News & Times [July 25-30]

While we're at it, there's a whole lot of fun in DA's Omega crossword in today's Herald. Which makes me wonder, is there a world record for the longest answer to a crossword clue?

This might be considered to contain a longer answer, I guess.

Hmm. That failed.

http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/games/largest_crossword-world_record_set_by_Lvov_90119.htm

Through on 9064, a quite enjoyable puzzle. I like twin 15s.

First in 1A, last in 24A. Liked 1A (even though I saw a similar clue recently), 1D, 4D and 19A.

I enjoyed it too. 5d was a good giggle, even for a non-cryptically minded wife. 18ac has two legit spellings, so it really required trusting the wordplay. 25ac an unpleasant guess that was right in the end.

Not sure about the hot in 12ac, seemed a red herring to me.

Two on the trot. Might be a good week.

A tricky one in places today. I liked 1ac and 3dn the best and found 14ac amusing.

Anthony, I think the hot in 12ac is a northern hemisphere Christmas type of thing. Didn't think you'd have any trouble with 16dn either.

Interestingly Bon's first fill was 1ac and mine was 23dn (the last clue). It got me wondering how others approach a crossword. I very rarely look at 1ac first, and I never go in order. In fact, I studiously avoid looking at some clues in the hope that they're easy and I'll discover them later on when I'm running into difficulties. I'd be interested to know what other people do.

@RK: I generally start in the NW quadrant and work the down clues in order till I solve one. I'll also read each intersecting across clue, hoping for a lucky solve or at least a potential ending that might help with the relevant down solution.

Although, where there's a 15-letter word answer or a long split phrase elsewhere in the puzzle, I sometimes attack that first as I've found that there are usually comparatively few answers for those (vis-a-vis say an 8-letter word).

Once I've started filling, I work immediately on the intersecting clues containing the solved letters... seems the most efficient way to me, presume others do the same?

I recently compiled a grid that had five clues without definitions that, properly ordered, made a phrase (familiar to the intended audience) of 5'1, 8, 2, 3, 3, 4, 8, 3, 5, 4, 4, or 50 letters in total.

@RK - 16dn? I'm missing something - are you saying 12ac was just as easy? Or were you psychically having a go at the fact that my last in was 13ac?

Actually, had a rather odd experience today - I misread 20dn so that I actually saw the answer in the clue, just for a second - so, having discounted it from the clue, I didn't think to consider it for the answer. Same with 21dn - it was the first thing that popped in my head, and again, I didn't think to see if it was the right answer. And again, with 13ac. And 8dn wasn't the first thing, but I still dumped it for a few minutes before the penny dropped. Didn't help that I was flip-flopping on the spelling for 18ac, of course.

Whereas for 23dn, I confidently stuck in REALM, then realised it wasn't going to work, then thought of the right answer immediately, before discounting it for lacking the L.

All this, and yet finished fairly early in the day for me.

@the question of method

I start reading the across, then move to the downs. I'll only vary from it if I think I have an answer but want corroboration, so I'll look at the connecting word if the checker would be something unusual. It's not efficient, but it does mean I practice doing the across clues with no help from checkers.

It also lets me know whether I'm going to have a bad day fairly early on. These things need forewarning!

Did I read somewhere this was none too difficult? Fairly buggered, I had to push, even though I loved the 4dn anagram, and the general concision.

As for finding 14ac amusing, RK - try confounding. Unless my answer is wrong. While 14dn is an educated punt (never a good sign) and 27ac is not a book to cross my bows.

This could bring a promising innings unstuck.

Anthony, I was merely alluding to the fact that you wouldn't have found 16dn difficult because it actually formed part of your name for a while.

DA, if by 14dn you meant 15dn, then I'm a little worried for you. I also fear for your 14ac.

Apols, I meant 13ac (Cover dale...) and 13dn (Rural accent...) may prove my nemeses.

Been churning out L&N derivations night & day, so I'm vulnerable, a tad word-addled.

That makes more sense now. I have no idea how 13ac works, but I'm happy with 13dn.

13ac - look him up. Coverdale, that is.

