http://www.bestfreeforums.com/forums/timescod.html
New DIY COW / Clues in Blue contests will go online very shortly; the brief hiatus was just me using the Easter break to have a few days away with only occasional access to the computer.
PS: Slightly O/T but I just wanted to mention it. I’m blessed with a truly beautiful daughter Xana (guess where my pseudonym comes from!) and yesterday she asked me when my next puzzle is in The Times – she’s 9 this year but already a proficient sudokulist and wants to know how to make crosswords(!).
When I told her, she threw her arms around my neck; “Daddy’s going to be famous again!” she said. Kids! They get you like that.
For the record, in my case it varies, but I usually get at least a month’s prior notice; mostly nearer two months. But bear in mind I’m not a frequent setter and the editor has to squeeze me in – I’d guess the regular setters have predictable slots and may need no notification, effectively working to a timetable; but I must emphasise that’s a guess.
I was going to say: I haven’t had a chance since to re-write my message.
Interesting thing about my slip, though: I use a Dvorak-mapped keyboard and ‘ is right next to the tab key. So if I slip it ends up moving to the next field and posting a comment before I’m done! Oh well 🙂
For the record, my youngest is Maia. And that was at least partially in reference to the eldest of the Pleiades.
StevO
As for Anax, to my not inconsiderable embarrassment I recently discovered it’s an ancient Greek word meaning “king” – I assure you I had no idea of this when I chose it as my setting pseudonym.
As for Steven: my parents gave that to me, so I have no need to be embarrased with its meaning “crowned one”.
It’s surprising how often a phrase or answer that I’ve just used crops up in a puzzle I’m solving!
I get up to two months notice of personal puzzle schedules, but I’ve not yet got round to passing the info on to my own version of Xana yet: he’d probably raise his eyebrows and go “SHRREUUGGBBLLLL” or something similar and dribble milk down his chin 🙂
Richard R.
It seems her brother, 3, told his mother recently that “man” is in “woman”.
Could they blossom into crossword solvers, I wonder.
What’s the number (or date) of the puzzle you had published in The Times last November?