![]() Some editors will not allow a noun such as alteration to be used as an anagram indicator. Ideally for odd letters the indicator should be oddly.Ģ4 Doing minor alteration in restaurant (6-4)ĭINING ROOM – An anagram (alteration) of DOING MINOR. REACTOR – An anagram (designed) of CREATOR.įEEBLE – A three letter word for a bill followed by the odd letters of bulge. STRATUM – Reverse (returning) a four letter word for a type of cake or open topped pastry confection inside a three letter word for quantity. UNISON – The initial letter (first) of safety inside a word meaning an agreement. As hove is the past participle of the verb to heave or haul, “hauled” would have been a more accurate indicator.ġ5 Agreement to take safety first in concert (6) HOVERCRAFT – A four letter word meaning to haul followed by the abbreviation for Roman Catholic, the branch of one of the armed forces service) and the abbreviation for time. Whilst this is a crossword and you have rely on checking letters, it is good practice to ensure that each clue can be unambiguously resolved to get the solution without checking letters.ġ3 Low flying airplane to haul catholic to service on time (10) Care has to be taken when including homophone indicators in the middle of the definition and wordplay as the clue could be read as an indication that REAL is the solution. REEL – A homophone (sounding) of REAL (authentic). MUSICAL – An anagram (upset) of CALM US I (one). ![]() The biggest problem with this clue is the nonsensical surface reading.ġ1 Cats for example calm us when upset with one (7) Mainly can mean chiefly which give the sense of the first letters as “in the first place”. Mainly as an initial letter indicator is, I think, OK. Having used back as a reversal indicator in 1a, a different indicator would have been better. WYSIWYG – Remove the central letter (uninhabited – nice indicator) from a three letter word for a street an follow this with a reversal (back) of the IS from the clue and this initial letters (mainly) of the final three words of the clue. My personal preference is, where possible, for homophones to produce a word in their own right but this is a self-imposed discipline and not an absolute rule when setting crosswords.ġ0 Computer image from uninhabited street is going back to mainly weeds yearly growing (7) PARALYSE – A four letter word for a soldier followed by a homophone (told) of lies (tales). As others have commented, AY does not mean often, it means always or for ever, as in the line of the hymn, “For his mercies ay endure, ever faithful, ever sure.” PAPAYA – A two letter word for an old man or father followed by the abbreviation for personal assistant and a reversal (back) of a word meaning often. However, overall, there was improvement and it was enjoyable to solve.ġ Old man takes assistant often back for fruit (6) There were a few synonyms that did not quite ring true. A little more time polishing some of the clues to remove repeated wordplay elements and looking at some of the less polished surface readings would have helped. The basics were all present but there were a few spiky bits of holly admits the tinsel glitter. Welcome back to MacLog who provided us with a Christmas cracker of a crossword. I do ask that you remember that for most setters this is a new experience, so please only offer constructive criticism. As usual, the setter will be delighted to receive feedback from you, the solvers. Today we have another puzzle from Maclog. The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
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