Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Some tricky clues, but no major obstacles. FOI 1a. Two rhyming couplets, one of which is my COD (8d). LOI 22d - mainly because I had messed up a crosser. Good fun ! Thanks, Everyman.

Solid puzzle, thanks to Everyman.
FOI 1a, LOI 13. COD 4, edging out 10.
This puzzle felt like it was composed by a single setter (subject of recent speculation). I welcome the return of the long "first letters" clue. A couple of possibly unfamiliar solutions: the spicy paste and (for non-UK residents) the explorer, but the wordplay is clear enough to render them accessible.

Right on the nose, geeker. I had heard of neither, but as you wrote, the wordplay was clear. My COD was also 4, with 27 a close second. Clever constructions.

I liked 4 (and 14) too. I do wonder whether this Sunday puzzle is called Everyman as a kind of collective noun for all those who contribute. How they divvy it up I have no idea. Nevertheless, I agree that this week's grid seemed to have some uniformity in the style of clues, so maybe only one person volunteered ??

I always got the impression Everyman is supposed to be a reasonably accessible, non-esoteric puzzle, though not explicitly for "newer solvers" like the Monday Quiptic. Strangely, I've never found the Quiptic so easy; more often than not it seems more challenging than the accompanying Monday Cryptic.

I totally agree. More chance of being flummoxed on the Cryptic than the Quiptic.

I'm repeating posts from prior weeks' threads, but after some thought I concluded that the main distinguishing feature of Everyman puzzles is a "user-friendly" grid with many crossings, thereby slightly easing the solver's task.

A small shout-out for 5d - which, despite the obvious answer, may be an elusive homophone for those across the pond (excluding ex-pats.)

Hi Geeker, Apologies for my earlier post - yes I meant to say that the Monday Quiptic is often more challenging than the Monday Cryptic. Duh.

Alzy, re 5d, it did take me a moment. For one thing, I understood the accent to be on the first syllable. The clue reminded me of the Led Zeppelin song D’yer Maker.