April has arrived, and with it, the tradition of April Fools' Day continues to flourish in the world of cryptic crossword puzzles. The playful spirit of the season is alive and well, as setters devise clever and humorous ways to celebrate this time of year.
The Art of April Foolery in Crosswords
While no rule-bending cryptic puzzles have been spotted yet this month, there are notable examples worth highlighting. For instance, the Financial Times puzzle by the setter known as Harpo offers a delightful challenge. Additionally, Independent 12,318 by Enigmatist and the Guardian's own Paul provide engaging experiences for solvers.
Transatlantic Tricks and Witty Quips
Across the Atlantic, the New York Times occasionally employs a clever technique where longer entries form amusing quotations when pieced together. In a recent puzzle, entries like "QUICK START," "YOUNG AT HEART," "SECOND LINE," and "PAY UP FRONT" were clued as parts of a quip. However, when combined, they did not create a particularly memorable saying, showcasing a twist that is more common in British crosswords.
Genius Puzzles and Creative Themes
Turnstone's Genius 273 presented a crafty challenge, requiring solvers to move letters between across and down clues to generate the message "SUM TO FINAL." The sum of numbers for paired clues revealed the final clue number and the theme, THIRTY-ONE, hinted at by unclued entries such as GALLIUM, NETHERLANDS, and HOGMANAY. As May approaches, another Genius puzzle from KGB awaits, promising a tough solve that might not be completed during a commute.
Cluing Conference Highlights
In the cluing conference, contributors shared inventive clues for GREENE. Le74's clue, "He wrote the beginning of the end of the genre novel," sparked interest, though its mechanics remain unclear. For author Graham Greene, titles like The Heart of the Matter inspired wordplay, as seen in Wellywearer2's clue "Author of tt."
Rakali announced a creative blend of cryptic wordplay with Japanese verse, forming a "haiklu" with the clue: "Blend cryptic wordplay with Japanese verse to form a delectable haiklu (patent pending) he made The Third Man once oddly go missing with endless avarice (6)." Runners-up included Mr_Rob_T's "Wilder perhaps carrying on becoming author" and Newlaplandes's "Teenagers perhaps sat around with this Blue Peter presenter." The winner was Fozza9's evocative clue: "Lime, perhaps, Vienna's third man who told tales."
Engaging with the Crossword Community
Readers are encouraged to share their entries for GREENE, along with any favourite clues or puzzles they have encountered. Alan Connor, the Guardian's crossword editor, continues to oversee these discussions. His book, 188 Words for Rain, is available for purchase, with delivery charges possibly applying.
The enduring appeal of crosswords lies in their ability to blend logic, language, and humour, making April Fools' Day a perfect occasion for setters to showcase their creativity. As the month progresses, solvers can look forward to more innovative and entertaining puzzles that challenge and delight.
