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.
For the 2nd Sunday of the month, I've aimed at a 2/5 difficulty rating. There are a handful of "gimmes" in there to get things going, and remember that I shy away from obscure words as answers so it should be very solvable.
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 See the doctor first, then the medical officer back there for the computer files (2-3)
4 Busted anew after you sat back with these in your mouth (9)
9 I'm the candidate using the French name I was born with (7)
10 Break the rule and make the 5:10 late (7)
11 A resolution for the Queen to take the French to see the extra supply (9)
13 A hundred poems that are difficult to understand (5)
15 500 get to do nothing to the little figures with the pins (6,5)
17 It sounds like the eggs are done (3)
18 About the end of the lake (3)
19 It's like Herb's settled in advance (3-3-5)
22 Yes, it reversed into those big, hairy beasts! (5)
23 Retired at the end of March and should have changed one's mind (9)
25 Found in the body of the wild moorhen (7)
26 There's nothing tribal about moving around (7)
28 Perhaps if T. has slaves from the city? (9)
29 Ed's eats (5)
Down
1 Dispute and be coy about the New Testament rovers (11)
2 Run into an endless drama (3)
3 He's light headed, and sounds underage (5)
4 Initial support for the sock that needs darning ... well, it sounds like it (7)
5 Various varied reveals (7)
6 It's not Ghost Busters ... it's Ghost Busted (9)
7 DNA arriving that will do well (2-3-6)
8 A man from the South who had a sex change? (3)
12 The first saint's toss was quite close (6,5)
14 Stops the two saints with the ills (11)
16 They happen to love to copy arsenic ions (9)
20 An explosive to-do about what's right for gym class (7)
21 Fishing sometimes, to meet people (7)
24 Have an eye, like, on an alternative to a bed (5)
25 Not that it may be felt on your head (3)
27 Without effort, 21-down brought back the Olympic ideal (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 See the doctor first, then the medical officer back there for the computer files (2-3)
CD-ROM
See (C) the doctor first (DR) and then the medical office, 'MO', back there (OM) = CD-ROM: for the computer files.
4 Busted anew after you sat back with these in your mouth (9)
TAS-TE BUDS
After you "sat" back (TAS) "busted" anew (TE-BUDS) = TASTE BUDS: with these in your mouth.
9 I'm the candidate using the French name I was born with (7)
NOM-I-NEE
Using the French name (NOM) I (I) was born with (NEE) = NOMINEE: I'm the candidate.
10 Break the rule and make the 5:10 late (7)
V-IO-LATE
5:10 (V-IO) late (LATE) make the = VIOLATE: break the rule.
11 A resolution for the Queen to take the French to see the extra supply (9)
RES-ER-VOIR
A resolution (RES) for the Queen (ER) to take the French "to see" (VOIR) = RESERVOIR: the extra supply.
13 A hundred poems that are difficult to understand (5)
C-ODES
A hundred (C) poems (ODES) = CODES: that are difficult to understand.
15 500 get to do nothing to the little figures with the pins (6,5)
VOO-DO-O DOLLS
500 (V-O-O) get to do (DO) nothing (O) to the little figures (DOLLS) = VOODOO DOLLS: the little figures with the pins.
17 It sounds like the eggs are done (3)
OVA
Are done (OVER) it sounds like = OVA: the eggs.
18 About the end of the lake (3)
RE-E
About (RE) the end of th-e (E) = REE: lake.
19 It's like Herb's settled in advance (3-3-5)
CUT-AND-DRIED
Herbs are CUT AND DRIED = CUT-AND-DRIED: settled in advance.
22 Yes, it reversed into those big hairy, beasts! (5)
YE(TI)S
Yes (YE-S) "it" reversed into (TI) = YETIS: those big, hairy beasts.
23 Retired at the end of March and should have changed one's mind (9)
RET-H-OUGHT
Retired (RET) at the end of Marc-h (H) and should (OUGHT) = RETHOUGHT: have changed one's mind.
25 Found in the body of the wild moorhen (7)
HORMONE
The wild "moorhen" = HORMONE: found in the body.
26 There's nothing tribal about moving around (7)
O-RBITAL
There's nothing (O) "tribal" about (RBITAL) = ORBITAL: moving about.
28 Perhaps if T. has slaves from the city? (9)
T-OWNS-FOLKS
Perhaps if T. (T) has slaves (OWNS FOLKS) = TOWNSFOLKS: from the city.
29 Ed's eats (5)
D-IN-ES
To make "Ed's" you put D IN ES = DINES: eats.
Down
1 Dispute and be coy about the New Testament rovers (11)
CO(NT-ROVERS)Y
Be coy about (CO-Y) the New Testament rovers (NT ROVERS) = CONTROVERSY: dispute.
2 Run into an endless drama (3)
RAM
An endless d-ram-a = RAM: run into.
3 He's light headed, and sounds underage (5)
MINER
He's underage (MINOR) sound = MINER: he's light headed (has a light on his head).
4 Initial support for the sock that needs darning ... well, it sounds like it (7)
TOEHOLD
The sock that needs darning is (TOE-HOLED) well, it sounds like = TOEHOLD: initial support.
