| # | Name | Clue | Points | Voters | Anno | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madhusudan H | A dangerous app spreads useless disinformation (10) | 40 | 19 | Fodder {A DANGEROUS APP} - {USE}, Anagrind (spreads) , Defn:Disinformation |
- N: Amazing clue - Good amount of thought behind this to achieve a smooth enough surface! |
| 2 | Ganesh Raman | Support a government with a PR campaign | 27 | 15 | Charade clue; SUPPORT (PROP) (A) GOVERNMENT (G) WITH (AND) (A); Def is PR campaign |
- N: Oxford has ''with'' as a synonym of ''and'' but I don''t buy it. Lovely surface though. |
| 3 | Textrous | Brainwashing for nonbeliever starts from devotional anthems (10) | 26 | 14 | Def: Brainwashing, for=PRO, nonbeliever=PAGAN, starts from devotional anthems=first letters of D(evotional) A(nthems) |
- N: Tremendous clue - The surface is quite appealing, and I think you have used ''Pagan'' well! |
| 4 | Satyen Nabar | Losing vote finally, America's leader raged on app, spreading disinformation | 25 | 11 | (A RAGED ON APP)* - E; losing vote finally= delete E, America's leader= A, spreading= anag ind |
- N: Astonishing clue |
| 5 | Ajeesh | Support Raga right away - BJP alliance is brainwashing (10) | 24 | 11 | (PROP)(-(R)AGA)(NDA) |
- N: ''raga'' feels random to me in surface. BJP alliance is a great find though. |
| 6 | @qpheevr | Playing raga and pop that’s designed to win hearts and minds (10) | 21 | 13 | (RAGA AND POP)*; playing – anagrind; that’s designed to win hearts and minds – def. |
- N: being picky especially with such a beautiful surface but winning minds with music seems unusual to me - A charming attempt, different! |
| 7 | William Snow (@ContoCrosswords) | That which supports agenda and pushes end (10) | 20 | 9 | That which supports = PROP / AGENDA / and pushes end = AND goes in place of END / &lit |
- N: not convinced by push as a del ind, brilliant idea though - and pushes end - such a good find in this context to wrap up an &lit ish clue! - The winner for me. |
| 8 | Suyash Roongta | Expert turned around deficit with a fake news campaign (10) | 19 | 12 | PRO (expert) + GAP << (deficit, turned around) + AND (with) + A. Def: fake news campaign. |
- Well-constructed! With = and makes it even more smooth, nothing seems superfluous - N: Oxford has ''with'' as a synonym of ''and'' but I don''t buy it. Superb surface though. |
| 9 | Kabir Firaque | In war, good and bad papers frequently spread disinformation (10) | 17 | 10 | _N_A_G_O_A_D_A_P_P_R_* (Anagram of alternate letters in “in war good and bad papers". Frequently: letter selection indicator; spread: anagrind; disinformation: definition) |
- ''Frequently'' doesn''t give the sense of selection of letters at regular intervals though ''regularly'' does and that could be a good substiitution for the surface - N: not a fan of anagrams of alternate letters, very impressive construction though - The level of efforts behind this seem remarkable! |
| 10 | Ramesh Swaminathan | Sceptic overcome by expert lawyer's brainwashing (10) | 14 | 8 | PAGAN (sceptic) in (expert) PRO DA (lawyer) Def: Brainwashing |
- N: Awesome clue - ''Overcome for containment seem to work well in this surface! |
| 11 | Sowmya Ramkumar | Publicity work by a Government with hint of “Acche-din”! (10) | 14 | 7 | &Lit PR (Publicity)+ OP(work) by(connector)+ A G (Government) + AND (with) + A (Hint of - first letter selection indicator). Acche Din (literally means “Good days” and was part of a propaganda) |
- N: Acche din is two words though, right? Also I don''t buy ''with'' = ''and''. Marvelous surface though. - Creatively done, bold too! |
| 12 | Slammed grandpapa harbouring love for publicity (10) | 10 | 6 | GRANDPAPA* over O. Def: Publicity |
- N: Beautiful clue - A different anagrind to match the surface story? |
|
| 13 | Indoctrination for one with many gods or none? No harm in dharma (10) | 9 | 5 | Def = Indoctrination; PRO [for] + PAGAN [one with many gods or none?] + DA [d(harm)a] |
- N: Wonderful surface but a bit wordy for me |
|
| 14 | Advertising for atheist lawyer (10) | 9 | 5 | Advertising (Definition), For - Pro, Atheist - pagan, Lawyer - DA (District Attorney) |
- N: Splendid clue - Surface story does not sound very convincing - ‘atheist’ ≠ ‘pagan’ |
|
| 15 | Hype about a DNA gap orpin exhibits (10) | 9 | 4 | Hype: Definition; about: Reversal indicator; exhibits: hidden word indicator; Reverse telescopic clue (Orpin is a plant) |
- N: rev tel. Such a creative idea. Great idea but about comes afterwards and a needs covering: E.g. RNA/DNA... - Great effort - except that the hidden word is not fully hidden at one end! |
|
| 16 | Roman Catholic congregation is in favour of pagan ideas, regularly(10) | 7 | 5 | Def - Roman Catholic congregation (Chambers) - pro(in favour of) + pagan + da (ideas, regularly) = propaganda |
- N: super picky but ''regularly'' feels unnatural at the end. Impressive def find though & great surface otherwise |
|
| 17 | Promotion for Gala ends following pandemic alarming leaders | 6 | 5 | Promotion |
- N: no more covid clues haha, great surface though |
|
| 18 | Veteran atheist has alternate idea for promotion (10) | 6 | 4 | Charade clue , Veteran = Pro ,Atheist =Pagan ,alternate idea d,a ...def promotion |
