Crossword solution
to 2158: Late bloomers
The unclued lights are the surnames of people (nine of whom were botanists) who gave their names to flowers. …
To 2157: Song X
If the grid were a TIMEPIECE (13/12), the six perimetric words (GRANITE, LIMESTONE, SERPENTINE, GREYWACKE, DALRADIAN and HORNFELS) might collectively…
to 2156: Shoreline
The perimeter is occupied by seven SANDPIPERS. First prize Tim Hanks, Douglas, Isle of Man Runners-up Hilda Ball, Belfast;…
2155: Poor Billy’s left out
The unclued lights are SIBYLS (the title was an anagram of BILLY’S with L omitted). First prize Judith Bevis, Newport,…
to 2154: Clickety click
The MUSICAL (33) BARON (29) Lloyd-Webber’s BIRTHDAY (40) was on 22nd March; he was 66 (hence the title). His works…
to 2153: Selling
Corrections of misprints in clues form the phrase BAIT AND SWITCH. Unclued lights are examples of bait (10, 16, 23,…
to 2152: T20
Each letter of each solution and each unclued light has to be represented in the grid by its numerical position…
Solution to 2151: Sources
The three theme words are CHAMBERS (12A, 16A, 40A), OXFORD (colleges) (24A, 4D, 8D), and (works by Wilkie) COLLINS (9D,…
Solution to 2150: Content
‘To fill the hour — that is happiness’ (given by initial letters of superfluous words in clues, and 3 4A)…
to 2149: Super!
When preceded by GREAT, each unclued light yields a phrase listed in Brewer 19th edition. First prize Mrs T.…
to 2148: Eighth of February
Unclued lights can each be abbreviated so that together they give the letters of FEBRUARY: FAHRENHEIT (19), EARTH (32), BASS…
Solution to 2147: Amazing Performance
Taking one unchecked letter from each across solution gives EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION, whose victims, according to Chambers 2011, include TERRORIST SUSPECTs.…
Solution to 2146: 4 ÷ 4 = 8
One 4-letter word is to be placed in the middle of another to yield an 8-letter solution: 6 ÷ 19…
to 2145: Two in a row
Each pair consists of two in a ‘row’ in a variety of meanings. PURL (14) & PLAIN (25) (line of…
to 2144: Leonids
The work was ‘THE TAMING OF THE (1D) Shrew’. ‘Shrew’ is suggested by 15, 27 and 33. The ‘Shrew’ of…
to 2143: Revising geography
The unclued lights are all geographical locations – paired as anagrams: 13/9, 23/28. 30/17, 34/6 and 42/33. (33 Down is…
to 2142: Wintry
Extra letters in clues give ‘wrapped in wild snow’, a quotation from a poem by ALEXANDER BLOK (10). Partially indicated…
to 2141: Megacant
The unclued lights are examples of super slang listed on pp 7/8 in the Word Lover’s Miscellany section of Chambers…
To 2140: Essex Man
The hero is Father Brown, appearing in column 3. ‘The Innocence (22) / Wisdom (15) / Secret (6D) / Scandal…
to 2139: Separated
The key word is BUTTERMILK (8), which can be separated into words defined by 15, 27, 40; 4, 23, 25;…
to 2138: Hundred centimes
The unclued Across lights are words abbreviated by C (= 100) and the unclued Down lights are abbreviated by c…
to 2137: Speculation
The two words were BULL and BEAR. BULL is suggested by 36, 41, 6 and 10; BEAR by 34, 37,…
To 2136: Howdunit
Six of the unclued entries contained the Cluedo character surnames; the remaining unclued entries were therefore a murder weapon and…
To 2135: Strange
The unclued lights are CONDUCTORS (SARGENT is an anagram of the title STRANGE). First prize Roderick Rhodes, Goldsborough, North…
To 2134: Mere letters
The pairs of anagrams were of countries and their capitals: Dominica & Roseau (2 & 11); Latvia & Riga (20…
