Life
The turf
Since coup conspirators nearly won £10 million from the bookies, the sport has divided into two camps. Some grinned and…
2494: Back to front
The unclued lights have something in common. None is a real word. Across 1 Promoted male only editor eclipsed…
The Battle for Britain
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Real life
The street light as bright as the Dog Star was fitted with a shield, and I was assigned my own…
to 2491: Recycling
The ten unclued lights comprise the seven primary Wombles, best known for their recycling of objects found on Wimbledon Common.…
Mixed messages
In Competition No. 3186 you were invited to supply an acrostic poem praising or dispraising a public figure, in which…
Bridge
In general, I don’t like to play bridge just for fun: I prefer the cut-throat atmosphere of a tournament, or…
He who hesitates…
If there was one ingredient which separated the two finalists of the Opera Euro Rapid, it was confidence. The third…
My advice for the next ‘free speech champion’
I was delighted to hear the government plans to appoint a ‘free speech champion’ to the board of the Office…
Low life
Every Friday afternoon the foreign correspondent and I attend a French lady’s home for our one-hour French lesson. The foreign…
Aussie Life
It’s likely that 2021 will see the last walkers freely ascend the summit of Mt Warning in northern New South…
Aussie Language
The word of the past decade (2011-2020) is ‘fake news.’ That, at least, is the opinion of the fine folk…
Real life
Eventually, I got so bored I ended up at Burger King. For no other reason than to amuse myself one…
The Battle for Britain
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Dear Mary
Q. My husband has always worked extremely hard and now does so from home — so I go to great…
High life
Gstaad During these dark, endless periods of lockdown, let’s take a trip down memory lane to a time when we…
Titles of courtesy
I agree with Charles Moore (The Spectator, 6 February) that it is a shame the Times is dropping its use…
City limits
The phrase ‘rich people’s problems’ has its uses. I once overheard a group in a Knightsbridge restaurant sympathising with a…
Solution to 2490: Arrangement
Suggested by 30 (IKEBANA, or flower arranging), the unclued lights were all anagrams of flowers: 1A gardenia; 18 rose; 22…
Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder
The wine has been flowing in the Young household this week. The reason I’ve been celebrating is because I managed…
Bridge
The Young Chelsea Bridge Club is moving — literally and figuratively. They are relocating to the Salvation Army building in…
My palate and the plague
Later this week, on Spectator.co.uk, I will resolve a mystery that has featured in a lot of Zoom traffic around…
The state we’re in
In Competition No. 3185 you were invited to compose a sonnet called ‘England in 2021’. The challenge was inspired by…
2493: Opposites
Two contrasting film stars allegedly said ‘1A’ (five words) and ‘49/27’ (six words in total). Remaining unclued lights (including one…
Puzzle No. 640
White to play and mate in two moves. Composed by Theodore Herlin, Schachzeitung 1852. Answers to be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk…
