Spectator Christmas Crossword Thursday December 16th 2010

[mintyman99]

http://www.spectator....498/xmascrossword.pdf

[turast]

Many thanks Mintyman. This looks like a beauty!

[kayakamina]

Thanks for the link mintyman.

I've been looking forward to the annual double grid special, and hope I can resist the temptation to work on it until my Christmas duties are complete.

[zita-green]

Many thanks, Mintyman. This should keep me going over the holiday.

[turast]

An ingenious and entertaining puzzle. I really enjoyed most of the clue constructions and learned a few new words along the way. Thank you Lavatch.

[novalis]

Many thanks for the link. Like Kayakamina I'm trying to resist temptation...at least until I've finished what else I need to do.

[turnerjmw]

Thanks for the link. Very good fun, this, and an excellent puzzle

[bellabee]

very enjoyable - but why are the clues given in this way ?

[bellabee]

thankyou mintyman - hope you don't mind the intrusion.

[roslyn251254]

Thank you for the link M. So far so good, progress is steady. Does the "double" mean that there isn't a puzzle next week?

[tenflags]

Started this a bit late but yes very good. nice clue constructs.
thank you MM99 as usual.

Bellabee: I guess the clues were given this way to make it sit in the usual spectator style / range of difficulty i.e. without the alphabetic order it might be more listener-esque.

Roslyn: no doubt MM will better know but the date at the bottom 18/25 Dec suggests this covers two weeks.

[kayakamina]

I agree with the other comments that this was a top notch puzzle with excellent and ingenious clueing.

The line from the second verse was more familiar to me than the main opening line.

Well done Lavatch.

[hallgreen2]

There's always one bighead who let's you know that he's finished already

[crucifernz]

Very taxing - much easier once I'd cottoned onto the seasonal quote. I was also confused by the fact that solutions for Grid A were not necessarily found appropriately in the Across/Down sections of the clues.

[mintyman99]

No crossword next week. Merry Xmas all.

[Lubumbashi]

Just 24a in grid B to do. Dashed if I can find it: ?O?A?I?N
Kayakamina - I see your avatar appeared in Grid A.

[Lubumbashi]

cancel that last request - done it. Happy Christmas everybody

[teenieleek]

Only got to this yesterday due to minor festival this past week. Thanks to some helpful hints here, all done with the exception of 12ac in B grid. What do I take the o out of? I have ?r?t. Hope to finish this before the (wild) bells! Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to all.

[mintyman99]

That was my last too, teenie. I suggest you look up the latest Coen brothers movie.

[teenieleek]

Will do MM99, thanks for the hint.

[mathsman]

Has anyone managed too see the Jan 1 crossword yet? It doesn't appear to have been uploaded on their site (again!).