A Puzzle by The Void
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
This week we have a debut puzzle from The Void. As usual, the setter will be delighted to receive feedback from you, the solvers. I do ask that you remember that for most setters this is a new experience, so please only offer constructive criticism.
A review by Prolixic follows.
Welcome to The Void. Setting a crossword is a difficult exercise. It requires a detailed knowledge of the rules and conventions used. I feel that our setter today has tried to discern the rules from his experience of solving crosswords without fully understanding them. It would be rather like me trying to discern the rules of American football simply by watching a few matches. I have provided detailed notes where things could be improved.
Apart from the clues, the grid was not solver friendly. Particularly with 1s, 2d 26d and 27d, there are five letter clues where there are only two cross-checking letters. There should usually by at least 50% cross-checking in a solution. Whilst double unches are permitted, many newspapers (the Times and Independent particularly) will not permit them at the start of a word. Also, with this grid, there were only two clues where the top and bottom halves of the grid intersected. The design of the grid can make the difference between a good crossword and poor one. It is worth paying attention to.
Try to start with simpler clues in your next crossword and learn the basics before building up the difficulty level. There were some simpler clues and a very good clue in 7d.
The commentometer reads at 15/33 or 45%.
Across
1 Operation meant captain caught sound of formerly variable velocity (7,7)
FIFTEEN SQUARED – The mathematical operation that gives (in Roman numerals) CCXXV from C (captain) C (caught) X (homophone – sound of Ex (formerly)) X (variable in algebra) V (velocity), The meant here does not really sit well in the clue and operation does not really define the answer. The abbreviation c for captain is not in the main dictionaries. As a rule, setters should use only those abbreviations that appear in Chambers, Collins or the OED.
8 Told weekly of crunchy disco pie? (8)
EPISODIC – An anagram (crunchy) of DISCO PIE. I am not comfortable with the told as it misleads the solver about the nature of the definition.
10 Westward Go! (9)
BACKWARDS – A instruction to go west in a crossword means writing the words in this way. The clue is also an example with the words back to front.
11 Now there’s trouble in the short video site backup (5)
TODAY – A three letter word meaning trouble inside the abbreviation for You Tube all reversed (backup). This is another clue where the abbreviation used is not one that appears in the main dictionaries.
14 Rapper guzzled snake-sliding vehicle (7)
ICEBOAT – A three letter word for a type of snake inside the name of the Rapper ICE T. Do not link the wordplay with the solution using a hyphen.
15 They’re crushed if clue goes unsolved (4)
EGOS – The whole clue provides a definition to the wordplay that is an anagram (unsolved) of GOES.
16 For quick word-lookups online? It’s a must! (5)
EDICT – The abbreviation for on-line followed by the abbreviation for dictionary. Perhaps “Used for quick…” would give a better indication of the required wordplay.
18 Theatrical assistant‘s furniture (7)
DRESSER – Double definition.
21 Siren goes off to wash (5)
RINSE – An anagram (goes off) of SIREN.
22 Poker powers set like… (4)
AKIN – The abbreviation for Ace and King, the most important cards in Poker followed by a two letter word meaning set. Not sure that set and in are synonymous.
23 …couples couple together (7)
MARRIES – Multiple definitions.
24 Old french coin as unworked cheek (5)
SAUCE – A reversal (unworked) of ECU (old French coin) AS. Unworked does not work as a reversal indicator.
28 Some waste rides again! (9)
RECYCLING – Split 2-7, this would imply going on a bicycle again. The rides again gives the wrong verbal construction. It would need to be riding again to work correctly.
30 Container is eaten by undone males giving undue favour (8)
NEPOTISM – A three letter word for a container and the IS from the clue inside (is eaten by) a three letter word for males reversed (undone). Again, the reversal indicator here does not work.
31 Clue’s glue holds water (7,7)
SURFACE TENSION – What holds a clue together in the reading of the clue gives a force that holds water droplet together. This is a little bit of a stretch and highly ironic given that the surface readings in this crossword do anything but hold the crossword together. Holds water, does not give the solution. It would need to be “it holds water” to work.
Down
1 Strange deceiver’s odd example (5)
FREAK – An anagram (strange of ) FAKER (deceiver). As a general rule (to be broken only in the most clear cut of cases in advanced cryptic crosswords) you should never use an indirect anagram, that is an anagram of letters made up from a word that is not given in the clue. Here, you have to find a suitable synonym of deceiver and make an anagram of the letters. This is considered unfair on the solver.
