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jono

19th July 2025, 23:04
If you can’t wait, here is tomorrow’s pdf…

https://cdn.observer.co.uk/media/documents/obs.everyman.20250720.pdf
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plutocrat

20th July 2025, 02:36
Its there now.
So how do we tell which word to write in for 5 dn. Seems both are equally valid from the clue construction. Is there a protocol?
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darla

20th July 2025, 04:14
Good question. It certainly seems ambiguous.
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jono

20th July 2025, 04:34
Certainly ambiguous, the “is” tempts me towards barber as the definition.
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arib

20th July 2025, 06:01
I missed that and wondered what the near vertical had to do with barber. Now I see it, I agree with barber
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darla

20th July 2025, 06:27
I went the other way
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geting

20th July 2025, 06:32
The question mark being by nearly vertical makes me opt for barber
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cynicalmonkey

20th July 2025, 06:41
Am I alone in finding less joy in doing the Everyman since its move? At the start it was tiny aesthetic things (as someone that does it on my phone) and a sub par ui experience. But the last couple it feels like the setter must of changed because the clues just feel like they give off a different vibe.

Less “oooh is that the answer” when I solve them and more “oh! Is THAT the answer”

Things like more obtuse anagram directors, less word’s within words, repeated terms and words in the same crossword without it being part of theme, no occasional theme to spot, the rhyming pair being less rhymey.

Okay I know I am ranting and this is not the forum for it, just not sure I knew anywhere else where anyone might be able to empathise.

Maybe I am just on the slow road to dropping what’s been part of my Sunday routine for years :(

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cynicalmonkey

20th July 2025, 06:45
To relate to a clue I think it was 11a that set me off. Not that it was hard just felt there were a hundred cleaner ways to write that clue with a stronger hint it was an anagram
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bowergirl

20th July 2025, 06:47
Ah I went for the alternative because “very nearly vertical” is at the end. I thought if barber (verb) was the definition then “we’re told” would be at the end? And barber “is” suggested the noun which would be two letters longer? Could be totally wrong of course. We shall see. Some lovely clues especially 22a, though I thought the Spoonerism was a bit of a stretch….. NB I saw the hidden word but how does the maths in 12a work? 😀Happy Sunday all.
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