Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Thanks to Brockwell, who's becoming a Prize regular and favo(u)rite, for this week's challenge.

Solving time right at Prize median but felt more difficult and briefly feared DNF.

Can say without spoilers that there's an obvious theme, but some thematics are witty and non-obvious. I can't estimate the # of thematics straight off. IIRC, a number of past Brockwell puzzles have been exhaustively thematic (at least in acrosses or downs), but today's seems to fall well short (although I could be missing something).

Some UK GK clues which I (American) found tractable, but a number of thematic relationships required Google.

COD 28, other short listers 25 and 17. Second tier of candidates 21 and 1. Third tier 11, 20 and 3. Many nice surfaces and plenty to enjoy.

Another excellent Prize fron the the ever reliable Brockwell.

In terms of difficulty I'd say it sits somewhere around the middle, but there are some obvious anagrams to get you going should you get stuck.

As per usual with Brockwell there is a theme, although in this instanc it may just be a partial one. That said, I am notoriously bad at spotting themes so no doubt other posters on here will be able to se the record straight.

FOI was 4d, merely because the anser jumped out at me.

There are still a couple I can't parse, namely 13a and 24d but I'll ponder on them some more over a coffee.

Thanks to Brockwell for a most enjoyable puzzle.

Let us know in the comments how you got on.

Stay safe:-)

Okay, just parsed 24d. That just leaves 13a although I am sure of my answer.

So far I've counted 9 themed answers (including partial answers) but I have a feeling there are at least a few more.

Finally parsed 13a - now I don't see how I managed to make such a meal out of it!

Also spotted a few more themed answers.

Brendan, 13a is an anagram, though the anagrist may take a while to spot. I'm sure you have the correct solution.

Thanks Geeker, I'd already worked out the wordplay but our posts crossed.

How many themed answers have tou spotted so far? I'm up to 11 or 12.

Brendan, I have 12 thematic solutions so far (1 is a stretch)

I think weve probably got the same list then and I'm assuming the one you think is a stretch is why I said 11 or 12.

Have crept up to 14, taking a break for now.

Ditto, I'm also at 14 now.

Speak again in the morning:-)