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For the first time in months (and largely thanks to the flooding) I had time to actually look at the crossword on Saturday afternoon and was astonished to find that I could just keep writing answers in. So I definitely found it much easier than usual. Didn't spot the theme at all until after I'd finished and read the forum to find that there was one, even though it is something I enjoy (though perhaps today was not the best day for it!)

Geeker, if you are still around, you said that 19 is "an anagram of two referenced solutions". I don't think it is; it's an anagram of two words which aren't solutions.


I found this very disappointing, as it was too easy. In fact I have never before found a Guardian prize so easy, and rarely found a Guardian weekday crossword so easy. That was despite being at the disadvantage of knowing virtually nothing about the theme, which to me is, unfortunately, very uninteresting. I would never have realised there was a theme if people hadn't said so. However, even I know just about enough about the theme to spot a small number of theme words once I put some work into looking for them, and then confirmed several mor via Google. I see 5d and 23d as very weak clues, especially 23, which belongs in some far lower-level crossword venue than the Guardian. Not at all what I expect from Maskarade. Oh, well...

Correct about 19, micky. I posted from memory without looking at the grid. Did not post a retraction because there was ample later discussion of the clue.

Actually, despite my comments about the theme, I remember seeing 18 at Edgbaston, back in the days before I had given up trying to get enjoyment out of the theme. It must have in the early 1960s. One of the spectators shouted out a remark about Brylcreme, which was met by roars of laughter, but which went over my head until my father explained it to me.

Brylcreem, apparently. I knew it wasn't cream.

Strangely, 18 is the only theme participant I (American) ever paid attention to. I was living overseas at the time of one of his best performances and got in the habit of occasionally looking up his exploits in international newspapers. Knew nothing about personal or other details; in those days box scores (or the UK equivalent) was more or less the only coverage.

Geezer,

18 was quite a polarising figure among fans and players alike, which I was unaware of until a work colleague with a great love of the game explained how Mr B was more concerned with his personal statistics than the actual result and good of the team.

Initially this didn't make much sense because I thought that surely the better he did the better the team did (how naive I was!), but then it was explained to me about 'run chases' etc and it all made sense,

Hi all. I can see a themed answer for 10a, but can't parse or even see definition. Any help?

Also, if I remember my Chemistry correctly, isn't 6d the opposite of the definition?

Hi Grum,

10a - 2 letter "firm" + 2 letter "happy ".