Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Crossword 11


Interactive Puzzle

Click here for printable version *Solution on page 2*


Across
9 O in the place of 17 across (7)
10 You, me, they and him are all it, singly (7)
11 You in do for two by the sound of it (3)
12 At the end, my French Pal will fold the Giro (7)
14 Here the short street sounds foreign for Lucy (2,5)
15 Nominates in the state and is a state to begin with (9)
17 O, rate the poetic Greek muse by all sorts (5)
18 The bloomers company about the South, gives the drug (5)
19 It sounds like it will propel the boat of eggs (3)
20 By the sound of it, turn the Gee had who is on a pilgrimage to Mecca (5)
21 Ate 501 with a mix at last (5)
23 Appear to be more pleasant to wear a sweet jacket (9)
26 I am back to, to copy and weep, by the sound of it (7)
27 The resident is sort of well in red (7)
30 She is back there and she is back there behind (3)
31 Charge in team for the confused vertebrae (7)
32 Check to see and listen if the mine is after a ten (7)

Down
1 Cool is crazy and is crazy in slang (4)
2 The way eight should be written in Crosaire (1,1,1,1)
3 They smash the waves (8)
4 In I go with 500 in the shade (6)
5 A with mail and eat in the past or abandon faith (8)
6 (2,4)
7 Sense and leave for one in the hospital (5-3-2)
8 The one who opposes is messy in the stag nation (10)
13 Here, in short, without the north (1,1,1)
15 Isaac and Adam have a thousand nuts, in a round about manner (10)
16 Calling Nick something else, perhaps? (10)
19 About to begin in the pig's den with 50 for Edward, and made new (8)
20 Nag the transport (8)
22 The month within the rod can make one better (6)
24 Confused about the tagged device (6)
25 It is in deck without my friend in the palace (3)
28 For the body, never back with O (4)
29 To begin, turn 'er F in the sea, so I heard (4)

4 comments:

Bill Butler said...

Hi Mark,

You have obviously learned a great deal from our beloved leader, M. Crosaire, because your puzzles are getting more and more like his with each cycle(you can take that as a compliment!). I am kicking myself today, because I came so close to solving this puzzle, but missed one I should have gotten, and flubbed one with a bad guess. I missed OMICRON, a real pity as it was a good clue. I also put in HORSECAB for HORSECAR, when there isn't any such word as HORSECAB. Ah well. The fun is in the trying!

Some notes I made along the way:

MINNESOTA: a well-spotted anagram.
DINED: I didn't understand the "with a mix at last" reference, but guessed correctly from the "Ate 501".
LAG: nicely worded clue.
LOCO: another nicely worded clue.
INDIGO: yet another nicely worded clue!
MACADAMIAS: Clue of the Day!

I spent about the same time on the puzzle as I would a Crosaire, and wish I had spent a little more as I would have come up with OMICRON, I am sure ... darn it!

Keep 'em coming, Mark!

Mark Bell said...

Hi Bill,

I had to laugh at HORSECAB not because it was a bad guess but you said the word doesn't exist lol. Shame that you missed OMICRON but as you say the fun is in the trying. A brush up on the Greek alphabet for next time ;)

I sent you a response to your email and cleared up DINED but just incase anyone else has trouble here it is again : At last ( END) and a mix of END is with DI to give DINED.

Also I appreciate what you said about my style becoming like M. Crosaire. Because it is Crosaire, I want to stick with his unwritten rules and add a small bit of my own flair to each puzzle.

I will have to send a CV to The IRISH TIMES lol. Joke!

Anyway thanks again.

Mark

Liz said...

Hi Mark and Bill,

Thanks for a great puzzle Mark...you really are coming up with some nice clues...got it down to one...the elusive OMICRON! Yep Bill, fell at the same hurdle...knowing only 'the limited edition' of the Greek alphabet! Must take your advice Mark and brush up! Did however 'get' the END in 'DINED' and thought it was a clever clue.

Liked a lot of the same clues as Bill, particularly LOCO...I thought this was a really COOL clue, seriously, it had a really 'now' feel, very noughties. LAG, INDIGO and MACADAMIAS were also very smooth.

Others I liked...R.O.I... this clue had shades of M. Crosaire's OHMS/O.H.M.S. yesterday Bill...and by the way on mature reflection I've conceded; that had nothing at all to do with OGHAM stones...!!

ROE also appealed...Mark, I think you do a really good job writing long yet snappy clues for 'short word' solutions. Also liked MIMICRY and SUGARCOAT...I agree with Bill that your style is very M. Crosaire...but your choice of words is very different, an obvious younger feel to it and that's not surprising, I suppose!!

Time to transport this ol' nag to slumberland!

Cheers

Liz

Mark Bell said...

Hey Liz,

Thanks for the comment and uplifting words of encourage. Makes it all worth while when I get comments like that.

At the begining of my compiling days, I think Bill thought I was a bit LOCO with my style which he liked and I like it too lol.

As I start my final year in college in a few weeks, the output of puzzles will be dramatically reduced but I still will be posting just not as frequent. But I am sure you will have plenty of puzzles from Bill and Tommy and of course M. Crosaire to keep you on track.

All the best,

Mark