The pre Christmas EV is a joke themed puzzle from a new setter (or was it a collaboration?). Can the jokes be as bad as a real cracker jokes? If so what about the clues ! 32 clues have an extra letter which spell out a fifth joke, the answer to which is hidden in the grid completes my précis of the preamble.
Quite a number of easy clues really got me into the festive mood. Took a while before I cracked the first of the jokes, though, which was
28, 27 What does James Bond eat at Christmas? (10, two words)
MINCE SPIES – I suspect I have seen this in a cracker over the years.
The others followed with my last one in the last joke itself 17dn
44, 5ac What’s the most popular carol in the Sahara? (16, four words)
O CAMEL YE FAITHFUL
1dn What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? (10)
TINSELITIS
13, 20, 24 How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizzas? (19, five words)
DEEP PAN CRISP AND EVEN
17 What’s got white berries and hops? (10)
MISTLETOAD
I think 44/5ac would get my vote as the funniest or least familiar definitely. I don’t intend to explain any of them – then they wouldn’t be funny would they?
Whilst I said above that there were many easy clues, there were also some which took a lot more effort to solve and to parse. this for me is a good sign as the puzzle draws you in slowly but doesn’t yield everything too quickly. Thanks to Mike for pointing out 35dn’s derivation
The extra letters spelt out WHAT NATIONALITY IS FATHER CHRISTMAS?
He’s from Gdansk isn’t he?
so NORTH POLISH – of course – visible in the NW to SE diagonal
Happy New Year to all and many thanks to Charismatix for some pre-Christmas fun – the name reminded me of the Asterix cartoon comic books and as I write this blog French cartoons are in the news for the worst of reasons. Je suis Twencelas et aussi Charlie – but why, oh why does religious indoctrination of all faiths cause such atrocities to be committed by men and women in the name of a benign deity.
Key:
Rev. reverse; * anagram; Underline definition
ACROSS
| W | 1 Pull sled, ultimately one’s own (3) Tow (pull) + d (sled ultimately) = TOD |
| H | 11 Spending shilling, maybe lunch on 25th’s steep for ancient Shetlander (4) Nosh up (maybe lunch on 25th) – s (shilling) = NOUP |
| A | 12 Boozy clubs plan last two sips of sherry (6) C (clubs) + idea (plan) + ry (last two sips of sherry) = CIDERY |
| T | 14 Glowing light troubled Pole man in New Testament (8, two words) (Pole man NT)* = NEON LAMP |
| 15 Ski resort managed to fill up both sides of Christmas (5) Cs (both sides of Christmas) around ran (managed) = CRANS |
|
| N | 16 Discrimination against old Magi sent out with little time to spare (6) (Magi sent – t)* = AGESIM |
| A | 18 Will’s to pay for English Santa’s first jacket (5) E (English) + s (santa’s first) + coat (jacket) = ESCOT |
| T | 22 Sweetheart’s fast adopting core elements of Xmas (5) Lent (fast) around ma (core elements of Xmas) = LEMAN |
| I | 25 Show embarrassment – Phil undressed under mistletoe, initially (3) Hi (Phil undressed) + u + m (under mistletoe, initially) + HUM |
| O | 29 Japanese change cracker sound after boom knows no bounds (5) Bang (cracker sound) after OO (boom – b.m (bounds)) = OBANG |
| N | 30 Ministers omitting fourth of carols from sheets (made of tissue) (5) Tendons (sheets made of tissue) – o (fourth of carols) = TENDS |
| A | 31 With God’s wean endlessly surrounded by joyful party (3) Do (joyful party) around ea (wean endlessly) = DEO |
| L | 32 Summon with bell when carrying last of frankincense, and adopt worshipful position (5) Knell (Summon with bell) around e (last of frankincense) = KNEEL |
| I | 33 Like little helpers to become active after 7th of December (5) Liven (become active) after (e – 7th of December) = ELVEN |
| T | 35 Worst cracker-joke essentially providing prospect of continuing enjoyment (5) Least (worst) + e (cracker-joke middle – essentially) = LEASE |
| Y | 37 Is panto’s climax the best possible in any way? (6) S+ o (is panto’s climax) + every (best possible) = SOEVER |
| 38 Scots spill beer, we’re told, after singing carols at first (5) Sc (singing carols at first) + ail (beer – ale we’re told) = SCAIL |
|
| I | 41 As a result of cooking most of the new American prime of turkey is OK (8, two words) (th (most of the) + n+ a(American) + is ok)* = THANKS TO |
| S | 42 Defense network’s last mince pie’s not accepted cold (6) (last + mince – a(accepted) – c (cold))* = MILNET |
| 43 Boodle’s banned Earl from religious birth festivity (4) Doseh (religious birth festivity) – e (earl) = DOSH |
|
| 45 Bloody leads from ropy electric decorations (3) leads from ropy electric decorations = RED |
DOWN
| F | 2 Cracker frequently with joke inside (4) Fr (frequently) around one (joke) = ONER |
| A | 3 Character overlooking North Pole reviewed bagger’s target (5) Mu (character) + n (north) + Rev. oar (pole) = MUNRO |
| T | 4 Stirred platters without hesitation; sound of splashing turkey fat (5) (platters – er)* = SPLAT |
| H | 5 Desperate elf had last 60% of bench widened (8) (elf + had + nch)* = FLANCHED |
| E | 6 Tries one in a trifle, failing in the end (4) I (one) in a mess (trifle) = AIMS |
| R | 7 Sounds of sleighbells in dancing string (5) (string)* = TINGS |
| 8 Artist’s stopping brandy, like Mrs Claus? (8) Emin (Artist as in Tracy) in Fine (Brandy) = FEMININE |
|
| 9 Rattler’s rigid rectal ridges? Not one nitwit used this to make tortuous tonguetwisters (9)(tonguetwisters – ntwit)* = UROSTEGES | |
| C | 10 Short side branch, jolly cedar substantially trimmed at both sides (3) Hidden jolLY CEdar = LYE |
| H | 19 Showing signs of cracks in iciest home (9) (iciest home)* = SEMEIOTIC |
| R | 21 Game to try to pick out so many pies (5) Ru (game) + peer (to try to pick out) = RUPEE |
| I | 23 Fruity stocking filler? Small one redesigned by the French (8) Mini (small) + (one)* + la (the French) = MINNEOLA |
| S | 26 Festive food means cook’s all over the place (8)(means cook)* = MOONCAKE |
| T | 34 Getting out of bed, suffer, having welcomed in 24th? (5) Let (suffer) around eve (24th i.e. of December) = LEVEE |
| M | 35 Rudolf does this on the roof above most excellent flat (5) land + me (most excellent) = LANDE |
| A | 36 Institute’s taken in by carved oaken figure of the baby Jesus, say (5) I (institute) in (oaken)* = EIKON |
| S | 38 Before leaving early on, sashay towards comfy sofa, perhaps (4) A (before) from sashay = SHAY |
| 39 Lose turn when answering “Who wrote The Christmas Box?” That’s easily forgotten (4) Goethe – go (turn) = ETHE |
|
| 40 Part of Bethlehem outlaws depressing music (3) Hidden BethlehEM Outlaws = EMO |
The answer to 35dn is LANDE, not LANDS, with wordplay of LAND (what Rudolph does on roof) + [M]E (most excellent).
The best part of this puzzle for me was the fact that the clues were all written so as to have a festive or wintry surface. This must have been tough work for the setter, but I know that I was very appreciative of this achievement. A really fun puzzle that left one feeling very Christmassy.
Thanks Mike – seems so obvious now.