2 Anchor bit parasite (5)
FLUKE – Double definition, the first being part of an anchor and the second a type of parasitic worm.
3 Headless gambler understands English movie pixel-zoomer (8)
ENHANCER – A seven letter word for a gambler (think of the 1990’s TV series starring Clive Owen) with the first letter removed (headless) goes underneath (under-stands) an abbreviation for English. A number of points on this clue. The first is that again there is an abbreviation that is not in the main dictionaries. Secondly understands does not mean stand under except by reading it askance and this should have been indicated. Finally, the definition is a little bit of a stretch.
4 Thing wanted sound of dough-work (4)
NEED – A homophone of knead (dough work). Dough work would give kneading. Perhaps “Thing wanted to work dough” would have been better.
5 You dislike her rising clues (8)
UPSETTER – A person who uses lots of reversal indicators might be described as this (2,6). I think that the her is doing double duty here as it is needed as part of the definition “You dislike her” and it is also required as part of the wordplay “her rising clues”. Words that do double duty like this should be avoided.
6 Mental processor followed Scarlet made again (5)
REDID – A three letter word for the colour scarlet followed by a word letter word for part of the mental process that controls our basic instincts. A minor point but capitalised as a name, Scarlet should be Scarlett.
7 Cracking exhumation! (10)
DECRYPTING – Double definition, part cryptic. The second word could fancifully mean removing from a crypt. Top clue in the crossword for me.
9 Mind games shout in two addenda (3-3)
PSY-OPS – Two abbreviations for postscript (addenda) include a two letter word for a shout.
12 Means seller holds grudge (10)
REPRESENTS – A three letter word for a travelling salesman followed by a a word meaning holds a grudge
13 Blue clue (4)
DOWN – Double definition. Technically, the solution is not a clue but type of clue.
17 Fills for certain stainers (4)
INKS – Cryptic defintion of the liquid is some writing implements. To describe a writing implement as a stainer is massive stretch. Perhaps fills should be fillings to give a nounal indicator.
18 Silverless repeat lifted into unhesitant goddess’s sad decline (8)
DEMENTIA – Remove the chemical symbol for silver from a five letter word meaning repeat and reverse the letters (lifted) and add them into the name of the Greek Goddess of the harvest and fertility. Like far too many of the clues the surface reading of the clue here is nonsensical. Whilst I argue that getting the wordplay right for new setters should take priority over the surface reading, there are limits to this and the clue must make some sort of sense.
19 Mistakes logic gate in mistakes (6)
ERRORS – A two letter word for an electronic logic gate goes inside a four letter word for mistakes to give a another word for mistakes. Where possible, you should avoid etymological crossover between the wordplay and the definition.
20 He puzzled us all (8)
EVERYMAN – Cryptic definition of the crossword puzzle that appears weekly in the Observer newspaper and was set by Allan Scott for many years.
25 High through-cut (5)
UPPER – A two letter word meaning high followed by a three letter word meaning through. As a rule, you should not combine the wordplay with the definition, even with a hyphen.
26 Excuse Baba both ways (5)
ALIBI – The name of the pantomime character followed by a two letter word meaning both ways in a sexual context.
27 Famous king’s knight surrounds instant (5)
KNOWN – The abbreviations for King and Knight in chess around a three letter word mean instant.
29 Give out false mitochondrial innards (4)
EMIT – The answer is hidden (innards) in the third and fourth words of the clue.
Hi all, I’m Void. I’m a newbie setter, been going since May, doing slightly more than one a month, and learning a lot as I go along. If you want to know more, you can read my blog, and check some of my other puzzles at https://tlmb.net/blog/category/crosswords/ . I aim to put up one a month, to keep myself interested, if nothing else. I’m also on Twitter, with the same username as here.
Speaking of learning… since setting and submitting this crossword, I’ve learned:
– Two unchecked letters in a row goes against the convention. I’m not entirely sure that I see a big difference between, say, XOXOXO and XOOXOX. But there you go, if that’s the rule, I’ll stick to it from now on.
– [another fact] which makes one clue a bit less pleasing.
Right, hope you all like at least one clue, and thanks in advance for any feedback you care to leave.
Cheers!
Welcome to the site, Void.
Thank you.
While two successive unchecked letters (the notorious double unch) is not a popular construct, the convention to which you refer only applies if they are the first two letters in an answer. (OOXOXO in your example).. The other, closely related, convention is that at least 50% of the letters in an answer should be checked. But remember these are only conventions and are there to be broken as long as the clue is fair to the solver.
Thanks for the clarification.
By the way, another convention is that you ask permission before posting a link to your own site.
