Monthly Archives: February 2010

Demon Aficionados – Jan BIG Contests

AFICIONADO comes from the Spanish for ‘arouse affection’ and means an enthusiast or ‘Ardent devotee’ (Demon 22dn).

Most of you Demon aficionados had no trouble with this answer but a few of the less canny crossworders had AFICIANADO, AVICIANADO or even OFFICINADO. The latter caused more problems in across clues, ’Slipstream’ (21ac), which was WAKE [more…]

FREE Puzzle Sample — New Lotus Logic

Download a free sample of Lotus Logic, the new grid on the block, which features in our bi-monthly Lovatts Handy BrainTrainers magazine.

To solve these puzzles, apply the same principles of logic you’d use for Sudoku, but in a roundabout way (check out the grid – you’ll see what we mean!).

Lotus Logic is pure [more…]

Keep it challenging!

In reference to The Judge Sums Up BIG FEB. relating to Goliathon Dec.’09 , I considered ‘two-by two craft’ as one of the easier clues.
What is the purpose of a crossword , such as The Demon or Goliathon , without a challenge?
Christine , I also feel you have been too lenient in increasing the [more…]

Phineas returns – Dec BIG Contests

Anthony Trollope was a very successful and popular novelist in Victorian England. One of his famous series of books was the Palliser novels, including Phineas Finn written in 1869. When it came to our Demon clue, ‘Trollope novel, Phineas …’ at 27ac, many of our puzzlers not surprisingly tried to fit FINN, but this [more…]

Fascinated by frustration?

Thank you very much for the runner-up prize for the Goliathon in Big No. 204 and also the DIY runner-up. I truly enjoy completing Goliathon, Demon, etc. I feel such a sense of achievement when I have completed one of these fascinating/frustrating puzzles.

Thank you all for making these very short days, and long [more…]

Hello – February 2010

There are probably more quotes about love than any other topic, and why not, when love is what makes the world go round?

With St Valentine’s Day this month, there’s no better time to read what famous people have said about love:

“It’s easy to halve the potato where there’s love”
Irish proverb

“You can’t blame gravity for [more…]

Aim High- Nov BIG Contests

Tackling a Demon can be like climbing a mountain and this was true of clue 7dn in the November BIG. ‘Mt McKinley’ didn’t even seem like a clue to some, but the clue referred to the fact that Mt McKinley has another name.

The highest mountain in North America is in Alaska and in 1896 [more…]

As happy as Thelma

Thank you for the book and $50 cheque that I have won so far.

I enjoy reading the comments from other puzzlers and ran across “As happy as Thelma” in January BIG. My granny was also full of Aussieisms and I use them a lot. The one she used the most was [more…]

FREE Puzzle Sample — New Concept-Cross

Download a free sample of catchy new crossword, Concept-Cross, which, following an unprecedented amount of positive feedback,  is now a regular feature in Christine’s BIG. The clues are written in a slightly tongue-in-cheek style, which will bring a smile to your face when the answer reveals itself.

Review some of our readers’ comments in Christine’s [more…]