Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg.
For me, etc (I have to say that for Terence), a very fair Wednesday challenge. If there are any half crowns left at the back of my sock drawer they are staying there because when it comes to the setter, as my ancestors would say, je ne sais pas.
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where we have another Province wide State of Emergency because of the once more increasing wildfire situation. Some Northern communities are being evacuated for the second time and some for the first time. Resulting from drifting smoke, air quality across the Province is very poor. An Air Quality Index (AQI), on an 11-point scale, from 1 to 10 and ‘Plus’ is calculated using a very peculiar formula. An AQI of 1 is Low Risk, 10 is High Risk, and Plus (anything more than 10) is Very High Risk. For the last few days we have been at least 9. Very unpleasant when one goes outside.
For me, and I stress for me©, Dada reasonably friendly until I had a cataclysmic senior moment in the SE – five anagrams (one partial), one lurker, and one homophone all in a symmetric 32 clues; with 16 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, after almost a week in a Turkish Bath with an occasional thunderstorm, we are forecast to have some sensible low to middle 20s temperatures before we go back into Turkish Bath conditions.
For me, and I stress for me©, Dada less friendly than he has been recently – six anagrams (two partials), one lurker, and three homophones all in a symmetric 30 clues; with a generous 16 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 18a, 24a, 5d, 17d, and 20d.
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.
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg on this the 183rd day of the year. So, ignoring government mandated seasonal one hour time adjustments, at noon, wherever you live, it becomes all ‘downhill’ to 2026 – the ultimate ‘Hump Day’! ( HUMP DAY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary )
For me, etc (I have to say that for Terence), a very enjoyable and not overly challenging Wednesday puzzle with no sign of the Reverend W A Spooner. A pair of half crowns from the never-ending supply at the back of my sock drawer are telling me that this is probably a Hudson production.
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.
For me, and I stress for me©, and, once again, I hope I don’t upset or annoy anyone, perhaps some will agree with me, Dada almost as friendly as he was last week and creatively adding to the list of anagram indicators – eight anagrams (three partials), one lurker, and one homophone all in a symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
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.
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where it was approximately 10 degrees cooler on my Saturday evening compared to 24 hours earlier, when I was struggling a little with the SPP, giving ideal conditions for solving and hinting half of a Dada puzzle.
For me, and I stress for me©, and I hope I don’t upset or annoy anyone, perhaps some will agree with me, the friendliest Dada has ever been for all of the 343 of his Sunday puzzles I have blogged, I suppose one could ask if it is a Dada puzzle at all – eight anagrams (two partials), two lurkers both reversed, and two homophones all in an asymmetric 30 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 13a, 27a, 3d, 8d, and 18d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***
A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg where we still need rain but the wildfires are mostly under control.
For me, etc (I have to say that for Terence), much more like a Wednesday puzzle should be and no sign of the Reverend W A Spooner but there are a number of literary, cinematic, and theatrical references. Once again, I have managed to find another pair of half crowns at the back of my sock drawer and, again, they are telling me that this is probably a Twmbarlwm production.
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where there is good news for some of the wildfire evacuees as they are being allowed to return home.
For me, and I stress for me©, Dada quirkier, especially on anagram indicators, than he has been for quite a while – two long uns, five anagrams (two partials), one lurker, and no homophones all in a symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 21a, 24, 25a, 2d, 19d, and 20d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where late afternoon, early evening yesterday we had some rain, not enough but better than nothing, and a feeble attempt at a thunder storm.
For me, and I stress for me©, Dada upped the ante for today’s puzzle – four long uns, two anagrams, one lurker with an indicator usually associated with another type of clue, and one homophone all in a symmetric 32 clues; with 16 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 5a, 16a, 19a, 27a,2d, 4d, and 8d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***
A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg where we had some rain on Monday but we need a whole lot more!
As ALP said yesterday, there is some reshuffling going on. Today is my last every Wednesday blog; but as ALP also said yesterday don’t start cracking open the champagne yet. For the next while (how long is a piece of string?) I will be sharing Wednesdays with a new to mid-week back page blogger who is starting next week. And, I will continue to solve half of a Dada puzzle on my Saturday evenings and prepare the Sunday blog 😉
For me, etc (I have to say that for Terence), much more like a Wednesday puzzle than we have had recently except for the absence of the Reverend W A Spooner. I was partially defeated by 2a – so any sensible suggestions on how ‘brother’s’ fits in would be appreciated (thanks to Maggie and CS for the enlightenment). I have managed to find another pair of half crowns at the back of my sock drawer and they are telling me that this is probably a Twmbarlwm production.