Cryptic 3: Eeyore

 

Eeyore

By Elgel

A quick grid while I sort out the software for next week's.

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Squares filled: 0/148

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Exolve Print Notes Webifi

Crossword ID: xet-eeyore

Exolve v1.47 December 19, 2022 Report Bug Exolve on GitHub

Control keys:

• Tab/Shift-Tab: Jump to the next/previous clue in the current direction.
• Enter, Click/Tap: Toggle current direction.
• Arrow keys: Move to the nearest light square in that direction.
• Ctrl-q: Clear this, Ctrl-Q: Clear All!, Ctrl-B: Print crossword, Ctrl-/: Jump to notes, Ctrl-*: Mark clue as fave in notes, adding a * prefix.
• Spacebar: Place/clear block in the current square if it's diagramless.

Overwritten letters will briefly be coloured like this (before fading back to this) just to draw your attention so that you can fix any accidental typing errors.

Scratch pad: (click here to shuffle)

Print or create a PDF:

Font size: Normal Large Extra Large Small Other

Page size: Letter: 8.5in x 11in A4: 210mm x 297mm A3: 297mm x 420mm A5: 148mm x 210mm B4: 250mm x 353mm B5: 176mm x 250mm Legal: 8.5in x 14in Ledger: 11in x 17in

Margin (inches):

Show clue-solving sequence:

Show entered solutions:

Show clue-solving times:

• Ctrl-/ takes you to the current clue's notes (or overall notes).
• Ctrl-* adds a * prefix to the current clue's notes.
• Hovering over a clue's notes shows the clue as a tooltip.

Across

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Title: Eeyore was a failed seed, referencing me often complaining when there isn't a nina in grids of this shape

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Down & Up

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Across

8	Also fail first task (6) ERRAND. AND after ERR
9	Sends overseas clue to males (3,5) AIRMAILS. AIR MAILS as clue to MALES
10	He has it, and it with no wine taking (8) CASANOVA. SA + NO in CAVA
11	On the surface, look to be in a fat suit (6) AFLOAT. LO in A FAT
12	Regularly causes virgins to put out (6) ASSIGN. cAuSeS vIrGiNs
13	Disadvantage to tower plot (8) CONSPIRE. CON + SPIRE
14	Manners and airs, goes and waits (2,3,2) PSANDQS. Hom. of PEES AND QUEUES
17	Zero change after school movement (7) SCHERZO. SCH + (ZERO)*
20	Permit restriction (8) SANCTION. D.D
22	Confused with a false potential (4,2) WHATIF. (WITHA)* + F
24	Spies a toilet sign (6) AGENTS. A + GENTS
25	Having s*x in the doorway, for real (8) EXISTENT. S + TEN in EXIT
26	Dominant European Alp no-one beat (8) NAPOLEAN. (ALPNOONE)*
27	New hand is foreign to me (6) DANISH. (HANDIS)* (the setter is not Danish)

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Down

1	Garlands' article lost to king's causes (6) WREAKS. WREATHES with THE->K
2	Islander's partner to hum with good guy (8) HAWAIIAN. HAW + AI + IAN
3	Meet a judge during murder (6) ADJOIN. A + J in DO IN
4	Kind of relief in Mexican snack sauce (7) TABASCO. BAS in TACO
5	Turned to ship to escape from upset phantasmagoric spirit (8) ARMAGNAC. (PHANTASMAGORIC)* - (TOSHIP)*
6	Hit with fish's out of British nonsense (6) WALLOP. codsWALLOP
7	Stir crazy, naked under a talc powder (8) ALCATRAZ. (ATALC)* + cRAZy
15	Spooner's nervous about suspension from city (5,3) SHANGHAI. Spoonerism of HANG SHY
16	Resigned pound holding key-note (8) QUIESCED. ESC + E in QUID
18	Making Law sign it, can expect some back (8) ENACTING. siGN IT CAN Expect <
19	In on official's rise to disaster (7) INFERNO. IN + (ON+REF)<
21	Ann coy about gap (6) CANYON. (ANNCOY)*
22	Strange person, says you and I are pies in the making (6) WEIRDO. Hom. of WE'RE DOUGH
23	Bare metal is one horrible noise (6) IONISE. I + (NOISE)* (to bare as in to strip electrons)

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Printable version available here

Cryptic 2: Farewell Summer

 

Farewell Summer

By Elgel

A very lightly themed standard grid.

