Easter Eggs – Solutions, Annotations & Results

Stats -We had a great response to our Easter puzzle (or was it April fool’s?) last week and there were 30 submissions for this puzzle. Of those who submitted, 13 got the full grid score of 75 but only three got the maximum possible score of 83. A number of people managed to answer at least some of the bonus questions asked.

Here’s the Solution grid

The following questions were asked at the end of the puzzle..

1. 1. How many eggs did you find? List them..
   2. How many crosses (not equal armed ones) are there in the puzzle grid?
   3. List 3 themed words

The correct answers to these were (1) Three Eggs as in OVA in NOVA, OVAL, RENOVATION (2) Three (these are coloured red in the image above) 3) Church themed words like ALTAR, LAYPERSON, ASH, IHS, GHOST, SOLEMNIZE, WEDDING MARCH, BAPTISM, X MAS, BEL FRY, HALO AND GOA as also common name of the Church in the bottom row were all accepted as valid answers.

Here are the Annotations.

Across:
2 His extraordinary marking frequently seen on properties belong to 67 (1,1,1) – IHS*
3 The first person to die (according to the Bible) after loss of arm at first, made some amount of noise (3) – aBEL
5 How one may address an entitled person in Bandar Abbas, Iran (3) – T
8 Sha mistakenly burnt remains (3) – SHA*
11 A hot oil bath for small fish? (3) – CD, DD
12 New bitmaps show some activity at 67 (7) – BITMAPS*
13 Thailand’s means of linking computers (3) – T
14 Possibly the number of players in a team an hour before midday (6) – DD
16 A subscriber identification module with “05” for sci-fi author (6) – A SIM O V
17 A gate for other ranks (2) – DD
19 In short, old Mumbai railway station returned means of communication (1,1) – VT<
20 Capture undulating navels with a bit of enthusiasm (7) – NAVELS* E
21 Acknowledgement of delivery of pier, etc., in a bad condition (7) – (PIER ETC)*
22 Silly aunts leave tarantulas crawling around on communion table (5) – (TARANTULAS-AUNTS*)*
24 There’s no fish in Finnish tavern (3) – fINNish
25 Setter’s round new charged particle (3) – I O N
26 Main island’s secret (3) – MD
29 To some extent, Pasha vocally gives order to loot in olden times (5) -T
31 Son gets money to get marine creature (5) – S QUID
32 Say, “Absolute” (5) – DD
34 One agreement’s perfect (5) – I DEAL
35 Wikis edited by New Zealanders (5) – WIKIS*
36 Golfer’s aide gets a portion of nougat for first daughter. That’s sweet! (5) – CA(-d+N)DY
39 Gun explodes, getting a wildebeest (3) – GUN*
40 Real writer has no alternative … entices after eliminating last two characters (9) AUTHor ENTICes
42 Final goal (3) – DD
44 Primarily East Germany, for example, is abbreviated (2)- E G
45 Assist top class delegate at first (3) – A1 D
46 Cut part of final operation (3) – T
47 Try an old Chinese game (2) – DD
48 Sixth sense displayed during vespers (3) – T
49 Mauritanian Muslim returned to space (4) – MOOR<
52 See first, head apostle’s initially light circle (4) – HA LO
54 Her Majesty’s message begins displaying interjection used when you don’t know what to say (3) -HM M
55 Typed, “26 with Eddie” (5) – KEY ED
56 Regularly, derby results in absence of alcohol (3) – DeRbY
57 Are confused about time (3) – ARE*
59 Ethnic Chinese found in Afghanistan (3) – T
61 Short mister’s short mistress (3) – MR’S
63 Popular hors d’oeuvre tin thrown out to animal (3) – canAPE
64 State endless end (3) – GOA(L)
66 Setter’s found after devastation of Japan? Capital! (6) – PANAJ*I
67 French urchin’s place of worship (6) – T

Down:

1 Good innkeeper’s spirit that may be found in 67 (5) – G HOST
3 Edward sat behind food counter and pushed (8) – BUFFET ED
4 Put down individual for non-clergyman (9) – LAY PERSON
5 One smiles crookedly to perform grave rites (9) – (ONESMILES)*
6 Overhaul city’s tax schedule finally (8) – RENO VAT E
7 The French sailor’s initially fit (4) – AB LE
8 Fit broken tap (3) – TAP*
9 Concealed animal skin after a piece of ear is bitten off (3) – HIDe
10 Man involved in sax arrangement at festivity a week before New Year (4) – SAX* around M
15 Number 5’s a star that’s exploding (4) – NO V A
16 Say, “Little avenue, right?” (4) – AVE R
18 Wrongly inquires about left hand. Give up? (10) – (INQUIRES)* about L H
19 Change model operated and take seat before No.1 returns (10) – T RAN SIT NO1<
23 Telegraph Office’s small turnover? (1,1) – DD
27 Perhaps, a place to take off? … take off clothes under part of staircase (7,5) – LANDING STRIP
28 You and I accompanied the clergyman in Germany last month composing tune played in 67 (7,5) WE DD IN G MARCH
30 Karpov always concealed a figure (4) dOVAL
33 Sailor gets last letter for monarch (4) T(Z)AR
37 Lord in court gets zero for game I play in Latin (4) LUD O
38 Elevated land in Philly (4) – T
39 A term to express surprise at command to turn right? (3) – DD
40 State “Radio” (3) – DD
41 Bill’s companion maybe Chief Operating Officer (3) – DD
43 Act on first letter of mandamus for Portuguese gent (3) – DO M
50 Fine! A swine, without its tail, is an animal (5) – OK A PIg
51 Setter’s little German warplane (2) – ME for Messerschmitt
52 Male God in capitals … it may be used repetitively to indicate mirth (2) – HE, he he
53 A doctor consumes some honey for this purpose in Rome (2,3) – A D(H)OC
58 British rule in India? In Agra-Jaipur? – (3) T
60 Sound you make when you stick your tongue out at 65? Confused? Aha! (3) AHA*
62 Over! Not off (2) – DD
65 Little person owing money to small doctor (2) – Short form of Debtor, Doctor.

Here is the scorecard (sorted by score and then in the order of submissions received)

Congrats to Viresh who was the first one to submit an all correct entry and to Supriya and Vasant  who maxed the score as well.

Here’s the Grand Prize: A copy of a painting of Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Immaculada Conceicao (or Concepcao as mentioned in earlier post, both are valid in Portuguese) by Cixor. This is the same church that appears in the grid

14 people rated the puzzle as “Excellent” and 12 rated it “Good”.

Did you enjoy the puzzle? Do you have any feedback for us or for the setter. Do comment in the blog and let us know.