<p>I had another puzzle in <a href="https://puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/cryptic-crossword-independent?puzzleDate=20230228#!202302" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Independent</a> recently (select 28th Feb 2023), but meanwhile, here is Cricket Cryptic #5, as first released in <a href="https://www.countycricketmatters.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">County Cricket Matters</a> issue 11. <span id="more-1716"></span><br/> The solutions and clue explainations are on the CCM site <a href="https://www.countycricketmatters.com/post/answers-to-crossword-5-issue-11-crossword" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>, so no video explainer from me for this one. As usual, scroll down for a browser-solvable version, or print off the <a data-rel="lightbox-image-0" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5.png" title="">standard</a> or <a data-rel="lightbox-image-1" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5-inksaver.png" title="">inksaver</a> versions.<br/> <a data-rel="lightbox-image-2" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5.png" title=""><img alt="Cricket Cryptic #5 by The Void" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1718" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="800" sizes="(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px" src="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5-609x800.png" srcset="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5-609x800.png 609w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5-228x300.png 228w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5-768x1009.png 768w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5-1169x1536.png 1169w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cricket5.png 1195w" width="609"/></a> <link href="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/> <script src="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.js"></script></p> <div id="exolve"></div> <p> <script> createExolve(` exolve-option: color-currclue:#d1ffff font-size:large color-active-clue:white font-family:inherit webifi exolve-begin exolve-width: 15 exolve-height: 15 exolve-title: Cricket Cryptic #5 exolve-setter: The Void exolve-copyright: @TheVoidTLMB exolve-option: ignore-enum-mismatch exolve-maker: Converted by exolve-from-puz.js from Cricket5.puz exolve-grid: I.K.P.....F.M.. STEELE.AFTERALL L.N.A.S.I.R.R.I ATTIC.ALGORITHM N...E.M.L.E.I.I DEFENSIVE.TOAST ..O.T...A...L.E PERHAPS.FORWARD O.E...E...O.R.. POINT.ACROBATIC P.G.U.G.E.I...R INNERTUBE.NOISE N.E.P.L.D.S.T.A GARFIELD.SOBERS ..S.N.....N.M.E exolve-across: 6 Northants stalwart's small golf prop left by edge of Carnoustie (6) 7 Where hallows can be, in any case (5,3) 11 Tacit arrangement of where to store old kit? (5) 12 It's said Vice President beat calculation system (9) 13 See 18 15 At first, the original Ashes struggled to burn (5) 16 Maybe exercise knocks over Henry (7) 18 & 13. Block view of R.A.F. Dresden scramble (7,9) 20 Indicate fielder (5) 22 Agile dancer's on boat to inch at frequent intervals (9) 25 Bertie, dancing with nun's rubber ring (5,4) 26 Ball is held by northern earl, making racket (5) 28 & 29. All-rounder desires golf bar to be rebuilt (8,6) 29 See 28 exolve-down: 1 Ignatius Loyola nodded vacantly in coastal territory (6) 2 Clark's county (4) 3 Put note on part-time troopers' source of nutrition (8) 4 Creature's hollow roar is penetrating body parts (6) 5 Discipline of fighter Liam, drunkenly hiding painting by another (7,3) 8 It traditionally conceals part of plant's foliage (3,4) 9 Restricted bug, trapped by cover (7) 10 Scandinavian people's fast bowler (4) 14 Norse grief disturbed those abroad (10) 16 & 24. White line cutting tranquility, according to Spooner (7,6) 17 Bird twisted ear, being swallowed by pinniped (7) 19 Umpire error: Brian's shown to be dropped regularly (8) 21 Highway menace Penny trapped in Italian city (6) 23 Hire Edith, in part, as mouthpiece (4) 24 See 16 27 One-ton electromagnetic thing (4) exolve-end `); function customizeExolve(puz) { /** * Make the top-clue stickiness work by killing any "overflow" that is not * visible among ancestor elements. */ let parent = puz.frame.parentElement; while (parent) { const hasOverflow = getComputedStyle(parent).overflow; if (hasOverflow !== 'visible') { parent.style.overflow = 'visible'; } parent = parent.parentElement; } puz.checkButton.style.display = 'none'; puz.checkAllButton.style.display = 'none'; puz.buttonRow2.style.display = 'none'; document.addEventListener('exolve', function (e) { if (e.detail.knownCorrect) { alert(' Well batted!'); } }); } </script></p>

