MEGA Winners – Issue 23

Mighty Mega
1 x £200
K Jardine, Leeds.

2 x Home Office Prize Packs
M Milton, Ilford; J Patrick, Halifax.

Mega Mix
1 x £100
James Girdwood, West Calder.

2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
Janet Hodson, Liverpool; Nick Robbins, Middleton-on-Sea.

Mega Stinker
1 x £100
J Walton, Lockstock Hall.

3 x Kitchen Prize Packs
P Hagger, Hull; A Inglesby, Cheltenham; R Ratcliffe, Leigh.

Lucky Subscriber Draw Winners – January/February 2013

Congratulations to these five lucky puzzlers who will each have his or her subscription outlay returned:

Mrs Beryl Bennett, Wollaton, Nottingham
Mrs Ruth Singleton, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Mr Michael Spinks, Exeter
Mrs S Tunstall, Newbury, Berkshire
Mrs Sylvia Whitehead, London

Colossus 255 Hello

Sometimes a word comes your way which makes you realise that there’s a whole different world of activity out there that you never dreamed of.

One advantage of solving crosswords that you may have discovered is expanding your vocabulary. I know many of you keep a notebook of new words you come across, so that you can remember them next time they appear in a crossword.

People think that because I create crosswords I must know all the words – the truth is very far from that. I come across unknown words all the time, and usually try to make a note of them, to look up later.

I encountered the word tribology recently and made a note for future research. It looks like the perfect word for the study of tribes, but that is far from its meaning.

Car Engine

Tribology (pronounced try-bolla-jee) is the study of friction, wear, lubrication and the design of bearings; the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion. In other words, how things rub along with each other. This is the definition in the Oxford English Dictionary but more than that, the Sometimes a word comes your way which makes you realise that there’s a whole different world of activity out there that you never dreamed of.word was actually invented by the lexicographers at OED.

In 1965, a group of lubrication engineers decided they needed a name for what they did and contacted the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary for help. Out of this came the word tribology, from the Greek tribos ‘rubbing’.

Isn’t it comforting to know that there are teams of scientists out there studying how skates behave on ice or how tyres adapt to different road conditions, improving our safety and efficiency in so many ways?

Sabaton

Another strange word I had to look up recently is sabaton. A weapon used by a saboteur maybe? No, it’s the footwear that goes with a knight’s armour. The sabaton, also known as a solleret, is a pointy shoe made of – wait for it – riveted iron plates. And I thought my stilettos were uncomfortable. Imagine walking on iron plates!

Up until the 15C, they ended in a tapered point well past the toes but then they were made to end at the tip of the toes – probably got fed up with being trodden on. In fact, the length of the sabaton was a class-conscious issue. Only princes and dukes were allowed to have toes 2.5 feet long, lords 2 feet long and gentry only 1-foot long.

So watch out – I might add these words to a crossword any time soon. Remember you read it here first.

Happy Puzzling!

BIG Winners – Issue 243

BIGCASH
£300 Winner
T Carpenter, Eastbourne.

3 x £40 Winners
Janet Craig, Necton; B Watts, Bedworth; Norman Wilkinson, Linthwaite.

Goliathon
£100 Winner
Catherine Thomson, Argyll.

4 x £20 Winners
Janet Hobbs, Worle; G McCahey; C Southwell, Wallasey; J Thornton, Garforth.

DEMON
£100 Winner
S Reeves, Aston-on-Clun.

3 x £25 Winners
Raymond Bithell, Worthenbury; Shirley Hills, Lightwater; Kathryn Leach, Birdwell.

BONANZA
Big Easy – P4
Solution: Live Laugh Dance
2 x Stationery Prize Packs
R Horsfall, Bexhill-on-Sea; J Shrimpton, Maldon.

Ninesies – P8
Solution: Merry
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
A Larner, Theydon Bois; Nora Ross, Ellesmere Port.

Wheel Words – P10
Solution: Adherence
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
S Cheshire, Mold; Rosemary Welch, Ilminster.

