The preamble didn't leave masses to the imagination - clues start at some point in the grid entry (and as turned out useful later on, every clue was affected, so none could start at the same point). 12 letters to shade at the end (in this case I've chosen the green highlighter of doom).
I'll jump to the end - this was one of the fastest finishes I've had of a Listener crossword, a little over an hour after starting I had the grid filled in except for 26, which took a little guesswork. The starting point was at the bottom - with 32 being COLLEAGUE, 28 being TALC (and the C not able to be the checking letter), and 23 being HOURI there was only once option available, and I worked around the grid from there. There were some very nice but not too-challenging clues - I liked 7D, and the anagram at 2.
As for the finish, with 12 letters and LA TOUR staring me in the face, it took a moment to find the EIFFEL making the shape of the tower. This was a well-done grid, I don't know if the preamble had to give away the method of entry so quickly, maybe hinting at it would have provided more of a challenge?
But I'm over the moon thanks to Pilcrow - that is a new record 5 in a row for George!
Current tally: George 18, Listener 12. Current streak: George 5.
Here's the song that I couldn't get out of my head while solving.
4 comments:
Damnit - I was torn between MAUL and MAUD for 26 and went for the wrong one!
You also have a different answer at 22D. Not sure what word "cycles" to your DOLAR but the official answer is DPLAI, from "plaid".
I enjoyed this one too, and think I finished it in record time. Sinister overtones of La Tour D'Hanoi from a few months ago, when I spent the whole of the time trying to find La Tour Eiffel!
What a difference when there is a "predictable" jumble, by contrast with last weeks; this time you get the reward for solving the clues, with only the odd ambiguity to deal with.
I don't get 21 across though - I will have to look it up.
Duncan: 21A's wordplay is "theatre from the East" - in this instance REP reversed giving PER. The definition is simply "A" - "5-a-day" and "5 per day" being synonymous.
Post a Comment