<p>I hope you’re having a great summer. Time for a fresh crossword for you good people, so I present you with <em>Et In Arcadia Ego</em>.<span id="more-1386"></span> <a data-rel="lightbox-image-0" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void.png" title="">Standard</a> or <a data-rel="lightbox-image-1" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void_inksaver.png" title="">Inksaver</a> .png files to download and print off, or scroll down for a browser-solvable embedded version. (This time using <a href="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-player.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Exolve Player</a>. Sorry, but it doesn’t work in iOS9. :-/ ) </p> <p>A message will be displayed if you have filled the grid correctly. Answers and explainers in the following blog post.<br/> <a data-rel="lightbox-image-2" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void.png" title=""><img alt="Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1404" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="800" sizes="(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px" src="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void-609x800.png" srcset="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void-609x800.png 609w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void-228x300.png 228w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void-768x1009.png 768w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void-1169x1536.png 1169w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void.png 1195w" width="609"/></a> <link href="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/> <script src="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.js"></script></p> <div id="exolve"></div> <p> <script> createExolve(` exolve-begin exolve-width: 15 exolve-height: 15 exolve-title: Et In Arcadia Ego exolve-setter: The Void exolve-copyright: @TheVoidTLMB exolve-preamble: <center>...<br />====</center><br /> exolve-option: color-currclue:#d1ffff font-size:large color-active-clue:#999 font-family:inherit webifi exolve-maker: Converted by exolve-from-puz.js from Et-In-Arcadia-Ego_The-Void.puz exolve-grid: G...O...R...F.. HAIFA.IRONWORKS E.N.K.N.A.R.O.U EXTRACTED.OWNER ..R.P.E...N.T.V SCOOP.RECOGNIZE U...L.L.L...E.Y PUDGE.AGA.CORGI P.A...C.M.A...N LARGENESS.REJIG I.K.N...H.O.E.. AIRED.CHEQUERED N.O.O.O.L.S.K.I THORNBILL.EASED ..M...R...D...O exolve-across: 5 Technically, isn't Forfar occasionally taken as a port? (5) 7 Dispel risk, or own forgery? (9) 10 Took out surplus caught by editor (9) 11 She has something that hurt Norse queen (5) 12 Southern supermarket is exclusive (5) 13 Nice zero-g floating spot (9) 15 Body fat of American gent half-forgotten when faced with dessert (5) 17 Military leader also retreating from Magaluf (3) 18 Dog breed organisation based in Channel Islands (5) 19 Gibbon's units of inheritance's size (9) 21 Adjust dance again? (5) 23 Song Sheeran broadcast (5) 24 Revolutionary asked to take one out with varying degrees of success (9) 26 Aussie bird disturbed hot sailors with charge (9) 27 Relaxed with topless coquette and duke (5) exolve-down: 1 Roots of ginseng with addictive spreadable foodstuff (4) 2 Gall of old Greek character cycling by Wallsend with energy (3,5) 3 Reportedly travelled by horse to lane (4) 4 French O-level (include name in border) (8) 6 Paint romantic piece that sets the scene (5) 7 Weave together play with Electra in (9) 8 Grown giddy to injustice (5) 9 Examining chaotic state of Gus' vinery (9) 12 Drink with limber beggar (9) 14 With a change of heart, serene woman left student a design for some phones (9) 16 Developing place where daughter and ship-jumper married (8) 18 Catholic woke and partied (8) 20 Space professor is looking at the smallest aspect (3,2) 22 Yanks have penny cut from benefits by judge (5) 24 Singers dispense with hard, husky stuff (4) 25 Tragic queen over-performed? Au contraire! (4) exolve-end `); function customizeExolve(puz) { /** * Make the top-clue stickiness work by killing any "overflow" that is not * visible among ancestor elements. */ let parent = puz.frame.parentElement; while (parent) { const hasOverflow = getComputedStyle(parent).overflow; if (hasOverflow !