Stats The puzzle page was loaded 560 times. 97 visitors had a go at it and 37 solvers managed to complete and submit the grid. Of those who submitted, 28 managed to get the maximum possible score of 201.
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Here is the solution grid:
BONUS QUESTIONS:
1. What is the word coming from misprints in definition in the thematic clues (6) ANS:CUCKOO
2. The Two thematic words in the completed grid (6 and 5) ANS: LAUREL AND HARDY
3. What term may be derived from the puzzle title referencing the theme (6 / 3)? ANS: DOUBLE ACT (DO=ACT)
Annotations:
| Ref | Clue and Annotation | Answer & Misprint |
| a | Exact, when saying this to someone tipped to talk very, very loudly (4,3) | HATS OFF |
| cHAT(to talk, tipped) SO(very) FF(very loudly); def Exa(c)lt,… someone | C | |
| b | Coaches inhibiting India to perform by backing muddlers (10) | BUSYBODIES |
| BUSES(coaches) outside rev of I(India) DO(to perform) BY; def: M(u)eddlers | U | |
| c | Colts running, so held back (10) | BLOCKHEADS |
| SO HELD BACK*; def: (c)Dolts | C | |
| d | Hotel cooks in love with aroma that’s escaped from cooker (2,3,5) | ON THE LOOSE |
| HOTEL* inside O(love) NOSE(aroma); def: escaped from coo(k)er | K | |
| e | Worships mass attention coming round here (3-1-3) | MEN-O-WAR |
| M(mass) EAR(attention) outside NOW(here); def: W(o)arships | O | |
| f | Conch thus plugged to lower boom (4,4) | DUCK SOUP |
| SO(thus) inside DUCK(to lower) UP(boom); def: C(o)inch | O |
| Ref | Clue | Answer | Annotation |
| 9A | Seed duly husked returns a tree (5) | PIPUL | PIP(seed) dULy; def: tree |
| * 10 A | Apt: ride, swim and fly – in this order? (7) | DIPTERA | APT RIDE*; def: fly in this order |
| * 12 A | Wasting time for the time being with special introductions (6) | PROEMS | PROtEM(for the time being – T) S(special); def: introductions |
| 13A | Perhaps painting over rims marks luxury vehicle (4) | LIMO | rev of OIL(perhaps painting) outside M(marks); def: luxury vehicle |
| 14A | Double dealing with snitches I plant (5) | ONION | ON ON(dealing with, twice) outside I; def: plant |
| 15A | Bore instructed to comprehend the principle of entertainment value (9) | TOLERATED | TOLD(instructed) outside E(principle of entertainment) RATE(value); def: bore |
| 16A | Lances strewn in battle site (6) | SENLAC | LANCES*; def: battle site |
| 17A | God appears in some blaze usually (4) | ZEUS | HIPS; def: God |
| 21A | Run away from dispute getting the shivers (4) | AGUE | ArGUE(dispute – R); def: the shivers |
| 23A | Cringes from writing, say, boring words (8) | CROUCHES | R(writing, say) inside COUCHES(words); def: cringes |
| 25A | Irish chaps drink what’s liquid medicine to America (5) | SIRUP | IR(Irish) inside SUP(drink); def: liquid medicine – Am. Spelling |
| 26A | Rusty churns in tents (5) | YURTS | RUSTY*; def: tents |
| 28A | Sorry mate, retreating in silence is showing lack of consideration (8) | SLAPDASH | rev of SAD(sorry) PAL(mate) inside SH(silence); def: showing…consideration |
| 29A | Lavish love’s half the tale (4) | DOTE | anecDOTE(half the tale); def: lavish love |
| * 35A | Old prejudice keeping apart independent African chiefs (4) | OBAS | O(old) BiAS(prejudice – I); def: African chiefs |
| * 36A | Antique coin from case breaking case of theft (6) | SCEATT | CASE* ThefT(case of theft); def: antique coin |
| 37A | Cross since pet cuckoo gets left inside (9) | SPLENETIC | L(left) inside SINCE PET*; def: cross |
| 38A | Unresponsive states – because keeping mum? (5) | COMAS | COS(because) outside MA(mum); def: unresponsive states |
| * 39A | Medley reflecting everything and nothing (4) | OLLA | rev of ALL(everything) O(nothing); def: medley |
| * 40A | Drink after sex adding energy again (6) | ITERUM | RUM(drink) after IT(sex) E(energy); def: again |
| 41A | Mammal starting to be back in spring (7) | MANATEE | eMANATEE(Emanate=spring with first letter last); def: mammal |
| 42A | Spiritual leader’s institute spreading a little bull? (5) | CALIF | I(institute) inside CALF(a little bull); def: spiritual leader |
| 1D | Policy Thailand has to protect National bird (6) | LINNET | LINE(policy) T(Thailand) outside N(National); def: bird |
| 2D | Deciding to abstain from work, loaf abroad embracing golf (6,3) | OPTING OUT | OP(work) TIN(loaf) OUT(abroad) outside G(golf); def: deciding to abstain |
| 3D | Dome over soft drink bottles (6) | CUPOLA | COLA(soft drink) outside UP(over); def: dome |
