Here's the trick: clues marked with an asterisk need to be 4-across before entering them.
But relax - 14, 23-across applies.
Across
1 Make no sound (5)
4 Voicing opinion reveals OK Corral itself (9)
8* Too‐hip cat is florid (9)
9 Unknown driver takes pole in tricky manoeuvre (5)
10, 1‐down* Heathen erred all over the place?! (4, 3, 5)
11* Roughly how fast plenty of 27‐down‐ing could make you, at best (5, 1, 4)
14, 23‐across For sure the reader preserves a yellow‐throated hake, initially at Niagara Falls, but not even fair to use tin! (3, 3, 3, 4, 5)
16* Wonder from the pits (3)
17 Top class business backer (1. 1.)
20 What she held back (2)
22* Small leak (3)
23 See 14‐across
25 Police have the right to take it for a spin?! (10)
26* Part of our digital culture?! (4)
28* Did Thomas find Henry hard to satisfy? (4)
29 King Herod to provide the appetisers (9)
30 Add standard condiments to mashed pear: wet or dry? (9)
31* Source of water everywhere: it's ice! (4)
Down
1 See 10‐across
2 The study of a heretic worth the cost of 29‐across, perhaps? (8)
3 On top of Cleveland grout (4)
4 With nod to Bond girl(s), we look fearful (7)
5 Tight end drew flag for holding (7)
6* Time for 17‐across' trailer, perhaps? (2, 6)
7* Think about gravity failing, sir! (6)
12 Game with no first turn (3)
13* Creature could be a real find (4)
15 A silent remnant (3)
16 Could spend packet blaming second language (4)
18* Also known as a stone fruit, inappropriately (10)
19* Like All in the Family?! (8)
21* Chop nut in half (3)
22* Extra gold plating after 25‐across started up! (4)
23 Climber's final rest could not be more fey (3, 4)
24* He lets one put bet in ‐ at our odds… ?! (1, 6)
25* ...Two‐to‐one's the spot for this hound (6)
27* Almost the length of the bath (3)
12 comments:
The asterisk rule has me confused.
Across
39* Cryptic blogger (7,7)
is entered as
GLASANTHONYDOU
Or is the answer to 4 across PALINDROMED and we have to enter all the asterisk answers backwards.
You're confused?
I'm thinking, 1) which James? 2) how do you spell PALINDROMED with only 9 letters? 3) Are you commenting on the right puzzle?
1/ Sorry I misspelled my name, it should be "Jonathan"
2/ I am no closer to understanding the trick. I think I might avoid looking at clues with an asterix until I solve 4-across.
Ah. So you aren't averse to strange spellings that affect the number of letters. That explains that palindrome thing.
4 Across, I'm afraid, is a fairly difficult one. Sorry about that. You'll probably find it easier to get once you work out how the * impacts things. The avoidance strategy could work out ok, but if you want a soft entry, 22 across might do it for you.
Off the topic, but did I hear a rumour about a change in family circumstances?!
Lol.
Yes, I am getting married. I avoided it for long enuff.
You may be on to something with that last sentence.
Grats.
I know I'm a little late coming to the party, but this is one tough puzzle. I like your 4ac idea and I've managed to complete the top half of the grid, but the rest has me stumped.
You've got some nifty clues. I particularly like 1ac and 7dn.
Rachel, huh? Either I didn't know Rachel was into cryptics, or I didn't know someone into cryptics was Rachel.
Either way - I'm impressed that you've gone that far. This one was really composed to torture a friend over an extended period, and is harder to crack than it should be, especially with some of the thin ice I have skated upon.
If it's any help, ?! is meant to indicate &lit clues.
So that's what those interrobang thingies are for?!
Just give me a tiny clue for the King Herod one and I'll see how I go from there.
(And the thin ice just makes it much more of a challenge.)
Maintaining your semi-anonymity, I see.
Which King Herod?
That was good for starters but didn't quite make a big enough dent in the pinata. I've got the mariner, the boxer and the family (!) and quite a few first letters for some down clues.
You've inspired me Anthony. I might try making one of my own.
As for my secret identity, I'd have thought you would have recognised my writing style. And my penchant for starting sentences with and.
Well, you did a substitution of five letters for one, without any indicator! And the Rachel I was thinking of is a friend of the relevant Ryan...
Sounds like you're doing well. 25 adn 30ac are eminently gettable.
I'll return the favour of squirming should you come up with your own one!
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