Spectator 2042 Saturday December 3rd 2011

[mintyman99]

http://www.spectator....7438903/crossword.pdf

[Farrnorth]

Many thanks MM

[barryjbutler]

Cheers Mintyman...

[kayakamina]

Thanks for the early link MM

[novalis]

Many thanks for the link. Hope to look at this later.

[Bootlebarth]

Life's too short to labour on with this to the bitter end. At least one anagram indicator (29d) is in 'bad taste' by any reasonable clueing standards. For those with more patience than me, good luck!

[saladdodger]

Completely stuck now, can anyone help please?:
33a Bouncer repulsed monkey and fool ??????S
1a Mum is about to shake Augusta's pot (8, two words) ??????A?

[roslyn251254]

1a mason jar - not sure about "augusta" in the clue

[Bootlebarth]

SPOILER ALERT!!!




I've never given away a solution before, but 26a is such an awful clue that it leaves a 'bad taste' in the mouth...


...clueing MAL as 'biblical book' is inexcusable (Matthew = Mal, for people as dim or dimmer than me, but when was Mal a contraction of Matthew rather than Malcolm?).

Shame on you Dumpynose: 'sucks' as an anagram indicator in 29d, and 'biblical book' for MAL in 26a, where the answer isn't English.

What next? Why not "Sometimes mispronounced letter goes astray for environmentally hostile NZ immigrant? (5)"?

This was a very bad puzzle. I'm still annoyed.

[maurice]

I agree,but can't even quite finish!Before someone eventually gives us all just a little clue as to the theme maybe (completely unclear though very few letters still missing),can s'one confirm (or otherwise) my last 5 "solutions" to the supposedly "normal" ones:
9a orthomorph
34d pekoe
35d ?E?E?
21d acanthae
6d thermic
Shall not be surprised if some of these are wrong;and if they're right, I've no idea why!
Signed, Exhausted.

[slaney]

Is it not a contraction for Malachi, Bootlebarth?

[Farrnorth]

I have ophiomorph for 9a (anag hippo room h)
I think the plural of 21d is Acanthas.
Would appreciate enaswers to 12d and 26a
Thanks

[kayakamina]

12d knock-on effect

26a Mal Vu

[Farrnorth]

Thanks kayakamina. I can't understand why it's always you who answer my questions. I'm certainly not complaining. I might be back for more help on this one as I'm really struggling

[maurice]

Is there really no help available when we've got this far?My solutions for the unclued ones are as foll
ows:
?T?TC?
T?P
?EA?E?
?E?E?E?T
SHAR?
FLAVOUR
?ROV?N?E?
?ADD?E?
Any assistance now perhaps? Otherwise I'm forced by circumstances to abandon the whole thing after a hard day's work on it:not a very nice prospect...

[maurice]

I now have the all-connecting 4-letter word,but don't wish to reveal it yet!Can someone else perhaps only hint how or even where it is "hidden in the completed grid",without giving the game away completely?Without shading no win,it says!

[maurice]

...could it be that the 4 letters are to be found in 2 sets of 2,i.e. not all together in one continuous line? Is that good ednough?

[dr b]

all 4 letters are together

[roslyn251254]

Took a while but I got there in the end!! Worst speccie for me in quite a while!

[Farrnorth]

Must try and finish this before the Week arrives! Could someone give me the answers t0 13d, 33ac and 30d do that I can start figuring out what it's all about. Thanks

[kayakamina]

Hi Farrnorth
13d rope yarn
33a ananias
30d panama