| 4D | Note from owl (about opening of Hogwarts) seen in moonshine (6) | HOOTCH | HOOT(note from owl) C(about) H(opening of Hogwarts); def: moonshine |
| 5D | Same silly act without purpose (9) | AIMLESSLY | SAME SILLY*; def: without purpose |
| 6D | Space traveller leads with it (8) | STARSHIP | STARS(leads) HIP(with it); def: space traveller |
| * 7D | Healthy bamboo, primarily soaring evergreen (5) | BELAH | rev of HALE(healthy) B(bamboo, primarily); def: evergreen |
| * 8D | Abdominal segment of malformed uteri (5) | URITE | UTERI*; def: abdominal segment |
| 11D | Pretentious types, Earl included, softly froth (6) | PSEUDS | E(Earl) inside P(softly) SUDS(froth); def: pretentious types |
| 18D | Prizes given by supporters (4) | CUPS | DD |
| 19D | Vagrant to maniac, new persona of Stallone? (6,3) | ACTION MAN | TO MANIAC* N(new); def: persona of Stallone? Dbe |
| 20P | Superior conceals it holding power to defame (9) | BESPATTER | BETTER(superior) outside SA(it) outside P(power); def: to defame |
| 22D | A cold month coming up, want local Mexican food (9) | GUACAMOLE | rev of A C(cold) AUG(month), MOLE(want, dialect); def: Mexican food |
| 24D | Reportedly hilarious person, a peasant in India (4) | RYOT | hp RIOT(hilarious person); def: peasant in India |
| 27D | Couple standing behind to cry ‘Amen’ (2,2,2) | SO BE IT | rev of TIE(couple) after SOB(to cry); def: Amen |
| 30D | Woes afresh, having accepted credit for deed entrusted to third party (6) | ESCROW | WOES* outside CR(credit); def: deed entrusted to third party |
| 31D | Toady’s second becoming ordinary petty officer (6) | YEOMAN | YESMAN(toady) with S(second) becoming O(ordinary); def: petty officer |
| * 32D | Isn’t Tantrism barring odd characters at once? (6) | STATIM | odd letters removed from fodder; def: at once |
| 33D | American lobby rises in the name of God (5) | ALLAH | A(American) rev of HALL(lobby); def: the name of God |
| 34D | Permit to carry article listed (5) | LEANT | LET(permit) outside AN(article); def: listed |
SCORECARD
| Participant(s) Name | GridScore | Bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Sanders | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Anirudh Sahni | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Arvind Kannabiran | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Ashit Hegde | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Dave Williams | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Ganesh Nayak | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Himanshu Rajurkar | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Irwin Appel | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Lakshmi Prakash | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Madhup Tewari | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Madhusudan H | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Max Jackson | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Mohsin Ahmed | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| MONA SOGAL | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| N Anantakrishnan | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| NARAYANAN R | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Prakash Arumugam | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Ramki Krishnan | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Samit kallianpur | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Sandhya Paruchuri | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Satyen Nabar | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Sohil | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Sparsh Sinha | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Sree Sree | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Supriya Mithal | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Tejas Siddharth | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| VENKATESAN P. | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Venkatraghavan S | 196 | 5 | 201 |
| Debasmita Basu | 196 | 3 | 199 |
| Ian VanderSchee | 194 | 5 | 199 |
| Jyothish Balakrishnan | 196 | 3 | 199 |
| LV | 196 | 3 | 199 |
| Mark OC | 194 | 5 | 199 |
| Ratna Rao | 196 | 3 | 199 |
| RATNAKUMAR V | 196 | 3 | 199 |
| Suresh Dorbala | 195 | 0 | 195 |
| R Nagendra Prasad | 194 | 0 | 194 |
Congrats to the 28 solvers who maxed the score and to every one who participated. Very well tried.
