Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

The Guardian has posted a puzzle titled “Everyman No.1” and it seems to be just that.

This Sunday is Everyman No. 4,000 which might have something to do with the timing. That would date No.1 to sometime in 1946.

Here is the link if you are curious https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/1#1-down

I’m totally stumped by some of the clues…

Good grief ! How setting has changed. On first read through I had two!

Jono did you know thatv 18d is a by-product obtained during bioethanol production, which is composed of a mixture of higher alcohols, such as isoamyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, and propanol, where the first one is the major component.

Haha, I did not, though Chambers suggests it can be distilled from potatoes!

6a is a really rather obscure 19c literary reference, though I see it was made into a silent film in 1926, so perhaps it would have been known back then.

10a took place in 1945 so this must have been written after that.

11/26 on the other hand is ahead of its time. I can see Paul writing a clue like that !

I Have 11/26. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow...
Zzzzzz

After looking at that I feel like a 11 in a 26.

A blog for this puzzle will be on fifteensquared tomorrow

Thanks, but passing on this one. I've tried a few retro puzzles of that vintage, and the experiences were not too pleasant. 🙄

Ah, so we learn the puzzle is by Ximenes, from August 1945, and one he himself was later critical of. The blog is available.

I suspect my (Jay’s) explanation of 1a was probably what was intended, but who knows.