Stats – The puzzle page had 430 views. We had 36 solvers completing and submitting the grid. Of those who submitted 28 managed to complete the grid with zero errors and also went on to get the maximum possible score of 150.
Here are the instructions for the Puzzle:
All down clues (except the last one) have a single letter misprint in the definition part of the clue, needing correction with a substitute letter for the answer.
Misprints occur only in words with three letters or more.
In clue order, the discarded letters spell out the name of a famous personality (3,4,7) whose works have been featured in part in the two unclued entries, the unchecked letters of which may be arranged to read ‘I USE A PEN IN …’
Chambers 2016 is the primary reference. Some words in the grid relate to proper names.
Example of misprint: If CASE is the grid entry, and the clue has SKIT as definition, it gets corrected as SUIT, and K is the discarded letter. Definition may comprise multiple words, but there will be only one misprint per clue.
Click on the Icons in the left for various options – Clicking “Solution” will display the completed grid.
Click here for the PDF Version
Bonus Question Who’s the famous personality – from the misprint letters (3,4,7)?
Click Here for the Solution /Annotations:
Answer to the Bonus Question:
1. Sir. John Tenniel
The puzzle commemorates the 200th birth anniversary of SIR JOHN TENNIEL (the personality from the misprint letters), a graphic artist and illustrator best known for being chief cartoonist of PUNCH and for his illustrations in ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, the two unclued entries. The unchecked letters of the unclued entries anagram to form “I USE A PEN IN” and together with the puzzle title “FIGURING IT OUT”, it could be seen as a statement from the author describing his work. Sir John Tenniel was the first individual to be knighted in the profession. For more information, refer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tenniel
Across: 1/1D/28 Unclued Theme Entry, 5 ROBE(gown) outside B(black) +D(diamonds); def: held up, 9 TARGET INSIDE*; def: smash, 10 VARY(swing) outside OT(over time); def: partisan, 11 Unclued Theme Entry, 13 ENC(enclosure) followed by ROACH(fish); def: poach, 16 IS(lives) inside rev. of REAR(back, turning); def: elevator, 17 DROP(decline) inside TEARS(careers); def: eye-watering expressions CD, 20 SCOPE* HERE(now); def: planet’s … environment, 21 REP(agent) GUN*; def: fight against (Shakespearean usage), 25 rev. of (p)OSE(attitude less P) outside PRESS(media); def: strong Joe, perhaps, 26 HIPS; def: patient, 27 OLD* MEN(people); def: prehistoric tomb, 29 CANE(material in wickerwork) outside rev. of AN; def: ancient battleground, 30 S(special) inside FEATS(accomplishments); def: celebrations.
Down: 2 (j)OLL(y) NICE*; def: figure in coat of arms, 3 A(me)RICA*; def: Goodies star, 4 Rev of LORE(learning) outside N(navy); def: engage, 5 RED(hp of read, registered) CROSS(load); def: set involved in relief operations, 6 BRITISH with U for I; def: like a beast, 7 Enables alt letters – NBE STAIRS*; def: all in one clue, 8 (f)ETCH(to get); def: cut, 12 H(hotel) SPONSORED*; def: places where mares may drink, 14 CLAM(reticent person) P(softly) DOWN(discouraged); def: act to curb, 15 IRON(press) SIDE(group); def: show on TV, 18 RE(on) UNION(marriage); def: gathering of old pals, 19 Double definition here and show, 22 R(river) inside CORE(essence); def: hundred lakhs, 23 HIPS in reverse; def: cove, 24 rev. of ANTE(stake); def: active volcano.
Here’s the Score card (sorted by total and then alphabetically)
Congrats to the 28 solvers who maxed the score and to every one who participated. Very well tried.
Grid Rating: The puzzle got an excellent score of 9.21. It got 18 perfect 10s – i.e 50% of those who submitted thought it was perfect. The minimum score was 6.
Top 3 Clues: The most favorite clues were for “TEARDROPS” with 10 votes, “HORSEPONDS” with 9 votes and “BANISTERS” with 8 votes.
