Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

9a - Of course, didn't see the commie
18a - as I thought, just didn't like it much
14d - gotcha
15d - Laughably simple once I realised that I'd got 13a wrong and changed the first letter. Previously the foodstuff I had began with r, and therefore was distinctly un-desserty.

Now just 13a to figure out. I was confident in my first interpretation of Conference, but I'm at a bit of a loss now that's not available. Another mug of tea perhaps ....

Tea not needed. All done.

Thanks Plutocrat,

I did exactly the same thing with 13a and thought the second word was the plural of the "conference" ????, thus giving R as the first letter of 15d but, like you say, laughably simple once twigged 😂

Couldn’t sleep, so all done. Enjoyable.

COD 1 - very Christmas!

I suspect this is by no means the hardest clue in the crossword, but the only one I am stumped on is 1d.
If anyone had a tiny clue for me I would be very grateful. Thank you!

Hi Markeo,

1d - this is a bit tricky. It's a double definition with one being "supports" (as in for membership of a club) and then "ticks" as on a timepiece.

Geeker,

I've just checked Chambers and it actually gives the US spelling as 'glamor' so the skit might be wrong.

Being a 'yankie' you might get a kick out of the skit;-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYqfVE-fykk

The food and drink themed special has become something of an end of year tradition for Everyman. This is at least year 5 of such things.

See last year’s 4,079, and before that 4,027, 3,975 and 3,871 (the “drop of Drambuie” puzzle!)

Brendan, re “glamor”, Webster’s, the standard of American language, shows glamour as the preferred spelling, and glamor as an alternate, so I think the sketch is close enough.

Interestingly, a lot of places are reverting to “theatre” from the more American “theater.” I was told by the head of the “theatre department” at the university where I taught, that it was to make it seem artier (my word) or dare I say more glamourous. I don’t know, however, if it was to copy the Brits or the French directly.

That's interesting, thanks Darla - out of interest, have you seen the skit?