Stats: The puzzle page was loaded 683 times. 66 visitors had a go at it and 34 solvers completed and submitted the puzzle and the bonus form. The remaining 32 solved it partly or fully but did not submit. Only 13 solvers got the full score.
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Second Chance<<< Click Here for the Puzzle Post
Here is the solution grid:
BONUS QUESTIONS:
Q1. Which two letters can be spotted in the shaded squares (1,1)? ANS: X,O
Q2. First of the two words revised in the Second Chance? ANS: WOOER
Q3. Second of the two words revised in the Second Chance? ANS:THORN
Q3. Name of the game (17 letters, 3 words) ANS:NOUGHTS AND CROSSES
Annotations
| Ref. | Clue | Solution | Annotation |
| 1a | Refrain from putting shame on sailor (7) | ABSTAIN | Refrain <definition> = {from} putting STAIN (shame) after [on in across clue] AB (sailor) AB. AB STAIN |
| 5a | University, being essentially Catholic, stocking religious books related to reproduction (7) | MITOTIC | MIT (university) I (beIng essentially) C (Catholic) outside [stocking] OT (religious books) {=} Related to reproduction <def> MIT(OT)I.C |
| 9a | US city’s ‘steaming and exfoliating’, a fad I awkwardly avoided (9) | LEXINGTON | US city <definition> = {‘s} aNdEXfOLiaTING* [steaming] -afadi*. (LEXINGTON + AFADI)* = (ANDEXFOLIATING)* |
| 10a* – changes for bonus | One performing Brazilian fighting to win former lover back (5) | WAXER | One performing Brazilian <definition> {=} WAR (fighting) outside [to win] XE (EX [former lover] <- [back]). WA(<-XE)R |
| 11a | What’s produced by a black or white pen? (6) | CYGNET | CD. Pens (female swans, black or white) produce cygnets (their offspring) |
| 12a | Returning men confess U-boat gets struck regularly, causing truancy (7) | ABSENCE | mEnCoNfEsSuBoAt <- [Returning] then removing even letters [gets struck regularly] = {causing} Truancy <definition>. A/B/S/E/N/C/E/<- |
| 14a | Traces from inconsiderate school boy’s nasty digits on books (4) | ISBN | Acrostic [traces from] I… S… B… N… {=} Digits on books <definition> I…S…B…N |
| 15a | Outstanding state school removed and Treasury installed (10) | PREEMINENT | Outstanding <definition> {=} PREsENT (state) -s [School removed] outside MINE [and treasury installed] = PRE(-s)E(MINE)NT |
| 20a | Atom to decrease right away? (3) | ION | Atom <definition> {=} IrON (to de-crease) -r (Right away). I(-r)ON |
| 21a | Hesitation about new church welcoming radical cult leader from Austria (10) | RELUCTANCE | Hesitation <definition> RE (about) N+CE (new church) outside [welcoming] CULT* [radical] A [leader from Austria]. RE [LUCT(*)A]NCE |
| 22a | Reverse park beside posh vehicles (4) | UTES | SET (park) <- [reverse] = TES after [beside can mean either] U (posh) = Vehicles <definition>. U TES<- |
| 24a | Can sue ultimately after spots picked up without a reservation? (7) | ENCLAVE | LAV (can) E [suE ultimately] after aCNE (spots) <- [picked up] -a = Reservation <definition>. ENC(-a)<- LAV E |
| 27a | Shoe brand inspiring endlessly innovative creative spirit (6) | PNEUMA | PUMA (shoe brand) outside [inspiring] NE [endlessly NEw (innovative)] = Creative energy <definition>. P[NE(-w)]UMA |
| 29a | Green? Ok, it involves some kind of fungus (5) | ENOKI | Telescopic/hidden word clue. greEN.OK.It involves [indicator] Some kind of fungus <definition> |
| 30a | Old copper transfixed by drug ring in trial is not effective (9) | EXECUTORY | EX (old) CU (copper) outside [transfixed by] E (drug) O (ring) inside [in] TRY (trial) = {is} Not effective <definition>. EX(E)CU T(O)RY |
