DA has written a book about crosswords!
It’s called Puzzled: Secrets and Clues from a Life Lost in Words, and the very kind Jessica Post from Allen & Unwin has sent me a copy to read and a copy to give away.
The book is the whole shebang: a history of crosswords, a history of DA’s playing with words, a guide on how to solve cryptics, a rundown on where crosswords are at now and a cornucopia of linguistic trivia.
Better still, this blog gets a mention:
The book will be released next month some time and is well worth getting your hands on.
I’ve got one copy to give away, and, like Solomon, I have devised a test to determine the book’s rightful owner: whoever creates the best cryptic clue for DA’s real name, David Astle, will have DA’s Puzzled arriving in their letterbox.
Comedian Larry heckles stale cruciverbalist is my attempt at winning the book that I’m giving away, but I’m sure someone else will come up with something better.
You have until this coming Friday, 11:59pm, and only two clues per person please (I don’t want to be reading a War and Peace of clues). Hopefully DA is reading this and is willing to judge who has created the best clue, but if not, I’ll decide the winner over the weekend.
Dastardly Vader said “let the Queen go free” to herald setter (5,5)
Five hundred salivated about puzzler (5,5)
That’s a couple of awesome anagrams there, haiku, especially the second one.
Dead keen setter tops pile.
Enigma maestro catching cricket’s Rahul outright with least spin (5,5)
My Nemesis, palace trades 100 for 500, hosting Melba comeback (5,5)
I think DA deserves an &lit, and one that references his new book, which seems to contain a veritable cornucopia of crossword anecdotes
Is keen to go into 500 cryptic tales! (5, 5)
(AVID into (D + TALES anagram))
The Russian sixpence confused least puzzler. (5, 5)
Puzzled writer of psalms least affected.
(5,5) – added to the above clue.
The Impaler retreated, left out by subconscious discernment without leadership, left in for our hero (5,5)
He sets down a vile container of his own brew at first (5,5)
He sets himself to disseminate a vile STD (5,5)
Saucy Dad’s alive when embracing a model – a puzzling stunner! (5,5)
Whatmore classic mountain way in Lyon the hero?
Setter teased with valid ego trips (5,5)
Confusion lasted with keen setter (5,5)
“e-go” is in honour of all the times DA has misled me with such ruses…
(I thought about calling him an “Age”ing setter, but then realised that DA crosswords would appear in more than just The Age….. oh and it might be rude ;)
Poser advised “Tall order”, Noel puzzle! (5,5)
Eccentric diva outlasted TV wordsmith (5,5)
Devil’s advocate slid, losing firm setter (5,5)
Setter crunched data devils (5,5)
Hard setter, in a dead void, drags tilled soil oddly (5,5)
MC, you beat me to data devils. I hope you don’t mind if I go ahead anyway.
Devil’s data paradox: he delivers us boxes with no letters in them which are hard to get out! (5,5)
Setter is first dog keen to move electric car (5,5)
Western district eager to disrupt electric car grid designer (5,5)
MC/RV, I like your idea. Allow me to tighten it up:
Data devils setter? (5, 5)
Puzzling man Friday initially gets six, then repeats himself with heartless elegance (5,5)
RV – happy for data devils to be used again.
MF – it is tighter but I liked the ‘crunched’ because that is what statisticians do to data.
Of course my cryptic clue ought to have properly read:-
Dead keen setter tops pile (5,5)
Wordsmith finishes Puzzled. Validates confusion. (5,5)
My second entry:
Aussie Setter Maxim: The odds are halved by the leading brumby leaving the stable stumbling
(MAXIM, with the odd letters halved roman numeral-style, plus STABLE minus B, anagrammed)
Puzzled author ended diva comeback lest a problem occur
Puzzled writer slipped dated vials
Our hero drunkenly did Las Vegas. Lost $1000 but kept shirt. Cleansed of original sin.
Dad about even — zealot is a prima donna
Great dane (half up front): swallowed a dachshund’s head and the heart of old English setter
Biblical king, in front of castle, beheaded Goliath among setters.
“Felt Sad” (Iva Davies), played backwards, contains cryptic creator.
A setter best avoided always? No, show awe, boys! (5,5)
Edit:
A setter best avoided always? Hell no – show awe, boys! (5,5)
This setter ‘as deviant clues and pathetic nuances? No!
edit:
This setter infamously ‘as deviant clues and nuances? No!
I only have the one
Our hero: dear leader keen to head off home (5,5)
BTW, it is still Friday morning here in the US :) Please give me a break
It has a brand new Android 4.