5 Various varied reveals (7)
SEVERAL
Varied "reveals" = SEVERAL: various.
6 It's not Ghost Busters ... it's Ghost Busted (9)
EXORCISED
7 DNA arriving that will do well (2-3-6)
UP-AND-COMING
DNA (UP AND) arriving (COMING) = UP-AND-COMING: that will do well.
8 A man from the South who had a sex change? (3)
S-HE
From the South (S) a man (HE) = SHE: who had a sex change (from a HE)
12 The first saint's toss was quite close (6,5)
ST-ONE'S THROW
The first saint's (ST-ONE'S) toss (THROW) = STONE'S THROW: was quite close.
14 Stops the two saints with the ills (11)
ST-AND-ST-ILLS
The two saints (ST-AND-ST) with the ills (ILLS) = STANDSTILLS: stops.
16 They happen to love to copy arsenic ions (9)
O-CC-AS-IONS
To love (O) to copy (CC) arsenic (AS) ions (IONS) = OCCASIONS: they happen.
20 An explosive to-do about what's right for gym class (7)
TO(R-PE)DO
To-do (TO-DO) about what's "right" for "gym class" (R PE) = TORPEDO: an explosive.
21 Fishing sometimes, to meet people (7)
NET-WORK
Fishing sometimes (NET WORK) = NETWORK: to meet people.
24 Have an eye, like, on an alternative to a bed (5)
OR-BED
An alternative (OR) to a bed (BED) = ORBED: like an eye.
25 Not that it may be felt on your head (3)
HAT
No-t (in) t-hat = HAT: it may be felt on your head (a "felt" HAT).
27 Without effort, 21-down brought back the Olympic ideal (3)
TEN
NETWORK without effort (WORK) = NET, brought back = TEN: the Olympic ideal (score).
6 comments:
Hi Bill
Fantastic puzzle...my detailed will be UP AND COMING after some shut-eye...really burning the night oil here!
TASTEBUDS held me up...I had taken an notion that the 'things in your mouth' were GUMS...but BUDS eventually surfaced and I smelled the sweet TASTE of success....tantara!
Manana
Liz
Thx for checking out the puzzle, Liz. And so late (sorry for posting behind schedule ... first time ... last time!).
But tantara, that's what I love to hear :)
Hi Bill,
Well what can I say. As always a great puzzle. Full of your style. I can report a tantara in 20 minutes which I am most happy about. The gimmes were great. Physically speaking the amount of gimmes is inversely proportional to your ratings :).
Favourites today were: CD-ROM, VOODOO DOLLS, TASTEBUDS AND EXORCISED.
Clues of the day were for UP AND COMING and EXORCISED.Loved them.
Had the most trouble with TOWNSFOLK and STONES THROW but got them just at the 20 minute mark. Phew!
Original and unique. Great job Bill.
All the best,
Mark.
Hi Mark,
Apologies for the late posting of the puzzle. I normally have the WEB crossword compiled ahead of time and cue it up for the post to appear automatically at midnight in Ireland, but this week things got away from me, so I was working in "real time".
Anyway, I am glad you enjoyed it, and it sounds like the gimmes did indeed help it live up to the 2/5 rating. I think you spotted what i thought were the two hardest clues, namely TOWNSFOLK and STONE'S THROW, but you got them!
Thanks for checking it out, Mark. I am afraid I found your puzzle more challenging than you did mine. I am resolved to get back to the run of success that I was enjoying a few weeks ago. But, studies first, them crosswords, Mark!
Hi Bill
Only getting round to that more detailed comment now....and still haven't looked at today's (Monday) Crosaire...later this evening hopefully, before things start backing up again!
Loved this puzzle...it was riddled with nice clues...a lot of the same favourites as Mark...I've a long list of favourites today!
CD-ROM, TASTEBUDS, RESERVOIR (very nice 'to see/voir' ref), VOODOO DOLLS (sneaky 500 = V-O-O!), CUT AND DRIED (great clue Bill, hope you had a bottle of stout to celebrate that flash of inspiration!), TOWNSFOLK (great wordplay), SEVERAL, STONE'S THROW, STANDSTILL, TORPEDO...UP AND COMING creator of puzzles for sure Bill...they're getting very stylish...in a Billesque way...very much your own!
Liz
Hi Liz,
Thanks for stopping back to give such encouraging comment. Feedback like that is worth more than gold :)
Re RESERVOIR, I was a tad hesitant about using VOIR as it was a step beyond the usual LE, LA or UN. But it fit so well in the clue, I had to give it a go. I knew it would right up your alley though, Liz.
I am working hard to define "Billesque" as you so eloquently put it, and have been placing more emphasis on writing clues that read well. They're longer than the ideal, but more satisfying, I hope, when one eventually works them out.
Glad you liked so many clues. Interestingly, none of my anchor clues showed up on your list this time (a good thing, I think). I seem to getting better at coming up with clues after I get the answer, as opposed to the other way round.
So, thanks again. I hope this Christmas break gives you time to get caught up!
Post a Comment