Monthly Prize Puzzle (December 2016)
Months by Radler
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Why not have a go at our latest Monthly Prize Puzzle?
The winner will receive their choice of any of the Telegraph Crossword Books published by Hamlyn.
Please note that, due to punitive postal charges, while the competition is open to all, the prize is only available to UK solvers.
A review will follow after the closing date (17th December 2016).
The competition is now closed
The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
I’ve left this post open for comments, but if you don’t want your comment to be deleted then avoid asking for or giving help with the clues.
Solvers with long memories may recall an earlier MPP with the same theme. I sent this puzzle to Big Dave in early 2015, just as he was preparing a similar one from Alchemi. My thanks to Dave for looking after the puzzle for so long.
Well it might have been a long time waiting to be published but it was well worth waiting for. A couple of things I needed to check on and these were soon sorted.
Thanks Radler.
I’m not in tears yet but there’s plenty of time to go………..
Loved it.
Thank you!
So far I have precisely six answers.
I have one abbreviated month.
This could well be as far as I get – if it is it’s probably further than I’ve ever got with a Radler crossword.
Back tomorrow and probably the next day and the one after that etc etc . . .
I really find Radler the most difficult setter I ever attempt – I don’t ever attempt Elgar, ProXimal or Sparks.
Oh well – onwards and upwards, or not as the case may be.
Gotcha!
How nice to be treated to another Radler puzzle so soon. This had me struggling in SE for a bit. I was helped by the remaining months.
many thanks Radler!
It’s taken me a very long time and now I need a lie down, for a few days.
My favourite was 16d.
It was definitely worth the ‘perservation’ so thanks very much to Radler for the entertainment.
Well done, that girl! 14d was my favourite.
Am I getting used to Radler finally or was he softer in 2015?
Anyway. Managed to finish.
Lots of d’oh moments while solving.
Thanks for the fun.
Another extreme challenge for which persistence paid off. I found the first three quarters very tough but the SE was almost off the toughness scale. Nevertheless the whole thing was great fun.
I did think that some of the surfaces were a bit clunky, particularly 9a & 25d, with 9a also involving over-convoluted wordplay. Those apart however there were lots of great clues here, often nicely misleading and some with very nice surfaces.
I have three half-parsed answers and one where I can only think of one word which fits but I can’t see at all either the definition or the wordplay. I will wait with bated breath for the review!
Many thanks to Radler for filling up a lot of my day in a very enjoyable way.
The abbreviated months and a good lot of anagrams really helped in spotting the ‘uninvited guest’ to the maze. I also learnt two new words. Tonnes of thanks to Radler for the splendid treat! I liked 1, 2, 10, 12, 15, 18, 26 and 29 across and 1, 7, 8 and 16 down, but my favourite was 9 across.