Charity Christmas Puzzle - By Gordon Gray

[Matakari]

www.christmaspuzzle.co.uk
CHARITY CHRISTMAS PUZZLE 2022:
As usual, the puzzle is made up of 40 clues that narrate a story. Each clue contains three definitions that lead to three answers and for each of these answers you are given the position of some of the letters to help you. The number of remaining letters to be found for each word is indicated by dashes. An example could be as given below. _ _ _ _ _ ERR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ RIN _ _ _ _ UTA _ _ _ _ _ Sea/sons / greetings The answers being MEDITERRANEAN, OFFSPRING, SALUTATIONS
CHARITY CHRISTMAS PUZZLE 2022
23 - 15, 8 - 1
The initial letters, when read in a zig-zag manner, spell out a number of titles of a kind. One answer found in Chambers contains an accent. Answers to 6 clues are proper nouns that are not found in Chambers, The Puzzle once again includes homophone definitions; for example, an answer might be defined by ‘pair’; possible answers could include ‘COUPLE’, ‘AVOCADO’ and ‘SHAVE’. In total the Puzzle has 8 homophone definitions – Questions 1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 – 15, etc., each contain one such definition.

Good morning, I’m pleased to have solved most of Gordon Gray’s Charity Puzzle for this year. An interesting and clever one for which I would like to make my donation early this year. I’m stuck on the last five for which I would appreciate some help. Many thanks in advance and a warm, peaceful and happy Christmas!

(A) T???BLE?????? (B) Have answer (C) Have answer TROUBLESOMELY?
23. … Charley Pitcher, who studies worms, had been a cheeky child …

(A) Have answer (B) O??SWO??? (C) Have answer_
30. … small biting insects or parasitic worms and …

(A) Have answer (B) S??LEN (C) Have answer
33. … a wheel shaped virus that causes gastroenteritis. Taken as a syrup-like medicine …

(A) Have answer (B) Have answer (C) E ? ? THE ?
34. … in different active strength it sells for …

(A) Have answer (B) Have answer (C) D ? ? LOD ? ?
37. … who likes foreigners was the person who initiated a prize, …

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, great to hear you being so appreciative of all the help you get here!

[Matakari]

I am eternally grateful, NACW, do not doubt it! I invite all to complete the Charity Puzzle and make a donation too. Thanks in advance!

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, if we all got help from AB, the winning entries would be rather skewed - maybe a little unfair on other unassisted solvers!
And the 'roll of honour' might need the last word changed...

[Matakari]

Good morning, NACW, I’ve got an answer for 23 A now.
Yesterday you asked me to tell you which word, phrase, part of the clue relates to the answers I need. These are the answers I have for 30A &C, 34A&B. 30 B and 34 C are still elusive. Many thanks in advance!

(A) MOSQUITOES (B) O??SWO??? (C) NEMATODES
30. … small biting insects or parasitic worms and …

(A) INSOUCIANT (B) VIGOUR (C) E??THE?
34. … in different active strength it sells for …

[JJ109]

A very very iffy answer that I cannot really justify!

30b - OARSWOMAN
It is sort of hidden in the clue, but not in the usual way

Or pARaSitic WOrMs ANd

[Neveracrossword]

JJ109, I too had thought of that word, even checked all my dictionaries in case OR could means 'oarswoman'. It was good you could come up with some sort of parsing, I got nowhere!

[cashier]

Neither did I, had oarswoman/women written down and just couldn't get anywhere except an anagram of worms in the middle.

[JJ109]

Thanks both - I tried to get an anagram aslo - using parasitic as the indicator - but as you know, that doesn't work - I also wondered why the clue had to end in "and"

[cashier]

Matakari are you sure of the e starting 34? Only asking because when Abi put a correction to the letter pattern she put ???the??.

[Matakari]

Many thanks jj109,Cashier, NACW, I too, have come up with the same asnswer for 30B, but cannot justify it. Perhaps Gordon has tried something original with the anagram approach.
For 34C, I’m sure of the beginning E because I’ve solved the hint given at the start of the puzzle (“The initial letters, when read in a zig-zag manner, spell out a number of titles of a kind”).

[Matakari]

JJ109, the “and” at the end of 30 leads into clue 31 for which I have all the answers.
30. … small biting insects or parasitic worms and …
_ _ AST _ _ _ _ RAL_ _ _ _ _ _ _ SCO _ _
31 … one of a group of simple unicellular fungi were made inert and diagnostic examination of the urine …

[Matakari]

NACW, you did get somewhere with 30B, probably without realising it. It's right there in Chambers. So, I'm left with 34C now.

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Matakari. My 'research' was done in a spirit of optimism, but I was a bit tired- and thought I might be clutching at straws.Hope you get 34...

[Matakari]

JJ109, Cashier, 30 B is good, it's a homophone.

[cashier]

Matakari will you post question 35 please? See if 34 makes sense.

[Matakari]

Cashier, here it is, of course without the first letters which I have worked out.

_ _ _ NER _ _ _ EGE _ _ _ PSU _ _ _
35. … a £10 note for a whole number of gelatine cases containing the dose of medicine. …

[Matakari]

35A: ???NER 35B: ???EGE? 35C: ??PSU???

[JJ109]

Tenner, Integer, capsules

[JJ109]

Iffy-again can't quite parse
EXOTHERM(s) and something to do with "cells"

[Matakari]

Thanks for 35ABC, JJ109, but I already had the answers. 34C looks very good. Have you got any more information on how exotherm is linked to “cells”?