Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 076
A Puzzle by Prolixic
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Welcome to the latest in our series of weekly puzzles.
This week we have yet another from the prolific Prolixic.
The puzzle by Prolixic is available by clicking here:

Feel free to leave comments about this puzzle on this post.
Very nice relaxing Saturday morning solve which took about 20 minutes (in fairness, the quickish completion was helped by spotting… well, you know). Although the answer at 13a wasn’t immediately on my radar, it’s still staggering that its simplicity held me up for so long – last answer in the grid, in fact! It’s the mark of a very good setter to provide the answer in such an obvious way but to delay the spotting of it.
Lovely puzzle.
It took me rather longer but 13a was one of my first answers! Perhaps it’s my more mathematical approach.
I’m busy sorting a review out but I made the same comment on 13a when I solved it. Multiple kickings did ensue!
Thanks to Prolixic for the very entertaining puzzle (not spoilt at all by my spluttering at the terrible homophone at 20d :D ). 13a was also my last one in. Favourite clue: 7d.
As ever a very entertaining crossword from Prolixic, thanks once again to him. I managed to test solve it without noticing the theme until nearly the end! BD – should naughty Anax be telling us how long he took? – my test solving notes say I was about the same time :)
Only trouble with test solving a Prolixic is that when it’s his turn, you don’t have a NTSPP to do over lunch. Luckily there’s a very nice Paul in the Guardian which filled the gap.
Hi Sue.
I wouldn’t mention it for a newspaper puzzle, but for unpublished setters it’s good to know how long a solve takes – usually gives a fair idea of where you’ve pitched the difficulty.
I knew it didn’t matter really for an NTSPP but couldn’t resist!
Tut tut, Anax.
“Unpublished setters” – our Prolixic has been published more than once in the Church Times.
It would amaze me if they were to publish one of your puzzles, even though you managed to squeeze “Property is theft” into the FT!
Quite right BD – my apologies to Prolixic; I rather thoughtlessly equated ‘published’ with ‘daily newspapers’ when (perhaps more specialised) other outlets are equally valid.
I’m sticking by my 20 minutes though :)
Bit too hard for me as usual for a Prolixic puzzle but got there with some cheating! I wasn’t helped by automatically typing in the alternative spelling of 1d, Doh!
Thanks for the challenge Prolixic, I’ll crack one of yours one day!