== 'visible') { parent.style.overflow = 'visible'; } parent = parent.parentElement; } puz.checkButton.style.display = 'none'; puz.checkAllButton.style.display = 'none'; puz.buttonRow2.style.display = 'none'; document.addEventListener('exolve', function (e) { if (e.detail.knownCorrect) { alert(' Game over. Insert coins for more credit. (Or, "Well played!" See https://tlmb.net/blog/solution-to-et-in-arcadia-ego/ for further explanation!)'); } }); } </script></p>

<p>This puzzle was originally published on 30/08/2021 by The Independent, as puzzle #10883. Re-hosted here with their kind permission.<span id="more-2309"></span> You can <a href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Indy10883_by_Mev.pdf" rel="nofollow">right click here</a> to download the Indy’s printable PDF, or solve in-browser below. (You can use the Jotter feature as an anagram shuffler.) This puzzle was <a href="https://www.fifteensquared.net/2021/08/30/independent-10883-by-mev/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">blogged at fifteen squared</a>, where you can read about any potential themes or further details. No further comment from me here. <link href="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.css?v1.50" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/> <script src="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.js?v1.50"></script></p> <div id="exolve"></div> <p><script> createExolve(` exolve-option: color-currclue:#d1ffff font-size:large color-active-clue:white font-family:inherit webifi exolve-preamble: Originally published on 30/8/2021 as The Independent #10883. Rehosted here with their kind permission. exolve-begin exolve-width: 15 exolve-height: 15 exolve-title: Mev #2 exolve-setter: Mev exolve-copyright: Mev exolve-option: ignore-enum-mismatch exolve-maker: Converted by exolve-from-puz.js from Para_by_Mev.puz exolve-grid: ABILITIES.JAPAN T.N.S.S.H.U.A.U HOTEL.SPONSORED L.H.E.U.R.T.A.I EVEN.VENTRICLES T.F.C...H.N.Y.T ELITE.PHANTOMS. S.R.L.R.N.I.P.H .ASTEROID.MAIZE E.T.B.D...E.C.R SUPERHUMAN.IGBO S.L.A.C.T.L.A.I APARTMENT.AMMAN Y.C.E.R.I.T.E.E SPEED.SUCCESSES exolve-across: 1 Skills of adult bisexual inside of slip knots (9) 6 Hard black varnish containers - one not closed (5) 9 Popular European student accommodation (5) 10 As 1d might be - odds on very sunburnt (9) 11 Smooth clue Mev wrote - satisfaction finally (4) 12 Opening broken relic's hollow cavities (10) 14 80s computer game's typeface size is best (5) 15 Vacant podium has not dispelled visions (8) 17 Starfish formed by a biochemical compound (8) 18 Puzzle surrounding Mev's oil supplier (5) 20 Extraordinary hesitations over Midlothian following Drink Aware notices initially (10) 22 Roy Orbison's book promoted without article in African language (4) 24 Accommodation of a point about Gilbert and George? (9) 25 Morning person builds city (5) 26 Rate of ocean's retreat (5) 27 Flipping American cricket club gets five points and wins (9) exolve-down: 1 Herath let Eskinazi reveal sportspeople (8) 2 Tie French plaits up originally (2,3,5,5) 3 Passage on the radio could be key (4) 4 Tons redacted from paper publication (5) 5 Dash north to translate symbols (9) 6 Method of delivery of magazine supporting Welby (4-2-4) 7 Apple's magic army on the rampage in active competitions (10,5) 8 One without kit frequently found double-dipping a shirt (6) 13 Extolled being famous (10) 15 Overseers of audio staff in dark red clothes from Rhodes (9) 16 Protagonists drug gutless enemies (8) 19 SAS orated short pieces (6) 21 Revolutionary occupants of illicit tavern's high chamber... (5) 23 ... and the rest rising not soon enough (4) exolve-end `); function customizeExolve(puz) { /** * Make the top-clue stickiness work by killing any "overflow" that is not * visible among ancestor elements. */ let parent = puz.frame.parentElement; while (parent) { const hasOverflow = getComputedStyle(parent).overflow; if (hasOverflow !== 'visible') { parent.style.overflow = 'visible'; } parent = parent.parentElement; } document.addEventListener('exolve', function (e) { if (e.detail.knownCorrect) { alert('Well done!'); } }); } </script> </p>