Apologies. I did read that one shouldn’t post more than one link in a comment, but sorry for missing that one.
This is not a specific guideline – it applies, as a courtesy, to any site.
Sorry.
This is an extremely difficult crossword to solve (well I think so anyway). I don’t think it is helped by the double-unched grid It also suffers from trying too hard to be cryptic and so many of the surface readings make such little sense that it is really hard to work out what the intended solution must be. Although I have a completed grid, helped by revealing a letter or several, I have ? by many of the clues and will await Prolixic’s review with great interest.
Sorry Void, I know you must have put a lot of work into this, but it wasn’t my favourite Rookie puzzle.
Thanks for taking the time to solve, and reply. No apology necessary – that’s what I’m here for. I find it hard to tell how difficult my own clues are. I think I’d probably rather be “too hard” than “too easy”, but obviously there’s a balance to find, and it seems like I’ve got it wrong here. Okay, noted!
I was going to say pretty much exactly what CS has written @2.
Please read Prolixic’s review tomorrow in detail and take on board his comments which will give you a lot of help in learning what you need to do in future.
Good luck and keep persevering.
Thanks for the feedback.
Some very clever and inventive ideas here. The grid, however, isn’t ideal, with numerous pairs of unchecked letters (unches): definitely worth avoiding those next time. I enjoyed solving it – though I await Prolixic’s review with interest for the couple I can’t yet properly parse. I have made some more detailed notes against the clues which I am more than happy to share with ‘The Void’ but which would spoil if posted here. If you are interested then do get Big Dave to put us in email contact. And I won’t be offended if not!
Some added precision with a few of the definitions would help solvers who’ll otherwise find this tough. For aesthetics then some more tidying of the clues’ surfaces will make a big difference too.
Though overall, well done – & I look forward to your next puzzle
Cheers
-Encota-
Hi Encota,
Thanks for the comments. I’m glad you liked some of my ideas. I’d be happy to have your notes – Maybe we should wait until after Prolixic’s review though?
Hi Void
Thanks for the puzzle. I’d go along with crypticsue’s comment. I’ve got all the answers with a bit of revealing, but there are many clues I don’t understand in part, and not a few I don’t understand at all (eg 1a, 5d).
I wonder what experience of solving crosswords you have, and what sort of puzzle you’re aiming to produce? I had a quick look at some of your other puzzles on your blog site. I note that you describe them as ‘cryptish’, and that some of the solutions are not ‘things’ that would be allowed in a UK daily newspaper’s cryptic (eg. ‘ as he’ as a solution). The grids are also untypical, lots of short solutions, some with many checked letters, others not enough. Do you solve American puzzles? There’s much more latitude there for odd solutions and clues consisting only of vague hints. If you want to set a regular UK type cryptic you’ll have to pay a lot more attention to the usual conventions.
Hi mucky,
Thanks for feedback. “Cryptish” is, I suppose, an admission that I know I’m “not there yet”. But I’m trying to get better, and get close to the UK conventions. I’ve already determined to try a lot harder with grids, and avoid the shorter answers too.
I don’t solve American puzzles. I stick to British ones, but it’s true that I don’t solve that many. I much prefer pen & paper solving to on-screen, but it is nice to have the option. I think, reading between the lines, that you might be telling me to pay more attention to the solver’s POV in my puzzles. I think that’s good advice. I’ll take it!
Well done for putting the puzzle together and sticking your neck out.
I thought there were some very original ideas on display here, but as other have said, much of the rest doesn’t make much sense. I would say keep it simple, but absolutely correct and understandable to be fair to solvers. Some I revealed were met with What?? rather than D’oh!
Thanks for the challenge TVTMLB, Prolixic’s review will be well worth a read, thanks also to him in advance.
“Sticking my neck out”.
I told Dave I was looking forwards to a gentle mauling, and I think that’s what I’ve got. Fair enough!
I’m glad that you at least found some original ideas here. Sorry for being a bit too off otherwise. Thanks for the reply.
CS has encapsulated very well much of what I felt. Whilst a number of the clues were technically sound, their surface readings made no sense whatsoever, and, even with a liberal use of the “Reveal” button like LBR, I’m still at a loss to understand how the clue leads the solver to many of the answers.
The one plus was the concise nature of many of the clues, but I’m struggling to think of too many other positives unfortunately. My main suggestion going forward would be:
– If the surface reading isn’t one that could conceivably be said or read, think of something that can be.
