Crossword solution
2554: Going, going... – Solution
The unclued lights were all extinct species. PTERODON was an acceptable variation at 5 Across. DODO was to be deleted…
2553: Island alien - solution
The unclued lights when arranged as 12, 11, 43, 5, 24, 1D, 1A form Chambers’definition of MULLET at 30D. First…
Solution to 2552: 😀
The emoticon which formed the title of the puzzle suggested George Smiley, Le Carré’s nemesis of MI6 moles, ordered as…
2551: Madness - solution
The four-letter word was BAND. Unclued lights suggest bandicoot (7A),bandh (11), banda (41), bandana (1D), bandoneon (3), bandook (7D), bandar…
2550: Shorties - solution
The unclued lights and those clued without thematic definition (7, 11, 17, 30, 31, 32, 36 and 41) are SHORTened…
2549: Obscurity – solution
PALE FIRE is a novel by Vladimir NABOKOV (18). Synonyms of words in the novel’s title are 7, 15A, and…
2548: Poem VII - solution
The poem is ‘Rondeau’ by Leigh Hunt. Its first three words as quoted in ODQ are ‘JENNY KISSED ME’ (diagonally…
2547: Ascending order - solution
The unclued lights are phrases which include the numbers from 1 to 7, with 1 featured twice. First prize John…
2546: Picture book - solution
NICOLAS POUSSIN painted ET IN ARCADIA EGO and A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME. The latter inspired ANTHONY POWELL,…
2545: With a twist - solution
Suggested by 41, the other unclued lights were worms entered backwards in the grid. To comply with the preamble, 6…
2544: Fives - solution
First prize Leigh Hughes, Bootle, Merseyside Runners-up Francis Wheen, Pleshey, Essex; Robin Jolly, Selsey, Chichester, West Sussex Got something to…
2543: Parts of Speech - solution
Unclued lights are the many parts each man plays, from the ‘Seven ages’ speech by Jaques (29D) in As You…
2542: Wider II - solution
The unclued lights and COMPOSERS (35A) are RIBBONS/Gibbons (1A), MAILER/Mahler (7), RAMEAN/Rameau (25), WANTON/Walton (26A), DELICES/Delibes (46), RAVENER/Tavener (1D), BELLING/Bellini…
2541: Beastly - solution
The unclued lights form a quartet of three-word terms, each of which has the letter count of (6,6,6) which is…
2540: Recycling components - solution
Unclued lights (PLAY, WITH, HOLD, DOWN) comprise components for the unclued cyclic sequence PLAY WITH, WITHHOLD, HOLD DOWN and DOWNPLAY.…
2539: Wider - solution
The six unclued lights and PLAYWRIGHTS (35/26) are FETCHER/Fletcher (13), CHILLER/Schiller (22), WESTER/Webster (34), MEANDER/Menander (38), PRIESTLY/Priestley (6) and COTEAU/Cocteau…
2538: Green Light! Cross! - solution
The unclued lights are towns on Gozo (go + zo are defined in the puzzle’s title). Apologies that this crossword…
2537: My Lord! - solution
The exchange that gave rise to the expression CURATE’s (19 Down) Egg was ‘I’m afraid you’ve got a bad egg,…
Christmas crossword 2021 - solution
The NATIVITY (89) of the ACTOR (37) HUMPHREY BOGART (47/13), the singers ANNIE LENNOX (112/12) and IAN BOSTRIDGE (4/61), the…
2536: At rest - solution
The unclued lights (3 composers, 3 artists and 3 writers) are all buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery. The name should…
Solution to 2535: Triplets
Each unclued lights include one letter three times. The wording of the preamble precludes ALLYLS (2D which would be the…
2534: Off-pitch - solution
The unclued lights are cricket fielding positions. The clues contain the names of 12 present and former England cricketers: Old,…
2533: Monday’s Child - solution
‘From harmony, from heavenly harmony, this universal frame began’ opens JOHN DRYDEN’s Song for ST CECILIA’S DAY (22 November, a…
2532: Patchy? - solution
The unclued lights are TV detectives and their PATCH: 10/8, 13/5D, 15/39, 26/41, 36/33. First prize Emma Corke, Abinger Hammer,…
2531: Villainy - solution
The unclued lights are VILLAINS encountered by James Bond. First prize Ian Skillen, Cambuslang, Glasgow Runners-up Liz Knights, Walton Highway,…
