Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 002
Odd One Out by Prolixic
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This is the second in a series of additional weekend puzzles.
After the ridiculous fuss created last week, we should be returning to calmer waters today. Prolixic started by leaving comments on the site, and then rather foolishly tried to drink me under the table at the White Horse a few weeks back (he thought he had a chance because I had already been there for about three hours!). Following this meeting he has written his first review and today we present his debut cryptic puzzle.
The puzzle has a theme, which you should discover fairly quickly, and this will help with quite a few of the clues. To say any more would spoil that “penny drop” moment.
This themed puzzle by Prolixic is available here
Next week we have a puzzle from Radler. Anax pointed him in the direction of the Alberich site (see the sidebar) and you will discover two more of his puzzles there.
Feel free to leave comments about this puzzle (preferably on-topic!). I have set Prolixic up as the “owner” of this post for two reasons. Firstly so that he gets all the emails and secondly because I will be out for a large part of the day.
It was my pleasure Prolixic.
Fine test drive – didn’t want to give the baby back!!.
I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.
Well done Prolixic! Great fun – I am extremely impressed by your craft. Finding it difficult to comment further without giving anything away, but the theme worked very well. Apart from the themed answers, I enjoyed 20d; worked out 29a but not sure I have come across this before. Lucky Gnomethang to have first shot at this.
Prolixic,
Enjoyed doing this immensely. Congratulations. Much better than anything I could do, or even attempt to do!
Once again, many thanks for this. Will be begging for answers from the Illuminati, I am sure!
Very well done – I echo the above comments. Took me 50 mins, the last 10 of which were were trying to get to grips with 15d, then I could guess 29a, as the name is totally unknown to me. Didn’t quite follow the clues to 22a and 27a, although I knew I had the correct answers – would be grateful for a quick explanation.
I’m almost tempted to have a go at compiling one myself, after 30 years of doing the DT Cryptic – finding this blog site a few days ago has somewhat re-enthused me – I’ve not come across another DT crossword fan in recent years in the ‘real world’. So been plodding away in isolation with ever-increasing annoyance at the eccentricities of ScrewedUp.
Nice job, Prolixic.
I’m not sure what the form is for these crosswords so I will defer to Prolixic/BD, but if answers are to be discussed here I can certainly elucidate in their absence.
I’m not sure whether it is politic for the setter to comment on his clues so I will defer to others to provide assistance.
I would treat this like any other crossword that is covered on this blog.
That’s why the puzzle and this post are separate. Elucidate away.
Chairman
22a. You need to string together a playground game (2), a record producer (3) and the first couple of letters of seconds
27a. Nice has to be the first word to disguise the fact that it needs that capital letter.
Cheers, guys – rather poor form on my part in failing to pick out the record producer (3), then the rest falls into place, although I’m only aware of the first two letters as being the one picked out in a playground game.
Agree with Radler – 1d very nice clue.
An enjoyable solve. 1d was my favourite.
I was interested to read that you found the experience an eye-opener. Exactly what I found – setting has increased my appreciation of the regular setters.
Well done Prolixic!
Have printed it off but not got a chance to sit down with it yet, well done Prolixic, very proud of you, wow
I know I must believe Prolixic when he says he has included some easier clues but I have yet to find them and as for the “obvious” theme !?- pls someone just give me a teeeeeeeny little hint – for instance, are any of the clues anagrams? I sometimes stand a chance getting them. So far have pencilled in (and usually I use pen!) two answers only one of which I’m fairly sure is right! This isnt meant as a whinge … I just need to get started … lovely music on the radio, offspring are out and I’m stuck!! Help!!
Pick two clues that will get you started then!
Well Gnomethang 10d would give me some useful letters and perhaps 1d as well – then I will persevere as best I can – I guess I do have all week in a sense. Many thanks.
Okey kokey:
1d: A word for teacher (as said by a good pupil!)
and another word for something that you would win (eg a trophy), when spoken together (after Chinese Whispers!), will lead to something unexpected.
10d: the definition is ‘across the pond’ albeit a Big pond!. Take a two letter abreviation of Teetotaller and combine with an anagram (tipsy!) of Lancastrian and this should give you the answer.
Neither of these are themed clues.
Hope it helps!
Thank you so much. Of course 1d now seems so obvious that I wonder why I couldnt see that for the length of time I was staring at it. I had though that perhaps tipsy was an anagram indicator – it just gave such a long word that I havnt found it yet but at least know I’m on the right track and have perhaps got 10a and of course if so, also the start of my anagram ….. ooh! just got the anagram – yey! right then onwards ….. thanks again gnomethang.
Mon plaisir!
Apologies for the spelling – I am on my phone.
Regarding the great homphone indicator ‘after Chinese Whispers’, I always preferred Japanese Whispers/Javanese Hipsters/Janet’s Slippers/James Flipper because of the Cure album.
Have fun with the rest!
I got about 1/3 through then came to a grinding halt and started to use the interactive version for hints but realised that I was never goign to get there.
Can someone please explain 11a Inuit =Eskimo One night =i n but where do it get iut from and what has it got to do with Quebec?
Also stuck on 29a -I can get the personal problem bit and but don’t understand himbo or obhim.
Thanks
In French speaking Quebec one night = 1 nuit
Greenhorn
On 29a you’ve got the answer. It’s a pronoun for “that man” followed by the initials used to indicate a shower may be advisable. The whole thing describes an attractive but dense man.
Oh now I see how you;ve got 29a – I didnt realise there was a male version of that word so to speak – I’m still only a third through it Greenhorn but determined to persevere. I did 11a tho the explanation has made it clearer for me and to watch out for Quebec or similar another time to poss indicate French.
What I would dearly love is a hint for 4a. I got all excited at the start thinking it might be “obliques” that is the keyboard/numberboard slash but that didnt fit with what i got for 6 & 8d unless of course …… oh heaven forbid … that they’re wrong anyway. Could someone slightly point me in the way of 4a? Ever grateful.
as well as being the name of a divisor in maths it is also French for a punctuation mark ,
Oh gnomethang – french at school was sooooooooooo long ago! Though I am pleased to say taking a language (and the GCSE) is compulsory at the school where I work so there is hope for future solvers. Now back into the mists of time ………………
and lo the mists parted and I was back at my desk …. so now have 4a ….. getting there!
What a pleasure this was! Well crafted with enough elegance to encourage me to keep at it all weekend. Can anyone explain 27a for me?
Ranger
Nice is the French resort, so you want a word hidden in the French for “new”.
Thanks! I had wondered about the french connection at one stage but had forgotten it by the time I remembered my biology!
Prolixic / Big Dave et al.
Is there going to be a review of this puzzle? I got about half of it and look forward to seeing where I have gone wrong. I enjoyed the challenge – even though I didn’t finish it.
Thanks Prolixic and well done.
I’m not sure if someone will review this! It’s rather inurbane for the setter to review his own puzzle so I’m hoping that another kind soul might take on this task.
If al else possibly you could email me the answers? But I am sure someone will review it.
Ignore my above comment – just remembered about the interactive version – thanks.
If no-one else is going to put their hand up, I’ll volunteer to write a review. The puzzle deserves a write-up.
Have I missed the review of this? I have looked at the answers, but there are some I could still do with having explained.
Part of the problem was that there were several words here that I didn’t know (eg. etui, uvea). But there are some clues I still don’t understand:
mark
Seen it now!
Gazza – that will be super. I agree – such an excellent puzzle deserves a review. I wasn’t helping myself by not spelling 4a correctly and therefore couldnt’ get 7d or 8d There were a few others that I didn’t get but saw the theme so that helped with some of the answers,