2. At all costs, avoid indirect anagrams (as in 30a if I’ve interpreted it correctly)
When Prolixic reviews your puzzle, he will offer you much more detailed advice, please do take it on board. Thanks, The Void.
I think (?) 30a is a reversal.
Sorry, I was about to edit my second point when I got timed out. I originally thought that the intention in 30a was an anagram (“undone”) of “males” (to clue men), but I now realise that it was probably meant to be something else. Apologies.
Hi silvanus,
Thanks for taking the time to solve and reply. Your surface comment is useful. Okay, lots to work on, then, especially surfaces.
dutch is on the right track.
I look forward to Prolixic’s review too. I’m definitely here for the feedback, so I’ll try to learn and keep improving.
Cheers,
Void
Hi Void,
I liked the idea of a crosswordy theme, with some good clues like “blue clue” (all the nicer because it rhymes). Some other clues were perfectly sound, like 21a.
Others I had to guess, like 1a. I guessed right, but I have no idea how it relates to the clue.
I’ll make a number of suggestions, and Proloxic will give a definitive clue by clue run down.
(1) the grid. Already said but important. Double unches are not wrong but they can add difficulty and frustration for the solver, especially when there are more unchecked letters than checked letters as in 1d, 2d, 26d, 27d. The latter should definitely be avoided. There are only two connections between the top and bottom, both in a single clue, which is not good grid design. It means we have a puzzle of two halves, rather than good connectivity. I managed the bottom half ok, then struggled with the top half as almost a separate puzzle. There are some standard grids you can use, just copy them from times or telegraph. Not all grids in crossword compiler are good.
(2) A clue is not satisfying when part of is is clued using the same etymological root as the answer. 19d is the best example, here you even use the same word to clue the two related words, highlighting that they related. See also 12d. Similarly, if you clue with two meanings, those should be etymologically distinct. Not so in 17d, for example.
(3) indicators. These need to be accurate and mean exactly what you intend to use them for. undone (30a) and unworked (24a) do not mean reverse to me, There are (incomplete and “use at your own risk”) lists of indicators in cryptics.wikia.com and in the chambers crossword dictionary.
(4) already mentioned, but very important. the definition or clue-fragments must be the same part of speech or verb form as the answer. e.g. 28a should be riding. 31a answer is a noun. 16a “for quick word-lookups online” does not suggest a noun, even a whimsical one, but it should.
(5) abbreviations used should be in the dictionary (11a)
(6) surfaces should be feasible – what is disco pie?
Have you read prolixic’s crossword guide? It’s under the cryptic crosswords tab on this site. It explains a lot of the details.
Hope you benefit from all the feedback you will get in this exercise, and good luck.
Hi dutch,
Thanks for the detailed feedback.
1. All noted. This grid “looked” connected to me, but looking again after reading your comment, ah, yes, 18a is a major lynchpin, isn’t it? Okay, another note taken.
2. 19d. You’re right, of course. 12d. I thought those were different etymologies. 17d. I thought that one was okay with a verb definition plus a noun definition, but thinking about it, I see your point stands. Okay.
3. This is down to my ignorance, then. I need to do more homework. Thanks for the resources.
4. Yep. 28a. Oh dear, that’s just shoddy of me. Sorry. 31a. Ah, yes, should’ve had an “it” in there, or something. 16a. I have to confess, I thought “I’ll tidy up the first bit later”… and then I didn’t. Oops, sloppiness again. More rigour, Void!
5. Okay. But if I’d spelt out the particular letters in wordplay (using the actual name and “heads” or similar), that would’ve been okay?
6. It turns out that this is one of those occasions where something that exists in my head… doesn’t elsewhere. A few million years ago, I worked for a time in a rave club. There, one could hear tell of “disco biscuits”. I remember substitute foodstuffs being jokily used in the name, and pie is one I remember. Now that I do a search, I can see a few people with disco pie as a username scattered about, but no references to its use in this context. I wouldn’t have used it as an answer (too obscure), but thought it was okay in the clue. However, I should have done a lookup check, and your point stands that my surfaces need work, as others have said. (And just for the record, I’m not a fan or consumer of such, ahem, “foodstuffs”.)
I will check out the guide, thanks.
Cheers,
Void
The thing is clueing is easy if you use non-sensical fodder. The art is to subtly work the fodder into a beautiful surface. True of all clue types. Look at the pros. Arachne in the guardian comes to mind.
Debated about whether to leave any comment on this one but didn’t want The Void to think that I hadn’t given it a try.
I probably finished up by ‘revealing’ more than I solved and several of the answers still don’t make sense to me.