<p>Hey hey hey, this one’s been sitting on a shelf since Jan 2021, so it’s time to provide you with some Satisfaction.<span id="more-1353"></span> Hope it doesn’t give you a nervous breakdown, or leave you needing a little helper. As usual, scroll down for the browser-playable version, or download the <a data-rel="lightbox-image-0" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction.png" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="">standard</a> or <a data-rel="lightbox-image-1" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction_inksaver.png" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="">ink-saver</a> pngs to print off.<br/> <a data-rel="lightbox-image-2" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction.png" title=""><img alt="Satisfaction" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1372" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="800" sizes="(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px" src="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction-609x800.png" srcset="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction-609x800.png 609w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction-228x300.png 228w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction-768x1009.png 768w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction-1169x1536.png 1169w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Satisfaction.png 1195w" width="609"/></a><br/> <iframe src="https://www.gocrossword.co.uk/embed.php?c=22263MCaUW" style="width:95%;height:800px;max-height:70vh;border:none"></iframe></p>

<p>Here’s a puzzle I wrote last June. Hope you don’t think it’s a load of tat. <span id="more-1324"></span>Hope springs eternal, eh? Well, here’s the <a data-rel="lightbox-image-0" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat.png" title="">standard</a> and <a data-rel="lightbox-image-1" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat-inksaver.png" title="">inksaver</a> files to download and print off, or you can scroll down to the embedded player. Let me know your favourite clue, on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVoidTLMB" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or here. Enjoy!<br/> <a data-rel="lightbox-image-2" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat.png" title=""><img alt="Tat" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1323" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="800" sizes="(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px" src="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat-609x800.png" srcset="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat-609x800.png 609w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat-228x300.png 228w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat-768x1009.png 768w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat-1169x1536.png 1169w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tat.png 1195w" width="609"/></a><br/> <iframe src="https://www.gocrossword.co.uk/embed.php?c=15501FFJfY" style="width:95%;height:800px;max-height:70vh;border:none"></iframe></p>

<p>Hello, here’s a puzzle for your consideration. I wrote it in August 2020 but it has only just fought its way to the top of the pile.<span id="more-1301"></span> The usual <a data-rel="lightbox-image-0" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant.png" title="">standard</a> and <a data-rel="lightbox-image-1" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant-inksaver.png" title="">inksaver</a> files for you to right-click and download, or scroll down for the embedded player. Solution and explainers to come in a few days.