Enigmatic clues and witty wordplay ruled the day as ambitious solvers tackled the Sunday Crossword No. 3291 with zeal. The puzzle, devoid of an author credit, provided a true test of lexicon and logic.
The crossword opened with a clever nod to comedy, suggesting excellent timing by a sozzled comic at bars, leading solvers to the phrase “stand-up act.” The top spy, known for decoding key issues, was identified concisely in seven letters. A girl to harbor affection for appeared in a different guise, while minimal cutting of a purple aster led to a five-letter solution, demonstrating the puzzle’s linguistic dexterity.
An irrelevant fellow found his eight-letter description in a grid where unreal spectacles covered by editors flipped perspectives. A mere four letters sufficed to pronounce someone virtuous, a riddle answered only upon marriage to the right word.
Two words, each of four letters long, describe the hand-to-hand struggle of man-to-man combat, an encounter that traditionally involves a dual approach. The game room held at its end the key to the ten-letter word describing one with the best of intentions.
Sometimes, when a session is not quite complete, unawareness reigns, prompting second thoughts in an eight-letter clue. A five-letter word pondered whether payment for articles is necessary, and a Kenyan retreat provided the backdrop for a technology adopted by one fresh to life’s stage.
The seven-letter solution for a jazz fan encompassing a time period led to restful contemplation while retirement, while taken in reverse, revealed a place noted for cake, tucked within the description of a book.
Among the more straightforward challenges, a seven-letter word surfaced amidst temper and fault-finding with weight. A book and a magazine barely made progress, fitting snugly into an eight-letter answer, while a mere four letters announced the mobile market’s presence.
A starter of arugula merged with the son among other ingredients, reflective of a place where one might encounter rocket, all within a ten-letter word. Cold, tough leafy greens found their essence in five letters, and efforts racing signified someone immersed primarily, served in seven letters.
One couldn’t miss the weather system of horrible, often cold crud laid out in a long 13 letters, paralleling the calmness of cities, unusually so, filling another 13-letter span, mapping an acumen for reorientation.
The world of entertainment saw Cliff, a pop star, sharing a year with none other than a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, concocting a ten-letter blend. To eat or not to eat? A contemptible type had seconds in an eight-letter quandary. Sinful greed, gathered by a rector, was spelled out in seven.
A Wagner piece, seen as tiresome and vacuous, manifested within seven letters, while family uncomplainers, minus Everyman, spanned five. Finally, superfoods like quinoa and chia made their four-letter statement.
A challenge of wit, knowledge, and wordplay, Sunday Crossword No. 3291 offered a diverse array of clues spanning the worlds of food, literature, geography, and more, leaving solvers both intrigued and occasionally stumped, but ever more adventurous in their lexical conquests. As papers shuffled and pens raced, each participant embarked on an intricate dance with language, poised to untangle the crossword’s mysteries – a testament to the timeless appeal of the Sunday Magazine’s cerebral entertainment.
