Janette Barclay - Mount Maunganui, NZ

I am an avid fan of your puzzles, so thank you for them.

Progression of Multiple Sclerosis has depleted the use of my writing hand, so over the past year I have taught myself to use my left.

Oddly enough, the squares of the puzzles have been a great help, enabling me to re-size the letters to gain legibility.

Another occupational therapy ‘feather in your cap’ feature of your magazines!

Hoping to win something one day, for now, completing a puzzle feels like ‘winning’ to me.

Best wishes and ‘keep ‘em coming’!

Colossus 137 Gremlins

Colossus No. 8 pg 44

The clue at 16 down should read ‘& 265 across Cuban leader (5,6)’, or more correctly ‘Former Cuban leader’ as his brother, Raul, succeeded him in April 2011.

With thanks to Ray Grindlay and Ros Clark.

Wheel Words solution pg 72

The word ‘Pace’ shouldn’t be in the list as it doesn’t contain the centre ‘L’. 

With thanks to Ros Clark, who spotted this error.

Handy Killer Addoku 29 Gremlin

Shape Shifter 1 and 2, page 83

Inside back Addoku Shape Shifter Number 1 and 2 are unsolvable. The blocks went in the wrong way around.

Download and print amended puzzles and solutions in PDF format:
» Puzzle Page
» Solutions

Handy Sudoku 72 - Gremlins

Pg 3 Coupon page

There are 9 spaces instead of 10 on the Coupon page  for the solution to Binary Contest No. 5 on pg 51.

Thanks to Connie Woolnough of Oldina, Tasmania for alerting us to this error.

Holiday Collection 77 - Gremlin

Pg 71 Acrostic Competition

Clue M. ‘Supernatural series with Fox and Mulder, The …’ should have read ‘Supernatural series with Fox Mulder, The …’

Thanks to Craig Wilkin of Gowrie, ACT.

FindaWord 79 - Gremlin

Page 36 - Match Ups Contest

The answer to the clue ‘The Chant Of … Blacksmith’ is JIMMY in the grid, but it is spelt incorrectly and should be JIMMIE.

Thanks to Wendy McCarthy of Calamvale, Qld for alerting us to this error.

Cluewords 92 - Gremlins

Pg 56 Cluewords 21

Left-hand top corner, the clue ‘Buddhist leader, … Lama’ has the answer LAMA. The clue should have read ‘Dalai …’.

With thanks to Elaine Rush of Somerville, Vic.

Pg 29 Cluewords 12

The clue ‘Indian prince’  in the third column, fifth row should read ‘Rugged peak’ for the answer CRAG. 

With thanks to Kasey Rowe of Toowoomba, Qld.

Starhunts 62 Gremlins

Starhunt 4

The incorrect  number for the letter B was given. It should be a 6, not a 1.

With thanks to Nicole Power of West Heidelberg, Vic.

Mega! 70 Gremlins

MEGA! 14, page 40

Clue 166ac ‘Shipboard troublemaker’ should be ‘Shipboard troublemakers’ for MUTINEERS.

Thanks to Ray Grindlay, of Dingley Village, Vic, for alerting us to this error.

Hello - June BIG

Every industry has its own jargon and the rag trade is no exception. Puzzler Rose Riordan recently wrote to say she was flicking through a clothing catalogue and realised she needed a dictionary to work out what was on offer.

I see what she means. I picked up a current catalogue, and read ‘marled cable jumper’. In the dictionary, marl was defined as ‘sedimentary rock used as fertiliser’. The jumper was not sounding attractive. Luckily another dictionary included a second meaning, ‘mottled yarn of different coloured threads’ - a shortened form of ‘marbled’.

Then there are terms like placket, ruching, shirring, slub and batwing. In the dictionary, a placket is a flap of fabric over a zip or pocket. Ruching means ‘plaiting’, and involves a ribbon gathering the material to form a scalloping edge. Shirring is two or more rows of gathers, slub is a rough knobbly texture and batwing means wide sleeves.

Then there’s bootleg jeans. The word ‘bootleg’ comes from smugglers carrying liquor bottles hidden in their boots. Is this what’s on offer? No, it just means the legs are wide enough to go over a pair of boots.
Another pair of jeans is described as having ‘a light wash with whiskering’. Hmmm. Here even the dictionary was no help – I’ve heard of stonewashed and sandblasted jeans, but whiskering? I had to go online to find out that it’s the pre-fabricated creases that create a broken-in and worn look in the denim.
So, instead of a jumper made of fertiliser and whiskery jeans hiding illegal liquor – we find the truth. Hail the dictionary and the internet!

Happy Puzzling!

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