Friday, December 30, 2011

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


The 1st 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

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

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

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

"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

Monday, December 19, 2011

Monday, December 12, 2011

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

Monday, December 5, 2011

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