Observer Azed 2249 Sunday July 12Th 2015

[Tilly2]

I'm having a go at this for the first time ever.
So far, two hours later, I have completed three (and a half) clues.:-(

This one might help a bit: Beak's patch, Midland city-are its cells ever full? (8)

[Calibax]

Cere Brum

[Tilly2]

Thank you, Calibax.

[Calibax]

You're welcome :o)

[TheFrogman]

You might find the commentary on my web site helpful (http://www.thefrogman.net/index_files/Page881.htm)
for assistance with some of the trickier wordplays or confirmation on answers you're not sure on. Chambers Dictionary is strongly recommended!

[Tilly2]

Thank you, too, The Frogman. I'll have a look. I don't have a Chambers, only Bradfords and an ancient Oxford Illustrated Dictionary.

[Tilly2]

Thanks again, The Frogman. That's a few more done.

[TheFrogman]

...I know that there are people who do Azed (and barred cryptics in other weekend newspapers) on a regular basis without the aid of Chambers, but for my money they have one metaphorical hand tied behind their back!

I hope that you persevere with the Azed crosswords - they are consistently excellent puzzles and the cluing is scrupulously accurate.

[Baldric]

Here you go Tilly, you can use mine!

http://www.chambers.co.uk/search.php

[TheFrogman]

...a cunning plan, but I meant The Chambers Dictionary, not Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, a pale (metaphorically speaking, again) imitation.

The best free online dictionary as far as I'm concerned is Collins,
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/

Its synonym listings in particular, and the way the synonyms are grouped, are particularly good (IMHO better than in the Chambers Thesaurus).