Milo
@milo-xwords.bsky.social
Has plenty of time, so filling it with quizzing, crosswords, and the like.
https://mycrossword.co.uk/Milo
https://mycrossword.co.uk/Milo
You're looking at it the wrong way round, it's an I for Island. Because it is where you land
November 18, 2025 at 11:32 AM
You're looking at it the wrong way round, it's an I for Island. Because it is where you land
Definitely something off with those numbers. They say 8% of people go every week; 8% of the adult pop. is ~4.5m. There are ~40,000 pubs in the country. That would mean a pub quiz with over 100 attendees, at every pub, every week, with no overlap in attendance
November 14, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Definitely something off with those numbers. They say 8% of people go every week; 8% of the adult pop. is ~4.5m. There are ~40,000 pubs in the country. That would mean a pub quiz with over 100 attendees, at every pub, every week, with no overlap in attendance
Counterpoint, at least, has a series currently in the works. And there's a tender for a new production company for BoB. It could stand a little updating, but I hope they don't fiddle with the format too much (I'm a past semi-finalist and want another go!)
November 11, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Counterpoint, at least, has a series currently in the works. And there's a tender for a new production company for BoB. It could stand a little updating, but I hope they don't fiddle with the format too much (I'm a past semi-finalist and want another go!)
Are you *currently* on a boat?
November 8, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Are you *currently* on a boat?
Are you in a venue that could, under some definition, be described as a pub itself?
November 8, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Are you in a venue that could, under some definition, be described as a pub itself?
Yeah, I’m less strict than you but it’s a definite no from me as well. If the letters were together I’d be more forgiving but even then I’d consider it a stretch
November 7, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Yeah, I’m less strict than you but it’s a definite no from me as well. If the letters were together I’d be more forgiving but even then I’d consider it a stretch
Involved = complicated. But it can only be used as an anagrind in adjective form; “involves” or “involving” won’t work
November 5, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Involved = complicated. But it can only be used as an anagrind in adjective form; “involves” or “involving” won’t work
Semi-&lits. are often good for long multi-word anagrams and/or composite anagrams, I find
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Semi-&lits. are often good for long multi-word anagrams and/or composite anagrams, I find
I agree, although I think sometimes people use CAD to refer to extended definitions like that one as well as &lits. (There's also the semi-&lit.: for a true &lit. every element should be both definition and wordplay; the semi-&lit. has a definition that is simply something like "this")
November 5, 2025 at 12:45 PM
I agree, although I think sometimes people use CAD to refer to extended definitions like that one as well as &lits. (There's also the semi-&lit.: for a true &lit. every element should be both definition and wordplay; the semi-&lit. has a definition that is simply something like "this")
It’s really bizarre that M for medium is in there - specifically with reference to clothes sizes - but not S and L
November 4, 2025 at 2:17 PM
It’s really bizarre that M for medium is in there - specifically with reference to clothes sizes - but not S and L
Not at all. I’m surprised it’s not in Chambers, but it’s used far more often in real world situations than many Chambers-recognised abbreviations are
November 4, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Not at all. I’m surprised it’s not in Chambers, but it’s used far more often in real world situations than many Chambers-recognised abbreviations are
No idea who set that, though I know @charliemethven.bsky.social has set something similar (“Run of notes getting higher or lower”) and has puzzles in the i sometimes
November 3, 2025 at 7:54 PM
No idea who set that, though I know @charliemethven.bsky.social has set something similar (“Run of notes getting higher or lower”) and has puzzles in the i sometimes
(The penny has now dropped and I'm feeling very slow!)
November 3, 2025 at 4:35 PM
(The penny has now dropped and I'm feeling very slow!)
Congratulations! Enjoying it so far, though with the grid very nearly complete I've only identified one of the ambiguous clues, so I'm going to have to think a lot harder...
November 3, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Congratulations! Enjoying it so far, though with the grid very nearly complete I've only identified one of the ambiguous clues, so I'm going to have to think a lot harder...
