Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 045
A Puzzle by Isla
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Welcome to the forty fifth in our series of weekly puzzles.
Today we have a first puzzle from a new setter. Isla, neither Scottish nor female, is a fan of Chilean footballer Mauricio Isla, the 22-year-old right-back who plays for Udinese in Italy. This puzzle is on the tough side, but well-worth the effort.
The puzzle by Isla is available by clicking here:
Feel free to leave comments about this puzzle.
Come on BD, when will we get the cryptic comments
I’ve changed the name of the post to what it should have been. Thanks for pointing it out.
I thought this one of the best puzzles in the NTSPP series. Very good surface readings throughout and cleverly disguised definitions. Difficult to choose favourites among so many good clues, but 2d is excellent (particularly its use of “cups”) and I especially liked 20a too
2d really is an exceptional clue. It screams ‘Must have been used before!’ but it’s new to me – nothing short of perfection.
I thought that this was excellent – Toughie standard but with a few easier clues to let you get a toehold. Favourite clues 11a, 20a and 2d.
Really excellent puzzle to crank brain up again after a 2 week gap. Favourite was also 2d. Many thanks Isla.
Superb – very proud of the fact that I achieved it all on paper without having to go on line to the ‘reveal’ letter thingy. Same favourite clues as Gazza – 2d is as Anax says exceptional so clever but so simple. Thanks Isla – more please!
A very enjoyable debut and some really entertaining clues.
Some lovely clues, and some others that I am still scratching my head over having checked the answers!.
A very fine debut, Isla.
From a long-time lurker and nervous debutant: Thanks for the comments, I’m glad if you enjoyed it.
In truth I had a bit of help, a more experienced cruciverbalist reviewed it and pointed out (many) shortcomings in the clues, and suggested a few good ideas. Even last week Big Dave made a handful of excellent suggestions in the final edit.
Thanks to all.