Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Good morning, Rusty!
Damp here......it had rained overnight, but so far.just drizzly this morning
We have thunderstorms booked in for tomorrow!
Yes, the new path is still in situ, and looks very nice!
A battle well fought and won!
I have a free day, once I have completed a few chores.
I may even get to do a crossword......I never even got started yesterday!
And maybe watch some tennis?
How about you?
Any plans?

Hello, Elle!
Another great day here!
Weather is super!
I have a couple of things do later on.
Heading out for a stroll which will take me by a postbox soon.
I am more than half way through my puzzle.
Put it away for now.
I am finding it a tricky one!

Hi, Rusty!
The best that can be said for here is that the drizzle has stopped...it is a tad chilly, but at least there is no thunderstorm !
I am about two thirds of the way through the crossword ..... yes, I think it rather difficult.
Is it me, or are a few of the clues rather clumsy?
It's probably me......."a bad workman always blames his tools"!
The only thing that I post these days is a birthday card!
Dog and I once set off for the post box, with me clutching my card.......
We were turning in at the gates of the park ( a good mile away) before I realised that I had only gone out to the postbox around the corner...….
Talk about being on "automatic pilot"!
The dog was pleased by the unexpected trip........and I had to post the card later, on my way back!!
Enjoy your walk!

Hello, Elle!
Well, we are getting spoiled up here.
The weather is great!
In the puzzle I struggled with the SW corner, but I have completed it now.
New words were, 16a, 20a, 2d, 6d and 15d.
Some clues took quite a bit of parsing, as in 12d where a "lover of pop" is "Ma"!
All good fun though!
I had a "similar" experience to your postbox trip last year.
I visited ASDA, and when I got home and was putting my purchases away and the kettle on, I realised that I had left my car in the ASDA car park.
I most times walk there and back, but this time I drove and forgot the car!

Hi, Rusty!
Ah, it is heartening to know that I am not alone in these ...er....shall we call them "lapses"?
And the dog did benefit from an extra outing to the park!
My problem with the15 x 15 also lies in the bottom right hand corner.
There are three, all interlocking, that I cannot do.
22a: ?U?D
15d: F?Z?B?X??
29a: ?R?G??
What should I be seeing?
I also cannot parse two others........
12d: juryman = panellist(def) and 21d: untwine = separate (def)
I'm assuming that in 26a (for which I have "sphinxlike") that "trousers" is an anagrind?
I've never heard that before?
My favourites are 8d: U-bend; 18d: ersatz; 20a: mot juste; 24a: banqueting
I'm in need of a strong coffee......dual purpose as restorative and stimulative!!

Hello, Elle!
22a is "quid", money and chewing tobacco.
15D is "fuzzboxes", some kind of music gadgets.
Fuzz is slang for police with "boxes/hits".
29 is "Bruges", cream is "bes(t)" with "rug" for "syrup of figs", I think.
A poor attempt at rhyming slang,
I think, but not sure.
"juryman" is "Jun" one of twelve months, track is "ry" for railway and lover of pop is "Ma".
I have no idea what you mean by "anagrind".
Are these any help?

Sorry, Elle!
"Untwine" is,
investigation commonly is (h)'unt, acquire is "win", point is "E".
"SPHINXLIKE" is "spike" for lace, "h" for husband, "xl" for extra large, "in" is in the clue.
Any good?

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, thank you ......that has been very helpful!
I should never have managed all that by myself.
I like a "lover of pop" is "ma"!
( That really appeals to me!)
I couldn't see "investigation commonly" as " 'unt"!
Now that you have mentioned rhyming slang, I can see "Bruges"....
rug = wig = "syrup of figs".
A hard puzzle (certainly for me) today, methinks.
An "anagrind", I learned some time back, is a word for an anagram indicator!
We have a window of watery sunshine!
I shall seize the moment, and pop out for short walk with the dog!

Hello, Elle.
Twigging "ma" was a "lover of pop" took me quite a while!
I had lemonade in my head. Thought maybe "ma" was a Pepsi guzzler!
It is good, though! Well done, setter!
I did not know that regarding "anagrind".
It is a new word to me, (and my Chambers!)
I seem to remember Richard Rogan saying the Wednesday puzzle is the toughest of the week.
I found it tough today, but I prefer that.
Still great weather here.
Gruffyd is on BGT tonight, and Marc Spellman.

Hi, Rusty!
A nice walk.
It is pleasant out... a little bit of sunshine makes a big difference !
Isn't it funny how one's mind works?
You thought of lemonade......while my mind was focussed on pop music!
No, "anagrind" isn't in MY Chambers , either,.. but I have definitely come across it in crossword terminology.
I am rather surprised that Marc Spelmann and Gruffyd have been selected to appear in the same Semi -final?
As both are surely strong contenders to win, wouldn't it have been more logical - and a safer option - to put them in different shows?
That way each would stand a greater chance of reaching the Final...where surely that is the place to "fight it out"...rather than in a Semi?
( It's a bit like Roger Federer playing Rafa Nadal in a Semi!)
I am looking forward to tonight's show.