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Grunger

Glad all's well on the pie and pi front.

Jigjag

Looking forward to any Halloween anecdotes, report from you. I don't like the 'trick or treat' stuff - I prefer the more traditional version where callers give a rendition (however awful) of a song, poem or joke and are then rewarded. If you're out and about at Halloween, you may bump into some old friends of mine, both from Scotland - Guy Sers and Bob Infer-Appels.

Malone

Thanks for mentioning your friends. I hope to see them and possibly Doug Appel too. I loved Halloween as a child, particularly the duck-apple and bob-apple games. We were never allowed to go from house to house, just had a great time in the kitchen. The trick or treat business is very unpleasant, although there have been no problems here.

Jigjag

Thanks for your Halloween stuff. I definitely preferred the older, simpler days!

The setters are still putting obstacles, horrors, in my way. From today's Sunday Times puzzle...
It is not real somehow (9).

Malone

Is IT(!) Relations?

I have not heard that word used in that sense for many years. My very elderly aunt used to use it but that was 40 years ago.

I can see that the clue must have driven you mad - not a fair clue to me.

I didn't see it as I only do the EV on Sunday. I saw that you found it very easy. I thought it slightly harder than the Patron Saints one the week before. They come after a run of tough ones though, so I think it is OK.

The title -Entente - was also an answer in the Times last week (clever clue). I am not sure what the message from the setters is - I thought we were not on good terms with the French at the moment.

Hope your flag was very artistic!

Jigjag,

Thanks for the IT sympathy - it's definitely an old usage (a usage by old aunts and grannies, mostly!).

I found yesterday's EV much easier than the saints. I know there has to be a mix of puzzles, difficulty levels, but I'd personally prefer something that takes more than 20 minutes! The title and one three-letter answer meant I had the theme very, very quickly. Still, I'm fairly philosophical - I'm sure there are many happy solvers who thought it was a treat.

I don't think you do Inquisitor? Here's a clue from this week's...

One deserted during the day as was wayward bowler.

(The preamble gave a little more help, but I don't expect you to need it! I certainly did. This was a carte blanche type puzzle, lengths not given ...but I can add that if necessary).

Malone

I need a hint - is it a bowlers name or type of bowler? How many letters?

I am very impressed you did the EV in 20 mins - too many obsure words( to me) for me to do it in anything like that time. I am still mixing paints to get the required red, and which will not obscure the answers.

Jigjag

Although Chalicea isn't my favourite setter, her clues and my solving work well together! I'm glad you are making a real effort with the highlighting. These artistic things are often pretty enough … but leaving the answers visible is sometimes tricky.

There are five letters in the answer to my clue. Another big hint - the preamble says 'one answer is derived from a non-dictionary verbal form used in sport', and this is the one.

Malone

I have got an answer but I cant parse it. I dont see "one deserted during the day" which I assume is the definition. I will try again tonight during football.

Interesting that you and Chalicea are on the same wavelength, possibly a female connection. I would say that she is my second favourite compiler. I can always solve hers though not quickly. Her Vera Lynn one was brilliant. My favourite setter is Gaston. He picks subjects I like, and again they are solvable. Interestingly, the 2 of them use quite a bit of French.

Have finally got a decent red. Newspapers covered with practice shades. The red on Trump's head in cartoon looked good.

Jigjag

I had Wided, which I assume was what was done by the wayward bowler? I didn't parse it fully - I had W?D?D at that point, so Wided seemed logical! It's I, one, D, deserted (confirmed in Chambers) inside Wed, day.

It's good that we have a range of setters. I'm afraid I don't enjoy Chalicea's puzzles as much as you do - and not just because I can usually solve them quite quickly! I didn't particularly like the Vera Lynn one.

Malone

If a bowler bowls a wide ball he is `Wided` by the umpire ...
... not a word known to non-cricketers I suspect!