GTP Puzzle - Solutions and "Quick" Version Now Available

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polysmut

polysmut

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** Untagged spoilers appear in post #18 **
and may appear anywhere thereafter​

** Solutions in spoiler tags are in post #3 **

Here's a cryptic crossword created especially for this forum.

IMG_20201208_125823.jpg


Enjoy it. Or don't. It's up to you.

"Quick" (non-cryptic) version
 
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Typed clues are here for easier reading. These are not the solutions.
Across
9. Researcher logs out if shattered (9)
10. Saloon that is demonstrating part of mid section (5)
11. Surprise green flag and oddly Loeb is behind (7)
12. Maybe seconds found on circuit could earn pole position (3,4)
13. Generates piece written on board (6)
14. Among others, two aliens are about to box in calendar's opener (2,6)
16. Raise the price in March (4)
17. NASCAR's third race (5)
18. Find X (4)
22. Manufacturer gives up after Bimmer splits in half (8)
24. Country legend associated with bulls (6)
27. Charge ahead of Mini round the outside then get clumsy essentially (7)
28. Let's end working and get tucked in (7)
29. "Good posterior", said feminist (5)
30. Animals wearing jewellery is nonsense (9)
Down
1. Gauges sites visited regularly to find non-members (6)
2. Commentator given a flyer for Vision GT project (8)
3. Writing on the wall? (7)
4. Story garners a thousand upvotes (5)
5. Racing perhaps to reallocate title and cash (9)
6. Faster platform following code revolution (7)
7. Driver from England briefly in midfield (6)
8. Transmission and fender 80% completed (8)
15. Twitch users of course enter racing series to begin with (9)
16. Start here in Leaf (8)
19. Promoting propulsion method on the radio (8)
20. Something bad gets into exhaust causing mischief (7)
21. Convention with exclusive gaming machine (7)
23. Staggered starts in rally ensured Esapekka was in first (6)
25. Doesn't cover up and dust gets in unfortunately (6)
26. In Japan, I'm enjoying some art (5)
IMG_20201208_114313~2.jpg

It's all now even easier to read if you click this link.
Famine
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pAeH7vECFUq_-TCXKU1PYSBOeuz0hU4_jIHyHYEl6xs/edit?usp=sharing
Click to expand...
 
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** SPOILER ALERT - Solutions Are Here **

Fully parsed solutions. Definitions are underlined in blue.

9. Researcher logs out if shatterred (9)
UFOLOGIST
Anagram (shattered) of LOGS OUT IF

10. Saloon that is demonstrating part of mid section (5)
INNIE
INN (saloon) + IE (that is - id est)

11. Surprise green flag and oddly Loeb is behind (7)
STARTLE
START (green flag) + odd letters (oddly) of LoEb

12. Maybe seconds found on circuit could earn pole position (3,4)
LAP TIME
TIME (maybe seconds) found on LAP (circuit)

13. Generates piece written on board (6)
SPAWNS
PAWN (a chess piece) inserted into SS (written on board)

14. Among others, two aliens are about to box in calendar's opener (2,6)
ET CETERA
ET ET (two aliens) + reversal (about) of ARE all goes outside of (or boxes in) the first letter (opener) of Calendar

16. Raise the price in March (4)
HIKE
Double definition

17. NASCAR's third race (5)
STOCK
The third letter in the acronym NASCAR stands for STOCK

18. Find / X (4)
SPOT
Literal definition and cryptic definition
"X marks the spot"

22. Manufacturer gives up after Bimmer splits in half (8)
MERCEDES
BimMER + CEDES (gives up)

24. Country / legend associated with bulls (6)
JORDAN
Double definition - the second one referring to Michael Jordan, formerly of the Chicago Bulls

27. Charge ahead of Mini round the outside then get clumsy essentially (7)
PREMIUM
PRE (ahead of) + outside letters (round the outside) of MinI + central letters (essentially) of clUMsy

28. Let's end working and get tucked in (7)
NESTLED
Anagram (working) of LETS END

29. "Good posterior", said feminist (5)
GREER
G (good) + homophone (said) of REAR (posterior)
The feminist here is Germaine

30. Animals wearing jewellery is nonsense (9)
RAMBLINGS
RAMS (animals) carrying (wearing) BLING (jewellery)

1. Gauges sites visited regularly to find non-members (6)
GUESTS
Alternate letters (visited regularly) of GaUgEs SiTeS

2. Commentator given a flyer for Vision GT project (8)
TOMAHAWK
TOM (commentator - @Tom / this guy) + A HAWK (a flyer/bird)

3. Writing on the wall? (7)
POSTING
Cryptic definition

4. Story garners a thousand upvotes (5)
LIKES
Insertion (garners) of K (a thousand) into LIES (story)

5. Racing perhaps to reallocate title and cash (9)
ATHLETICS
Anagram (to reallocate) of TITLE and CASH

6. Faster platform following code revolution (7)
NIPPIER
Reversal (revolution) of PIN (code - Personal Identification Number) + PIER (platform)

