) that when making a reference to a person, book or play etc. it's best not to throw in something "makey up". So the "Tulane" reference was to the Chuck Berry song, albeit a clumsy wording necessitated by the answer. Still, you got it in the end.
The Kerry/Dublin usage was my attempt at upping the difficulty, instead of using the old favorites "southwest" and "east". I'm glad that held you up for just a little bit :o) The same thing was true for Thomas Stearns ... decided to up the ante by using the lesser known forenames, rather than "Eliot" which more routinely points at TS.
Thanks for the feedback, Liz. I am thinking that I should be careful to set next week's 1/5 puzzle so that it's not that much easier than this alleged 4/5. I do appreciate you checking out WEB puzzles, Liz.
I have to give a big "thank you" to the email correspondent who spotted this week's "deliberate mistake" (I wish!):
BACK SEAT is "taes" and not "teas".
That one slipped through. I will have to have a word with the editor ...
Hi Bill
I hadn't spotted your BACK SAET DRIVER - read it as SEAT backwards - but Mark drew my attention to it in his comment!
Liz
Liz,
Oops ... I didn't spot that part of Mark's comment!
My only excuse is that I had just got out of bed and was still wiping the sleep from my eyes. Can't think what excuse I have for the SAET error though!
I need an editor!
OK, it is with greatest humility that I announce I have changed the clue BACK-SEAT DRIVER, so now it should make better sense. Apologies!
Post a Comment