Posted by Just to let you know that the answers to the Ashes 2013/14 crossword are now available. The link’s at the bottom of the page and there are explanations as well so that you can see how you’re stupid as well as how stupid you are. If you think that’s insulting, bear in mind that we had to read the entire thing.
This second paragraph was going to be about something else we’d been meaning to say for a while but hadn’t got round to saying – possibly something to do with the website, its ‘direction’ or what you might expect to see in coming days and weeks. As it turns out, we have nothing to share about the website beyond the fact that the crossword answers are available and we’ve covered that above, so…
I was discussing the pathetic lack of comments to the crossword with KC earlier. He said he thought it was due to everyone here these days being too unintellectual to cope with even simple mental tasks like a crossword, everyone having their priorities wrong in thinking cats are better than crosswords, and everyone being a bastard. To use his phrase – “They’re all a bunch of unintellectual, cat-obsessed bastards”. I said nooooooo, it’s probably not that at all. It’s probably that they all did the crossword and really enjoyed it but just forgot to write a comment saying how much they really enjoyed it and they’re not bastards. That’s what I said, that second bit, not that first bit.
Well, I didn’t do it because of the subject matter.
Too soon!
You also wondered whether it was because you’d published it on a Wednesday instead of a Friday, Bert.
I didn’t do it because I could only do 19 Across, and possibly 13 and 16 down, but I don’t normally spell sea-son with a hyphen, so I was then filled with self-doubt and felt unable to continue.
I would take offence, but I know KC’s just angry because it took me 2 minutes to take that photo of StraussCat and it took KC longer than that to write the crossword
Beyond uploading it to the website, we had no role to play in bringing you the crossword. It’s Bert’s work.
Sorry Bert, but I had to abandon it because your crossesandwords was just too easy. And I didn’t even have my dice with me.
I bet StraussCat was superficially indifferent to the crossword, but then he glanced at it and completed it in his cat brain in under seven minutes before treating himself to some food as a reward. And I bet he feigned indifference at the “Start the Car” clue while inwardly appreciating the subtlety of it and treating himself to some food. And I’m prepared to wager a considerable sum that he remained indifferent to the pain of Ashes humiliation so callously revived and treating himself to some food.
We only just understood the ‘start the car’ part of that clue. This thing is wasted on us.
I took one look and decided it was too difficult.
Which is the approach England’s cricketers should take to the World T20.
I blame KC’s cycling site – he’s taking up too much of everybody’s time already, not to mention the weekly badger, and then sets homework. No wonder no-one bothered. Although I did and although there wasn’t a really cracking anti-Giles Clarke clue, it was pretty darn good. 8 out of 10, would have been higher bar for the Clarke oversight.
You’re ticking a lot of boxes there, jimmy. Good work.
There were a lot of “See 17” and “See 4” clues, which are really difficult because they’re all so similar and I have no idea what the numbers refer to. England batsmen T20 strike rates?
I did it. but didn’t make a fuss about it because:
1. I’m not Dave Gorman.
2. There wasn’t a prize.
One small issue; stylistically your crossword leaves a lot to be desired. At times, trying to work out which clue fit which hole felt akin to assembling an Ikea chest of drawers.