Christmas Puzzle 2021
This year's annual Charity Christmas Puzzle has now been posted, and is available to download.
This, the 31st annual Puzzle that Gordon Gray has set, has a theme designed to help completion and will appeal to people who enjoy doing Crossword puzzles, such as in the Daily Telegraph (though it is not a Crossword puzzle). Puzzlers have plenty of time to find the answers and Puzzles should be returned, with donation, by 30 January 2022.
Gordon has posted Puzzles to those on distribution list, so these should be received in the next few days. Anyone else who would like a copy of the Puzzle can access it from the web at www.christmaspuzzle.uk. Alternatively puzzles can be collected from St Mary's Eaton Bray.
All the money you donate, except for the prize-money, will go to charity.
Any corrections will be posted to the blog and to the corrections page.
December 8, 2021 | Permalink | Comment
Reader Comments
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December 8, 2021
,Gordon says:One correction has been made since the posted copies were sent out. Please see the Corrections page for details.
December 9, 2021
,Keith A. Simmonds says:Greetings, Gordon! Thanks for a wonderful puzzle! I am wondering if 37(B) carries too many dashes. It seems we need an adjective here. Thanks in advance for checking it out!
December 9, 2021
,Christmas Puzzler says:Hi Keith. I completed the puzzle yesterday, and it all seems to be correct :-) I'd guess you don't have an answer for 37(c) yet? It will all make sense when you do. Happy puzzling everyone!
December 10, 2021
,Keith A. Simmonds says:Thanks, Christmas Puzzler! I have not yet got 37(c), but I know what letter it starts with and am assuming that it's an archaic word. I thought 37(b) should be an adjective to mesh with "wonderful", so I need to rethink the whole thing now.
December 10, 2021
,Diana Platts says:Another wonderful puzzle. My only comment is that 2 similar words fit into 20c. Should I put them both in?
December 11, 2021
,Gordon says:Morning Diana - as, I'm sure you know, I accept alternative correct answers
December 14, 2021
,Gordon says:Things got a bit hairy on 8th December when the Puzzle first went online. It is possible that a small number of people downloaded a copy with an error in1a. This is just to confirm that the clue for 1a should be _ _ _ SUT _.
December 14, 2021
,Keith A. Simmonds says:Good evening, I would just like to confirm that clue n0 3 is ok. I seem to be getting two homophones in 3B and 3C._ _ _ KAB _ _ _ _ _ _ _ LUE _ _ _ _ _ _ TIC 3. … an Australian kingfisher flew across … "flew" and "across" Thanks for checking this out!
December 15, 2021
,janet says:27A seems to require the past tense which does not seem to be listed in Chambers.A noun fits the letters but not the sense of the story
December 15, 2021
,Gordon says:Keith - I'm happy with the clue for Q3 - Gordon Janet - I'm happy with the clue for Q27. I was expecting the past tense (which is listed in Chambers but have decided to make no deductions for the noun. - Gordon
December 22, 2021
,Stephen Baines says:Another fun puzzle Gordon. I seem to have completed Q6 to Q10 without any homophones. All starting letters spell out correctly too. Will need to take a rest and revisit later. Merry Xmas!
December 22, 2021
,Stephen Baines says:Another fun puzzle Gordon. I seem to have completed Q6 to Q10 without any homophones. All starting letters spell out correctly too. Will need to take a rest and revisit later. Merry Xmas!
December 27, 2021
,Kate says:Looking at 18b: I am assuming we are doing British English spellings, right?
December 29, 2021
,Gordon says:Chambers offers two acceptable answers for 18b.
December 30, 2021
,John Whitehead says:Gordon 1. Re 2021 blog Dec 29th - Surely you do not mean that there are two correct answers for 18b? 2. Thank you for amending my place in the three year role of honour, but my personal score in "Your Results" still shows my 2020 score as 119.5, not 120. 3. I continue to be unhappy with some answers that do not exactly match 13th edition Chambers. For example 4c - no mention of "atmosphere" under eerie/eerieness.
December 30, 2021
,Gordon says:For Q7 try 'growing red' Instead of 'glowing red'
January 20, 2022
,Shirley Jones says:I have sent in my answers so can now post on here to request spoiler alerts if submissions are going to include suggested answers! I use the blog to check on corrections but am not keen on encountering ideas over answers/what the homophones might be etc. Many thanks all. S
February 1, 2022
,Gordon says:I am aware that postal deliveries from some parts of the country are being delayed. I have received a number of electronic transfer donations from people who are regular Puzzlers so I propose to delay the draw of winners until 10th February. I will still aim to return scripts by the end of February.
February 2, 2022
,David Pugh says:Another terrific puzzle Gordon. When December is getting cold and gloomy it's a constant pleasure to receive your puzzle and try to spot your devious clues and wait for the penny-dropping moment. It's fun trying to tick off the various rolls of honour - only the 3 year roll eludes me now - a tall order. Long may it continue...
February 14, 2022
,Gordon says:The answers to the Puzzle and Rolls of Honour have been printed. I anticipate a week of stuffing envelopes so you should receive your marked entries in the near future.
February 17, 2022
,Heather Chambers says:Another excellent puzzle, thank you. Having received the answers, I'm still struggling with the homophone in the last set 36-40. I also don't understand the reference to Spencer. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
February 17, 2022
,Heather Chambers says:Another excellent puzzle, thank you. Having received the answers, I'm still struggling with the homophone in the last set 36-40. I also don't understand the reference to Spencer. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
February 18, 2022
,Gordon says:The final homophone was hidden in Q37 in the word 'wonderful', which comprised a conventional clue 'wonder' for which the answer was AMAZEMENT and a homophone 'ful' for which the answer was WAULK which, according to Chambers means 'Full'. Although this seems somewhat obscure WAULK should have been easy to find - I had identified three of the five letters and, with the puzzle's theme identified, the starting letter had to be W you were left with one letter to find W?ULK I assume you mean Spenser, as per 36c, rather than Spencer. Awaited was an obscure definition - it is not a modern term but was used in the 16th century by the poet Edmund Spenser. y using the word Spenser I was simply trying to get as close as possible to the Chambers definition.
February 18, 2022
,Heather Anderton says:Thanks for the returned answers. Can someone please explain the answer to 40b... why Ordnances? Although I wrote it I can't work out why!!!
February 19, 2022
,Graham Eagland says:Chambers lists arrangement under ordnance.
February 24, 2022
,Heather Anderton says:Many thanks, my fault for having the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary!! I'll have to look out for the older one. At least I know now :)