NTSPP – 027 (Comments) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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NTSPP – 027 (Comments)

Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 027

A Puzzle by Prolixic

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Welcome to the twenty seventh in our series of weekly puzzles.

This week’s puzzle is from up-and-coming setter Prolixic.


The puzzle by Prolixic is available by clicking here:

NTSPP - 027

Feel free to leave comments about this puzzle.

19 comments on “NTSPP – 027 (Comments)

  1. Well done Prolixic! Lots of fun to do. Didn’t help that I initially put the answer to 24a in 25a space….

    Favourite clue 8d- a must for solving crosswords. Closely followed by 1d.

    Don’t know about ‘up and coming setter’, I think you have arrived.

  2. Thanks to Prolixic for a very enjoyable puzzle. I particularly liked 18a, 1d, 7d and 14d.

  3. I enjoyed that – thank you Prolixic.

    Not sure of the construction of 17d – is it a + pt (soldier) + para (tank unit) to get the political ends word? If not can you help. Thanks.

    I particularly liked several of the clues but tops for me are 2d, 5d, 11a, 23a and top is 10a.

    1. Lea,
      I think that 17d is P-PARA (s-soldier) put inside AT (anti-tank) with the definition being unit for political ends.

      1. Thanks Gazza – that makes more sense. I had the right word but wasn’t sure how it came about.

  4. I was a test solver this splendid puzzle which now has a couple of changes from the original version. I really enjoyed solving it – I was so engrossed that I ended up stirring a cheese sauce with my left hand so that I could continue to fill in the grid with my right!

    1. I agree – it was super. I have just suggested Mary try it as think she would enjoy it as well.

  5. I enjoyed that immensely. Is there an accepted word for clues which use the s same letter at the s start s so the answer has to have the s same thing ?
    Just wondering

    1. I don’t know of an accepted way of describing these stutter-emulation clues, which have been used off-and-on for some years, but may I suggest calling it an “Arkwright” in honour of Ronnie Barker’s stuttering shop-owner in Open All Hours, G-G-Granvile?

  6. Thanks Prolixic, I agree with Tilly that you are no longer ‘up and coming’ but have arrived!
    Nice birthday present for Pommette who is 37 in hexadecimal today!

  7. Lovely crossword. 12a was a superbly neat, concise and fair charade, so concise one might assume a double-definition. Missed it at first as I had an E at the end of 6d, which I should have checked. 1d was a very neat nested-insertion, and 13a was lovely, with good surface reading.

    That was a thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully crafted puzzle. Must learn to print it off next time, so I don’t lose it if I accidentally browse to another page!

  8. I am a Luddite, and have just left a message somewhere else regarding this. However, how do I get into NTSPP.
    P.S. I think I see big Dave nearly every week on a Wednesday. I will make myself known to him next time.

  9. Just back from holiday, so a little late tackling the NTSPP this week.
    I thought this your best yet. Well done again Prolixic.

  10. Just one query.

    I got 23a and was sure thanks to the wordplay and checking letters, but wanted to check the definition part. I’d been thinking about Garden Rocket (the salad vegetable) but having looked it up, along with ***** (the answer), I haven’t found anything that positively links the two. I wonder if it’s an allusion to the Flaming ***** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming_onion German WWI semi-automatic flare gun.

    All those asterisks to prevent a spoiler, and I go and paste in a Wikipedia link with the word included!

    I just printed this and gave it to a friend also, who’s enjoying it so far, so thanks again, Prolixic.

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