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Squares filled: 0/162

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Exolve Print Notes Webifi

Crossword ID: xet-bib

Exolve v1.47 December 19, 2022 Report Bug Exolve on GitHub

Control keys:

• Tab/Shift-Tab: Jump to the next/previous clue in the current direction.
• Enter, Click/Tap: Toggle current direction.
• Arrow keys: Move to the nearest light square in that direction.
• Ctrl-q: Clear this, Ctrl-Q: Clear All!, Ctrl-B: Print crossword, Ctrl-/: Jump to notes, Ctrl-*: Mark clue as fave in notes, adding a * prefix.
• Spacebar: Place/clear block in the current square if it's diagramless.

Overwritten letters will briefly be coloured like this (before fading back to this) just to draw your attention so that you can fix any accidental typing errors.

Scratch pad: (click here to shuffle)

Print or create a PDF:

Font size: Normal Large Extra Large Small Other

Page size: Letter: 8.5in x 11in A4: 210mm x 297mm A3: 297mm x 420mm A5: 148mm x 210mm B4: 250mm x 353mm B5: 176mm x 250mm Legal: 8.5in x 14in Ledger: 11in x 17in

Margin (inches):

Show clue-solving sequence:

Show entered solutions:

Show clue-solving times:

• Ctrl-/ takes you to the current clue's notes (or overall notes).
• Ctrl-* adds a * prefix to the current clue's notes.
• Hovering over a clue's notes shows the clue as a tooltip.

Across

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Title: A failed seed from the books that I had lying around at the time (FAHRENHEIT 451, EXHALATION, TALES from EARTH SEA and WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS did make it in)

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Down & Up

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Across

1	After the start, live in a good way (4) WELL. dWELL
3	Unit deploys fire; heat exhausted nymph within (10) FAHRENHEIT. NympH in (FIREHEAT)*
10	Sierra ran out behind (2,7) INARREARS. (SIERRARAN)*
11	Infamous but half hearted Jack has aged further (5) RIPER. RIPpER
12	Relations take time with drinks (5) TALES. T+ALES
13	In hindsight, he had skill with dirt (5) EARTH. ART in HE<
14	Short bench at land's end (3) SEA. SEAt
15	Occasionally, parrot betrays vessel (6) ARTERY. pArRoT bEtRaYs
16	Priest said to be upper part of circle (8) HIERARCH. Hom. of HIGHER ARC
19	Sailor divvied out 451 bits for key ruler (4,4) DECKHAND. DIVVIED w/ C+KHAN replacing IV V I
21	A left turn, over to south as ever (6) ALWAYS. A+L+YAW<+S
24	High-lighted? (3) LIT. Double def.
25	Caught by revolutionary cream oral sensation (5) AROMA. creAM ORAl<
26	After change of heart, join swindle (5) GRIFT. GRAFT w/ A->I
27	Knock back one's capital (5) PARIS. RAP< + I'S
28	Ten years I edited, getting this? (9) EYESTRAIN. (TENYEARSI)*
29	Sigh of old computer; no one thanks back (10) EXHALATION. EX+HAL + (NO+I+TA)<
30	Own being healthy after tenfold reduction in part? (4) HAVE. HALE w/ L->V

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Down

1	Middle manager declares litter forbidden (9) WAISTBAND. Hom. of WASTE BANNED
2	Circular field felt weird (7) LEAFLET. LEA + (FELT)*
4	Shocked by confusing architecture in modern times (6) AMAZED. MAZE in AD
5	Hold shower under others (8) RESTRAIN. REST + RAIN
6	Tenth girl's horn blasted for heavenly show (8,6) NORTHERNLIGHTS. (TENTHGIRLSHORN)*
7	They give public displays of elaborate rope sex (7) EXPOSER. (ROPESEX)*
8	The Word For World Is Forest (erratum included) (5) TERRA. foresT ERRAtum
9	Rereads slasher fiction to practice (5,9) DRESSREHEARSAL. (REREADSSLASHER)
17	Doubt on in position under that man (9) HESITANCE. HE + I in STANCE
18	Lazy, rude son swapped for daughter (8) INDOLENT. INSOLENT w/ S->D
20	Put black stuff in vehicle before hot discharge (7) CATARRH. TAR in CAR + H
22	Bail out a graduate thief (3,4) ALIBABA. (BAIL)* + A+BA
23	Park stand with half eaten antelopes and bad smell (6) GAZEBO. GAZElles + BO
24	In France, the footnote to English error (5) LAPSE. LA + PS + E

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Printable version available here

Variety Cryptic 7: Murder Mystery

Murder Mystery

By Elgel

There's been a murder attempt in these twisted streets; two suspects are hiding within, and we'll have to follow their tracks.

