Our first puzzle in Newbie Corner is by Balrog. Some neat clues in here, and a good theme, too – do post your comments below.
A puzzle by Balrog
11 thoughts on “A puzzle by Balrog”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Our first puzzle in Newbie Corner is by Balrog. Some neat clues in here, and a good theme, too – do post your comments below.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I see a clue has now appeared for 30Ac but I am still a couple of solutions light and have somehow got 7 themed solutions. When and where will I be able to to look at a completed grid?
Hello,
I’ve looked at the solution, and there are indeed seven themed entries. (This would, of course, have been picked up in an edit, but given this puzzle’s just had a once-over to check the clues, I didn’t spot it.) I’ll look at doing a more thorough edit in future.
When do you think the solution should be published? Should I put it in a comment so people can find it, or should I wait a month?
Hamish
OK by me just to make it another item in the regular monthly newsletter and thanks for clearing up my query.
Morning Hamish, Apologies for my nonsense suggestion yesterday, the monthly newsletter is of course Eric at 3-D. A solution could be posted in Newbie corner the following month or as an attachment to a very simple Group E-Mail to your registered Users. I know these can be set up so as not to reveal the total list of recipients to those in the Group.
Sure, that makes sense – I’ll probably simply post a PDF here along with the next month’s issue, so that people who haven’t tried it yet don’t have the solution arrive first!
I found this pretty enjoyable, although one of the clues had me completely stumped (see later). There were plenty of good clues, and the theme, which was reasonably topical) soon became apparent. I have a few points to make about particular clues which I thought could perhaps have been sharpened (unless, of course, I have misconstrued them.
In 1A, I assume that we are intended to read the juxtaposed “unknown”s in an algebraic way, so that a product is intended. But, if I am right, then I don’t think the construction quite works properly because the graphical representation in question is of an equation, rather than a product, and there is nothing in the clue which makes provision for an equation.
In 14A, I don’t think “alternatives” serves the purpose of indicating alternate letters.
In 15D, I think a word such as “area” or “place” is needed before the last four words in order for the definitional part of the clue to make sense.
The clue that has stumped me is 11D.
I got on famously with this at first and was enjoying it. Then I got totally stumped, looked at it a few times and still stumped, looked at it again today with fresh mind and found a 7th undefined answer. So what was this, an April Fool? I’m not keen on unreliable narrators where crossword instructions are concerned. Unfortunately I hadn’t logged in and read comments since just after the April issue came out, or I could have saved myself some angst!
Swansea Jill
Not an April Fool, Jill, just that the instructions were wrong in the puzzle that I was sent, and I wasn’t intending these puzzles to get a full edit. I think that that is going to change for the future!
Solution coming in the next few days.
Hamish
Have just logged in and found latest comments. I too had problems with clues at 11,14 and 15 and agree with the comments from Richard above. I can now see some logic in 14 and 15 but I’m stuck with 2 possible solutions to 11 both based on very tenuous reasoning.
Hi folks,
You’ll find the solution to this one here. Further comments welcome (now you know what the parsing is). Another Newbie Corner puzzle will be coming before too long…
Thanks Balrog, a good theme as I did not need to google it. I was defeated by 11d and didn’t parse 1a. Several very good clues, 6, 15, 28, 30 & 17. It took me a while to parse 10. A minor quibble in that 27 lacked a definition so could only be solved after solving 24. I thought removing “both” from 3 would improve the clue. Finally could I suggest Native American question in a proverb – as an alternative to 26. Hope this comes across as constructive I did enjoy the crossword.