Elevenses – P14
Solution: Hugs
2 x Stationery Prize Packs
Ann King, Burgess Hill; Ann Ludkin, Harleston.

Staff Choice – P22
Solution: Roy Orbison
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
Maud Haggie, Ellesmere Port; J Payne, Wivenhoe.

Two-Way Teaser – P24
Solution: Press Release
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
A Brooks, Aston; Kathryn Leach, Barnsley.

Concept Cross – P26
Solution: Resolves
2 x Stationery Packs
K Kirby, Bawtry; W Sharrocks, Dukinfield.

Acrostic – P27
Solution: Alfred Lord Tennyson
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
John Fletcher, Swinton; B Manthorpe, Alicante, Spain.

Do Your Block – P38
Solution: Holiday
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
M Frost, Goole; Tracy Knight, London.

Fill-In – P38
Solution: Visitors
2 x Stationery Prize Packs
Jean Bennett, Hutton; Michelle Price, Weymouth.

Wiz Words – P39
Solution: Celebrate
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
D Ross, Aberdeen; M Whalley, Cheltenham.

Starhunt 5 – P40
Solution: Lauren Bacall
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
F McGinty, Port; W Middleton, Sheffield.

Starhunt 6 – P40
Solution: Kurt Russell
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
A Murphy, Buxton; T Shazell, Keyham.

Starhunt 7 – P41
Solution: Maura Tierney
2 x Stationery Prize Packs
L Myatt, Walsall; F Webster, Holmes Chapel.

Starhunt 8 – P41
Solution: Tommy Lee Jones
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
M Cummins, Harwich; Daphne Zackon, London.

Big Tougher – P46
Solution: Begin At The Beginning
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Dorothy McDonald, Forfar; June Whiston, Stoke on Trent.

FindaWord – P75
Solution: There And Back Again
2 x £10 WHSmith Tokens
D Ellis, Newcastle Upon Tyne; R Squire, Brighton.

Puzzle Collection 84 Winners

COLLECTION CONTEST No 84
1 x £100
Lynne Simonite, Heanor.

3 x £50
A Taylor, Lytham St.Annes; Lynne Turner, Bedwas; J Whittaker, Farnham.

Double Monster Drawer No 84
1 x £200
Mary West, London.

Monster Colossus Winner No 84
1 x £100
A Johnson, Ecclesfield.

Monster Colossus Runners-Up No 84
2 x £25
Jill Kuhn, Plymouth; Jenny Wood, Willenhall.

Monster Starhunt Winner No 84
1 x £100
P Cowell, Birchington.

Monster Starhunt Runners-Up No 84
2 x £25
Peter Brown, Exeter; M Smith, Marlow.

STINKER No 84
1 x £100
Janet Wight, Broham.

2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Theresa McAllister, Glasgow; W Michael, Southampton.

GIANT CRYPTIC No 84
1 x £100
T Shaw, Plymouth.

2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
Stephen Evans, Powys; J Eversden, London.

COLLECTION CONTEST COUPON No 84

Photo Find – P2
Solution: Leprechaun
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Lynn Burton, Huntingdon; J Eversden, London.

Magic Squares – P53
Solution: Tastiest
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Bernie Campbell, Thornton; R Pratt, Binley.

Spirogram – P59
Solution: Venture
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
L Huffen, Kirkby-in-Ashfield; Raymond Jones, Bargoed.

Pop Words – P61
Solution: Loretta Lynn
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Kevin Crad, Chippenham; Margaret Gechie, Midlothian.

Findaword – P64
Solution: Frangipani

2 x Home Office Prize Packs
M Benson, Thornton Cleveleys; B McLoghlin, Wirral.

Starcross – P65
Solution: End of Watch
2 x Lovatts Domino Sets
K Gittins, Wakefield; Lorraine Pulfer, Gorleston.

Do Your Block – P70
Solution: Calendar
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Elaine Bridger, Dukesmead; Pamela Matthews, Cullompton.

