Good morning. It’s been a busy time in our household, with the 10-year-old’s final half-term of primary school featuring many additional events and trips. Last week’s induction day at their next school seemed to go well (they got in the house they wanted!), and we survived the second-hand clothes scrum at the evening event for parents. This week we get to see the leavers performing the musical they’ve been rehearsing for weeks. Once parts were allocated, the children came home with costume requirements — at which point we found ourselves wondering why on earth a tweed jacket to fit a 10-year-old would even exist, let alone where to acquire one cheaply; my mum came to the rescue with a great find on a second-hand website.
On to today’s crossword. Hints and explanations for each clue are below, with definitions underlined and the answers hidden inside the Will you never learn? boxes — though don’t click that one, obviously. Do leave a comment sharing how you found the crossword, which clues you particularly liked, if any of my explanations aren’t helpful enough, or you can’t work out what a video or picture has to do with its clue. Please see the etiquette guide for how things are done round here.
I met proXimal at The George last Tuesday (among many others, Karla, Donnybrook, Weatherman, Eccles, Elgar, Kitty, Cephas, Shabbo being a few I can remember before the Small Beer and Sun on thinning brow addled my faculties!) and he promised me a quite tricky Spoonerism to start today. He was right! – It was quite late in the solve before the correct apostle revealed himself.
I also learned that his blogging name is from the Latin for in favour of pro and Ximal – Of or pertaining to the cryptic crossword style used and defined by “Ximenes” (Derrick Somerset Macnutt), whereby an acceptable cryptic clue must have a precise definition, a fair and strictly grammatical subsidiary indication, and no redundant elements beyond these. You can take it that all his clues follow these guidelines and are fair to the solver.
14a and 14d today, and I have hinted half, a few tricky clues hit the cutting room floor, so I will try to provide a nudge or two if the Brass Band competition on Wetherby Ings permits
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, on Friday, the clock was turned back almost fifty years when the historic and iconic intersection of Portage and Main (Portage Avenue and Main Street) was reopened to pedestrians. During the years of closure, pedestrians have had to rely on a circular underground concourse which has become more and more dilapidated and some believe more unsafe.
Candidates for favourite – 21a, 24a, 25a, 2d, 11d, and 16d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the what I very subjectively perceive to be the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I have no idea who set today’s enjoyable puzzle. I hope they drop in later to claim it. Continue reading "DT 30964"
