Spectator 2000 Saturday February 5th 2011

[mintyman99]

http://www.spectator....6448/crossword-TG.pdf

[Mysterons]

'Jock' = (for example) Chris Evans

'Gong' = national honour

[cruciverbali]

Glad you got the A3 copy Ros - certainly a lot easier to manage.
10a (B) is an attempt at an &lit I think Helveticus - http://www.wordnik.com/words/tern%20schooner

[Helveticus]

Thanks Mysterons: I cracked 19D in grid B myself a couple of hours ago. This completed 24A, which I hope helps me to understand the instructions for grid B. I still have incomplete unclued lights at 6D and 13A.

Thanks also to cruciverbali: Yes! I hadn't twigged the &lit.

For grid D, the completion of the thematic expression which is to be highlighted remains unclear, athough I have the thematic expression itself.

[bearboy]

My grid D is complete , although there are 2 choices for 24d?? is this one of the 4 which are "incomplete on their own" (I think I have the other 3). I see the setter within the grid but am unsure of what to highlight?
Please help

[tenflags]

Dear K,

any chance you could stick your version of the link up (as you sometimes do) - I have a mac (i.e. not MS Windows) and the best way I can resize the print areas in a larger scale is using your link if at all possible.

normally MM99's PDF is preferable (and I thank MM99 for that) but this one looks like a larger print will help, especially as I suspect I will be looking at it for quite a long time.

many thanks

[Helveticus]

Hi bearboy, I think you mean grid E, not grid D. 24D in grid E is not one of the 4 which are incomplete on their own. Highlight the two initials.

I have cracked grid B (and boy was it obscure).

Still no idea about what to highlight for grid D.

[bearboy]

Thanks Helveticus - yes I did mean Grid E. The three I have for the "incomplete" are 17a, 26d & 28d. The other might be 21d?
I am still unsure of grid B - is it something to do with an anagram of his name?

[toalisi]

Hi tenflags

I read elsewhere that K has gone to the Rugby in Wales.

Hopefully someone else can help you.

[slaney]

Tenflags - my earlier comment was bemoaning the fact that the Spectator Smart Edition link, whick K usually puts up, seems to be no longer available.

http://thespectator.n...om/epaper/viewer.aspx

If you e-mail me at [email protected] (that's a zero after slaney) I can send you larger copies which I have scanned.

[zita-green]

Having difficulty with grid A. The phrase I have at 2A, 8D and 14D is only three words long. Perhaps the tiny print is deceiving me.

[bellabee]

thanks for the link mintyman - can't seem to find a light clued without definition for grid B but my eyestrain is now so bad it's not surprising [anyway it doesn't seem to matter] i liked the varied range of the setters' styles here but i haven't done that many speccies and am missing just one setter. is he the same as the 'completion' for D? - doesn't look like a pseudonym but you never know and looking on the various sites i seem to have all of the main ones bar one [that starts with 's']. would appreciate a hint.

[bellabee]

zita-green 2dn and 3dn are side by side - maybe you are missing the article? - i spent ages thinking the 8 was an & myself.

[bellabee]

forget that request - found another site, all clear now.

[Mysterons]

bearboy - this site may help:

http://bestforpuzzles...le/the-spectator.html

[cruciverbali]

bellabee, the unclued light in B is 12 down, though at first sight it appears to be a clever &lit - note the significance of its position relative to the current setters.

[bearboy]

Thank you Mysterons for that link - that's filled in a few gaps! Still not sure "what goes with what" and what to highlight in this Grid B.
Is Lavatch the setter for Grid D? Again don't see what to highlight here.

[bellabee]

yes cruciverbali thank you - given the &lit in 10ac i think this is a touch mischievous don't you? but all part of the fun and very neat.

[roslyn251254]

Helveticus - I've cracked Grid D - look at the diagonal with the symbols in. Work it out mathematically, and see what else you need - that's what needs highlighting.

[AHearer]

Yes, and anagramatise the letters to confirm the solver.

[AndrewG-S]

Have not done the Spectator before but given the 2000th version thought I would give it a go. Great fun particularly the finale of Grid D. Grid B caused me some problems due to lack of familiarity - also seems from the link posted here that one is missing. Thanks to all the setters.