Grid Rating: The puzzle got a spectacular score of 9.5. It got 21 perfect 10s (58% of those who rated). The lowest score was 8.
Favorite Clues: The Top 3 clues were
Sorry mate, retreating in silence is showing lack of consideration (8) – 12 votes
Bore instructed to comprehend the principle of entertainment value (9) – 7 votes and
Hotel cooks in love with aroma that’s escaped from cooker (2,3,5) – 7 votes
| Comments / Feedback on the puzzle – Please provide specific com |
|---|
| Loved the theme: brought back fond memories. Great clues, with unusual senses of words combined to make great surfaces. Enjoyed the tough challenge. |
| super entertaining as always, but an easier puzzle than the usual Bingo fare |
| Amazing puzzle, such a great mental workout! The construction and quality of clues are spectacular. Wish more people in the global crossword community would enjoy it. |
| Terrific puzzle |
| Very tough and challenging as expected but great fun to solve |
| An absolutely delightful puzzle from the one and only Bhala. |
| Bingo sets the benchmark for 1Ac grids. Always a fulfilling experience to solve them. This is a classic puzzle. |
| Excellent puzzle with may layers |
| Absolutely entertaining! |
| Always look forward to a Bingo puzzle. This is amongst their best works – so many great clues making it nearly impossible to pick the Top 3. |
| Engaging |
| I wish I could rank this higher than 10. Elegant clues so satisfying to solve , great concept with somany levels : perimeter themed words ,also in the grid ,then Ninas ,the omitted letters spelling out another themed word and a perfect title . Very entertaining . |
| Wonderful concept. Mindblowing work. |
| Slightly easier clues from Bingo this time, but an excellent grid nevertheless |
| Very difficult to choose just 3 clues |
| Work of a genius |
| Lovely puzzle. Enjoyed solving it. |
| Brilliant Grid |
| Another excellent puzzle , looked difficult in the beginning but proved me wrong. |
| At first read, I thought it was like groping in the dark. Slowly could work my way through. Bingo’s crosswords are extraordinary and the concepts he comes out with are mind boggling – yet at the end there is a sense of achievement for the solver. Could he raise the bar further than this? If yes, then it would be the ultimate challenge!!! |
| Lots of fun, very satisfying to figure out. |
| Nicely done; tough to get going but actually suddenly felt a lot more doable in the second half! |
| Loved it! |
| Great mental work out. Loved the grid construction and the clues |
| Multi-layered grid, great theme and end-game-enjoyed myself thoroughly 🙂 |
| VERY GOOD |
| Excellent puzzle and it was fun solving it. |
| Easier than Bingo’s usual puzzles. Many new / uncommon words, but gettable from wordplay. Liked the 6 thematic clues – figuring out the letter to be changed to arrive at the actual def gave some aha moments! |
| super grid! |
| Great as usual, lovely clues and theme. I thought it was easier than Bhala’s regular offerings (it’s possible I am used to his style) but interesting all the same. |
| Tough one. Enjoyable. Really smooth surfaces, some of them. Couldn’t really find Men O’ War = Warships, just Man O’ War, but it fits the theme so I guess it’s right. As of now, can’t anno crouches either, but 7/8 letters are in the crossings so I guess that’s right too. |
| This was the perfect level of challenge for me. I would work on it for about an hour a day until I was stuck, then come back to it the next day and do a little more. After three days I was done. Loved it! |
| Another great puzzle. Simpler than his previous grids however. Spent only a couple of days solving instead of the usual couple of weeks. |
| Nice theme. Some wordplay puzzling. |
| Device worked very well, for a theme I really enjoy – many thanks |
Thanks Bingo for a fabulous puzzle with an amazing grid construction, nostalgic theme and terrific clues which unraveled so clearly making it a masterclass in clue writing.