For six of the clues, you will have to either modify the evidence to fit (by changing one letter in the clue) or find something missing (by adding one letter to the clue).
Each of these six clues crosses one of four special symmetric squares in the grid.
For each of them, take the index of the adjusted/added letter alongside the letter inside the crossed special square to be an instruction. E.g. if the second letter was changed, or a letter was added immediately after the first, the index would be 2.

So long as you are consistent with the treatment of each clue, and start from the correct special square, you can then follow the instructions in clue order.
Doing so will give you the first name of the suspect, and drop you at the start of their surname in the grid. The shape of their surname will indicate if you have the right one.

Find both suspects so that we can clear the name of the innocent and bring justice to the guilty.
Oh, and I suppose we should also make sure we find the victim and check they're okay.

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Your entries are auto-saved in the browser's local storage. You can share the state using this link: URL

Exolve Print Notes Webifi

Crossword ID: exolve-mystery

Exolve v1.47 December 19, 2022 Report Bug Exolve on GitHub

Control keys:

• Tab/Shift-Tab: Jump to the next/previous clue in the current direction.
• Enter, Click/Tap: Toggle current direction.
• Arrow keys: Move to the nearest light square in that direction.
• Ctrl-q: Clear this, Ctrl-Q: Clear All!, Ctrl-B: Print crossword, Ctrl-/: Jump to notes, Ctrl-*: Mark clue as fave in notes, adding a * prefix.
• Spacebar: Place/clear block in the current square if it's diagramless.

Overwritten letters will briefly be coloured like this (before fading back to this) just to draw your attention so that you can fix any accidental typing errors.

Scratch pad: (click here to shuffle)

Print or create a PDF:

Font size: Normal Large Extra Large Small Other

Page size: Letter: 8.5in x 11in A4: 210mm x 297mm A3: 297mm x 420mm A5: 148mm x 210mm B4: 250mm x 353mm B5: 176mm x 250mm Legal: 8.5in x 14in Ledger: 11in x 17in

Margin (inches):

Show clue-solving sequence:

Show entered solutions:

Show clue-solving times:

• Ctrl-/ takes you to the current clue's notes (or overall notes).
• Ctrl-* adds a * prefix to the current clue's notes.
• Hovering over a clue's notes shows the clue as a tooltip.

Across

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Down

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If we modify the evidence by changing letters, then the special squares are the points of a compass.
We then get the instructions 6N, 3S, 2N, 9E, 4W, 10S. Starting at the W in the compass, we get the letters W A Y L O N S by following those instructions; the S is the start of SMITHERS in a cross shape.

If we instead add new evidence, then the special squares are the points of an inverted compass, with W upside down being M.
This time, the instructions are 4S, 8N, 9S, 11M(W), 5E, 9N. Starting at the M in the compass, this time we get M A G G I E S, with the S at the start of SIMPSON in a tick shape.

This of course means we're looking for MONTY BURNS as the victim in the grid, who is spread out in the shape he was found in after the murder attempt; so long as we take the correct view on the compass.

N.b., the reveal buttons only give the normal compass view answers. When we take the correct view, we in fact clear SMITHERS' name, turning the first S to an N.

