Crosswords

Crossword Archive

Cryptic Crossword: Christmas 2001

If for any reason you cannot use the automatic submission procedure then email your answers direct to askcompetition@oup.co.uk with a message saying 'Prize crossword Christmas 2001'.

This puzzle's theme is derived from 1 Down 21 Down, the title of one of the items included in The New Oxford Book of 4 Down, by 30 Across and 19 Across.

Twenty-five clues are of the normal cryptic kind. Each of the other six clues (to be deduced) consists of definitions of two words of different lengths. In three cases, the longer word (consisting of 1 Down, and the shorter word next), is the answer to go in the grid; in the other three cases, the shorter word (which could be described as the longer word with 21 Down) is the grid entry. Numbers in brackets refer to lengths of grid entries.

Across 1 At that point - with reference to . . . (5) 4 . . . skin - incision occurs (5) 7 Apt to be reformed, opportunely (3) 9 Voter in part reflected about leaders of each campaigning team (7) 10 Former partner, rich, for instance (7) 11 New tinsel lad put in place (9) 12 Ring with a precious stone written about in letter (5) 13 South, frequently mild (4) 15 Extraordinary star, one member of legislative body (7) 17 Title of knight in tales I read (3) 19 See preamble (7) 20 Chant growing louder (4) 24 Admitted love, and married around middle of month (5) 25 Confusion at entertaining party with people (9) 27 Incident is covered by record and poem (7) 28 Moment in street with worker? (7) 29 Section of journey in traditional story without end (3) 30 See preamble (5) 31 Dispatch plant with blue or pink flowers (5)

Down 1 See preamble (3,5) 2 Pitchers in newer style (5) 3 Upset associate dropping last catch (6) 4 See preamble (6) 5 One who perseveres, maintaining aim to be more fashionable (8) 6 A child enthralled by stamp relating to Christmas, perhaps (8) 7 Go through 50% of onions and sausage (9) 8 Prohibition concerning ancient Greek city (6) 14 Relative, in Scottish dance, showing off (9) 15 Poet called Edith to pose? (3) 16 Traffic jam starts to get really irritating, with fifty stuck in quayside area (8) 17 Plan to have turncoat, for example, confined by enclosure (8) 18 Nervous, I get data mixed up (8) 21 See preamble (6) 22 Serviceman at home, with horse outside (6) 23 Dissertation by candidate for degree, a girl (6) 26 Obliterate part of camera's evidence (5)

Solution