This bank holiday, puzzle enthusiasts can delve into a special cryptic crossword challenge filled with intricate anagrams. Sixteen of the provided clues are uniquely designed, comprising themed anagrams that are consistently arranged.
Across Clues
The crossword unlocks with the clue “Red Sea coho” positioned at 5/57 (4; 6 letters) and continues with others such as “Clear arguments” found at 8/33 (9; 5 letters). Another intriguing entry is a five-letter clue for a composer’s catalogue at 14, and humorously, “Ted, Vera and co., bemused, piled it on” appears at 19, requiring a nine-letter solution. The offering “Stand up in shower” situated at 20 expects a four-letter solution.
Further down the list, “Begorra! Verger won logo!” at 22/10/55 (8; 6,6 letters) invites participants to dive into an eight-letter word, while “Maid googled ‘bee eater’” at 24/10/12 (4,4; 6,5 letters) challenges with multiple word answers. The clue at 26, “Heart of philistine turned for one who denies all,” seeks an eight-letter response, and puzzle players must reverse a smell of bone back to conclusion at 29, with seven-letter input required.
In the same vein, critiques appear to twist thoughts in “Reconsider, without working around critics” at 31, while “Outstanding helper somehow became sloth” at 32 asks for a six-letter completion. In addition to these, the cryptic entry “If thematic, name in full would appear twice pocketing Scandinavian currency” sits interestingly at 37 needing a fix within six letters.
Down Clues
The vertical challenge arises with entries beginning at “Unconscious by a heavy blow, one not from around here” listed as clue 3, requiring a nine-letter solution. The five-letter task set by “Finished last in sprint – that’s clear” on clue 4 follows closely. The son-in-law connection with Dvorak in “at market place” appears in clue 7, a concise pursuit at three letters.
The intriguing “One blasphemes without adult responses” occupies clue 9, needing seven letters, while 11 invites a six-letter solution for “Helping to remove beer from account.” A thematic exploration is undertaken by “Don Juan at sea in nets” at 21/63/2, expansive in its demand with configurations of 8 and 4,6 letters each.
Notably, “Draw on bent wheel-chair” at 23/6 (3,7; 1,1,8 letters) presents a peculiar and engaging hint, while “One’s interrupting this compiler twice about Allegri composition” at 25 delves into neural territory with an eight-letter reply compulsory.
This intricate puzzle affords enthusiasts a wealth of linguistic brain-teasers and theme-based anagrams, perfect for stretching mental faculties over any extended holiday period.
Reporting based on coverage first published by theguardian.com.