Ransomware

 When read in clue order, the last letters of extraneous words in every clue provide a partial definition and visual context of a three word phrase indicating the change required to a number of clue answers before entry in the grid.  Solvers must complete and highlight the cryptic representation of that phrase in the completed grid (two words).  All final entries are real words, phrases or proper nouns.

The last letters of each extra word in clue order, provide “TO ALTER THE RULES OF THE GAME AFTER IT HAS BEGUN” and “RUGBY”.  This defines in part “MOVE THE GOALPOSTS” which in a rugby context are H-shaped.  Nine solutions had their H’s moved to provide alternative words.  The two word anagram of THE GOALPOSTS, HOSTAGE PLOTS was to be completed and highlighted.

Half and Half

 The CrOZworld magazine has a regular slot for what it calls half and half puzzles.  That is, puzzles where half of the clues are cryptic and half are plain or non-cryptic and these puzzles are generally on the easy side.  Taking note of feedback on some of our previous puzzles it became apparent that some CrOZworld solvers perceived Eclogue as a setter of difficult puzzles.  In order to rectify this, we decided to compose a half and half crossword and hope we could temper our "difficult" reputation.

Half and Half

The perimeter reads clockwise PLAIN, CRYPTIC, PLAIN, CRYPTIC

CrOZworld editor's report and solvers' comments

Entries: 100

Correct: 54

 

Slot 1: It would be a rare Eclogue puzzle that comes without one clue that bites, and this was no exception. 15 across is a tricky clue and COPS just about writes itself in as the solution. But the answer is PODS, being PLODS minus L. We had 37 COPS – enough for a small police force! The rainbows sought were I(RISE)S, rather than PRISMS. There was also a neat “plain / cryptic” Nina on the border of the grid, which must have gone unnoticed by those who joined the police.

 

June 1: Eclogue (Keith Williams & Eddie Looby)

• I loved the clever NINA. Brian Tickle
• As I was submitting my puzzle I noticed that the perimeter top and bottom had PLAIN reversed and the sides had CRYPTIC reversed. That would have made the puzzle so much harder to compile. David Procter
• Clever double Nina. Plain Cryptic x 2 Julie Leigh
• 15A; 2D Look easy or tricky ??? Gary Lemon
• I couldn’t work out the wordplay in PODS and HEIDI David Bennett
• Not quite PLAIN but still CRYPTIC enough. Good one. Andrew Patterson
• Nice Slot 1 start; liked TASMANIA. Joan Smith
• I laughed when I discovered the handy guide to which clues are plain and which cryptic. Circumscription? Kath Harper
• Thanks Eclogue for a double plain/cryptic start to the month. Ulla Axelsen
• Plain Cryptic x 2 indeed! Pat Garner
• Took me a while to figure out that 15 across was not COPS and still uncertain about HEIDI. ["heid" is a Scottish variant of "head" + Independence - Adj] I liked the clue for ALEC. Lynn Jarman
• Thanks Eclogue! Your clever Nina saved me from a few errors right at the last minute. I liked the clue for CLUE. Kathy Horadam
• A Nina in slot 1! Quite properly it’s both PLAIN and CRYPTIC (by two). Richard Skinner
• 27 Across: Hi! Is I (or am I) correct? Max Roddick
• A Nina “plain cryptic” forwards and backwards Marian Procter
• Not till just now have I discovered the perimeter CRYPTIC/PLAIN and vice versa. Very clever Doreen Jones

A good slot one; thanks. Barbara Ibbot