As the title suggests, this is number ten in Eclogue's regular, nay 'traditional', Christmas Crossword contribution to Derek Harrison's excellent Crossword Centre. It was published late in November 2018 as an early appearance of the Centre's December crossword.
Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their solutions and must be entered jigsaw-wise wherever they will fit. Solvers must deduce the five unclued entries and highlight the whole of the four across lights along with the first letter of the one unclued down entry (a leading light) in the finished diagram to complete this year’s seasonal greetings card.
Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their solutions and must be entered jigsaw-wise wherever they will fit. Solvers must deduce the five unclued entries and highlight the whole of the four across lights along with the first letter of the one unclued down entry (a leading light) in the finished diagram to complete this year’s seasonal greetings card.
One answer is in Collins/OED.
 |
| Seasons Greetings X Solution Grid
As well as depicting a CHRISTMAS tree, this puzzle
commemorates Ximenes (linked to Seasons Greetings “X”) namely DERRICK SOMERSET
MACNUTT, the founder of many the rules of the modern advanced cryptic
crosswords, and as illustrated here, running through much of what we now
do. The yellow and green horizontal
highlighting represents tinsel and a ribbon surrounding the tree, and the star
at the top (the leading light).
Solvers' Comments
And
indeed seasons greetings and thanks to all concerned at CC
Another
amazingly imaginative puzzle from Eclogue, and quite a bit trickier than last
year's.
What
a lovely puzzle! It has kept me enthralled, off and on, all week. I
found the cold solving (with no clue lengths) to be a challenge and could not
fathom them all. However, working with the three clued nine-letter
answers, I found that there was only one possible arrangement for them.
This gave me the start that I was fearful of ever making. Completion of the grid
then followed fairly swiftly, along with the answers that had previously eluded
me. A great sense of satisfaction.Thank you for a first class puzzle.
I
found this to be quite tough. Ultimately, though, very satisfying.
A
pleasant pre-Christmas entertainment from Eclogue, the clues mostly not too
testing, but one or two trickier ones and the odd obscurity to add a little
spice. Who has ever met a Lalage, and would you choose to land your daughter
with a name which might imply talks too much?
Thanks
to Eclogue for a nicely seasonal grid and a fun challenge.
Many
thanks to Eclogue for the Xmas Tree. Wonderful way to spend a few hours
jigsawing.
Thank
you for a brilliant Christmas puzzle!
A
good puzzle.
This
was a really fun solve. Totally tough, and easier as things started coming
together in the grid. Then totally stumped by the word pattern for Ximenes’
real name, until inspiration struck! I was led to your website by your hosting
of the 3d crossword for December. I shall be returning.
Very
lovely and tough!
I
found it quite tough to get started (lack of answer lengths makes such a
difference!) but gradually I made a start on filling the grid. I suspected that the longest
entries would be unclued - and so it proved. It took a while to get the ‘trunk’
of the tree
(and it’s only now that I realise that
it’s Ximenes’ real name - presumably in reference to the ‘X’ of the title). All
in all good fun - and looking forward to 2019’s offering!
I always underestimate how hard a jigsaw is without
the answer lengths, and it felt like the oddly-shaped grid made it more
difficult to get started. At least I could enter SEA answer as soon as I found
it. I suppose the X in the title stands for Ximenes.
|