7. Driver from England briefly in midfield (6)
ENGINE
ENG (England briefly) + IN (in) + middle letter (mid) of fiEld

8. Transmission and fender 80% completed (8)
TELECAST
The first 8 of the 10 letters in TELECASTer
As in Fender Telecaster

15. Twitch users of course enter racing series to begin with (9)
STREAMERS
STREAM (course) + first letters (to begin with) of Enter, Racing and Series

16. Start here in Leaf (8)
HOMEPAGE
HOME (in) + PAGE (leaf)

19. Promoting propulsion method on the radio (8)
PEDDLING
Homophone (on the radio) of PEDALLING (propulsion method)

20. Something bad gets into exhaust causing mischief (7)
DEVILRY
EVIL (something bad) inserted into (gets into) DRY (exhaust)

21. Convention with exclusive gaming machine (7)
CONSOLE
CON (convention) + SOLE (exclusive)

23. Staggered starts in rally ensured Esapekka was in first (6)
REELED
First letters from (starts in) Rally, Ensured and Esapekka + LED (was in first)

25. Doesn't cover up and dust gets in unfortunately (6)
NUDIST
Anagram (unfortunately) of DUST and IN

26. In Japan, I'm enjoying some art (5)
ANIME
Concealed within (in) JapAN IM Enjoying

IMG_20201221_163017~2.jpg
 
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silverman_GT
6 characters, and if by "piece" you mean "news article"...is @Famine the answer?
Click to expand...
I don't think I should say too much about the solutions, at least for now.

However, in a cryptic clue there will normally be a definition either at the start or the end and the rest of the clue will be wordplay.
 
silverman_GT
6 characters, and if by "piece" you mean "news article"...is @Famine the answer?
Click to expand...
Cryptic crosswords don't work that way. The clue gives you various bits of the answer, rather than being the entire answer.

In this case, the first word, "generates", could be a synonym - so you're probably looking for a six-letter word that means "generates". The rest of the clue gives you letters or sections of that word, which you then assemble into the answer. "Piece" I think is one part of the answer, and "on board" is the other, but I won't say how or why yet :D
 
Some more information about how cryptic clues work.

A cryptic crossword clue will almost always consist of wordplay and definition with the definition either at the start or the end of the clue. Sometimes 2 definitions without wordplay, sometimes just a cryptic definition. Literal definitions or synonyms are a lot more common than cryptic definitions. Sometimes there's other funny business going on but not very often.

There are a handful of standard wordplay techniques that use indicator words or phrases such as 'messy' or 'scrambled' for an anagram. Other standard techniques include reversal, insertion, deletion, initial/central/final letters, spoonerisms and homophones.

Indicators and definitions can be either obvious, disguised or very disguised.

Common abbreviations can be used, so the word time in a clue might signify T in the solution. Though time will more commonly mean ERA or AGE.

Punctuation, capital letters and even occasionally spacing may need to be altered to make sense of the solving process.

________________________________


Solutions to some clues I've posted as statuses recently. The definition part of each clue is underlined in blue.

Loose fitting jumper with matronly hems (5)

Jumper = ROO (short for kangaroo)
Hems is indicating the edges, or first and last letters, of MatronlY
When you put ROO with MY you get the solution ROOMY which matches the definition.


Unrelenting expression of gratitude in nice takeaway (9)

Expression of gratitude in Nice = MERCI
(as Nice is a city in France & that's the French word for thank you)
Take away = LESS
Giving us the solution MERCILESS


Mistreated starter from Chevy truck finally turned by itself earlier (10)

Starter from Chevy = C (first letter of Chevy)
Truck = UTE (an Australian pickup truck)
Finally turned = D (last letter of turned)
By itself = PER SE and that goes before (earlier than) the rest of it.
PERSECUTED


Fool comes around, essentially searching for GTP member (5)

Fool = JOKE
Essentially searching = C (the central letter of searChing)
When JO KE comes around (indicating insertion/envelope) C we get JOCKE


Switching sides in assembly vote (8)

Assembly = ErECTION
Switching sides is a switch between L/R for left and right giving ELECTION meaning vote.
Remembering that the definition will be at the start or the end of the clue helps us to check we're entering the right word in the grid.


American truck beeps at regular intervals (9)

American truck = SEMI
Beeps = TONES
Which means SEMITONES are the regular intervals we're looking for.


