When I’m looking for something to say about cryptic crosswords, it’s easy to end up in the area of the technicalities that sometimes arise in cryptic blogs like use of capitalisation, nounal anagram indicators or what a “?” means. Recently, while doing my weekly scavenge for my next topic, I wondered just how many people cared about these things. For some time now a blogger on the Australian Crossword Club site has been critical of certain crosswords. Generally his/her focus is on the number of anagrams used and clue surface readings. There’s rarely any response, and if there is it’s usually offering lukewarm support or resigned apathy. Why is that? If the blogger is making valid points, why aren’t all cryptic solvers backing him/her up? My theory is that only a small number of cryptic solvers actually care about such things – the majority are happy with what’s offered or are unconcerned with the aspects that the blogger talks about. As long as the crosswords satisfy their needs, they are happy. Only a small percentage of solvers are interested in the technicalities and, as setters are accountable to all solvers for what they write, they should be too. This leaves the vast majority just solving the clues in front of them and hopefully enjoying what they do. So, forgive me if my writings here don’t grab your attention – it’s only taken 20 years for me to work out why.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | COBALT | |
| Metal bar shortened inside gun (6) | (BA)R inside COLT | |
| 4 | EMBATTLE | |
| Half of them rebooted tablet to get ready for action? (8) | TH(EM) + anagram of TABLET | |
| 9 | ACTOR | |
| Performer works without limitations? (5) | F(ACTOR)Y | |
| 10 | CASHIERED | |
| Money that is a bright colour should be thrown out (9) | CASH + IE + RED | |
| 11 | GRENADA | |
| Explosive almost finished off a beautiful place in the West Indies (7) | (GRENAD)E + A | |
| 12 | NOT DONE | |
| Time taken up by affirmative action one generally frowned upon (3,4) | T inside NOD + ONE | |
| 13 | NICE | |
| Subtle part of the Bible deleted from notice (4) | NOTICE minus OT | |
| 14 | STEERERS | |
| Guides are starting late with bullocks around (8) | A(RE) inside STEERS | |
| 17 | PEAT MOSS | |
| Sphagnum most wrongly planted among vegetables (4,4) | Anagram of MOST inside PEAS | |
| 19 | DATA | |
| Digital information, a small amount, must be recalled (4) | (A + TAD) reversed | |
| 22 | UNCHAIN | |
| Free lunch ain’t justified to some extent (7) | lUNCH AINt | |
| 24 | ON STAGE | |
| Male carried by one performing in a play (2,5) | STAG inside ONE | |
| 25 | TARNISHED | |
| Spotted bituminous substance in back shed (9) | TAR + (IN reversed) + SHED | |
| 26 | AMINE | |
| Tunnel found behind a basic compound (5) | MINE after A | |
| 27 | CLOSE-UPS | |
| Photographer’s shots don’t win in contests (5-3) | LOSE inside CUPS | |
| 28 | HEIGHT | |
| Hard rowing team’s stature (6) | H + EIGHT | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | CHANGING | |
| Car’s front suspension is being altered (8) | (C)AR + HANGING | |
| 2 | BUTTERCUP | |
| Goat, say, beginning to chew up a crowfoot? (9) | BUTTER + (C)HEW + UP | |
| 3 | LARIAT | |
| Line of cowboy song sung after long time (6) | (ARIA after L) + T | |
| 5 | MISUNDERSTOOD | |
| Didn’t get tea apart from assorted sun-dried tomatoes (13) | Anagram of SUN-DRIED TOMATOES minus TEA | |
| 6 | A LITTLE | |
| Nearly everyone changed title to some degree (1,6) | (AL)L + anagram of TITLE | |
| 7 | TORSO | |
| Leakage from motor soiled trunk (5) | moTOR SOiled | |
| 8 | EDDIES | |
| Back half of shed perishes in swirling winds (6) | SH(ED) + DIES | |
| 10 | CRAFTSMANSHIP | |
| River traveller’s following lead of canoeist with stylish skill (13) | RAFTSMANS after (C)ANOEIST + HIP | |
| 15 | SEAFARING | |
| Marine cracked safe with a metal band (9) | Anagram of SAFE + A + RING | |
| 16 | EASEMENT | |
| Right to use another’s land and feed containing seed (8) | EAT outside SEMEN | |
| 18 | ADAMITE | |
| Notice a small child, a human being (7) | AD + A + MITE | |
| 20 | RUSTIC | |
| Simple oxidation finished by iodine and carbon (6) | RUST + I + C | |
| 21 | ESCAPE | |
| Head of Exploration rescheduled space flight (6) | (E)XPLORATION + anagram of SPACE | |
| 23 | CARGO | |
| Load vehicle with spirit (5) | CAR + GO |
I care about such things, and have never been happy with much of what’s offered, especially in the SMH, which is why I avoid it’s cryptic puzzles.
Is there something special about Grenada that caused you to add “beautiful” to the definition of 11-ac?
Steve = : ^ )
Thanks Steve. Yes, I know those who are serious about cryptics explore the ins and outs, and if more did then maybe the standard in Australia would be better.
Regarding GRENADA, I have no idea why I added “beautiful”. I’ve looked through my references and they just list it as another place. Sometimes when I’m cluing I get distracted by information about words/places/people etc and maybe I read it somewhere on the net and it ended up in the clue.