| 31a | Cunning way Santa traverses the entire globe before Christmas time (7) | SLEIGHT | Cunning <definition> = SLEIGH (way Santa traverses the entire globe before Christmas) T (time). SLEIGH T. |
| 32a | Frank from Religious Studies (7) | SINCERE | Frank <definition> = SINCE (from) RE (religious studies). SINCE RE. |
| 1d | Rod putting something unknown in drink (4) | AXLE | Rod <definition> = X inside [putting something unknown in] ALE (drink). A(X)LE. |
| 2d | Maybe Presley and Boyle’s Xmas performance saves finale in gala (3,6) | SEX SYMBOL | Maybe Presley <definition> = {and} BOYLESXMaS* [performance] -a [saves finale in galA]. SEXSYMBOL(-a)(*) |
| 3d | Leader in hiding beginning to get shade (6) | AWNING | remove first letter from [leader in hiding] dAWNING (beginning) = {to get} Shade <definition>. (-d)AWNING |
| 4d | Train with a ring at swimming pools (9) | NATATORIA | (TRAIN + A + O [ring] + AT*) [swimming] = Pools <definition>. NATAT[O]RIA(*) |
| 5d | Set up meeting embracing a new Japanese animation style (5) | MANGA | AGM (meeting) <- [set up] outside [embracing] A N (new) = Japanese animation style <definition>. M(A.N)GA<- |
| 6d | Cross snowstorms in certain region in Canada? (8) | TOWNSHIP | T (cross) SNOW* [storms – elision] HIP (in) = Certain region in Canada <definition>. T OWNS(*) HIP. |
| 7d* – changes for bonus | American’s books about Chopper (from Down Under) (5) | TEXAN | American <definition> = {‘s} NT (books) outside AXE (chopper) <- [from down under]. T(EXA)N<- |
| 8d | Rottnest Island, perhaps, supporting Cooladdi’s first musician (10) | CORNETTIST | (ROTTNEST+I [island]*) [perhaps] after [supporting in down clue] C [Cooladdi’s first] = Musician <definition>. C ORNETTIST(*) |
| 13d | Erin FC’s repeatedly out of order for violence (10) | FIERCENESS | Letterbank Clue: ERINFCS** [repeatedly out of order] = {for} Violence <definition>. ERINFCS** = FIERCENESS |
| 16d | October 4th: entering Space Era (3) | EON | O (octOber 4th) inside [entering] EN (space) = Era <definition>. E(O)N |
| 18d | Unplanned pregnancy oddly starts stopping extreme fighting (9) | EXTEMPORE | Unplanned <definition> = P… O… [starts] inside [stopping] EXTREME* [fighting]. EXTEM(P.O.)RE(*) |
| 19d | Spike piercing neck causes abrasion (8) | SCRAPING | PIN (spike) inside [piercing] SCRAG (neck) = {causes} Abrasion <definition>. SCRA(PIN)G |
| 23d | Venetian bread, cheese, quince jams (6) | SEQUIN | Telescopic/hidden word clue. Venetian bread (money) <definition> cheeSE.QUINce jams [indicator] |
| 25d | Needing spaces filled after 100 left organization outed in leak (5) | CLOZE | Needing spaces filled <definition> = after C (100) L (left) -o [Organization outed] in oOZE (leak). C L (-o)OZE |
| 26d | Fire French writer caught infiltrating Egypt (5) | EJECT | Fire <definition> = JE [French writer (me)] C (caught) inside [infiltrating] ET (Egypt). E(JE.C)T |
| 28d | Alter ego doctor has to conceal we hear (4) | HYDE | Alter ego Doctor (Jekyll) has <definition> = HYDE [hide homophone (to conceal we hear)] also an extended definition clue. HYDE hp. |
Here’s the list of Top Scorers (For the full list, please check the Leaderboard in the Hall of Fame)
Each of the following scored 168 points (Grid Score = 163 and Bonus points =5)
Al Sanders
Himanshu Rajurkar
Lakshmi Prakash
Madhup Tewari
Madhusudan H
Mona Sogal
Narayanan Rangamani
Raj Jayaram
Ramesh Swaminathan
Samit Kallianpur
Sparsh Sinha
Tejas Siddharth and
Venkatraghavan S.
