Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Thanks to Picaroon for a delightful Prize, delivered right on time by the Guardian this week.

Puzzle seemed tough at first, then made steady progress, I rate it about median difficulty, perhaps a shade on the easy side.

Exceptionally high level of cluing. I'll call 19 and 14 co-COD, but any of the others in the short list (16, 1d, 17, and 18) could just as well have ranked. The long list (omitted for brevity) had seven more clues!

FOI 9, LOI 18.

There's a long anagram across clue, and a hilariously off-colo(u)r entry.

Can't see a theme, but perhaps a sub-theme and some funny groupings (e.g. 2, 14 and 10).

Picaroon in great form. Not super-difficult (especially after a Vlad impalement yesterday), but (by far) the most enjoyable puzzle of the week.

Read 18d for 18 above, apologies.

Hi Geeker, thanks for kicking things off, I always enjoy Picaroon.

I'm in Bath for the book launch of my sister's latest novel so won't be tackling this until tomorrow evening at the earliest, but I will be looking on from time to time to see how you're all getting on:-)

Thanks, Brendan. I think you'll enjoy this one. Have a good time, and congratulations to your sister!

Great fun. I agree best of the Guardian this week. Had a feeling Geeker would like 19a, as I imagine Brendan will :-)

If you want more Picaroon he set (as Lavatch) the Spectator this week. A step up in terms of challenge but another excellent puzzle.

I wonder when we’ll first see ‘King’ to indicate CR ?

Cheers all

First time on this forum as you can see that I have inadvertently started a new thread which I hope will be ignored

Enjoyable crossword, I have six clues left to do, I think I have an answer for 20 down but cannot parse it.

Favourite clue so fas is 19 a

Hi Birder, welcome to the forum.
20d parses as two single letters, indicated by the first word in the clue, outside one letter for one and a reversal of a three letter American term for ‘behind’. Definition is car

Got it Jono I had the right answer but couldn’t parse it

Yes, enjoyed this though, as usual, I can't parse a few (2, 7, 11)
FOI 18d, LOI 20, too many nice clues for a COD.

Hi all.

Made a cracking start on the NE and ground somewhat to a halt but I'm getting there I think.

I'm not as familiar as Brendan and Geeker with the 19a subject matter. Is there a technical term that the first word uses or is it one we ordinary folk should know? Trying not to give spoilers but I have the second word.