Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 005
A Puzzle by Prolixic
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Welcome to the fifth in our series of weekly puzzles.
This is the second by Prolixic – one of our rising stars.
Category: Guest Crosswords
NTSPP – 004 Review
NTSPP – 004 Review
A Bonus Puzzle by Anax
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Anax set out to produce a simpler puzzle. “In setting this one I gave myself the brief of keeping things as simple as possible, which is quite a departure from the typical Anax approach.” In large measure, I think he succeeds – the puzzle was a lot more straightforward than a “typical” Anax masterpiece. However, an easy Anax puzzle still leaves room for a lot of deviousness and humour.
NTSPP – 004
Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 004
A Bonus Puzzle by Anax
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Welcome to the fourth in what has become an excellent series of weekly puzzles. Telegraph setters themselves have been known to dip in, perhaps to see how it really should be done!
This one dropped unexpectedly into my mailbox recently. Anax thought he would try his hand at writing an easier puzzle. Easier that what? You might well ask. Easier than his usual fare. Is it easy – that’s for you to judge.
NTSPP – 003 Review
NTSPP – 003 Review
Home in the North West by Radler
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The following notes were written by Radler.
This isn’t a review as that’s not for me to provide! However, I write explanatory notes during the compilation process and it makes sense for me to make these available instead of somebody else undertaking the work. Please do comment to let me know what you liked or hated and which were the easier and harder clues. I do have my own favourites, but I’ll resist the temptation to say which they are; it’s your opinions that count.
NTSPP – 003
Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 003
Home in the North West by Radler
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This is the third in a series of additional weekend puzzles.
This week we have a puzzle from Radler. Anax pointed him in the direction of the Alberich site (see the sidebar) and you will discover two more of his puzzles there. We are very pleased to be publishing a third puzzle by this setter.
As with last week’s puzzle, this one has a theme. You are strongly recommended to read the preamble as this explains that certain clues have only wordplay and lack definition. The solving of 29,27 and 12,32 are key to the solving of the whole puzzle.
NTSPP – 002 Review
NTSPP – 002 Review
Odd One Out by Prolixic
A Star is Born
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I understand that this is Prolixic’s first published crossword and it’s excellent. He easily succeeds in his stated intention of producing a range of clues which enable all blog readers to have a go. If he can manage a puzzle of this quality on his first attempt, what are they going to be like when he’s really got his eye in?
The theme is of course crossword setters (as defined in 16a). There are nine pseudonyms in total, of which eight are regular setters of either the DT Cryptic or Toughie or both, with only our very own Anax (the Odd One Out of the title) not appearing in the Telegraph (although we all believe that he should, and that it’s only a matter of time!). I’ve prefixed each of the nine names in the answers with an asterisk.
NTSPP – 002
Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 002
Odd One Out by Prolixic
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This is the second in a series of additional weekend puzzles.
After the ridiculous fuss created last week, we should be returning to calmer waters today. Prolixic started by leaving comments on the site, and then rather foolishly tried to drink me under the table at the White Horse a few weeks back (he thought he had a chance because I had already been there for about three hours!). Following this meeting he has written his first review and today we present his debut cryptic puzzle.
The puzzle has a theme, which you should discover fairly quickly, and this will help with quite a few of the clues. To say any more would spoil that “penny drop” moment.
NTSPP – 001 Review
NTSPP – 001 Review
An Independent Puzzle by Anax
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I didn’t have much difficulty nor did I take much time with this puzzle. For me this was a ‘toughie’ in the sense that in some four or five instances the annotation didn’t come immediately upon getting the answer from all or part of wordplay. As for 1d, I had to go looking for the confirmation of the definition ‘useless’. So my engagement with the crossword extended for a while after completing the puzzle in fully interpreting the stubborn clues.
I got a toehold in the grid with 13a WAG. The first to fall was bottom-half, then top right. Top-left was the last quadrant. One or two answers such as 17a had to be revised in the course of solving. The penultimate clue was 1dn; the last one was 10a.
Very well-crafted clues giving the utmost satisfaction to the solver.
NTSPP – 001
Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 001
An Independent Puzzle by Anax
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The first in a series of puzzles for anyone who finds that the Saturday Telegraph Prize puzzle leaves them wanting something more challenging.
We mentioned on Saturday, 30th January that Anax was the setter for that day’s prize puzzle in the Independent (#7267). Now that the closing date for entries to the competition has passed, Mike “Eimi” Hutchinson, Crossword Editor, has kindly given permission for the puzzle to be published here.