FWIW, my method told me this morning it might be a tad harder. Zero across clues on first read, and only two downs. Thank goodness they were 6 and 13!

Your approach is very interesting, Anthony. It's very methodical and disciplined. Mine is far more random, just sort of vaguely sweeping the clues until something interesting leaps out at me. For example, my first one today was 15dn as the 'Zen' caught my eye. I do tend though to favour starting towards the bottom of the grid.

@Anthony - 'look him up'?! That's the whole point of my Times haul. No lookee, until you solvee. To look is to wave the white flag, a nod that the puzzle has bettered me.

Re starting procedure - I rip in. Any clue, any corner, the shorter stuff catching my eye quickest, as they usually signal a DM recipe.

Re 'saving clues', that bugs me, coz I may be sweating bullets with a tough corner, only to find a neglected gimme that may well go to unlocking the same corner. Seems masochistic, though we are talking crosswords I suppose.

So put me out of my suspense - is it MILES and MUMMERTON?

Well, MILES is right.

Mummerton?! I meant mummerset - a complete lunge, based purely on wordplay. Never heard of this roguish broguish thingummy.

In my defense, it was the next day, and I figured you were both done making your best calls!

I guessed mummerset right too - but it had to be.

Fair nuff, AD. In fact, after the event, it's quite worth looking up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummerset

9065 was a bit tougher today, but it still came out in the end. Keep an eye out for spelling mistakes (like, say, having to spell in US English!!)...

1ac was cute - where else would you put that clue?! 14ac very elegant misdirection. But 3dn my favourite for the cleverly convoluted wordplay.

Three!

I'm home on 9065 as well, so shooting for 9 straight with any luck. Have gone with a hunch on 25A as I don't know the answer for sure, but the wordplay suggests just one thing...

I got the Mummerset thing in 9064 pretty easily becasue I did a fair but of research on DA's 3M contest a few months back. Never thought that would come in handy, but as DA says, we are talking crosswords.

All but Q, yeah?

Thought 9065 was a numb slog, with one dud anagind (in 12ac), a huh at 3dn, and a flyspeck off Scotland (25ac) as a thankless endgame.

Yes, I may need to hit the hay. Been a long day, and 9066 is a new day.

Good work on MUMMERSET, Bon. Who says Birdbrains are in vain?

3dn does work - perhaps the adverb is screwing with you, DA. An alternative form of a not-so-common word.

Shall we call it a panoqram?

9066 a fairly soft affair - it turns out that my first fill, 1ac, was also among the toughest, so I'd broken the back of it after a minute!

Some nice clues in the NW, with 9ac my COD. Or perhaps 17ac - hard to split them. 3dn skilful in defn.

Four for me.

All in for 9066. 20A was my last fill - finally found a justification for my presumed answer. Again hoping there's nothing sharp about the 3s and 4s.

That'll put me on 10.

My son is performing as Trinculo (the light relief) in the school's Tempest tonight, and I'm playing stage Pop, doing the driving and lobby loitering. Time for No 10 then, hopefully.

Just realised. Tempest. Both Astles staging a Storm this week.

...I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island.

In other words, I started my day off on zero.

Had more success with 9066 though. There was some cutesy wordplay going on, particularly in 9ac, but I thought the surfaces lacked sparkle.

One, I hope.

As you from crimes would pardoned be,
So let your indulgence set me free.

The Bard's last words on paper, and damn worthy ones too.

For the record, Trincolo did good, Miranda loves Ferdinand, and I hobbled home for #10.

Since when does abandoned = MAD, or restored = REGENERATE [present tense]? And who can explain CARTE BLANCHE:

Bishop in association with knight possessed by desire for freedom

Today's the floor sanders own my house - so the blog will be quiet, perhaps too quiet. Off to library to alchemise some lingo.

Hooray. 10 in a row, that's a pb!

I thought the MAD might have been for Mutually Assured Destruction, the now abandoned Cold War brinkmanship policy.

REGENERATE is an adjective here (like degenerate can be), meaning restored to a better state; refreshed or renewed.

CARTE BLANCHE: Association = CARTEL, desire = ACHE.

Now to see what 9067 has in store...

