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Stats -We had a fantastic response to “The Oracle’s Number Game” and we hit a new record with 48 submissions. Of those who submitted, 42 got the full grid score of 30 and 9 people got the top score of 34. No one was able to get the full score of 35. Here’s the Solution grid.

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

    1. Fully annotate 9 across
    2. How many squares are there in the grid?
    3. Interpret last line of the description text

The correct answers to these were

(1) a.sixTeen eigHt fouR twelvE eightEen, b. (16/4+8/4+4/4+12/6)/(18/6) or (4+2+1+2)/3,
c. 60% of 5 (enu)
(2) 1245

Squares in Geometic form in the grid: 1240* plus

Squares in Numerical form in the grid: 5 (Clue numbers 1,4,9,16 and 25 inscribed in the grid)

* Summation of the series (15 square + 14 square + …. + 1 square) on the basis of following sizes of squares:

1 x 1 squares 225
2 x 2 squares 196
3 x 3 squares 169
4 x 4 squares 144
5 x 5 squares 121
6 x 6 squares 100
7 x 7 squares 81
8 x 8 squares 64
9 x 9 squares 49
10 x 10 squares 36
11 x 11 squares 25
12 x 12 squares 16
13 x 13 squares 9
14 x 14 squares 4
15 x 15 squares 1

3. The last line was “In the meantime, score one less than a score” – which was a reference to the new year 20 19

Here are the Annotations.

Across:

1 How a visit to the hair-dresser might be? Worrying! (11) – CD, with distress meaning removal of tress(hair)
9 ((Fourth of 16 + fourth of 8 + fourth of 4 + sixth of 12) by sixth of 18; … or 60% of … (5) – sixTeen eigHt fouR twelvE eightEen; (4+2+1+2)/3; 60% of 5(enu)
10 Oral examinations that prospective doctors have to submit to? (4,5) – CD reference to PHD students
11 Annoying a clerical person having oomph at one? No good … (10) – I RR IT AT I NG
12 Follower of Yankee, sometimes follows Bravo to convey appreciation of a job well done (4) – Zulu follows Yankee in phonetic code. BZ is code for Well Done
13 Number always used in writing heights and weights (5) – hEIGHTs wEIGHTs
15 Styes and unsightly things (8) – DD
17 Oracle is confused by a couple of females … Go away! (5,3) – (ORACLE*) FF
19 Check proper use of checks in America? (5) – CD checks in America=cheques
22 Half-a-dozen turned upside down at hour just before 10 (4) – 9=6 upside down, hour just before 10
23 E’en leg cuff may be treated to show brightness (10) – (EEN LEG CUFF)*
26 Exercise energetically after stupid girl leaves … It produces gas! (9) – (ENERGETICALLY-GIRL*)*
27 Torn denim banned from dinnertime. Can it be harmless? (5) – (DINNERTIME-DENIM*)*
28 Smother holy person, called Uriah initially, after designated time (11) – ST RANG U LATE

Down:

1 He may challenge you or accept your challenge (5) – DD
2 Protects a misrepresented witness (9) – (PROTECTS A)*
3 Fastens metal fasteners disturbing rest around 4 (6) – REST* around IV
4 Three score and ten? That’s not odd in a pig-pen (7) – S(EVEN)TY
5 First, in the beginning, add one-ninth of 27 and sixth of 12 (4) – F I twentyseVen twelvE 27/9+12/6 and Clue Number
6 Queer lad is worried about front of car having a protective coating (9) – (QUEER LAD)* about C
7 Best riders have pace (6) – Telescopic
8 Sons’or Daughters’ problems? (6) – DD
14 Sudden’s bluff displays inexperience (9) – GREEN NESS
16 Hans travels with damaged grail to mythical place (7-2) – (HANS)* (GRAIL)*
17 Dancing dance endlessly .. once again … dance! (6) – (dANCe)* x 2
18 – 17 + 2 x (7) – (Clue No)18-17 +2 x 7 enu= 1+14=15
20 Score a couple of sixes and fours (6) – 2x(6+4)
21 Office furniture (6) – DD
24 Brother’s daughter’s initial exam’s in French city (5) – NI(E)CE
25 Person who changes colours paints red around end of hallway (4) – RED* around Y

Here is the scorecard (sorted by total score and then in Alphabetical order)

The first entry was submitted by Sandhya Paruchuri, although it was not the first all-correct entry. Infact, there were no all-correct entries and no one got the Bonus question 2 correct (including The Oracle, as per his own admission). The first highest scoring entry was from Venkatraghavan Sahasranaman and the last highest scoring entry was received from our champ Ramki Krishnan, just a day ago.

This year, we have decided to change the leader board to be based only on the score and treat all entries received before the deadline on par. Congrats to our 9 toppers Abhai, Anirudh, Arvind, Ganesh, Renga, Ramki, Ratnakar, Venkatraghavan and Vinayak.

24 people rated the puzzle as “Excellent”, 22 rated it “Good” and 2 rated it “Average”. Thanks to “The Oracle” for an entertaining puzzle and getting our math skills sharpened to take on the challenges of the new year.

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.

By Sowmya

Sowmya is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and independent financial consultant based in the Middle East (Bahrain). She is a puzzle editor at Amuselabs. She has set over 1,300 crosswords for various publications including over 1000 mini crosswords, cryptic crosswords (under the pseudonym Hypatia for The Hindu) and themed crosswords for Cat.a.lyst (part of The Hindu Businessline). Sowmya runs the Facebook group 1Across where seasoned cruciverbalists interact while setting and solving clues. She has published three compilations of crosswords viz Cryptic Crossroads Volumes 1, 2 and 3. She Tweets cryptic clues daily @somsram

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