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Down & Up

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Across

1	Turn over a thick chunk of wood (5) BALSA. SLAB< + A
5	Show joy in slaughter (5) LAUGH. sLAUGHter
9	Occasionally scenic type of router (initialism) (1,1,1) CNC. sCeNiC (a CNC router is a wood cutting tool)
11	Partridge, maybe, like new (4) ALAN. A LA + N
13	Bans (both) from spans after setter returning to secure place of relief? (4,4) MENS ROOM. or MESS ROOM. Either: [both -> bath, ME + spaNS + MOOR<] or [Bans -> Banks, ME + SpanS + MOOR<]
14	Threw stores of water over ship (5) SLOOP. POOLS<
15	Reviewer stands by what they give out: 1 out of 12 (4,4) STAR SIGN. IGN by STARS
16	Astound, and not regularly so! (4) STUN. aSToUNd
17	With recap, maybe, you quickly give a useful point (6) APERCU. JADED w/ D->GG
19	Eastern worker retires; a fiery one (4) ETNA. E + ANT<
21	Sucker's central theorem or axiom (6) REMORA. theoREM OR Axiom
25	It's best to choose cycling (3) TOP. OPT -> TOP
27	Wound round cable source for Al (7) BAUXITE. AUX in BITE (Al as aluminium)
29	"Go up!" yelled by Cockney, reaching fury (3) IRE. Hom. of 'igher!
30	Catch and grab; not right, but left (3) BAG. GrAB<
32	Quiet that is proverbially easy (3) PIE. P + IE
33	State against bad mentor (7) VERMONT. V + (MENTOR)*
34	Second person's report on tree (3) YEW. Hom. of YOU
35	Negligent, careless misers (6) REMISS. (MISERS)*
36	School member's instrument has no replacement for black part (4) TUNA. TUBA w/ B->N
37	A cigar shaped mushroom (6) AGARIC. (A CIGAR)*
41	Inlets at rears of water taxi and sea planes (4) RIAS. wateR taxI seA planeS
44	Ole! Music produced by arena (8) COLISEUM. (OLE MUSIC)*
46	Cream eclair half coated in the middle (5) ECLAT. ECLair + coATed
47	Bits for ensuring and retaining in third positions during CENTOS deployment (8) CONTESTS. or CONTENTS. Either: [Bits -> Bids, enSuring reTaining in (CENTOS)*] or [ensuring -> censuring, ceNsuring reTaining in (CENTOS)*]
48	Way up out of it (4) HIGH. Double def.
49	Counterpart to stag party, closer to divorce (3) DOE. DO + divorcE
50	Awkward; oddly dry, otherwise ok (5) DORKY. DRY in odd positions, OK in even
51	Under the influence of Illuminati psyops, somewhat (5) TIPSY. IlluminaTI PSYops

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Down

1	Hampers request to get into risks (7) BASKETS. ASK in BETS
2	After the start, count as a friend (4) ALLY. tALLY
3	American in the Spanish country (4) LAOS. A in LOS
4	Separate a rowdy mutt and ape (8) AMPUTATE. A + (MUTT APE)*
6	I... Sat out; a ~0% pour, in Europe? (4) ANTI. or ASTI. Either: [Sat -> Nat, (I NAT)*, 0% pour = not for in France] or [~0% -> ~10%, (I SAT)*, Italian wine]
7	Heard you try to get land (initialism) (1,1,1) USA. Hom. of YOU ESSAY
8	Told farms to use water (4) HOSE. Hom. of HOES
9	Fibre company I ranked in first place (4) COIR. CO + I + Ranked
10	They can't hold / turn tide back! (6) CANUTE. U in CANT + tidE
12	Will stoop to oven cooking with boat (3,5) NOTABOVE. (OVEN BOAT)*
17	Every other farm kingdoms' foreign friends (6) AMIGOS. fArM kInGdOmS
18	A play of mad cheeks and narc to go off course (6) CAREEN. or CARMEN. Either: [mad -> mid, (chEEks NARC)] or [mad -> made, (MadE NARC)*]
20	Hears of tantrum ongoing where Irish nanny googles what to be doing with line? (6) TOWING. or TOEING. Either: [Hears -> Heads] or [Hears -> Hearts] in TanTrums OngOing WhEre IrIsh NaNny GooGles
21	King not included in red brick university's internal rules (6) RUBRIC. R + BRICk w/ U in
22	Maxes out tests (5) EXAMS. (MAXES)*
23	Tear off moustache after rodent left tie again (8) REATTACH. (TEAR)* + mousTACHe
24	Open Sprite, take cap off (4) AIRY. fAIRY
26	Lord maybe exercises with queen (4) PEER. PE + ER
28	Most sour about gestation without love (8) TANGIEST. (GESTATIoN)*
31	Dark and quiet, but kind of green to war (7) SWARTHY. STEALTHY w/ TEAL -> WAR
32	Still, quiet and corrosive substance eating lake (6) PLACID. P + ACID w/ L in
38	No good to mill husk (4) RIND. gRIND
39	Nothing in beer helps soothe (4) ALOE. O in ALE
40	So goes dam, with this player taken in by daughter and Britain (4) DUSK. or DUNK. Either: [dam -> day, S (bridge player) in D + UK] or [dam -> damp, N in D + UK]
42	Fall for what's under skirt (4) SLIP. D.d.
43	Teases about scanty clothing (4) RAGS. D.d.
45	Always cheered to remove layers (1'2) EER. chEERed

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Printable version available here