Congrats to the toppers and to all the solvers who participated.
Grid Rating: The puzzle got an impressive score of 8.12. It got 7 perfect 10s (21% of those who rated). The lowest score was 5.
Favorite Clues: The Top clues were
- One performing Brazilian fighting to win former lover back (5) – 10 votes
- Hesitation about new church welcoming radical cult leader from Austria (10) – 8 votes
- Cunning way Santa traverses the entire globe before Christmas time (7) – 6 votes
- Maybe Presley and Boyle’s Xmas performance saves finale in gala (3,6) – 6 votes
- Spike piercing neck causes abrasion (8) – 6 votes
Thanks Scratch for a cracking debut with an intricate theme that had our solvers scratching their heads :). Keep ’em coming.
Here’s what our solvers said..
| Name | Comments / Feedback on the puzzle |
|---|---|
| Venkatesan P. | Liked the concept. Very interesting. |
| Jyothish Balakrishnan | High precision work – with a lot of kisses! |
| Sandhya Paruchuri | Challenging puzzle! Excellent clues! |
| Ashit Hegde | Great clues , Great Challenge |
| Venkatraghavan S. | Lovely grid. Nothing really to comment about. |
| Al Sanders | Very difficult but fun, thanks! |
| Nagendra Prasad R. | A very good debut. |
| Ramesh Swaminathan | Very interesting grid. Grid fill is a pangram too with same rare words making it a challenging solve! Nevertheless enjoyable with many good clues. Some of the word play spun cleverly like Shane Warne’s googly. Bonus was challenging too. This setter is no debutant. |
| Rathna Kumar | Nice grid |
| Madhup Tewari | Some clues were quite tough. Very enjoyable puzzle, all in all. |
| Koteswar Rao | Good puzzle. I feel alternative answers for replacement words is possible |
| Ramki Krishnan | Challenging puzzle with some aha moments. TOWNSHIP, SCRAPING were craftily done. The bonus questions were also very satisfying to solve (hoping I got them right!) |
| Narayana Swamy D | Nice clues |
| Samit Kallianpur | Congratulations on your 1st grid Nick! In 4d, which is an anagram, Ring = O is 1 step indirect? |
| Madhusudan H | Need to tread carefully with this grid having some tough words and tricky word plays, overall it is a great debut . |
| Narayanan Rangamani | NICE ONE |
| Tejas Siddharth | Changing an X to an O makes the game invalid with 6 Os and 3 Xs |
| Raj Jayaram | Clever idea to include noughts and crosses. Could have avoided uncommon words like “cloze”. Why use that when more common words like “clone”, “close” or “clove” can still fit in the grid? Needless complexity in my opinion |
| Mona Sogal | Interesting end game—enjoyed playing noughts and crosses after a long time!i found some of the surfaces awkward… |
| Max Jackson | Some questionable clues. 16, 30 ac, 6, 13, 25 dn not fully understood.The only place I could see to create valid changed words was in the top right, but this leaves a invalid game, having 6 Os and 3 Xs. The only valid change for the game, satisfying the requirement to have two changed words, is in the bottom right, but it’s not possible to create new words with three more letter changes. Or maybe I’m just not seeing it. |
Thank you to everyone who attempted my grid and congratulations, especially, to those who obtained full marks for it. I appreciate both the kind words and the suggestions for improvement. Huge thanks also to Sowmya for all her help.
Firstly, I must apologise for the solution containing six Os and three Xs, clearly making it an invalid game of Noughts and Crosses. Having played around with many possible arrangements I missed this major detail.
In terms of clues, I felt that ring for o in an anagram was similar to love but perhaps others disagree and/or it at least needed a ? Perhaps, too, the pangram was too much and created unnecessarily difficult words.
I hope you enjoyed the grid but I’m always keen to make it better where possible too.
If you have any other feedback, feel free to private message me or email me at nickloader223@gmail.com
Scratch