- N: Does alternate work as an alternate letters ind? Unsure. Surface is slightly random. Cool idea though. - ‘atheist’ ≠ ‘pagan’ |
|
| 19 | Push a freethinker inside for brainwashing (10) | 6 | 4 | Push is prod /a / freethinker is pagan/ inside is container indicator/ brainwashing is def |
- N: excellent clue |
|
| 20 | Angry Prado arrests atheist for indoctrination (10) | 6 | 3 | (Prado*) around (pagan). Atheist=Pagan; Prado=Anagram fodder; Angry=Anagrind; Definition=Indoctrination |
- N: Who or what is Prado? Can only find it as a surname. ''Arrests atheist for indoctrination'' is brilliant though. - ‘atheist’ ≠ ‘pagan’ |
|
| 21 | Publicity for daddy's girl Diana, dancing without a hint of inhibition | 6 | 3 | Publicity - def , PRO PA G DIANA*- I |
- N: perfectly acceptable but every detail counts: not a fan of ''s as adjacency indicator. Brilliant surface though. |
|
| 22 | Papa Dragon designed a campaign (10) | 5 | 4 | Papa Dragon : fodder, designed : anagram indicator, a campaign : Propaganda |
- N: hilarious anagram, doesn''t quite match with campaign though |
|
| 23 | Hype In favor of ungodly patriarch was cut short | 5 | 4 | Def: hype ; in favor of PRO ; ungodly PAGAN ; patriarch was cut short DA(-d) |
- N: super picky but not a fan of the ''was'' in terms of cryptic grammar, fantastic idea though |
|
| 24 | Partisan publication to hold up a government – a confidentiality contract? | 5 | 4 | def=partisan publication. PROP (to hold up) + A + G (Government) + A + NDA (non-disclosure agreement) |
- N: wonderful clue - Clever - simple cryptic grammar aligning with a smooth surface |
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| 25 | Advertising for "Atheist Day" cut off | 5 | 3 | PRO+PAGAN+DAY-Y |
- N: ''cut off'' doesn''t sound like a reduction indicator to me. A shame because it''s stellar otherwise. - Interesting attempt...but does cut off mean deletion of last letter automatically? - ‘atheist’ ≠ ‘pagan’ |
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| 26 | Campaign for support to a rudderless African nation | 5 | 3 | support = prop , African nation= Uganda, rudderless means deletion of U.So, Prop a (-u)ganda.Def: Campaign |
- Connector ''for'' works only one way: - why should ''rudderless'' mean deletion of ''u''? - N: why does rudder mean U? Fantastic surface though. - Rudderless = deletion of U? - How does “rudder” refer to the U? |
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| 27 | Disinformation Project 3/7, page 3/4: "The beginnings of a new dystopia arrives" | 4 | 3 | {PRO}{PAG}{ANDA}. Definition: Disinformation |
- N: too many fractions, cool concept though - unusual - but I like it! |
|
| 28 | Endlessly grade papa on twisted, twisted facts (10) | 4 | 3 | Endlessly Grade = (GRAD) + PAPA ON, twisted = anagram indicator, twisted facts = definition |
- I like the touch of ''twisted'' twice, but what does ''grade'' papa mean? - N: ''grade'' sticks out, like the repetition of twisted though |
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| 29 | Buttress attorney general with a promotion | 3 | 3 | Def:promotion, buttress:prop AG with:and a:a |
- N: Oxford has ''with'' as a synonym of ''and'' but I don''t buy it. Very nice surface though. |
|
| 30 | Favour District Attorney entrapping heathen for promotion. | 3 | 3 | CHARADE Def on right "promotion", PRO (favour) + PAGAN (entrapping heathen) + DA |
- N: pro = in favour of, great surface though |
|
| 31 | Prod a heathen inside for brainwashing (10) | 3 | 3 | def: brainwashing, PRO(PAGAN)DA |
- N: surface doesn''t quite work for me, cool idea though |
|
| 32 | Utterly casual scrutiny of dictators' disinformation (10) | 3 | 2 | HP indicator (of dictators) of PROPER (Utterly, in the adverbial meaning of Proper, ref: MW) GANDER (casual scrutiny); Definition: Disinformation |
- N: Extraordinary clue - Very devious clue, might be a little too difficult to solve, atleast for me. I wonder if the HP indicator is okay? I like the way your mind works though. |
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| 33 | PUBLICITY FOR HEATHEN BY AMERICAN LAWYER | 2 | 2 | DEFN: PUBLICITY=PROPAGANADA...ANNO >>PRO+PAGAN+DA..FOR=PRO, HEATHEN=PAGAN, AMERICAN LAWYER=DA. |
- N: EXCELLENT CLUE BUT WHY ARE WE YELLING? |
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| 34 | Disinformation favouring Leader of Party No 1 gets bad in India (10) | 1 | 1 | PRO (favouring) P (leader of party) A (No 1) GANDA (bad in India). Def = Disinformation |
- Ganda made me laugh (wonder if it''s fair though) overall a humorous attempt - N: A quick search should find foreign words. Ganda returns dirty not bad. An incredible surface though. |
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| 35 | Lying spread far and wide! | 1 | 1 | CD. Pun on lying |
- N: CDs need two distinct readings, props for being the only one to try a CD though |
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| 36 | Pronouncement from Pravda perhaps in support of the unbeliever? Yes! (10) | 0 | Charade: PRO ("in support of") + PAGAN ("unbeliever") + DA ("Yes" in Russian) / Def: "Pronouncement from Pravda perhaps" / Note: "Pronouncement" may also serve as a red-herring homophone indicator. |
- N: Russian indicator needed for yes as def doesn''t affect wp. Excellent surface though. |