| # | Name | Clue | Points | Voters | Anno | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Myra Shah | Unsettle a rival? Be unpredictable! (8) | 43 | 22 | (a rival be)* anagrind - unsettle. Def - unpredictable |
- Clean and solid - This is great; we know the answer, but if we didn''t, we''d be considering both "Unsettle" and "Unpredictable." |
| 2 | Satyen Nabar | Finishing off bottle finally, I leave bar, tottering and unsteady (8) | 33 | 16 | (I LEAVE BAR)* - E; finishing off= deletion ind, bottle finally= E, tottering= anag ind, defn= unsteady |
- Fun surface. |
| 3 | N Anantakrishnan | x = 5, g = 1 in Algebra problem | 30 | 15 | Def X . 5 = V , (algebra - g + i) * |
- Great surface. You would need a dbei to accompany ''x'' as the definition. - Oh, I love the swap of "g" for "i" before anagramming. - X as definition is insufficient |
| 4 | Tejas Siddharth | It is possible to have a leader of Russia changing with time (8) | 28 | 16 | A R in VIABLE |
- Good one,. Works without “It is”, too |
| 5 | Kalyan Bandyopadhyay | Very foul air - strong and shifting direction (8) | 21 | 14 | V (very) (AIR)* ABLE (strong); Definition: Shifting direction (of a wind, ref. Collins) |
- Aren’t foul and direction redundant in the clue? |
| 6 | Ganesh Raman | Shifting a live bar is difficult | 20 | 9 | Def: shifting; Anagram fodder: A LIVE BAR; Anagrind: ‘Is difficult’ |
- I like that "shifting" looks like the anagrind, but is actually the definition. - I''m not familiar with the term ''a live bar''. |
| 7 | Suyash Roongta | Unstable and evil Arab running amok (8) | 17 | 12 | {EVIL ARAB}*. Anagrind - running amoke. Def - unstable. |
- Fun surface. - It works, but I just don''t like the generalized surface. |
| 8 | @qpheevr | Several in Bavaria blew hot and cold (8) | 17 | 11 | Telescopic: "Several in" is indicator; "baVARIA BLEw" contains the word; "hot and cold" is def. |
- Cute. - Lovely surface. Telescopics have greater impact over 3+ words. |
| 9 | Adman_i | Possible to have car roof retracted. It's convertible (8) | 16 | 10 | V(cAR)IABLE, Possible - Viable, Convertible (Defn) |
- Great surface. |
| 10 | Textrous | Inconsistent Virat mostly struggling with fitness (8) | 14 | 7 | Def: Inconsistent, Virat mostly struggling=VIRA*, with fitness=ABLE |
- "Fitness" suggests ABILITY rather than ABLE - ABLE = fit and not fitness. Nice surface though! - Able is an adjective, fitness is a noun. Able can be fit, not fitness - Fitness = ability? - Fitness is ability! - Lovely cricket surface. ''Fitness'' (noun) doesn''t equal ''able'' (adjective). - Nice attempt. Unfortunately, fitness is a noun and able is an adjective - Started off as a nice topical surface, but Fitness not equal to Able |
| 11 | It's inconsistent when I enter into a verbal exchange (8) | 13 | 9 | Def. (it's inconsistent) link (when) with I inside (I enter) anagram (exchange) of AVERBAL | ||
| 12 | Moving song with extremely beautiful, penetrating voice lacking soul (8) | 13 | 9 | ARIA (song)+ B(..)L inside (penetrating) V(…)E. Def: Moving.Voice lacking soul is V,E and Extremely beautiful is BL |
- Great surface. Lovely double containment. |
|
| 13 | X, or Y? Perhaps one overwhelmed by very confusing algebra quits solving finally (8) | 12 | 10 | Def = x or y perhaps, I in (V + ALGEBRA*) -G, quits = del-ind, finally = letter-picking, confusing = anagrind, overwhelmed by = ins-ind | ||
| 14 | Possible to install a roof-top see-saw? | 12 | 6 | Def: See-saw V(AR)IABLE - Possible = viable, to install = container ind, a+r (roof-top) |
- "install" does not cut it as a container indicator - "See-saw" suggests VARY rather than VARIABLE - Fun surface. Can ''see-saw'' be used as an adjective? - To install as container ? Can’t place this as it seems more like an insertion indicator |
|
| 15 | From the central Godavari, a blended fluid, running hot and cold (8) | 11 | 6 | GodaVARI A BLEnded – indicator is "From the central" (middle 8 of 16 letters) and definition is "fluid, running hot and cold" (two-part definition), playing on the Godavari river |
- Lovely surface that tells a story. |
|
| 16 | Swaying hot air balloon flew into valley (8) | 10 | 5 | Defn: WAVERING; hot (anagrind) {AIR}{B} = {RIAB} flew into valley {VALE} = VARIABLE |
- Great surface. Is the clue missing a letter-selection indicator for B[alloon] or is B a standard abbreviation for balloon? - How is balloon=b? Would have been good if a reference were provided - What tells the solver to drop ALLOON? - Why is balloon=b? |
|
| 17 | Unstable ex? | 10 | 4 | Double definition. In Chambers Ex = X (the 24th letter) and X (as a symbol), the first variable... |
- Clever - I really like the idea, but while "Ex" may be equivalent to X, it is *not* equivalent to a variable (would never see Ex = 4). |
|
