i Cryptic Crossword 3086 Math
December 29, 2020
Yoohoo! It’s me again, and no longer self-insulating. I have the run of Batarde Towers and environs, but will be sticking with the Plague Turret as my operational base because … jacuzzi. Celebrated my freedom yesterday by taking myself off for a walk to Hurling Hill to have a look at the Trebuchet. It stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking Aunt Sally’s Cottage (in ruins): I always wanted to have a go but unfortunately all the ammo’s down there. As Aunt Scarlet says, it’s small wonder that the locals have been referring to the family as the Silly Batardes for generations.
And so to the crossword, and then we can do the fun bit. Math has presented us with a theme of Phi-ish obscurity, so that’s safely ignored, then. For details, you’ll find a link in the comments on the original Fifteensquared blog from October 2016 which may well be fascinating. Mr B says that fish boosts brain function, so perhaps all those codfanglers have done some good ‘cos I found this trivially straightforward; not unentertaining though, despite a few sigh inducing clichés. All told a bit heavy on anagrams and elementary wordplay, but I liked 5 and 13d and 22ac well enough. 8d is Clue Of the Day mostly on grounds of being one of those that you’d think would’ve been done before, but if so I can’t remember it:
“Drifting off, flat fish has raised tail section (9)”
Competition Time! There might even be an honest to goodness real-world prize, and a celebrity judge. All you have to do is comment in the form of a haiku (you can bang on prosaically afterwards of course). For the rules, see Google, or check out this little number:
Five, seven and five
Syllables; three lines and that’s
A haiku, innit?
The winner will be announced when Mr B finally gets around to posting his list of 2020 Tuesday themes, so probably New Year’s Eve. I’m expecting great things of you, folks.
Charmaine xx
But should a haiku
be seventeen syllables?
No, not really, no.
http://www.nahaiwrimo.com/home/why-no-5-7-5#:~:text=In%20Japanese%2C%20yes%2C%20haiku%20is,traditionally%205%2D7%2D5.&text=For%20example%2C%20the%20word%20%E2%80%9Chaiku,how%20its%20sounds%20are%20counted.
One of my own modest contributions to the genre can be found in the anthology below, though I would suggest not paying the price Amazon is asking.
https://www.gomer.co.uk/another-country-haiku-poetry-from-wales.html
But oh yes, the puzzle. Pretty gentle by Math’s standards, with lots of ticks throughout, and a few smiles too, in particular at 1d. Theme? I half expected one to do with ciphers, but was not surprised to find that I was blissfully unaware of the details regarding the actual one.
More Charmaine please. 🙂
Yes … superficial conformity to some arbitrary rules whilst driving a coach and horses through the important stuff is sort of the whole point of the exercise in this instance, Jon. 🙂
I have though now fulfilled my duty to duly note the above every time somebody raises the subject. 🙂
Some dodgy wordplays,
no ninas for the ninnies,
the theme passed me by!
Otherwise a reasonable, not-too easy puzzle! Technically a DNF, as, defeated by a very dodgy wordplay at 28 , I lazily inserted TUCKS IN. Where is the indication that Christ = SON? I was also unhappy with graphic novel= COMIC, and CREPITUS is more commonly a sound from a joint. I got 5A from the wordplay, though defeated by the “definition” and 2D from the crossers though beaten by the wordplay; however, seeing 225, both are fair and clever.
99%
was correctly in the grid
but I’m not happy!
Hurling Hill now climbed
Sally burns the trebuchet
Best revenge served hot
As for the crossword, rather enjoyed it in a none-too-taxing sort of way. A theme that even Phi himself might have thought too little known perhaps? Young Neil and Stephen Stills, I learn, so maybe it’s actually quite good…
I now wish to change the word ‘Best’ to ‘Her’. Is that allowed?
By all means as far as I’m concerned, but our celebrity judge’s decision is final on such matters.
I always bow to blue blood.
Oh, I understand – you think I managed to waylay Prince Philip, don’t you? Sorry, but our celebrity judge is not the House of Windsor’s answer to Father Jack Hackett. More like Billericay’s answer to Nancy Mitford, in fact.
It was okay. I didn’t get GIDEON, but otherwise mostly too easy, even for me! Nothing to make me puzzle and puzzle …
Though some good ones along the way. I liked 23 down for the surface, and had a wry smile over the Brexit clue.
(But, after yesterday’s discussion, a nice well mannered crossword was quite a delight 😊)
Charmaine,
My daughter visited from Switzerland in august and endured a similar vigil in our own plague turret. She also survived.
My appreciation of today’s puzzle is contained in my first ever attempt at a haiku.
Quarantine will help
us, today it gave me a
personal best time.
Great stuff, please carry on.
Solved and parsed without
Trouble; nice enough, I suppose.
Perhaps a bit dull.
Slate-grey Basingstoke
skies; cold, yet still no snow.
The duvet’s siren call.
OKAY, breezed happily through 90% of this. Couldn’t make up my mind whether 17 was pointing us to the earnings or the earrings, so I didn’t get 21. And like Veronica, I failed on 20dn.
Shift the “The” from line 3 to 2 and I believe we have a contender for 1st prize. Though really I shouldn’t interfere with the judging. 🙂
Dammit, I can’t count for toffee! Why isn’t there an edit button on here? 😀
Started late today
My New Year’s Resolution
Must start earlier!
As is often the case with a late start, I failed to finish with a few in the SE corner left. I found the top half extremely easy though.
As there’s probably not a special prize (as I hoped😣) for getting five sillyballs out ov just three characters, pliz aksept also the followwing submishon, hic!
I gave this puzzle
101%
but still got it wrong!
Oh, there’s a prize all right, and multiple entries are encouraged. The competition is open until post-prandial drinkie time on New year’s Eve so by all means keep ’em coming.
Just wondering if the judge will be the fair Charmaine or the Right Hon Batarde himself.. I mean, should we keep things tidy or shall we venture offerings of the Punk/Daedalus/Hoskins ilk?
Neither of those, Denzo, but we are talking a National Treasure here. Wouldn’t want to influence your creative decisions either way, but tidiness is by no means a prerequisite.
In view of the season..
Why did the chicken
cross with a leopard? – To get
an “Old Speckled Hen”
But, seriously, as we’re talking National Treasures, I remember, a friend who does the Grauniad Crossword (beyond my prowess, I’m afraid!) gave me a clue two years ago which went something like
A is for Attlee,
B is Blair, C’s Cameron,
so D is what? (6)
Starting points of words
have all in Ko-be using
a verse form like this (5)
As for this puzzle
was the second time around
simpler? Not really!
Recovery’s slow
post-ICU COVID but
crosswords raise a smile.
Yikes. Glad to hear you’re on the mend.
Thanks, Jon. It has been a couple of months since getting out of hospital but am steadily improving.
If our VIP adjudicator wants a steer – allan_c gets my vote.
“On Scottish Cattle” …. ahem
Ayrshire bull above
Roaming. Sorry my mistake
It’s just a high coo
Arf!
[…] why either – something to do with Charmaine living it large on a neighbouring Crossword blog, HERE, with cousin Batarde. I have read all the entries, my favourite is by Dtw42 [I accept the edit […]