<br/> <a data-rel="lightbox-image-2" data-rl_caption="" data-rl_title="" href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant.png" title=""><img alt="Combatant-by-TheVoidTLMB" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1300" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="800" sizes="(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px" src="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant-609x800.png" srcset="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant-609x800.png 609w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant-228x300.png 228w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant-768x1009.png 768w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant-1169x1536.png 1169w, https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Combatant.png 1195w" width="609"/></a><br/> <iframe src="https://www.gocrossword.co.uk/embed.php?c=15063eVMBX" style="width:95%;height:800px;max-height:70vh;border:none"></iframe></p>

Quiz Events

<p>This puzzle was originally published on 22/04/2021 by The Independent, as puzzle #10772. Re-hosted here with their kind permission.<span id="more-2298"></span> You can <a href="https://tlmb.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Indy10772_by_Mev.pdf" rel="nofollow">right click here</a> to download the Indy’s printable PDF, or solve in-browser below. (You can use the Jotter feature as an anagram shuffler.) This puzzle was <a href="https://www.fifteensquared.net/2021/04/22/independent-10772-by-mev/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">blogged at fifteen squared</a>, where you can read about any potential themes or further details. No further comment from me here. <link href="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.css?v1.50" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/> <script src="https://viresh-ratnakar.github.io/exolve-m.js?v1.50"></script></p> <div id="exolve"></div> <p><script> createExolve(` exolve-option: color-currclue:#d1ffff font-size:large color-active-clue:white font-family:inherit webifi exolve-preamble: Originally published on 22/4/2021 as The Independent #10772. Rehosted here with their kind permission. exolve-begin exolve-width: 15 exolve-height: 15 exolve-title: Mev #1 exolve-setter: Mev exolve-copyright: Mev exolve-option: ignore-enum-mismatch exolve-maker: Converted by exolve-from-puz.js from Nature_by_Mev_c.puz exolve-grid: SYCAMORE.EDITED E.O.T.E.C.I.A.I DAMSELFLY.VINES G.E.V.L.S.E.G.L EXTREME.TORPEDO S...R.X.....R.D .MERE.IMAGINING S.Y.S.V.R.N.N.E WHEATGERM.TREE. A.L.....A.H...M LEATHER.DEEPSEA L.S.Y.I.I.M.W.R OCHRE.BALLADEER W.E.N.S.L.I.D.A SASHAY.HORNBEAM exolve-across: 1 Ill-sounding Italian's love for maple (8) 5 Changed the heart of every cop at the end of Earth Day (6) 10 Defy small wretched insect (9) 11 Climbers limited by heaviness (5) 12 Old call turns stomach: "At last, charge over the top!" (7) 13 Oceanic shocker (7) 14 Insignificant lake (4) 16 Visualising one mother and her ruin in Gabon (9) 20 The gram we pulped into cereal foodstuff (9) 21 3 "not hard" for Rowan? (4) 23 Boggle at Herbie's entertaining tanned skin (7) 26 Worker under pressure 18 (4-3,5) 28 Regularly mined boron rocks that create pigment (5) 29 One that might be red after dance with singer (9) 30 Band has a Yankee swagger (6) 31 Instrument ray finds timber source (8) exolve-down: 1 Plants found by southern borders (6) 2 Colombia greeted traveller focused on sun (5) 3 French man always in exam to achieve highest level (2,7) 4 Myself, for example (9) 6 See 26A 7 Paranormal anti-green colour (9) 8 Criticise house then move (8) 9 Stuff from pharmacy sterilised liquid-filled cavity (4) 15 See Haley's wavy facial hair (9) 17 Give guns to Rashid to bag large ordinary animal (9) 18 Mostly surrounded by water (2,3,4) 19 Takes in Amazons' enemies? (8) 22 Sheep climbing over another for grass (6) 24 Scavenger's expression of contempt about money (5) 25 Minimally restrictive interconnected bone structures (4) 27 European married in Home Counties (5) exolve-end `); function customizeExolve(puz) { /** * Make the top-clue stickiness work by killing any "overflow" that is not * visible among ancestor elements. */ let parent = puz.frame.parentElement; while (parent) { const hasOverflow = getComputedStyle(parent).overflow; if (hasOverflow !== 'visible') { parent.style.overflow = 'visible'; } parent = parent.parentElement; } document.addEventListener('exolve', function (e) { if (e.detail.knownCorrect) { alert('Well done!'); } }); } </script> </p>

An open letter on AI training signed by creators around the world.