Hunger suppressed by British Rail sandwich (6)

Hunger = URGE
British Rail = BR
Suppressed is indicating insertion/envelope so the solution is BURGER


We roll out independent article relating to author's vision (9)

"out" is an anagram indicator which turns "we roll" into ORWELL
Independent = I
Article = AN
Relating to author's vision =ORWELLIAN
 
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polysmut
You've probably already solved it too.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I've solved the top-left corner, much of the bottom-right, and a couple that jumped out at me (29A :lol: ). I've not had a lot of time, and I've got a mystery illness which is disengaging my brain.
 
polysmut
The solution to that one can help with another one. It's in the bottom-right so you might already have it.
Click to expand...
I guessed at that one, but I haven't come up with much of a reason for it other than it's a (first word) that fits - and is GTP related. I can't resolve the rest of the clue yet, but my attention span is totally squirrel.

Edit: OH YOU ANUS. I was thinking of the legend of myth, not of fame. Yes, obviously.
 
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Famine
I guessed at that one, but I haven't come up with much of a reason for it other than it's a (first word) that fits - and is GTP related. I can't resolve the rest of the clue yet, but my attention span is totally squirrel.
Click to expand...
It sounds like you've solved it correctly. There's general knowledge needed to parse it, something mostly well known but not to everyone.

Edit:
Famine
Edit: OH YOU ANUS
Click to expand...
:lol:
That's my favourite kind of reaction to the penny dropping.
My mate gave me a loud but appreciative "oh 🤬 off!" when he gave up on one puzzle of mine with just this left to get & I revealed the answer:

Huge quantities - possibly eleven, twelve or thirteen (6)
 
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polysmut
My mate gave me a loud but appreciative "oh 🤬 off!" when he gave up on one puzzle of mine with just this left to get & I revealed the answer:

Huge quantities - possibly eleven, twelve or thirteen (6)
Click to expand...
Oceans :D
 
polysmut
:lol:
That's my favourite kind of reaction to the penny dropping.
Click to expand...
I'm a little tired, but I managed to poke my brain into getting a couple more, which helped with a couple of others. I've got 7, 8, 10, and 14 left, but they'll come to me tomorrow.
 
** Spoiler alert! **
Feel free to discuss solutions openly from here onwards.

silverman_GT
6 characters, and if by "piece" you mean "news article"...is @Famine the answer?
Click to expand...
Now that some time has passed I'll reveal more.

13A: Generates piece written on board (6)

"On board" is something that appears in many cryptics, it tells you to insert something into SS (steamship). It's as if the thing inserted is on board the ship.
"Written on board" is doing the same job here, as completing the puzzle involves writing the solutions in the grid.

"Piece" in a cryptic clue often refers to chess pieces. The word "man" in a clue can also do that.

The definition here is the first word of the clue, "generates".

If you can find a chess piece to fill these gaps
S _ _ _ _ S
to form a word meaning "generates" then you'll have the answer.

If this was a quick (non-cryptic) crossword then FAMINE would have been one possible solution.

________________

The game of bridge is often referenced too (but isn't in this GTP puzzle).
Bridge is played by four players labelled North, South, East and West. North & South play as partners against the partnership of East and West.
"Opponents" in a clue can mean NE, EN, NW, WN, SW, WS, ES or SE.
"Partners" in a clue can mean NS, SN, WE or EW.
 
Solutions are now available in post #3

If anybody wants to try the GTP crossword but isn't au fait with cryptics, you could try this before looking at the solutions:

A "quick crossword" (that's non-cryptic) can be attempted using the definition parts of the cryptic clues.

Some of the definitions might be a bit loose or cryptic as they were written to go alongside wordplay so this may or may not work very well.

Anyone intending to do the cryptic version should not look at these clues.
Across
9. Researcher (9)
10. Part of mid section (5)
11. Surprise (7)
12. Could earn pole position (3,4)
13. Generates (6)
14. Among others (2,6)
16. Raise the price (4)
17. Race (5)
18. Find (4)
22. Manufacturer (8)
24. Country (6)
27. Charge (7)
28. Tucked in (7)
29. Feminist (5)
30. Nonsense (9)
Down
1. Non-members (6)
2. Vision GT Project (8)
3. Writing on the wall (7)
4. Upvotes (5)
5. Racing perhaps (9)
6. Faster (7)
7. Driver (6)
8. Transmission (8)
15. Twitch users (9)
16. Start here (8)
19. Promoting (8)
20. Mischief (7)
21. Gaming machine (7)
23. Staggered (6)
25. Doesn't cover up (6)
26. Some art (6)
 
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Thank you for an exciting puzzle! I tried to solve everything without using your hints and spoilers. As a child, I just loved crosswords. Every weekend, I came to my grandmother to solve fresh puzzles in magazines that she bought.After a while, I switched to 1001 piece puzzles. However, I return to verbal riddles and nostalgia for my childhood from time to time. If you develop other crosswords, be sure to leave a link on this topic. I'll go ahead and leave my opinion on the compilation. Have a nice day!
 
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