What a fabulous grid by the one and only Bingo. The comments from the solvers say it all and I cannot possibly add more except that it was so much fun to unravel for me as well. Thanks to all our solvers for your support and encouraging comments.
Comments on the Puzzle
1. Challenging but an enjoyable and brilliantly crafted puzzle.
2. Very enjoyable. Took some time
3. Brilliant as ever Bhala! Super grid buddy.
4. Enjoyable – thanks
5. Tough but enjoyable
6. Just a couple I couldn’t fully parse (but I’m sure that’s my failing, not the setter’s!). Had to google 3d as the only “Goodies stars” I was familiar with are of an entirely different generation 😛
7. Interesting puzzle though personally enjoyed the previous Bingo offering ‘Diary of the Dead’ more. Still top of the drawer stuff. Got first three letters of the misprint “Sir” almost instantly and penciled in “Sir Sean Connery” as the famous personality. Thankfully none of his movies matched the longer enumeration.
8. Nice compilation. Bingo was kind to us lesser mortals today 🙂
9. Very nice clues and the endgame was brilliant!
10. VERY GOOD ONE
11. Very intelligent puzzle. Nice clues but reasonably tough.
12. Challenging puzzle but thoroughly enjoyable. Loved the down clues
13. I still don’t have 2d, 3d, or 27a. I suspect one or more is because of cultural differences. (I live in Michigan — a long, long way from you.) For example, I had never heard of CRORE; I confirmed it by googling. I very much enjoyed the puzzle, and if I can’t quite rate it 10, it may be because of my own shortcomings in knowledge of certain words. I occasionally do British crosswords and encounter similar unfamiliarities there. No worries, though; it’s fun to learn of faraway things.
14. Lovely as usual. Easier than the previous Bingo puzzle (Azed style), but nothing to improve.
15. Great concept and super clues.
16. GOOD WORK FOR THE BRAIN. KEEP THEM COMING!
17. Excellent grid. Congrats to the designer(s) on the letters to be junked coming in perfect order to spell name of the celebrity. Would have added difficulty if they were in random order requiring cracking the anagram. And added fun for those who do crack.
18. total entertainment package…absolutely delightful 🙂
19. Great concept,challenging grid
20. THIS IS THE PINNACLE OF CRYPTIC CLUES SETTING. HAD TOUGH TIME IN THE BEGINNING, BUT ONCE THE FIRST DOWN CLUE FELL THROUGH, IT WAS SMOOTH SAILING.
21. Great effort in setting – such twists may result in poor surfaces which, to a large extent has been avoided. Across clues are all excellent standard clues. Enjoyed this
22. Super puzzle as expected – delight to solve and watch the pieces fall in place slowly.
23. Loved it! Am so glad i didn’t miss this one!
24. Innovative and topclass. More of the same awaited.
25. Interesting brainteaser!
26. GREAT FUN…
27. fun grid!
28. Wonderful challenge, and while some words were obscure, the grid made them gettable.
29. Absolutely Innovative Puzzle!
30. Very well constructed. Clear instructions. The misprint clues were a fun, tough challenge. (Guessing the famous personality after I got about half of them helped a lot.) Many clever misleads where words that looked like indicators turned out to be fodder and vice versa.
31. Very tough and challenging grid but most enjoyable all the same
32. Some clues confusing e.g. 5Ac: how is it indicated that B is inside?
33. Creative and enjoyable grid. Didn’t realise the significance of the title till I figured out who the famous personality was. Well constructed clues as usual.
34. very picky but technically left over letters spell “I use a pen in a“, the idea is very fun and well executed, maybe even have solvers rearrange the misprint letters with/out enumeration, with/out knowing which clues have misprints for extra challenge. I like the use of obscure vocabulary. Only one I can’t anno is espresso so I’m pretty confident that the wordplay mostly, if not entirely, works. Surfaces are great. I didn’t think repressed next to media was elegant unless I’m misunderstanding how the wordplay works or it’s a kind of joke. Forgot to say how good I thought 7d was. Surface in 2d could be improved maybe(?)
35. Good mix of clues, few tough ones fell in place thanks to the easy unclued work.good exercise.
36. Really brilliant effort to create the down clues