Acrostic – P71
Solution: The Modern Pentathlon
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Yvonne Law, Saffron Walden; Priscilla Long, Calne.

Cluedunnit – P123
Solution: Anna Paquin
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Donna Hodgskin, Liverpool; Agnes Matthew, Aberdeen.

Cryptic Crosswords Winners (Issue 17)

Cryptic Contest
1 x £200
Anita Klugman, Bexhill.

5 x £20
Sue Legget, Devon; James Mason, Bridlington; D McHugh, Manchester; Allan Robertson, Stanley; Betty Snelling, Horsham.

Colossus 254 Winners

BAFFLER No 254
3 x £50 Prize Cheques
Brenda Abbott, Huddersfield; G Dunster, Chertsey; S Nichols, Arundel.

GIANT CRYPTIC No 254
1 x £100 Prize Cheque
R McDowall, Uddingston.

3 x Stationery Prize Packs
Jackie McLeod, Richmond; Linda Palmer, Ipswich; Lorraine Pulfer, Gorleston.

CASHWORDS No 254
1 x £200
Maria Evans, Leigh.

4 x £25
R Godwin, Bournemouth; L James, Ballyclare; David Lewis, Hounslow; Carol Phillips, Portrush.

STINKER No 254
1 x £100 Prize Cheque
D Edmonds, Twickenham.

3 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Brenda Kynoch, Caithness; S Lawes, Bourton; C Shaw, Yelverton.

THE KNOWLEDGE No 254
2 x £25 Prize Cheques
D Chandler, Fremington; Marlene Davies, Birmingham.

Puzzle Collection 83 Winners

COLLECTION CONTEST No 83
1 x £100
Marjorie MacKintosh, Coventry.

3 x £50
Anthony Bailes, Wendling; Joan Dale, Fleetwood; S Vesey, Bracknell.

Double Monster Drawer No 83
1 x £200
L Hewitt, Kearsley.

Monster Colossus Winner No 83
1 x £100
E Kitchen, West Hallam.

Monster Colossus Runners-Up No 83
2 x £25
John Goodwin, Leek; Patricia Humphreys, St Neots.

Monster Starhunt Winner No 83
1 x £100
John Azopardi, Horsham.

Monster Starhunt Runners-Up No 83
2 x £25
Kay Neal, Cannock; David Unsworth, Middleton.

STINKER No 83
1 x £100
Gillian Watkinson, Solihull.

2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Gladys Anderson, Castle Douglas; Sue Surry, Grays.

GIANT CRYPTIC No 83
1 x £100
J Hodgson, Harrogate.

2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
R Murray, Annan; J Vaughan, Lincoln.

COLLECTION CONTEST COUPON No 83
Photo Find – P2
Solution: Afternoon
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
M Dominguez, Leamington Spa; Anne Gallacher, Kirkintilloch.

Magic Squares – P53
Solution: Satellites
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Pauline Carpenter, Eastbourne; D Ellis, Accrington.

Spirogram – P59
Solution: Rooster
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
B Gladdish, Sidcup; Joan Jackson, Billericay.

Pop Words – P61
Solution: Cat Stevens
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Trudi Hall, Crewe; Dianne Simpson, S Annes.

Findaword – P64
Solution: Happy Families
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
F Drayton, Maidenhead; Leslie Thorold, Broxtowe.

Starcross – P65
Solution: Total Recall
2 x Lovatts Domino Sets
Gill Johnson, Sherborne; R Wyatt, Longwell Green.

Do Your Block – P70
Solution: Utterance
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
S Brown, Shipley; Andree Monteux, France.

Acrostic – P71
Solution: Herbert George Wells
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
A McGregor, Larbert; J Woodward, Watford.

Cluedunnit – P123
Solution: Charlton Heston
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
P Atkins, Beckenham; Tony Fragel, Axminster.