Ah-so, thanks Bon. Mad is a meh, I reckon, and regenerate is my oversight. (Not that chuffed with pipe as sing, but let's move on.)

Props for the pb. And g'luck with legs 11.

Mad/abandoned - I was heading for going mad/acting with abandon, fwiw.

Today looks tougher!

That is, at this point, with 4 clues still pending, I have encountered 7 unfamiliar terms, and I'm sure I have at least one more coming. That I have made it thus far speaks volumes for the elegance of the setter's wordplay. With the exception of 7dn, which is frankly bizarre in such a quality offering.

Re 1dn - our former State member was Matt Brown.

Final score: 9 unknowns, but one more out. Fantastic piece of work from the setter. Picking a clue of the day is impossible. 11ac was my last in, and it's pretty good if straightforward. 14ac is impressively simple. 23ac a pretty good surface. 5dn, unusually, my first in (I deviated from usual method today), was again an excellent surface. And I liked 21dn and 24dn too.

In short - get started with plenty of time, and have fun!

Agreed - quite enjoyable. How nice was the surface read in 5D?! My fave.

And like Anthony says, what is the story with 7D? Seems a basic breach of the clueing rules - I tried to see whether anything else worked, just can't see an alternative...

And 14A (last in) had to be clued honestly - and therefore gettably - as the answer is rather obscure.

@Bon, re 14ac - only to non-cricket-fans...

Solved this one at a lively pace, a few ticks quicker than 4ac I suspect. A fine puzzle with some curly fill. The wordplay to the rescue in 14ac, and an old WOW an aid for 23ac

Adored that clue, and 20ac. First entry was 9ac, and last up the tempo. Bravo

I'd say my solving pace was a nice allegretto today. First in was 10dn.

The only one I'm a little unsure about is 25ac, but based on the wordplay I can't imagine what else it could be.

Favourite clues were 20ac, 3dn and 24dn. And I think something must have gone awry in a redraft of 7dn. Surely it wasn't intended.

And then there were six. It's been a good week for me.

Feel free to have a laugh at me that I took ages on the second half of 23ac - had everything bar 22dn, just about, so you'd have to think there was a fair bit of pressure on to figure out that checker, but no... Didn't know 16ac, nor 24dn (one for the Scrabblers, I'd guess) but the clues were fair.

11ac may provoke some discussion though!

Faves today: 12dn, great surface reading, 14dn (for the complaint that won't need raising!), 20dn, 22ac. Interesting how the long down clues were similar...

Bets for last in (mine was 16, but only because I was saving the guess till last - really it was 22dn) - if it isn't one of the 22s, then perhaps 1ac.

By the way - not wanting anybody's streak to come to a STANDSTILL :P - it would be worth keeping an eye on the unches - there's one or two in the NW that may trap the unwary.

You don't come across as a betting man, Anthony, and I think it's best you keep it that way. I had no probs with the 22s and found 1ac one of the simplest. I'll admit though, that 16ac is a word I've not come across, but I'm confident with my wordplay.

My last was actually 11ac, and when I realised how it worked I felt like the girl in the clue. Nice though. That's the only clue that earns my much-coveted big tick, but overall, it was an enjoyable puzzle.

@DA, for when you next tune in - today's SMH was gold. There's some delivery strike down here at the moment, so I had to go all the way to Nowra to find a copy, but well worth it. Thanks for an inventive puzzle that let you in nicely. And the guffaw at the gorges!

Another good one for the weekend - some easy, some harder. The device in 20ac always gets me. Many bizarre surface readings, so perhaps a loss of style points for the setter?

Lucky seven for me.

Thanks Anthony - always happy to justify a drive.

As for 9069, I found it 2dn, with 8dn my last, and 12dn a mild query. While I get the clue's recipe, I just wasn't sold on how entrenched the snack element might be.

That's lucky 13 - with QuizLand resuming tomorrow.

Really enjoyed 9069. I loved the anagram in 9ac, the axes in 19ac and the simplicity of 24ac.

That's four, I think.

Pleased to get the last few puzzles in plus DA's Nina treat, sterling stuff! Loved the Monoply reference in 9069 haven't seen an anagram clue of that quality for a while.