And the winner of the Cryptonites Crossword Competition is.....

The 1^st Cryptonites Crossword Competition based on 11 thematic weekly crosswords  is over. We have had  participation in the high twenties judging from the actual number of entries sent in.

We hope the participants have enjoyed the challenge. 

4 of them managed to handle all the challenges successfully. They are Chris Foo, Lenny Wan, Claire Chin and Yeong Kig Siew. Congratulations to each one of them in persisting through 11 rounds and emerging on the other side.

As the 4 handed in all-correct entries within the stipulated time, the winner is decided by earliest entry.

Hence , it is declared that Claire Chin is the winner!

Congratulations, Claire and keep on cryptoniting!

She gets RM150 worth of vouchers from MPH book stores.

Jay

The Final Puzzle

The final puzzle was e mailed to the final four participants last week.

All sent in their answers which were all correct.

The winner is decided by earliest entry and will be named shortly.

For those of you who want to attempt the final puzzle here it is.

 

The final puzzle is based on 20 clues. The definition is absent in all clues.

The past 10 puzzles had themes to them- and these were the definitions.

In puzzle 11, each of the previous themes occur twice. Hence there are 20 clues.

To aid you further, none of the clues with the same theme intersect each other - except for writers.

Also, pairs of clues with the following themes ( elements,football clubs, movie stars,movies ) are either across or down.

The other pairs , needless to say, have one clue across and the other one down.

Lastly, the 21 intersecting letters form this sentence : Logical or rare instance.

 

Jay

Crossword 44

Here is crossword 44

"Elements" Explanation

Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal

___________________________________________________________

Answer Explanation to “Elements”

2A A fleece hunter with gold shirt

‘with’ is the link indicator

Gold = AU

 Shirt  = T ( as in T shirt )

Fleece hunter = argonaut

Answer : Argon

5A Gift-bearing Greek – not good! Ignore their party

Gift = boon

Greek (not good ) = Reek

Reek ( ignore Greek party ) = REEK – EEK

BOON bearing R = BO R ON

Answer : Boron

6A Tumult that is convoluted

‘convoluted’ is anagram indicator

that is = ie

tumult + ie anagrammed gives us Lutetium

Answer : Lutetium

7A State without a university medium

State = California

California without A = Californi

University = U  medium = M

Answer : Californium

9A Satire by an unknown

Unknown = Y

‘by’ is juxtaposition indicator

Iron + y = irony = staire

Answer : Iron

10A Non – issue. Finally settled.

Issue ( finally ) = E

‘settled’ is anagram indicator

Non E ( settled )gives us Neon

Answer : Neon

1D Endlessly nice to touch buttocks

‘touch’ is juxtaposition indicator

Nice ‘endlessly’ = NIC

Buttocks = ARSE

Answer : Arsenic

2D  Any Shakespearean Athenian in….

Shakespearena Athenian = Timon

Timon in Any = Antimony

Answer : Antimony

3D .. “Maiden without a flower”

Maiden = M

A Flower = geranium

Geranium ‘without’ M gives us Germanium

Answer : Germanium

4D New satellite, twice undertaking mission opener

‘undertaking’ is juxtaposition indicator

New = N

Satellite = IO

Twice = BI

Mission ‘opener’ = M

Answer : Niobium

7D Wild boar in North Carolina retreat

Boar ‘wild’ = ARBO

North Carolina = NC

NC retreat = CN

ARBO in CN = CARBON

Answer : Carbon

8D It appears twice following Rhode Island Navy dog

Rhode Island = RI

Navy = N

Dog = Rin Tin Tin

Answer : Tin

Jay

Puzzle 11

The puzzle has been sent by e mail to the final four.

Crossword 43

Here is crossword 43

Quite Elementary

The final four participants have qualified for the last round- and its quite elementary- with its theme of elements.

"Battles" Answers

Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal

___________________________________________________________

Answer Explanation to “Battles”

3A An issue about long break

An issue = a son

About = CA  ( circa )

 Long = L

‘break’ is insertion indicator

In this case it is applicable to CA & L

 A  S CA L ON

Answer : Ascalon

 5A Little woman taking half unto herself

Little woman is JO ( from Little Women )

Half UNTO = UN

Taking herself implies that UN is inserted in JO

Answer : Juno

6A Rhetoric in a way

Rhetoric = rant

Way = TAO

Answer : Taranto

7A No hard current in the Ganges

No hard means no H

Current in means I in

The result will be Ganges is an INDIAN RIVER

So original answer is HINDAN RIVER ( take out H and put in I )

Answer : Hindan River    ( Unfortunately, there was no battle of Hindan River . Rather it was HINDON RIVER. My apologies for this grievous error.

11A Time soldiers associated flag-waving with army regulation

Time = T

Soldiers = RA

Waving is anagram indicator and applies to FLAG

Associated is a juxtaposition indicator

Army regulation = AR

Answer : Trafalgar

12A Daisy chain it to form lines stretching back

Daisy chain is a repetitive indicator

After repeating the answer we have lines stretching back

In this case it is  NILE NILE – an endless series of line(s) looking back

‘stretching back’ is reverse indicator many times over.