I like that basically everyone thinks Ximenes's distinction is wrong, even though we're on different sides of whether that means both or neither should be acceptable
November 2, 2025 at 1:56 PM
I like that basically everyone thinks Ximenes's distinction is wrong, even though we're on different sides of whether that means both or neither should be acceptable
I used Bowhead recently for the letter B, because it was a whale-themed puzzle and it seemed a good way of getting a whale into a clue. I don't think I would have otherwise. I'm not sure if X would have approved, since although a bow is a physical object I'm not sure if it can be said to have a head
November 1, 2025 at 12:27 PM
I used Bowhead recently for the letter B, because it was a whale-themed puzzle and it seemed a good way of getting a whale into a clue. I don't think I would have otherwise. I'm not sure if X would have approved, since although a bow is a physical object I'm not sure if it can be said to have a head
I put both in the "to be used sparingly" category. Ximenes's logic makes no sense to me: sure, a physical item has a head while a concept doesn't, but a mast's head isn't the letter M; in both cases we're talking about a string of letters. But it's a device that's liable to stale with overuse
November 1, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I put both in the "to be used sparingly" category. Ximenes's logic makes no sense to me: sure, a physical item has a head while a concept doesn't, but a mast's head isn't the letter M; in both cases we're talking about a string of letters. But it's a device that's liable to stale with overuse
Once you Spoonerise it the two p-sounds are together, though, as ~kumppinese... it's not perfect but I've seen dodgier homophones in the wild!
October 30, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Once you Spoonerise it the two p-sounds are together, though, as ~kumppinese... it's not perfect but I've seen dodgier homophones in the wild!
Really very good indeed. Smooth surfaces, neat wordplay, a variety of devices. I think I have one tiny piece of pedantic nitpicking, but only because I spent too long yesterday reading over Ximenes and other setting guides and my brain has got stuck into that mode
October 29, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Really very good indeed. Smooth surfaces, neat wordplay, a variety of devices. I think I have one tiny piece of pedantic nitpicking, but only because I spent too long yesterday reading over Ximenes and other setting guides and my brain has got stuck into that mode
Happy to, I just didn't want to spoil it in case you were an FT regular! There are actually two in today's, one sneakier than the other:
Prison coverage (4)
Flipped someone's lid off admiring flowers (9)
Prison coverage (4)
Flipped someone's lid off admiring flowers (9)
October 29, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Happy to, I just didn't want to spoil it in case you were an FT regular! There are actually two in today's, one sneakier than the other:
Prison coverage (4)
Flipped someone's lid off admiring flowers (9)
Prison coverage (4)
Flipped someone's lid off admiring flowers (9)
fwiw there's a lift-and-separate in today's FT crossword that I think works nicely - no ! or other indication, you just have the spot it. So while some people don't like them, they're certainly not forbidden
October 29, 2025 at 12:17 PM
fwiw there's a lift-and-separate in today's FT crossword that I think works nicely - no ! or other indication, you just have the spot it. So while some people don't like them, they're certainly not forbidden
I suspect, therefore, that he wouldn't be keen on your example - indeed, removing the odd letters *at all* doesn't appear to be something that he ever considered - but I think it's a perfectly reasonable modern innovation. Araucarian rather than Ximenean, perhaps
October 28, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I suspect, therefore, that he wouldn't be keen on your example - indeed, removing the odd letters *at all* doesn't appear to be something that he ever considered - but I think it's a perfectly reasonable modern innovation. Araucarian rather than Ximenean, perhaps
Just had a skim over On the Art of the Crossword: I don't see any specific edict against it, but the only time I can see it in use is in what he terms an "imperfect anagram", ie removing a letter from fodder and then anagramming it
![My next quoted clue I include with very strong reservations, because I regard its method as clumsy and definitely to be avoided, unless there is some strong compensating merit. Others, I think, use it much more readily than I do. This is the imperfect anagram, an anagram in which some letter or letters must be added or subtracted. The essence of an anagram is, I think, its completeness. This usage spoils it. However, here goes: “Clumsy tailors are, almost, of their work [9]”. The answer is
SARTORIAL: “almost”’ indicates that the final E of “are” must be disregarded. I’m not proud of it, but I passed it because I couldn’t resist the appropriateness of working tailors into an anagram.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qhtf4duemyvpl3nghoenlrqc/bafkreidi4gnbgedzs7g5reneodzxtknjftvjd3qadeqzobsz2uc4pujkwa@jpeg)
October 28, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Just had a skim over On the Art of the Crossword: I don't see any specific edict against it, but the only time I can see it in use is in what he terms an "imperfect anagram", ie removing a letter from fodder and then anagramming it