Apologies to our setter but I think Prolixic has his work cut out tonight.
Thanks for solving, and for the honesty.
We did work on this at our usual time yesterday and after a long frustrating time chose to reveal letters and move on. There were still several clues where we could not, and still can’t, understand how they worked so we opted not to comment at that stage rather than leave a negative one.
Sorry Void, it just did not do it for us.
Thanks for having a go. Sorry to disappoint.
I tried, I really did, and I got some clues solved. It was slow and a slog involving more time than I really had to get where I did, so I revealed the letters for 1A to see if that would kick start the down clues…and was totally flummoxed as to how that answer was arrived at trom the clue. At that point, I gave up. I did like 15A though. I hope you have better feedback on your next foray into Rookie Land, Void.
Thanks Chris. I hope so too.
45 – ouch! Thanks P
Thank you so much, Prolixic. I read every single word of your review in an effort to understand how the solutions are arrived at. I’m sure Void will use your sage advice and observations to improve on his debut offering.
A powerful review – many thanks Prolixic!
Thank you very much, Prolixic, for explaining a lot of the things that flummoxed me (particularly 1a!).
I hesitate to mention that your explanation for the tortuous 18d doesn’t include the relevance of “unhesitant” nor the fact that only part of the “silverless repeat” is lifted into the “unhesitant goddess” but I wouldn’t be surprised if your brain had been getting a bit scrambled by then.
I still don’t think I understand 23a. How is “couple together” a second definition of “marries”?
Very well done, Prolixic, on managing to unravel all that – a very impressive analysis.
I had it as a triple definition:
“Couples”, “Couples couple” and “Couples couple together” all work, I think. The last two words alone don’t quite work as a definition.
Thanks for popping in and commenting, Void. It’s always good to have a dialogue with the setter.
I’m still a bit unsure about 23a. I can see of course that “couples” =”marries”, but don’t “couples couple” and” “couples couple together” lead to “marry”? Or am I missing something obvious?
Hi Dave,
When a vicar (or whoever) performs a marriage ceremony, s/he is doing the “coupling” of the bride and groom, who are the “couple” in question, bringing/tying them “together”. Does that make it scan for you?
Got it now! Thanks Void.
I was taking “couples couple” to be a noun followed by a verb rather than vice-versa.
As RD says, thank you very much to Prolixic for the detailed explanations of the many clues that flummoxed most of us.
Couldn’t get on with this at all and lost interest, leaving it less than half finished, even after invoking wordfinder assistance, so I can’t comment on specific clues, but I certainly agree about the solver-unfriendly grid.
Firstly, thank you to The Void, and well done for having the courage to put your head above the parapet! One’s first published puzzle is always going to be a marker and the comments here, especially Prolixic’s review, will stand you in good stead for future compilations, of which I hope there will be many.
You have set what many of us have found to be a difficult puzzle, mainly because of the fact that as a Newbie you do not yet appreciate the conventions with which many solvers and setters on here have been working for years. Hopefully, Prolixic’s guide to cryptic crossword setting, which is available on this site, will help you in the future. I well recall my debut Rookie puzzle in which several surface readings were nonsensical and in which there were plenty of other points on which I needed guidance as to improvement. I am still evolving as a setter.
As to the puzzle itself, I slowly worked my way through about two-thirds of it, and had some ideas for answers which I didn’t enter because I couldn’t parse them, but which turned out to be correct. Like Prolixic, I thought 7d was excellent.
Thanks for keeping me busy, The Void, and although the puzzle ultimately defeated me, I look forward to seeing how you develop as a setter following the feedback.
Thanks also to Prolixic for the review.
Thanks for the comments, and encouragement.
Many thanks for the exceptionally comprehensive review, Prolixic. I do hope that it will prove to be of great benefit to The Void – our Rookies are so lucky to have you.
Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to have a go at solving, and apologies to those who found it frustrating.
Thanks very much to Prolixic for the clue by clue breakdown, and I will certainly take a lot away from your comments.
One note on 17d: I was using “stainers” as the definition, and “fills for certain” was a clue to what might be the opposite of “pencils” as a verb.
A humbling exercise, and I shall now crawl away back below the parapet, and do my homework.
Big Dave, please could you pass my email address on to Encota?
Encota, if you still want to send me notes after Prolixic’s review, I’d be happy to have them, thank you. If not, then no worries, and thanks for the thought anyway.
In poker, they say “If you can’t spot the idiot in the room, then it’s probably you.” Oh.
You’ve all been very polite, and probably quite restrained, so thanks for that.
TTFN.