Colossus 253 Winners

BAFFLER No 253
3 x £50 Prize Cheques
Ian Glenn, Felixstowe; Wendy Stafford, Stockport; Hilda Terry, Pocklington.

GIANT CRYPTIC No 253
1 x £100 Prize Cheque
June Liddle, Ovingham.

3 x Lovatts Jotter Pad & Calculator
Janella Calvert, Norton; Jackie McLeoad, Richmond; P Portlock, Doncaster.

CASHWORDS No 253
1 x £200
J Fisher, Canterbury.

4 x £25
Julia Garland, Chepstow; R Hewitt, Egham; D Holden, Ocle Pychard; Carol McGeoghan, Penwortham.

STINKER No 253
1 x £100 Prize Cheque
Shirley Jones, Rossett.

3 x Home Office Packs
S Carman, Ripley;Joan Lovedays, Swindon; W Rowland, Rotherham.

THE KNOWLEDGE No 253
2 x £25 Prize Cheques
Richard Shell, Worthing; Cath Sullivan, Doncaster.

BIG Winners – Issue 242

BIGCASH
£300 Winner
John Magurn, Darlington.

3 x £40 Winners
M Spargo, Sutton Coldfield; J Tyrrell, Great Eccleston; J Williamson, Smiths Wood.

Goliathon
£100 Winner
Wendy Rhodes, Shipley.

4 x £20 Winners
Rosemary Harris, Cannock; E Hibbs, Newport; David Jones, Carshalton; Carole Swyer, Alton.

DEMON
£100 Winner
Sandy Pearse, Church Stretton.

3 x £25 Winners
Ruth Carson, Burnage; J Kinane, Wigan; Nigel Morris, Hayes.

BONANZA
Big Easy – P4
Solution: Seasons Greetings

2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
K Bollons, Peterborough; C Bridge, Herne Bay.

Ninesies – P8
Solution: Bells
2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
E Morris, Stafford; Mary Ralfs, Westbury-on-Tyrm.

Wheel Words – P10
Solution: Pineapple
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Sylvia Brack, Billingham; D Sibbald, Ash.

Elevenses – P14
Solution: Tinsel
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Y Burr, Orpington; U Ritchie, Southmead.

Christmas Cross – P22
Solution: Surprise
2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
K Cavnor, Doncaster; E Poulter, Dereham.

Two-Way Teaser – P24
Solution: Ice Cream Cone
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
M Edmonston, St Brelade; Maria Finnegan, Dublin.

Concept Cross – P26
Solution: Merriment
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Lynn Burns, Belfast; D Craik, Blackness.

Acrostic – P27
Solution: The Cherry Tree Carol
2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
Mary Richards, Ryde; J Wagstaff, Surbiton.

Do Your Block – P38
Solution: Wisemen
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
Richard Edwards, Swange; Andrew Smith, Stourbridge.

Fill-In – P38
Solution: Lights
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
June Holness, Whitstable; Eddy Ignace, Chessington.

Wiz Words – P39
Solution: Hosanna
2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
Yvonne Law, Saffron Walden, Lynne Simonite, Marlpool.

Starhunt 5 – P40
Solution: Arthur Christmas
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Norman Rees, Luton; E Ruthven, Corby.

Starhunt 6 – P40
Solution: While you were Sleeping
2 x Kitchen Prize Packs
B Clark, Huntington; Mary Hamilton, Stevenston.

Starhunt 7 – P41
Solution: The Santa Claus
2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
Margaret Mead, Dunstable; Ann Wyatt, Hull.

Starhunt 8 – P41
Solution: Bad Santa
2 x Home Office Prize Packs
Doreen Fryer, Gran Canaria; Donna Gallagher, Ballymena.

Big Tougher – P46
Solution: A Partridge in a Pear Tree
2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
S Roberts, Kettering; K Widgery, Chard.

FindaWord – P75
Solution: Gingerbread House
2 x Collins Gem Prize Packs
L Benfold, Portsmouth; Brenda Buckle, Barrowford.

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