Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Thanks everyone! Much appreciated. I've been doing Everymans for 30 years, but I don't recall seeing roly-poly used as a reverse indicator ever before. And I still think the definition is crazily loose! Can't help wondering if one of the Grauniad setters wandered past the Everyman desk last week and said, 'Here's a good one ...'

Quite straightforward today I thought - I liked 13 and 9. LOI was the simple 10 as I got fixated on pop and couldn’t get it out of my mind! I’m glad to finish it early as I had a busy day yesterday and only got to the prize late and am still battling. I always seem to struggle getting onto Vlad’s wavelength.

Stuck on 8d where I don't know if I'm looking for male people or an unwholesome condition (or something else).

The latter Loubyloo. Made up from 4 letters for male + 6 letters for people

Thanks . I would never have got that. Not the most obvious definition of male people to me. I was thinking of religious orders .

9a again ! After reading the previous postsI apologise if I am being a bit thick .
I have no problem with roly-poly, date or definition, but how do you arrive at the first 2 letters of the solution? And what is the significance of the word "say" on the end of the clue?
Any further hints or pointers would be much appreciated.

Hi Coffindodger,

9a - The first 2 letters come from "say" as in "for example" and they are reversed like the rest of the clue.

Thanks Brendan.
I would have been head scratching for hours on that one.

Hi. Can anyone explain the Spoonerism? Thanks

Hi catcharmer - just swop the first and fifth letters of the solution and say it out loud.


More generally, I suppose 4d and 18d are rhymes of a sort, at a pinch!