No. 140 The Trusty Servant
Vox Senum
The Trusty Servant is delighted to introduce a new feature to this column, in the form of the TS 140 Prize Crossword, compiled by Seneca.
To launch the first TS Crossword puzzle, Seneca is offering a prize of a
£ 25 P & G Wells voucher to the winner. To enter the prize draw, send your completed solution, together with your best clue to the missing answer, to Winchester College Society( see the back page). Solutions must be received before the first weekend in Common Time,
Saturday 10 th January 2026. The prize will go to the person who submits the best clue in the opinion of Seneca. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn from a hat. A solution will be printed in TS 141 in June 2026 along with a new puzzle.
Some clues, forming a distinct group, are undefined. One of the group is missing. Submit the best clue to the missing answer.
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Across
1 Drunk going back around base to pick up last of bubbly( 5)
4 The high standards of Canadians require it( 5,4)
9 Intermediary device fitting in trailer with gold( 7) 10 Poetically contrary( 7) 11 Half of wing blocks fashioned to a T( 5)
12 What Custer had somewhere to put model feet?( 4,5)
13 Report of, say, drone ' s worst moments( 6)
15 Vivacity in small standard moose running West( 7) 18 Kept by one shop per settlement( 7) 19 Confront local father ' s back-stabbing in show( 6)
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21 Earth ' s dew ' s dispersed--hence rivers flow outwards( 9)
24 Prompt where to put chalk( 2,3) 26 Showed first of women welcoming in first of chaps with daughter( 7) 27 One spotted in papers— an American close to Washington( 7)
28 Go unknowingly and speak well in confusion( 9)
29 Relaxes ribs after losing first of them( 5)
Down 1 Sped in races( 6) 2 Long, even Biblical service( 5)
3 Green, very exaggerated snout of our translator raised quietly( 5,4)
4 Preachers or terse others in clouds( 9) 5 Satisfies, by all accounts( 5)
6 Overhanging roof of foliage beginning to drop( 5)
7 Set aside and celebrated with consideration( 9)
8 French swirls( 8) 14 Share feeling Mike is following road in the inside of Jeep( 9) 15 Pop tattoo after yielding before doctor
( 4,5)
16 Where a man of war might stop, groan, and ache, distressed( 9)
17 Caught queen ' s following advocate for war( 8)
20 Frustrated Keynesian rejecting an edit regularly( 6)
22 Concerning limit, go over again( 5) 23 Wry chuckle for Spooner ' s monster( 5) 25 Bill ' s partner has thousands( 5)
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