| 18 | Inconsistent, vile and rather irresponsible leaders got an island to revolt [8] | 9 | 6 | Def = Inconsistent. Anno: V A R I (vile and rather irresponsible leaders) got ABLE (ELBA << in revolution. Elba is an Island in the Med Sea). Topical clue about Lankan crisis. |
- Interesting surface. I think ''island = elba'' is too obscure given the number of well-known islands. |
|
| 19 | A live bar terribly volatile (8) | 7 | 5 | Defn is volatile, anagram of a live bar |
- I''m not familiar with the term ''a live bar''. |
|
| 20 | Angry Ravi can be volatile (8) | 7 | 5 | Ravi* , can - able , volatile- def |
- CAN and ABLE are not interchangeable |
|
| 21 | Shifting very fertile one inside | 6 | 5 | Shifting= Defn, Very= V, Fertile = Arable, One=I, Inside=C/C indicator | ||
| 22 | Practical to engage a railcar basically for shifting (8) | 6 | 5 | A R(ailcar) in VIABLE. Def Shifting |
- "basically" doesn''t work as a first letter indicator - I would omit ''a'' so that it''s not ''ar'' being included in ''viable''. |
|
| 23 | Doctor Ravi is intelligent but unsteady | 6 | 4 | (RAVI)* with doctor as anagrind, ABLE (intelligent). Definition: unsteady |
- "is" in the middle spoils the cryptic surface - The clue would have been better with a "," or "-" in place of "is" |
|
| 24 | Inconsistent to mix half a dozen from Middle East and the French | 6 | 4 | Def - Inconsistent; mix - indicator; half a dozen - VI; from Middle East - ARAB; the French - LE |
- A good surface that paints a picture. From the Middle East > arab* is an indirect anagram. - Indirect Anagram |
|
| 25 | Changing a river in sound – Wye or Exe, you might say? | 6 | 2 | Changing=def. sound=VIABLE; contains 'a river'=AR. Rivers Wye and Exe = homophones of common variables Y and X |
- For me, having the definition be cryptic as well is a bit rough; nice find on Wye and Exe, though for the surface. - I think this clue has two definitions ''changing'' and ''Wye or Exe, you might say?'' Was this intentional? |
|
| 26 | Artful Ravi is competent flexible {8} | 5 | 4 | Artful : Anagram indicator Ravi: Fodder is competent :able Flexible : Variable |
- The clue would have been better with a "," or "-" in place of "is" |
|
| 27 | For instance, x = 5 - 1000: a real big error (7) | 5 | 3 | "For instance, x" would be VARIABLE; 5 = V, "- 1000" indicates the deletion of "G" from "a real big" and "error" is anagrams it: V+ARIABLE[-g]. | ||
| 28 | Impulsive victory song, adequate but not a bit appealing (8) | 3 | 3 | Impulsive is def/ victory is V song aria/ adequate able -a (not a bit appealing) |
- ''Impulsive'' is listed as a synonym of ''variable'' in Collins but isn''t reversible. - Not a is enough! Bit appearing extra. |
|
| 29 | University head leaving, responsible for shifting | 3 | 1 | University = Var, responsible = liable, head leaving => (-l)iable ,Definition: shifting |
- How does university = var? |
|
| 30 | Victor, Melody, and Belle oddly like Mira | 2 | 2 | V (Victor) + aria (Melody) + ble (Belle, oddly) = VARIABLE (like Mira (famous variable star)) | ||
| 31 | Elaborative treatment after amputing toe perhaps is irregular | 2 | 2 | def:irregular, wp: (elaborative-toe)* , treatment is anagrind |
- I can''t find ''elaborative'' in any of the reputable dictionaries. - In such deletion clues, either the word being deleted ("toe" in this case) should appear in the same order in the deletion fodder, or you need to have a separate anagrind for it |
|
| 32 | Say X-ray abruptly lifting practical clothes! (8) | 2 | 2 | Def Say, X. Anno: V(AR<<)IABLE, RA(-y)<< inserted in VIABLE (possible) |
- Great idea, The surface doesn''t really work. |
|
| 33 | Bar a live broadcast once in a while(8) | 2 | 1 | Definition: Once in a while; Anagrind: broadcast; Fodder: Bar a live. |
- "Once in a while" suggests VARIABLY rather than VARIABLE |
|
| 34 | Fluid star! | 2 | 1 | DD. Variable is short for variable star. | ||
| 35 | Looking back on place of exile, I rant, mostly unstable (8) | 1 | 1 | Def: “unstable” Wordplay: reversal of (“looking back on”) ELBA (“place of exile” for Napoleon) + I + RAV[e] (“rant mostly”) |
- Good surface. I think place of exile = elba is obscure. |
|
| 36 | Inconsistent story about twisted character replacing facts with views, basically (8) | 0 | Definition: inconsistent. Twisted: reversal indicator, character = air. FABLE (story) about RIA (air in reverse), then replacement of first letter of facts with first letter of views (basically). +V–f(ARI)ABLE |
- "basically" doesn''t work as a first letter indicator - Excellent surface. I think ''basically'' applies only to ''views'' and you would need a separate indicator for the first letter of ''facts''. - Love this idea, but "basically" is a very tough indicator here, even with the explanation! - Not clear how initial letter of facts is indicated |