Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Well, this was an absolute treat from start to finish.

FOI was 1a followed by 3d.

Oh, and I spotted a rhyming pair - which is a first for me 😜

I didn't notice a theme but there are a few theatre references which will no doubt please our resident theatre director and blog regular, Lucy Gordon:-)

If you do get stuck there's a long anagram. a hidden, and an 'initial' in the acrosses and a long anagram in the downs.

There are still a couple I haven't fully parsed, namely 1d and 13d but I'm hopeful of a PDM before too long.

COD - I was toing and froing between the excellent 26a - Protective equipment that may be black and hairy? (3,4) and the brilliant 19a - Handsome narcissist in angry radio broadcast (6,4) but couldn't decide so will declare it a draw:-)

Please feel free to leave a comment giving your thoughts on this week's puzzle and, as always, don't hesitate to ask for a hint if you get stuck.

Thanks to Everyman for a thoroughly enjoyable crossword.

Stay safe:-)

PDM duly arrived for 13d - I'd completely failed to notice the "drained" in the clue - amazing! 😕

..... and also 1d - I was over complicating it 😜

Hi Brendan,

I managed to progress relatively quickly, then got stuck on the last few. FOI 1a. LOI 1D... I think - is one of the words in the clue in the answer?

Hi Matador,

I think you mean 1d and, yes it is, that's what held me up. - the other letters come from "primarily" .... and I think the whole clue is the definition - a sort of &Lit.

Sorry Matador, you did say 1d.

That’s exactly how I got to it but the word being in the answer made me think it must be something else. Otherwise a pretty good offering by Everyman this week. The hardest for me was 12a. There were a couple of general knowledge clause but I was able to guess them with the crossers I had and then check on google.

A late start but lotsa fun - as you say. Got stuck for a while because of a wrong result for 27a. My two FOI's matched yours - and agree with you on both COD's. I should have just copied all your comments ! Enjoyed the rhyming couplet too. Bravo.

I meant copying Brendan of course. (Matador slipped in while I was writing.)

Thanks Alzy,

I initially messed up 27a by not noticing that it was "averages" plural and so I it messed up trying to find a homophone of "sources of pleasure" - very careless of me 😡

Re 1d Matador - I know it looks a bid odd but, like you, I'm pretty certain that is the correct answer.