Crossword blogs are a great source of information regarding particular crosswords, but more, they provide insight into the psyche of crossword solvers. I have taken many comments from crossword blogs and used them as a basis for cryptic comment of my own for this column. The way people solve, the things they struggle with and questions they ask all cause me to think through various cryptic topics. But as with all blogs, or public discussions, there are elements at play that aren’t directly associated with the topic at hand involving the personalities of the participants. A local blog, DA Trippers, has seen a marked change in key personnel over the last few months, largely due to the way contributors contribute. For a long time the blog has featured a systematic breakdown of a weekly crossword, with people posting their thoughts and queries, and others perhaps providing hints to answers. It was generally matter-of-fact, with very little personal input and a fairly equal distribution of comments from posters. Now there are just a few main contributors who tend to dominate the discussion, and some past stalwarts have ceased to post. The posts are now more conversational which appears to put people off. It’s like two or three people in a circle of people carrying on a conversation between themselves. The blog is set up in such a way that prohibits specific replies to another’s post, which means everybody is subjected to what could be almost a private conversation. I’ve always found the dynamics of blogs interesting and it’s been fascinating to watch the shift in this one.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PICKLE | |
| Fix tool left 12 inches short (6) | PICK + (LEFT minus FT) | |
| 4 | ACCURSED | |
| Wretched defendant admitting misdemeanour at the end (8) | ACCUSED outside MISDEMEANOU(R) | |
| 9 | CAVITY | |
| One rat’s tail found in rodent hole (6) | [I + RA(T)] inside CAVY | |
| 10 | UNCLE SAM | |
| Muscleman losing capital unsettled the US government (5,3) | Anagram of M(USCLEMAN) | |
| 12 | STRANGE | |
| Remarkable stone formation with many peaks (7) | ST + RANGE | |
| 13 | ELATION | |
| Story recalled by one on ecstasy (7) | TALE reversed + I + ON | |
| 14 | IDLE | |
| Gathering dust particles from solid lead (4) | solID LEad | |
| 15 | COMPLEXION | |
| Character involved with one in operation (10) | COMPLEX + I + ON | |
| 18 | DISCLOSURE | |
| Opening of lounge during dance guaranteed admission (10) | (L)OUNGE in DISCO + SURE | |
| 19 | CONE | |
| Cold single serving, maybe? (4) | C + ONE | |
| 21 | CHAPTER | |
| Male tenor missing out on backing part (7) | CHAP + [TENOR minus (ON reversed)] | |
| 23 | REAPERS | |
| Fruit pickers, say, are upset with person not carrying on (7) | Anagram of ARE + (PERSON minus ON) | |
| 25 | TURNED TO | |
| Looked for help from misguided tutor holding study back (6,2) | Anagram of TUTOR outside (DEN reversed) | |
| 26 | CANOLA | |
| Carbonated drink containing an oil (6) | COLA outside AN | |
| 27 | DOWNSIDE | |
| Open, rolling, upland country linked to idea without a problem (8) | DOWNS + (IDEA minus A) | |
| 28 | SEETHE | |
| Look at, then cut off, boil (6) | SEE + (THE)N | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PACTS | |
| Deals with Paul’s first and fifth book of the New Testament (5) | (P)AUL + ACTS | |
| 2 | COVERALLS | |
| Protective garment labels taking over (9) | CALLS outside OVER | |
| 3 | LITANY | |
| Long recital fired up some (6) | LIT + ANY | |
| 5 | CONTEMPORARY | |
| Weird poem found inside perverse present (12) | Anagram of POEM inside CONTRARY | |
| 6 | UNLOADED | |
| Tailored loan due by weekend finally is discharged (8) | Anagram of LOAN DUE + WEEKEN(D) | |
| 7 | SUSHI | |
| Raw fish pieces offered by Jesus himself (5) | jeSUS HImself | |
| 8 | DOMINANCE | |
| Cook hamburger meat plugged by an authority (9) | (DO + MINCE) outside AN | |
| 11 | DEMONSTRATED | |
| Proven charge admitted by evil one with gonorrhoea, say (12) | RATE inside (DEMON + STD) | |
| 14 | INDICATED | |
| Charged, keeping head of arrow pointed out (9) | INDICTED outside (A)RROW | |
| 16 | IRONED OUT | |
| Put right function in rewritten routine (6,3) | DO inside anagram of ROUTINE | |
| 17 | FLATTENS | |
| Apartments containing ten floors (8) | FLATS outside TEN | |
| 20 | FACADE | |
| Show a heel cast in iron (6) | (A + CAD) inside FE | |
| 22 | ARROW | |
| Pointer is thin apart from the front (5) | N(ARROW) | |
| 24 | SHALE | |
| Marketing surrounding hard rock (5) | SALE outside H |
Hi David,
7-across: the Japanese dish comprised of raw fish pieces is called sashimi. The primary ingredient of sushi is vinegared rice, which is combined with other ingredients that may, or may not, include raw seafood. No Japanese restaurant in Westleigh? 😉
Steve = : ^ )
You are right of course Steve. Not sure what I was thinking. Can’t find a reference that comes close to my definition but Wikipedia notes that the original Japanese sushi was just fish that had been pickled by wrapping in fermented rice. The rice was thrown away before eating. However, that was a long time ago by all accounts. I realised this clue was wrong late last week and wondered how many would point it out to me. You are the first, publicly or privately, so it makes me think not many people are actually doing the puzzle.
I tried it, but didn’t know that sushi wasn’t raw fish pieces.
Perhaps everyone else is too polite? 😉
Steve = : ^ )
I just did the puzzle and that clue, of course. To be truthful, it didn’t occur to me because the sec-ind was fairly clear and once you see ‘Japanese food’, you think SUSHI. Type it in, move on to the next clue without checking validity.
Which of course, it wasn’t indicated ‘Japanese’ at all.
See how much I paid attention to the clue ?!
Found 93 very challenging. Not on the correct wavelength obviously. I did wonder about sushi but not being a fan of Japanese cuisine did not look further. I had to check far too many answers today and hope that I do better on number 94.
I eat sushi and sashimi often enough to know the difference, but I also didn’t notice that the clue was wrong. It’s an indication of the general quality of The Stickler that when an error finally does appear, it generates this much discussion.
19ac was a ripper. I also particularly enjoyed 1ac, 14ac, 15ac and 3dn.