ev 858

[BigDave44]

Could someone please tell me if the "SOLVING STRATEGIES" which are in the online version have been published in the newspaper version. Thankyou

[Physicsgirl]

This may prove difficult as I don't have Brewers. Cannot believe that I missed the fact that 59d can only be entered in one way ..... oh dear. Thanks for your hints, will persevere (as always!).

[dr b]

Well, that was more fun than a barrel of monkeys (though I can't really attest to how fun a barrel of monkeys actually is). I still have to go back and unscramble 3 or 4 of my down words to figure out what the answer is supposed to be, but that can wait. I found two different sources for the "22", which did not match precisely, so it was also fun to figure out which source was definitive (turns out a mix of the two did the trick).

I actually wound up putting in 17a and 22a last.

[Christiana]

Hello all. Had a job to find you this week. An answerbank search threw up nothing, but checked painstakingly through.. Making progress. Got all the given across clues fairly quickly and many of the downs including 59d, then spent a couple of hours feeling perplexed. Light dawned just now and I've started fitting the acrosses in, though I think one or two of them will need further research as I'm also finding I need more than one source.

[Christiana]

25d slowed me up for a while but now finished. Can't say I was helped much, if at all, by the advice given about how to tackle this crossword.

[copelander]

Evening, EV N&Cers. Just back from a short Easter break. What are these Solving Strategies all about??. That was a dour struggle this week, but, Physicsgirl it is possible without a Brewer's ( I don't have one ). . Happy Easter all.

[novalis]

Hi Copelander!

Hope you enjoyed your Easter break.

Physicsgirl -- I have Brewer's but didn't need to refer to it. The thematic entries can be found from a wide variety of sources.

[devadolly]

Yes, OK, I have done about 3/4 of the 'to be muddled' plus 19,23,61 & 62 of the 'oh goody you can put them in' across clues and have also looked in Brewer's and googled twenty two------------that is as good as it gets, definately in the dunce's corner! NO light is dawning at all...........................Help!

[Physicsgirl]

Have managed to do 22a, which has cut down on possibilities for 17a due to letter combinations, but it still has me stumped. Devadolly, may I sit with you in the corner?

[Rollo]

HInt:

17a is just an anagram.

[novalis]

Devadolly and Physicsgirl!

No need for the dunces' corner!! It's on the cards that you'll both finish it.

[copelander]

Another hint....Googling did it for me. And yes Novalis, Easter in Donegal was delightful, lots of fresh air in the daytime and quite a bit of crisp white in the evenings.

[devadolly]

Oh please do Physicsgirl, we could do the Griddler instead! Have just Googled again and a thouroughly underwhelmed by the choice of allusions, literature? Sport? Maths???? Religion? et al.
Thanks for the hint Rollo, I had assumed it was an anagram but I'm dashed if I can do it and it can't end with an S because 18 doesn't have one.
I'll bring a bottle Physicsgirl!

[novalis]

Hi Devadolly!

No need for the Griddler ( I give that to a friend every week ). There's a hint in my previous posting about the 22.
I'm sure you'll have the (good ) fortune to realise the theme ere long.

[Physicsgirl]

It's quite nice in the corner. Good choice of wine, Devadolly. Will get the nibbles out of the oven shortly. Have toyed with possible anagrams for 17a but no joy. Got excited when found a list of 22, but couldn't make it fit. Even more excited when I thought Novalis was hinting at predicting the future, as it sort of tied in with my list .... but no joy. At the moment I would settle for solving 17a, let alone the whole puzzle. CHin chin!

[devadolly]

The cheese straws are lovely Physicsgirl! I too would feel less helpless (or is that hyapless) if I could crack that 17A. As to the list of 22 I think I have a different Google on my machine, I suspect it is a revised edition like my ODQ.
I think miniPG is going to have to begin training for a second bottle!

[DocHH]

Have been busy again today putting my house back to a semblance of order after the departure of Easter visitors! To go from normal weekday occupancy of me, and weekend of me and herself to 6, plus looking after a 12 and a 13 year old on my own for 2 days was challenging. Haven't heard my name called so frequently or been so hectic for ages.
After then doing the 3 Telegraph tuesday crosswords I spent this afternoon on EV. The word I have written beneath the grid describes this week's EV!!
Copelander, my 2 younger guests told me cool and wicked are now pass�! The current one, apperently is "safe" which I earned over the weekend!
I am grateful Dave that you got us N&Cing this week.
Novalis I am sure the "payment" for the extra RAM was well worthwhile, despite looking long and fondly at it while it waited to be presented.
Like most of you, I thought the Solving Suggestions were superfluous.
Tempranillo again tonight.

[copelander]

Devadolly and Physicsgirl, You're looking far too comfortable in that corner where you ought not to be when there's work to be done......try googling 22(number).

[devadolly]

Copelander - I did! It still means nothing! I'm staying in the corner.

[DocHH]

Devadolly,
I'll add my encouragement to Copelanders for you to remove that pointed hat and come out of the corner, despite the lure of the refreshments there. You have work that must be done!! This has to be finished as Speccie approaches on thursday!!
The last 2 hints from Novalis were very good, and put together, are very complementary. Physicsgirl was close as well after the last hint from Novalis. As for 17ac, it is an anagram, but only in my 2003 Chambers (2003) in the singular entry. Think along how Yiddish makes words plural. BTW I'm saving up to be Jewish. And, I hated Newky Brown, wine was more my style.