Have hit a brick wall and have 14 cells to fill, mostly in top left corner of grid. Could anyone help? 1a R????A - have tried various combinations e.g.RAS+CIA, but to no avail 9a A????SE - toyed with ANALYSE but again, can only see a tenuous connection with the clue
Also, 31d - I have RAIRD but the indication says 6 letters. A mistake or part of the puzzle? RD+IRA, defintiion fits, but just wondered Finally, 18d IN?EN? - have several possibilities, none of which I can reconcile with the cryptic definition. Thanks
1a RICCIA
9a ANALYSE
ANA in Chambers is"equal quantities" and LYSE = breakdown
I also have RAIRD for 31d .. presumably misprint
Glad you are perservering with this..
fantastic - at least I know I was in shooting distance of those two. Thanks, all. Please could anyone explain the cryptic parts of clues 2d, 3d, 19a and 32a? Think I (approximately) understand the others, but did find this one trickier than the Thomas Edison one, where I finally waved the white flag with 2 cells to go.
32a = lace
lac is an indian word meaning lots of rupees (loads) + E (end of June)
I am currently assuming 2d is car (truck) + P (1st letter of parcel). I am assuming this is one of the accursed clues but since I haven't completed this puzzle, I cannot be sure.
thanks Crofter and Gen2. Was thrown by the reference to 45 in clue for 3d, but presumably this means it's one of the accursed. You make it sound so easy, I aspire to your superior knowledge!
The answer suggested by my good friend gen2 as CARP (rather than CARD) has thrown me a little. The definition for my CARD is given as the first three words of 38 across, but have I got it wrong?
cannot make carp fit with any of the definitions from other clues, but am having difficulty matching them up anyway. Either seems probable to me. Would probably go with card on your reasoning.
You are probably right crofter. As I said above, I haven't completed it - in fact I haven't spent any more time on it since Sunday. I have other things I should be doing and I shouldn't even be on here now.
This was the first themed clue I detected and I was convinced the link was "COLT 45" (especially since 3d is CLOTH)! Time was to prove me wrong.
Have you thought of sending for the "Dragonfly Quiz"?
It is designed for the "cryptically aware" and EV experience is a definite advantage (though not essential)!
yes, was going to send for it - read all the posts and it sounds good, although whether I qualify as cryptically aware?.... Anyway, my grid is full, my accursed are known, the phrase and author are discovered, but apart from his name I don't know how to highlight the grid.
Cross with myself for not being a bit more confident on a couple, but not a terrible effort.
Suppose you got finished on Sunday morning with it, C!!
my most stupid, time consuming error on this one was not bothering to check other meanings of COAST. You wouldn't believe how much I learnt trying to find out the name of a hill for toboganning and trudging the clues to find a definition to fit COAST. I felt sooooo stupid when I looked it up. I like the COLT 45 reasoning - I do a lot of that, and feel silly when I realise the answer. Very comforting to know that others have convoluted thought patterns!
Is it Virgil? If not, I'm stumped, as I thought his quote about hunger for gold fitted the bill. I have yet to purchase Chambers (I know I must, as reading everyone's posts makes me feel left out of having this font of knowledge at my disposal)
Remember that the quotation will be in the original i.e. Latin. Therefore look for 16 squares that will contain this quote in the top half of the grid. (which can be confirmed in the ODQ).