| # | Name | Clue | Points | Voters | Anno | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satyen Nabar | Dog can have glaucoma, eventually becoming blind (7) | 34 | 15 | CUR + TIN around (-glaucom)A; dog= cur, can= tin, have= cont ind, eventually= last letter sel ind, defn= blind |
- Can for tin used well, have as containment works too, smooth surface altogether! |
| 2 | Textrous | Blind cat straying around old city home (7) | 30 | 18 | Def: Blind, cat straying=CTA, around=containment indicator, old city=UR, home=IN => C(UR)TA IN |
- That paints a little picture! Good attempt! |
| 3 | Ganesh Raman | Losing last bit of vision, perhaps I can turn blind | 30 | 15 | Anagram of “I CAN TURN minus N (last bit of vision); PERHAPS as Anagrind; Def: Blind |
- That is such an efficient clue! Well done |
| 4 | @LowdownCryptic | Something you pull back or shorten, shedding a bit of light mid-morning (7) | 28 | 15 | CURTAIL (shorten) without L (shedding a bit of Light) + N (mid-morNing); def "Something you pull back" and entire clue can be an extended definition |
- Intelligent attempt! |
| 5 | @drcheruvarun | Ruin act in play by bringing this down prematurely? | 27 | 12 | Semi&lit: Anagram of ruin act, in play; Def: Clue itself (Bringing curtain down on a performance) |
- Cleverly constructed! |
| 6 | N Anantakrishnan | Basically caught in a rut, running blind (7) | 25 | 14 | ( c in a rut)* Def - blind |
- Caught itself can be abbreviated to C - no need for Basically IMO - Simple but yet works so well! |
| 7 | Veera Raghavan | Screen badly ruined act after editor’s cut (7) | 18 | 9 | (RUINED ACT-ED)*. Badly: Anagrind. Screen: Definition |
- Editor''s cut is smooth! |
| 8 | amrita majumdar | Reduce, lose pounds for new film (7) | 17 | 9 | Reduce=CURTAIL -L+N , FILM - DEF |
- Short but sweet |
| 9 | @inwitinwit | Murderer penning mostly true reflection of Poirot case | 16 | 10 | C({TRU}<=)AIN = C(URT)AIN. "Murderer" = CAIN. "penning" = containment indicator. "mostly true reflection" = {TRU}<= = URT. Def = "Poirot case". Ref: "Curtain" was the last Hercule Poirot mystery. The surface refers to the unreliable narrator of "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". |
- As an avid Agatha Christie reader (you gave out a spoiler!), resonates with me on many levels. Intelligently done, but not sure about the definition being fair. |
| 10 | Manish Jhaveri | Champion opener negotiated turn very well, driving through cover (7) | 14 | 7 | C (champion opener) + TURN* (negotiated is anagrind) with A1 (very well) being inserted inside (driving through). Def = COVER. Surface references Rohit Sharma's Nagpur knock. |
- Surface constructed well! |
| 11 | I can endlessly turn off screen(7) | 12 | 7 | Def - screen, I+ca(can endlessly)+turn (off - anagrind) = curtain | ||
| 12 | Dramatic ending produced by ChatGPT, say, in short first novel (7) | 11 | 8 | "Dramatic ending" = CURTAIN (def: literally, as in "end of a play"), "ChatGPT, say"=AI inside "short"=CURT, "first novel"=N |
- ChatGPT seems all the rage now, topical surface. Definition maybe a little indirect but I think it can work, although first novel giving n doesn''t seem to work. |
|
| 13 | Drape made from recycling a Republican's tunic (7) | 10 | 7 | Drape- definition, recycling - anagrind, Republican = R, (a+r+tunic)" |
- Tunic works well here, just wondering about the indirect anagram |
|
| 14 | Screen from deranged lunatic changing sides.(7) | 9 | 7 | def: screen deranged is anagrind ; fodder is 'lunatic' with 'l' replaced by 'r' |
- Interesting construction, surface a little weird, maybe? |
|
| 15 | It can be the end to play, ruin act (7) | 9 | 5 | Definition: It can be the end, to play = anagram indicator, ruin act = fodder | ||
| 16 | Hanging bits of cheese urge rats to attempt itsy-bitsy nibbles (7) | 8 | 6 | Defn: {HANGING}, Acrostic Indicator (BITS OF} , Acrostic clue |
- Cute little surface, but ''bitsy'' raises questions for me. |
|
| 17 | One that’s hung, drawn and quartered in a mini truck | 8 | 6 | One that’s hung, drawn = definition / and / quartered = anagram indicator - as in ‘cut into pieces’ / in a mini truck = IN A TRUC[k], fodder |
- Mini as a truncation indicator? - Interesting way your mind works ! Surface got a sinister touch, only does mini truck = truc work? |
|
| 18 | Basically cloth using rope to move sideways in a screen! (7) | 8 | 5 | First letter selection C U R T + cycling letters of IN A. Def Screen - plus whole clue is an extended definition. |
- Smooth acrostics are hard to find but this is such a good attempt considering its &litish |
|
| 19 | Screen impolite one at home (7) | 6 | 5 | Def: screen Anno: CURT impolite A one IN at home | ||
| 20 | Cut short with new screen(7) | 6 | 3 | Defn is screen, cut short = Curtai(-l) + n (new) | ||
| 21 | Uri can't bend what's drawn | 5 | 4 | (Uri can't)*, anagrind - bend, def - what's drawn | ||
| 22 | Drapery wagon goes back dropping king in a turning (7) | 4 | 3 | {TRUC(-K)<--}{IN+A}". Wagon=Truck; Dropping king=(-K); Goes back= Reversal indicator; In a= Anagram fodder; Turning=Anagrind; Definition: Drapery. |
- Almost a humorous imagery, clever! |
|
| 23 | Window dressing arranged in a court, nothing less (7) | 4 | 3 | Anagram of IN A CURT (COURT without O) | ||
| 24 | To avoid start of strife, Iran cuts production to find a final solution (7) | 4 | 2 | (IRAN CUTS - S, [start of strife])* (anagram indicator = production); Definition: a final solution (as in a play, ref: MW) |
- Not familiar with production for anind, also definition doesn''t seem to cut it, not sure |
|
| 25 | Hurt, husband is missing, and killer is closing in...get cover! | 3 | 3 | {C {h̶URT} AIN}. Killer = CAIN closing in on HURT without H to get cover... which is the definition. | ||
| 26 | Hanging out in cars, racing so free | 2 | 2 | oUTINCARs* -so def: hanging, anag: racing |
- Cute clue! |
|
| 27 | Cor! back at home, love is universal blind(7) | 2 | 2 | Cor ta (back at) in (home) cortain o is u (replacement) curtain |
- Surface doesn''t quite work |