Answer : Nile

13A Country where its’ first born changed hands

First born = B

B is added to answer

‘changed’ hands implies that the answer contains L or R which is then interchanged to match a country’s name.

In this case the answer is ULUNDI  ( B + ULUNDI = BURUNDI )

Answer : Ulundi

1D Following such directions will send you north west, possibly

To go NW one way is W and then N

Answer : Towton

2D  Can’t in Scotland

‘Cant’ in Scotland is spelt as Can nae

Answer : Cannae

4D Manage with firm hand – not half accommodating

Manage = run

Firm = co

Hand – not half = HA

‘accommodating’  CO HA holds RUN

Answer : Corunha

7D Attila sacked city – devoured by heartless Hun

‘sacked’ means to delete city, ( LA) from Attila

ATTI is then devoured by Hn ( heartless hun)

H   ATTI N

Answer : Hattin

8D It approaches date rape – ending in style

It ‘approaches’ means the answer is besides.

Date = D 

Rape ending = E

So, answer + DE = style

‘a la mode’ = in style

Answer : Alamo

9D Have way with posh woman ultimately

Have = VE ( as I’ve )

Way = RD

Posh = U

Woman ultimately = N

Answer : Verdun

10D  Rush hour – quiet no more

Hour = HR

Quiet = SH

‘no more’ is deletion indicator

RU ( SH ) HR gives us RUHR

Answer : Ruhr

Jay

Battle Stations

The "Flowers" crossword proved to be a tad more difficult. Now there are only 4 left standing. Congratulations to Chris Foo, Claire Chin,Yeong Kig Siew  .. and Lenny Wan!*
The 9th in the series is all about battles!
Keep up the good fight.
Jay

*p.s I missed out Lenny earlier.

"Flowers" Answers

Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal

___________________________________________________________

Answer Explanation to “Flowers”

1A Messy robe in bag,another one outside

‘messy’ is anagram indicator and applies to ‘robe’

‘in’ is insertion indicator and so ‘bag’ goes into a rearranged ‘robe’

 B  BAG ERO

‘outside’ would refer to another word for ‘bag’ and that goes outside the above

Another word for bag is case

 CA  B  BAG  ERO  SE

Answer : Cabbage Rose

5A Say, tough guy is first to get locked up by court

‘say’ is homonym indicator and refers to ‘tough’ giving us TUF

Guy is either a synonym for a male or an actual name : in this case ANDY

‘Is first’  means that ANDY is placed before TUF

The above is then ‘locked up’ by court which in short is CT

Answer : Candy Tuft

7A Gangster – not international and not national

Gangster =  Al Capone

International = cap  national = n

‘not’ means to take them out of CAPONE

Answer : Aloe

9A A huge sum you sacrificed with another member

You ‘sacrificed’ means that U is taken out of the answer

Another member implies that what remains after U is taken out is a member

Member = arm

Arm and a leg ( another member ) means something costly and so is a huge sum

Answer : Arum

11A Chicken, livered as such

Whatever the answer is , when its combined with ‘livered’ you will get a word meaning ‘chicken’

Lily-livered means cowardly

Answer : Lily

12A All-round first-class side

First class = AI

Side = XI

So we have AIXI

‘all-round’ is a reversal indicator

Answer : Ixia

13A Lucky people finally get last wish

Last wish = H

‘finally get’ means put H at the end of the answer and get “lucky people”

Irish are considered ‘lucky’

Answer : Iris

14A  Covered by huge umbrella

‘covered by’ is hidden indicator meaning that the answer is inside “huge umbrella”

Answer : Geum

1D Ask for song in church, nothing more

Ask for = CALL

Song = ARIA

We have CALL ARIA

And in it we have church = CE as well as ( more ) nothing = O

CAL  CE O LARIA

Answer : Calceolaria

2D  Dishonest about opponents

In bridge opponents are either NE or SW

Dishonest = BENT

BENT about NE = BENNET

Answer : Bennet

3D Agent in trouble

‘trouble’ is anagram indicator

‘Agent is’ turns to Gentian

Answer : Gentian

4D Get back it’s grasp of universal quality

It refers to answer which needs to ‘grasp’ Universal Quality which is UQ

‘back’ means to reverse ‘it’ and then the whole thing would mean ‘get’

Another word for get is acquire ( reverse it to get ERIUQCA )

Remove UQ and get Erica

Answer : Erica

6D Hear stories that sounds far-fetched!

Stories = LORE

‘hear’ is homonym indicator and so LORE becomes LOR

‘sounds’ is another homonym indicator and applies to ‘far’

 FAR becomes FA

FA fetched LOR means that FA carried LOR

Answer : Flora

8D Fellow to bring up the rear

Fellow = F

Bring up the rear = LAG

Answer : Flag

10D  Thousands embrace America

Thousands = M, K

America = US

M, K embrace US gives us M US K

Answer : Musk

Jay

Crossword 42

Here is crossword 42