Crossword Grand Final - Finalist shares experience

[@Goryus]

Congratulations on 3rd! I'm sure you get this a lot, but you should totally reach out to Simon and Mark about doing a collab!

[@richardclegg8027]

Would love to see a collaboration.

[@shangaiguarisnaque9277]

That would be a dream come true, two of my favorite YT channels doing a collab

[@christreebyward7473]

Agreed 👍

[@matthewmarcus3233]

Reassuring to hear that your struggles with this grid were not unlike mine - TRAMP, ULAN BATOR, STAIR ROD and others far from fully parsed when my paper went up just inside the 20. If I'd taken the time to understand everything completely I'm not sure I'd have finished inside an hour! And of course we were all lucky that past champions Mark and Roger made little mistakes earlier on that ruled them out of the final. I am very much Aesop's tortoise then but I will take it! Look forward to facing you again in 2024 :) - Matthew M

[@dweebovision]

Cheers Matthew and congrats once again on winning the trophy!

[@dannylfcmeatloaf]

Delighted for you. You have tried for so long, and spoke openly about your own limitations. Being right proved better than being fast, and you justifiably reached the final. Huge well done

[@buzzboy1000]

A great achievement, David. Congratulations.

[@damianbarr]

Incredible achievement David, you have done all us mere mortals, who marvel at your skills, proud. Well done

[@dzl999]

To be a finalist is a victory in itself. Many congratulations on a fantastic achievement.

[@penelopep.maggie5976]

Congratulations! Great job!

[@kandinsky2682]

Congratulations! I love watching your channel and learn so much from you.

[@parlabaneisback]

Fantastic!

[@richardcutler5517]

Many congratulations chap, a great effort.

[@danielfelix3927]

Congratulations David, fantastic result!

[@robinstyles9997]

Excellent - great result!

[@jonbrowne]

Congratulations David!

[@spasaire]

Very well done, really pleased for you!! That final puzzle was certainly a challenge!!

[@chrisdavies3129]

Well done David!

[@SaraMGreads]

Amazing! Congratulations 🎉

[@trelina]

So happy you put the photos at the end!

[@MrHatsuka1]

Incredible result for you David! Well done :)

[@janet-dn2ot]

congratulations, great result!

[@dunbanana]

Congratulations! Been watching this channel for a while! :D

[@salfordnurse]

Congratulations

[@richardclegg8027]

Well done indeed. It seems like so many big names felled by not fully parsing. That final crossword was really amazingly hard.

[@clive6587]

Well done, David.

[@rodp2310]

Congratulations. 👏👏👏

[@thedivinemrm5832]

Third is amazing, David! I'm sure all your subscribers are very proud of you!

[@thedivinemrm5832]

(also, beating the Cracking the Cryptic chaps feels like a win for KZbinr glory, haha!)

[@vinyl1Earthlink]

Matthew himself says in the TftT blog that he froze up because of the competition conditions. I think all three solvers would have done much better if they were just solving at home for fun. When I solved the puzzle myself, I didn't have any trouble with Derbyshire, got pentad, and biffed palmistry, giving me the parsing of tramp. It was pash and obangs which gave me no end of trouble.

[@simonl4523]

Congratulations David: to you AND your subconscious

[@MattBracewell71]

Congrats!! Surely third is a huuge huuge win anyway?! Thanks for the years of output.

[@carteryott7710]

Congratulations!

[@mutinyonthekitkat]

Great achievement Well done! With 4D I was thinking "Home for one" could refer to Sir Alec Douglas Home being a Prime Minister (PM) reversed = MP. Your videos are great tutorials.

[@taimurkhalil]

Congrats David 🎉 What is an Antlic clue which to refer to in 4 down?

[@dweebovision]

An ANDLIT clue (often written &lit) means "And literally". The whole clue works as a definition and the whole clue works as wordplay. So you can solve the wordplay and then say "and literally" before reading it again as a definition. This contrasts with most other clues which can be physically divided into wordplay and definition.

[@taimurkhalil]

Thank you for explaining that

[@phyphor]

I had heard that Mark apparently solved the final grid in 10 minutes, in the audience, but I suspect your desire to fully parse answers means, although you aren't fast, you get things right. No RIVALRY/REVELRY mistakes for you.

[@bubbagarland]

Well done David :)

[@paulpridmore8970]

Where can we see the unsolved crossword(s) please?

[@jlambs1]

“I’m drawing a blank” Scrabble players: :D Crossword solvers: D:

[@SaraMGreads]

😂

[@Jonty340]

Thank you for your thoughts on the puzzle. Most enjoyable. And very well done to you! Your methodical and careful approach got you to the final and very nearly a victory. A superb result.

[@darkshoxx]

15:18 😆 Ulaaaaaaaanbaaaaaaaaaataaaaaar. Anyway, congrats on third place!

[@trelina]

Sorry but there are only 16 As in Ulaaaaaaaanbaaaataaaar.

[@AWall925]

Common David Webb W

[@shangaiguarisnaque9277]

W

[@alexbarber1566]

isnt 'finally put up' reffering to the last letters of A pooR tenT put up^

[@guycoolSpore2]

I've been watching too much HEMA content, apparently. I totally questioned myself as to what the fuck a "cross sword" is.

[@jlambs1]

Grats dweeb