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Clues by Curmudgeon and Grid by Chalicea
Enter the prize draw by 31 July.
To the stirring strains of electronic music we see white-clad figures running along the beach at Broadstairs St. Andrews…
The background for this puzzle is a Graham Fox photograph of a sunset (or sunrise) over a beach with figures running and walking in the background.
Two runners race around Trinity Great Court an Eton court, attempting to beat the clock…
This puzzle by Curmudgeon uses a conventional 7x5x7 grid by Chalicea and marks the 100th anniversary of an event (the 7ac, 12d (7,5) in 8to (5)) celebrated in a film 9to,4d-4, 7to,1ac-2 (8,2,4). The source of the film’s title is 31to (5). The two main protagonists were 17aw,22ac-2 19ac,20to-2 (6,8) and 19to, 25ac (4,7). These answers, shaded in yellow, are unclued.
A lone runner practises with glasses of champagne balanced on the hurdles…
The blue cells anagram to what the second protagonist would not do (4,2,6) and solvers should submit this with their entries.
Runners race around a cinder track in slow motion…
Curmudgeon and Chalicea have constructed a suitably uplifting tribute to great deeds and a fine film. We expect that solvers will clear all obstacles and sprint to the finish line.
Day 7
In Lanark butted dingy outhouse (7)
Think of another word for dingy or dull (of a colour) and follow it with an outhouse to give you a Scots word for butted. [JP]
Day 8
During year, the news is worldly? (7)
This is the most annoying of clues as the solution is printed in plain sight of your nose. Concentrate on words 2,3 and 4. The indicator is the word “During”. Approach Day 28 in the same way. [GS]
Day 13
Greek rug’s mintmark for life regularly turning up (7)
Here you need to carefully follow the instructions. Regularly means we need to select alternate letters from the previous three words; turning up means we read right to left (this is a down clue); finally we’re only looking for 7 letters so we start with the penultimate letter of life. The answer is an unfamiliar Greek rug. [NI]
Day 14
Dismal sport, base — concerning ball, not oddly (8)
Start with a short word for sport. Add a mathematical base, a short abbreviation for concerning and the even letters of ball to leave you dismal. [JP]
Day 18
Strain you originally dealt with where work piles up (2-5)
Dealt with suggests an anagram of the first word plus the first letter (originally) of the second. The resulting expression is a hyphenated word for places where work piles up in offices. [NI]
Day 23
Extremely large curved implement for cutting, it’s said, small bone (7)
It’s said often suggests ‘sounds like’ and that’s the case here. You need an abbreviation for extremely large or outsize followed by what sounds like a curved instrument for cutting to give you a small bone. [JP]
Day 24
In genuine container tipple of a queen (7)
I don’t see how the word ‘container’ is of much use in this clue. A word for genuine (four letters) and in it a tipple (three letters) gives you the required adjective. [GS]
Day 26
For this breathing device, south and north intermittently worry keenly (7)
Start with S for south followed by N for north and the follow-on should be self-evident. The solution contains gold, which given the theme is quite appropriate I think. [GS]
Day 29
Dish of youth under twenty embracing sin (7)
Take a short term for a youth under twenty years old and insert a verb meaning sin. The answer is an older spelling of a word for a large dish for holding soup at table. [NI]
I am grateful to the other members of the Hints & Tips team: Garry Stripling (Gin) and Jim Pennington (Philostrate).
Happy solving!
Nick Inglis (etc)