Crossword Help Forum
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2012 December puzzle:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/62858730/Harpers%202012-12%20puz.pdf

Sorry about the dark bars. The scan is as light as I could make it.
In the original they are all RED, except for 23A which is GREEN (see instructions).

Official solution for 2012 November:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/62858730/Harpers%202012-11%20sol.pdf

See notes re missing clue.

For anyone who missed the November post:
http://www.crosswordsolver.org/forum/290627/harpers-2012-november

Earlier puzzles & solutions (YTD) are available from Dropbox by simply changing the date in the URL.
I always use the same format YYYY-MM. (Bold in this example):
http: //dl.dropbox.com/u/62858730/Harpers%202012-12%20puz.pdf
Remove the space after http: to make it work.

Thank you Syzzie.
I can't see how to begin re 23 ac (and hence all the others) but I suppose try to solve a few and work it out from there.
I have only ever finished one but really enjoy trying
Looks intriguing

Ah, RTFM as my husband used to say. Have now read the instructions properly.
x

Just finished: that was fun! And a nice birthday present, too, Syzygy! Thank you as ever: quite an original idea! And if you get several of the shaded across ones, Rosalind, you will soon notice what has to happen to them before being entered: it's just guesswork!Have fun, everybody!

Thanks, Syzzie. What a pleasant surprise. Must put it off till after work, but it looks like fun.

Easy, but nicely structured, and the clues are on the whole excellent- and even charming.

Well, the early night went for a burton. Have just finished it, on a whole, a very clever grid which was well put together, my answers to 39a and 35 & 36d gave me an early way in to see the hint of what 23a was all about.
Can't see the wordplay for the outside letters of 26a, also don't quite get my answer to 12d, and is 6d a word?

Hello, Les. 26a: "Producer of loud" I took as homophone indicator for "uh, sighs is". 12d: (L)evantine and (M)agi facing (serving as lining for) E- the LEM travels over the moon. 6d is US armed forces slang.

Cheers aristo, I saw the homophone for 'sighs' but 'uh' didn't quite cut it with me. Yes, of course, the LEM is an acronym... doh! I understood that the word for 6d must be right because it makes sense as two X two letter words as a prefix and then to mean being called up, just never heard it before, you American tricksters, what are you like... ha ha

A very clever grid though I thought.

I am working on something for a treat for the forum members for Christmas at the moment that I don't think has ever been done before, it's nothing to do with the JE which is perfectly safe the way it is, but a completely new spin on a clue & answer based puzzle which I think - if I get the final puzzle correct, it will give people a good few hours of fun over the festive period and it should appeal to all levels of crossword proficiency. Can't give anything away just yet but will hopefully have it ready for Xmas.

Off to bed now, goodnight all

Must be a transatlantic thing again; uh-sighs-is is exactly how it sounds over here.
Sounds promising...