wilko put together the following crosswords for the Glasgow moot last weekend. He posted them at TORC and very generously stated that he doesn't mind if they are reproduced elsewhere so I thought Hoffers would enjoy them!
He says that these crosswords are cryptic! This means that each clue includes a loose definition of the solution, but also hints at the answer in some other way (anagram, double-meaning, etc). All clues are Tolkien-themed (more or less, I have taken the odd liberty..).
He says he will post the solutions at TORC in a few days - I'll copy them across when he does.
GRID A
ACROSS
6. Cast artful eye to the year’s start (9)
7. Done to Frodo, so Bilbo would assume (5)
8. Fiend that starts on Roman Catholics (3)
9. She’s little and belongs to a princess (3)
11. Precious metal is famous look-alike (5)
13. Dozing in a loud argument, without good far-sighted king (9)
DOWN
1. It's not the Great River! (9)
2. Confounded relative is a hoot (4)
3. Tally TORC? The One Ring often did this (3,2,4)
4. Profit from voyeur - or may Tolkien disapprove? (4)
5. Possibly ebb, once he is caught in the fire (9)
10. Street-map (American) goes up to the Shire (4)
12. Boy takes a year to turn to she of the Golden Wood (4)
GRID B
ACROSS
1. Vial made from lead crystal (4-5)
6. Southern light is broken, for good or ill (5)
7. Nothing in to be taken by the Watcher (3)
8. A peaceful way, then drain away (4,5)
11. ___less Elven boats seen in the Hoarwell (3)
12. Wise man is traitor reversed (5)
14. David's foe is lost in the city (9)
DOWN
1. It's a hobbit, potatoes sprout up (5)
2. Bard's was good to achieve his goal (3)
3. She's an enchanted girdle, à la Melian in her way (9)
4. Gild a flower from the White Mountains (5)
5. Arien oddly spurns her ride (3)
9. Troll told to get out and shrivel up (5)
10. What's the point of Arnor? (5)
11. Frodo loses his father, old Proudfoot (3)
13. Initially taken each afternoon, by Bilbo at four (3)
Extra point: which word is spelled out by the circled letters? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mornings wouldn't suck so badly if they came later in the day.
Impy, I missed them when you put them up! This is cool.
Thanks, Wilko! - and thanks, Imp, for copying them over.
I'm going to be out of town for the next few days so I won't have a chance to give these a shot. Please don't post the solutions until we've had a crack at them!
ACROSS
1. Vial made from lead crystal (4-5)
6. Southern light is broken, for good or ill (5) ORMAL
7. Nothing in to be taken by the Watcher (3)
8. A peaceful way, then drain away (4,5)
11. ___less Elven boats seen in the Hoarwell (3) OAR
12. Wise man is traitor reversed (5) ISTAR
14. David's foe is lost in the city (9) OSGILIATH
DOWN
1. It's a hobbit, potatoes sprout up (5)
2. Bard's was good to achieve his goal (3) AIM
3. She's an enchanted girdle, à la Melian in her way (9) GALADRIEL
4. Gild a flower from the White Mountains (5)
5. Arien oddly spurns her ride (3)
9. Troll told to get out and shrivel up (5)
10. What's the point of Arnor? (5) FIRTH
11. Frodo loses his father, old Proudfoot (3) ODO
13. Initially taken each afternoon, by Bilbo at four (3) TEA
Oooooh! I didn't see the responses until now! I haven't checked whether wilks has the solutions up - I'd better go look so I've got them on hand in case anyone needs them.
Mornings wouldn't suck so badly if they came later in the day.
The solutions have been posted on TORC at least a month ago - which I think also explains the lack of responses in this thread, together with a reluctance to play Tolkien trivia (my own quiz a while ago fared so badly that I changed my mind about posting wilko's crosswords here, although in Glasgow I said that I might).
but being a cheerful hobbit he had not needed hope, as long as despair could be postponed.
