Can you crack the world’s toughest crossword?
WIN £100 CASH
A CROSSWORD compiler for the Daily Express believes he has created the toughest cryptic puzzle ever.
Marc Breman, 56, who has been supplying the Crusader Prize Crossword for more than 20 years, claims his new giant puzzle could take the average enthusiast two years to solve.
He says the crossword, which features 64 “fiendishly tough” clues, is 100 times harder than any he has made up in 30 years.
Marc, who writes an average of 13,500 clues per year and has compiled more than 30,000 crosswords since 1991, said: “I’m not saying that this crossword cannot be completed, because of course it can.
“But it is nevertheless fiendishly tough and significantly harder than anything I’ve ever compiled before.
“It was referred to by a colleague as the ‘world’s hardest’ – an opinion which, based on my own professional experience, seems about right.”
The hardest clue is said to be Four Down, “Dishonest, short of getting further at King’s Head”. The answer “relies on an uncommon usage of an obscure word”.
Cryptic puzzles like this one can only be completed with experience and an ability to think laterally. The internet cannot help.
The unprecedented difficulty of Marc’s latest crossword, which he devised for “fun”, lies in its linguistic wordplay and numerous hidden meanings.
The average crossword enthusiast takes around a week to complete the hardest type of cryptic puzzle.
Marc said: “Based on the feedback of other compilers who have seen it or tried it, mine is about 100 times harder.
“If that description is indeed correct, then it stands to reason that it would take the average enthusiast 100 times longer to solve it.
“This amounts to 100 weeks, or just over two years.”
ACROSS
1 Leave after finding nothing in big rambling empty space (4,6) 6 Tolerate swimming in sea that tastes of tarragon (9) 13 Exterminator has drink within Denmark’s borders (5) 14 Round a great deal, turning out hit that’s within hearing (7) 15 Some heat to cook rice, getting address in Spain back (7) 16 People fail to perform with that woman’s leaderless energy (8) 17 Tiny bit hard, production being broadcast (6) 18 American uncle has left grand in Wimbledon (4) 21 Endless call to finish measurement system in the tube (6) 23 Tune has audible pause and it slows down (3,5) 25 Virtuoso pianist makes record, capturing mezzo’s heart (5) 27 Car blockade has husband running from Bonn to Berlin (8) 29 Head of casting is apparent during whole film (4) 31 Force redhead to leave ales out for sugar supplier... (7) 35... while two presidents take one for water (5) 36 Borderless land with musical backing gets an F, say (9) 38 Mention missing British swimmer (5) 39 Lost message initially not appearing in court (7) 41 One wrapped in bacon, informally, often after chicken (4) 42 Lack of cover not applicable to holiday-making, old excepted (8) 44 Refrain, having renounced Catholic god (5) 46 Rarest natural thing in a situation outside (8) 48 The same time out taken by royal chief (6) 51 Yorkshire flower of zero application (4) 52 Supermarket’s first poster is a simple thing (6) 54 Renaissance figure reaches endgame with US subject (8) 58 Played role wearing top, wasting second getting seafood (7) 59 Dance, taking drug, joining large set (7) 60 Follower rejected conclusion and hit organised religion (5) 61 Is transported and held inside devil’s workshop (4,5) 62 Jellyfish swallowed gem formation that’s often crystallised (4,6)
DOWN
1 Writer, say, coming back with papers (4) 2 During dance, he’ll deploy carrier (7) 3 Old rallying point in old TV series with no middle or end (5) 4 Dishonest, short of getting further at King’s Head (6) 5 Scholarship got one a lot of land, formerly (8) 7 Antipodean took cover during deployment of cane (7) 8 Tommy is no mod, getting work as leader (4,5) 9 Rod in scrap to get Lombardy crown (4) 10 Heard title more in Paris - too much (7) 11 Platform has no space for student or new conciseness (4) 12 The trouble with growth is protection (6) 19 Exploit terrible initial take-off during flight (8) 20 Flirt, visiting first beach in the Costa Blanca (4,6) 22 Going by coach with island head for professional purposes (2,8) 24 What Nietzsche wrote about rates and capital (9) 26 Cook foremost cuisine with leading playboy (4) 28 Artist occupies avian property (5) 30 Work hard to remove rut developing out of chaos (4) 32 Almost a return to Atari’s ultimate computers (5) 33 They’re collected from border in record time (8) 34 Night, without a current replacement weapon (4) 37 English drink not registered as Dutch export (4) 40 Pizza supplier finds time right to race round during song (9) 43 Drinking group gets rest to set broken foot (8) 44 Fuss about a large bear (6) 45 Kane’s last word to girlfriend (7) 47 Number added to recipients of email that’s stolen (7) 49 Everyone in Italy needing extremes, audibly disapproving (7) 50 Twisted descent, all so twisted, reaches bottom end (6) 53 Clip ends off negative that’s found on the floor (4) 55 Elizabethan has to get irregular start, not uniform (5) 56 Swelling school terms’ starts by six months (4) 57 24 having a drink (4)
FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £100 CASH read down the letters in the highlighted squares to reveal the mystery word.
ACROSS 1 Rap is out of tune - damn (5,4) 6 A small one, loud? I doubt it (2,2) 10 Movement has nothing to leave (2,3) 11 You and I notice about that place being worn (9) 12 Stones cry out, getting copper to island (7) 13 False step for every one on excursion (7) 14 Bird broke her replica ark (7,6) 17 Security guards out on a particular limb (7,6) 21 Stop riding - no rush travelling east (7) 22 Mollify primate with vegetables (7) 24 Generally at sea (2,3,4) 25 Current laid out in epic poem (5) 26 Swindle has no right to correct mark (4) 27 Terribly rude about gear, with EU back in fashion (2,7)
DOWN 1 Prevent bird reaching valve (8) 2 Use a shroud, say (5) 3 Burlier triplet trained a pet (3,4,7) 4 Blue file about criminal (7) 5 Reporting character after a few days - that’s not strong (4,3) 7 Discard club, it’s rubbish (5,4) 8 In favour of getting journalist a hat (6) 9 Analyst audibly performing music using film (6-8) 15 Beautiful article he cites about having time (9) 16 Snowboarder, quiet, gets more embarrassed (8) 18 Diamonds come down in part of Europe (7) 19 Novice left to join breadwinner (7) 20 Youngster first became an artist (6) 23 Similar answer - enjoy (5)
TO ENTER: call 0904 161 3700 and leave your answer and details, or text DXCRUS followed by a space, your answer, name and address details to 84915. calls cost £1.50 plus your telephone company’s network access charge. Texts cost £1.50 plus your standard network rate. Lines close at midnight tonight. or send your grid containing the answer in the shaded squares by posting it to: crusader crossword, april 19, Po Box 12578, Sutton coldfield B73 9BT. entries must be postmarked by april 20 at the latest. SP: Spoke – 0333 202 3390. For any postal enquiries, call helpline number. ● The winner will be the first random correct entry drawn from all entry routes after the closing date of April 26. NEED HELP? call 0904 161 1609 for 5 extra clues! calls cost £1.50 plus your telephone company’s network access charge.