| Comments on the clues |
|---|
| 1. Bart's father has second thoughts, works out more to stick out battle with overeating |
| 1. | I don't think 'second thoughts' is a fair indicator for H | | 2. | HOMER resolves to def has H (loosely indicated) [+] rearranges fodder, so is invalid. Out disturbs the surface reading in the BULGE clue. |
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| 3. Bishop spread glue to bag pigeon in back of minster. |
| 1. | Bag doesn't quite gel, unfortunately. |
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| 4. Blow up bugle in front of racing pigeon |
| 1. | Double duty for blow up breaks the clue. And the surface is destroyed by up anyway. |
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| 7. Duff drinker? Or could be ancient Greek beer belly characteristic? |
| 1. | Clue for bulge doesn’t seem cryptic | | 2. | wp seems to be missing for the BULGE clue. Or more work is needed to make the def cryptic. |
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| 8. Epic creator of Mr. Simpson, beer-belly and funny blue trousers guy, primarily. |
| 1. | Shame about the clunky primarily. | | 2. | Enjoyable, if a bit easy (you don't need the full stop by the way) |
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| 10. Hospital newcomers in part measure swelling viral disease consuming liberal energy |
| 1. | The partial lurker wp feels like a cop out, with an ungenerous def; and the surface fizzles out a bit with liberal for the L. |
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| 11. Hump dull ogre regularly after bastard husband runs round Moe drunkenly? |
| 1. | Do you ever see &lits without standalone def in published LEFT/RIGHT puzzles? I'm not keen, though see they have done well in previous comps |
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| 12. I'm leaving Belgium sadly, it was outstanding…Hungary with Rome trip to follow, that's my Odyssey? |
| 1. | Past tense for the BULGE def feels odd. And you need H and ROME to be joint subjects of trip, so to follow is padding not position indicator | | 2. | ellipsis separating the two clues not ideal! | | 3. | Beezer! I hope this is up there. Top score. |
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| 13. In Istanbul, Germans battle in river with Greek poet |
| 1. | A bit nonsensical, but I think the geographic location + two nationalities just about holds the surface together. Points from me. | | 2. | An unlikely story! | | 3. | with? |
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| 14. In middle of first epic poem, writer starts to believe Ullysses legend greatly enhances project |
| 1. | Need to lose the unfair comma (and the Ulysses typo!). | | 2. | The comma is not needed for the surface, and breaks the first def | | 3. | Nice, but 'project' doesn't seem quite the right word? | | 4. | Would have scored this higher but for the odd spelling |
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| 15. In opening of rhapsody, epic composer made bugle swell |
| 1. | Not sure about ‘made’ – otherwise wonderful. | | 2. | Not convinced by 'made' as the anagrind | | 3. | Nice surface. |
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| 16. In runs an old Greek bag, beginning to gyrate in blue pants |
| 1. | This would be nice if the surface was more believable |
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| 18. Interminable bum with large belly or Marge's vacuous husband when animated |
| 1. | The apostrophe-s breaks the ME indication. |
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| 20. Legendary Greek chap more excited after hot girl applied lube around protuberance |
| 1. | Legendary doesn't help def (or surface). | | 2. | Points for filth! |
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| 21. Old author's house overlooking sea in Guadeloupe where, after bugle played, a major battle took place |
| 1. | Not entirely convinced by def wrapped around wp in the BULGE clue. | | 2. | Perhaps too elaborate with the explanation. |
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| 22. Pigeon in restaurant starter swell – "A stand-out" |
| 1. | BULGE defs too close to each other. | | 2. | Love the pigeon starter but the two bulge definitions are too close for my liking |
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| 24. Poet from Rome had originally played golf in blue slips to stand out |
| 1. | The BULGE wp is awkward: the cryptic grammar focus is on golf, requiring a participial anagrind if it's to be a verb. |
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| 27. Salient feature of Istanbul – gentlemen hosting prayer conducted by the lady poet (5)(5) |
| 1. | I tried to use 'salient' but gave up. Nice clue but I'm dubious about OM = prayer | | 2. | A touch Byzantine with the explanation. |
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| 29. Simpson in royal blue pants embodies 'good' paunchiness |
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| 30. Smash hit from author of epic blue novel featuring good amount of swelling |
| 1. | Amount of swelling doesn't really sit well in the surface, so there's a descent to bathos. |
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| 31. Swell area of Kabul gets in Republican painter from America |
| 1. | A nice clue but the painter is rather obscure |
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| 34. Temporary increase in Kabul gear with omerta smothering big hit |
| 1. | What does the surface mean? |
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| 35. This pigeon occasionally nods but ugly little green eyes initially swell |
| 1. | Very good. No justice if it's not thereabouts. |
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| 36. What protrudes from a lost beluga swimming in local river? It’s a pigeon! |
| 1. | Nice idea but a far-fetched story | | 2. | why local? |
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