John Nolan: The Very Logical Prize Puzzle

  Across 7. Treacherous person is employed by plumber with his strange, different way. (5-2-3-5)   9. Herb takes some risk to see mythical serpent. (8) 10. Extremely poor old boy. Unhappy soul! (6) 11. Hobbes’ sea serpent. (9) 13. Tree with a snake... (3) 15. …and a starting price for another snake. (3) 16. Monster with serpent’s tail has tea with me and an artist. (7) 18, 20 ac. Ethiopian prince goes after swan for snakes. (6) 21. Turn sour – or boo the serpent with foot in mouth. (9) 25. Pike of oriental length caught plant. (6) 26. A secret’s shared with a viper. (8) 27. Look - check legendary G-man ere Monday, and rest uneasily with mythical Scottish serpent. (4,4,7) Down   1. Repress tide after a point. (5)   2. Scattered Maori meal inside snow vehicle. (7)   3. Famous atoll or very little at all. (6)   4. Broken bone received in raid gone awry - but courteous. (8)   5. Good overhead surface of Scottish face. (5...

  And the drawn winner for TVLPP 395 is … a first-time entrant!!! The name of Leslie Yonce of Richmond, Virginia was plucked from the Hat and we'll send off a Stephanie cartoon to you Leslie this weekend, although it will surely get delayed in the Christmas mail. Solvers from the USA include, from New Hampshire, Anne & Bruce Smith of Strafford, Randy Taylor, Julie Lindsay, Jim & Joanne Gray, and Larry Reynolds of Rochester, Chris Rogers of Farmington, and Barbara Bierweiler of Ossipee; solving duo Laura Bradford of Florida & Caroline Williams of Texas; Jay Miller of Pasadena, Calif.; Ta mara Brenner of Elmhurst, Ill.; Tom Wilson of So. Williamsport, Penn., and Rich Pardoe of Houston, Texas. Mark Roberts of Hostert, Luxembourg, Ian Simpson of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Calfan Dary from perennially toasty, but currently moist Anggabaya, Bali, were all in the solvers' Hat, together with, from England. Mark Nichols of Rugby, William Stewart of Leicester, Keith Williams of...

  Across   7. Planet with assumed name endlessly becomes December festival of revelry. (10)   9. Repents being Mediterranean shrubs. (4) 10. Fashionable fit of ill-humour as teens are upset and given to heavy drinking. (15) 11. Wise man has some imagination! (4) 12. Ye see yon birkie ca’d a lord,       Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that,       Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,       He’s but a ---- for a’ that. - Robert Burns. (4) 13. Shelter with just a fork? Be wary. (5) 15. Repair minaret roof to create a great religious revolution. (11) 19, 18dn. Medieval festival has pleasurable abundance of pureed fruits and custards. (5,2,5) 21. This mischievous ruse often comes with a fee. (4) 22. Fish makes crazy shout when using a driver perhaps, or iron. (4) 24. Scottish equivalent of 8 dn. if a baboon’s fortune is mixed. (5,2,8) 25. Start some nasty idle talk to bring on fit of sulking. (4) 26. Drive from here with little suppo...

  And the winner is …   The drawn for TVLPP394 from a score of correct entries is lucky Barbara Bierweiler way up in Ossipee, NH, whose name was plucked from the hat a mere 13 months ago. Perhaps it is fate’s compensation for enduring long months of snow, although this year, the British solvers are probably worse off. We will get a cartoon in the mail to you, Barbara, maybe as early as tomorrow.   Other solvers of this crossword included, from England, Derek Harrison of Pegswood, Nigel Crowley Cooksbridge, East Sussex, Mark Nichols of Rugby, William Stewart of Leicester, Chris Chatwin of Kenilworth, and Keith Williams of Kings Worthy.   Then there is snow-dusted Ian Simpson of Edinburgh, Scotland and Calfan Dary, from where the snow never falls, in Anggabaya, Bali.   Solvers from the USA include Laura Bradford (flying solo this month), Rich Pardoe of Houston, Texas, Tom Wilson of So. Williamsport, Penn., Jay Miller of Pasadena, Calif. (where votes are still be...

Across   1, 22, 1 dn. It is a century ere Oddfellow impishly lied to us to get work from 6 ac. (3,7,5,2,8)   6. Idle talk concludes with nothing for a Nobelist, familiarly. (4) 10. Spread open in the Gospel, divinely. (5) 11. Odd tales from 6 ac.’s output. 4,5) 12. See 19 ac. 15. See 19 ac. 17. Project with rowdy content. (5) 19, 15 ac., 27 dn., 12ac. Article: Groups of lower rank than family give over maze (with his intervention), from 6 ac. (3,7,2,3,9) 21. Organ stops land us (agitato) around Langley’s organization. (9) 22. See 1 ac. 23. “No,” says the Scot, who’s a bit of a banana eater, (3) 24. Statute based on custom shows ordinary Scottish hill. (6,3) 27. Turning icy hot and sly, like most fish jaws. (9) 29. Forms of both amnesia and composition. (5) 31. Saint with Burmese name and French fatty tissue. (4) 32. See 23 dn.   Down   1. See 1 ac.   2. Supplement a bit of the weekend. (3)   3. Falling short yet coming up with colorful Greek letter. (5...

  Across    1, 22, 1 dn. It is a century ere Oddfellow impishly lied to us to get work from 6 ac. (3,7,5,2,8)   6. Idle talk concludes with nothing for a Nobelist, familiarly. (4) 10. Spread open in the Gospel, divinely. (5) 11. Odd tales from 6 ac.’s output. 4,5) 12. See 19 ac. 15. See 19 ac. 17. Project with rowdy content. (5) 19, 15 ac., 27 dn., 12ac. Article: Groups of lower rank than family give over maze (with his intervention), from 6 ac. (3,7,2,3,9) 21. Organ stops land us (agitato) around Langley’s organization. (9) 22. See 1 ac. 23. “No,” says the Scot, who’s a bit of a banana eater, (3) 24. Statute based on custom shows ordinary Scottish hill. (6,3) 27. Turning icy hot and sly, like most fish jaws. (9) 29. Forms of both amnesia and composition. (5) 31. Strontium unit and French fatty tissue. (4) 32. See 23 dn.     Down   1. See 1 ac.   2. Supplement a bit of the weekend. (3)   3. Falling short, yet coming up with colorful Gree...

    7. Salvation Army comes about overdose of Irish bread. (4)   8. Very mournful Portuguese songs? Just a craze for outdoor singing, initially! (5)   9. Hollow oval bread from Middle East – it is seen in Pennsylvania. (4) 12. To whom a tenant pays rent, with adherence to every detail. (2,3,6) 13. Christened, briefly, with breakfast roll in Glasgow. (3) 14, 24 ac. Fire truck needs a few pence for some bread. (12) 15. Soak and lift awkward Greek rugs. (8) 16. Outspoken note on windward side of ship. (5) 18. The beginning starts after long pause halted advance. (5) 22. Wise to tilt up one’s head and grouse. (8) 24. See 14 ac. 27. Ironic sounding bread. (3) 28. To be annoyed at missed chance have crazy Nick see folk. (4,7) 29. This bread is erotic without crusts. (4) 30. Firearm plunder. (5) 31. No Scots with an Indian bread. (4)   Down   1, Chemically, it’s the same but different, so I switch to drink hard and heavily. (7)...