Crossword solution

To 2196: Diverse

21 February 2015 9:00 am

The quotation around the perimeter is from 25 — varieties of French cheese are highlighted.   First prize Hugh Aplin,…

To 2195: In question

14 February 2015 9:00 am

Material from superfluous words in clues gives ‘fingers on buzzers’ (describing 2/20 and 8/33), ‘your starter for ten’ (indicating 31,…

To 2194: Joe Green

7 February 2015 9:00 am

The unclued lights (including 10/1A) are operas by Giuseppe Verdi (whose name in translation is Joe Green).   First prize…

To 2193: Celebration II

31 January 2015 9:00 am

The MUSICIAN (21), Rod Stewart CBE (25A), was born LXX (16) years ago on 10th January 1945. The associated works…

To 2192: Never again

24 January 2015 9:00 am

Eight unclued lights were papal names used only once. Pope JOAN (30) was the fanciful ninth.   First prize Michael…

To 2191: Bunk

10 January 2015 9:00 am

Ambrose Bierce defined history as an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly…

To 2190: Petra

3 January 2015 9:00 am

‘ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME’ (1D/19) is a work by AUGUSTUS TOPLADY (18/13). ELIZABETH WINDSOR (4A/26) and MICHELLE OBAMA…

To 2189: Offering

13 December 2014 9:00 am

Answers to clues in italics — stramash (1A), pasteboard (33) and lineated (36) — are treated as in the ROMAN…

To 2188: Pieces of eight

6 December 2014 9:00 am

The eight unclued lights are anagrams of eight clued solutions: 2/12, 3/13, 8/35, 16/40, 18/28, 19/30, 24/27 and 26/38. First…

To 2187: River and islands

29 November 2014 9:00 am

The theme word is PHOENIX (38A). 6A, 12A and 26A are legendary birds; 15A, 28A and 4D are state capitals;…

2186: From the off

22 November 2014 9:00 am

Unclued lights (11/1D, 12/35, 15, 18/1D and 22/17) are fences of the Grand National course, together with two famous winners…

To 2185: Over the sea

15 November 2014 9:00 am

The unclued are locations on SKYE, ‘The Misty Isle’ (solutions at 15 and 31). ISLE does double duty in 15/31…

To 2184: Airline

8 November 2014 9:00 am

Unclued lights each contained a different TREY (20) from the alphabet: AFGHAN (24), CANOPY (27), DINGHIES (42), DABCHICK (1D), HYMNODY…

To 2183: Group theory

1 November 2014 9:00 am

Extra letters in clues plus 1A give ‘the separation of philosophers into sages and cranks’, an extract from a quotation…

To 2182: Tops

25 October 2014 9:00 am

The unclued lights are ROMAN CROWNS. First prize Philip Hawkins, Wirksworth, Matlock, Derbyshire Runners-up G.H.Willetts, London SW19; Chris Edwards, Pudsey,…

To 2181: Obit II

18 October 2014 9:00 am

The END (19) of Rameau, a great COMPOSER (1A) of OPERAS (6) and for the CLAVECIN (1D), occurred in PARIS…

To 2180: Superfluous

11 October 2014 9:00 am

FURBELOWS — given by initial letters of superfluous words in clues — can be read as FUR BELOW S, indicating…

To 2179: Cos

4 October 2014 9:00 am

The unclued lights are abbreviations of seven English and one Welsh county, which themselves are inflected headwords in Chambers. (Consequently,…

To 2178: Saint and playwright

27 September 2014 9:00 am

In Vanity Fair (18/2), George Osborne is associated with 6/30 and 10/31. As Chancellor, he was preceded by 8, 26…

To 2177: Amaze

20 September 2014 9:00 am

Songs by KATE BUSH include WUTHERING HEIGHTS, HAMMER HORROR, HOUNDS OF LOVE and CLOUDBUSTING in the perimeter, and (defined by…

to 2176: ,

13 September 2014 9:00 am

The unclued lights are BUTTERFLIES (as is the ‘comma’ in the title). The pairs are 7/34A, 13/24, 33/6 and 35/25.…

to 2175: Elated grunt

6 September 2014 9:00 am

The four works were Waverley (anagram of 12/21), Kenilworth (15/8), The Talisman (29/2) and Ivanhoe (38/37) by SIR WALTER SCOTT (diagonally…

To 2174: Difficulty

30 August 2014 9:00 am

The key phrase is KNOW WHERE THE SHOE PINCHES (12 38 43). Each of the partially indicated answers is pinched…

to 2173: Men of note

23 August 2014 9:00 am

The unclued lights are COMPOSERS whose surnames start with the letter C.   First prize C.R. Haigh, Hassocks, West Sussex…

Solution to 2172: Para

16 August 2014 9:00 am

Gerry Goffin, popular LYRICIST (40), died on 19 June 2014. He wrote the perimetric songs IT MIGHT AS WELL RAIN…