About this deal
What about the first post-war Everyman, the first puzzle of the present Everyman series, which I initiated? Definitions: two; elusive definitions: still, I’m sorry to say, ten, hints and references to letters only: none, bald anagrams: one, cryptic: fifteen, at least four of which I should now call unsatisfactory; and two quotations. ‘Is this terrier ever the limit?’ – SKYE, is one of those I disapprove of. The query is hardly enough to hit at the pun. And I was delighted to see longish paired answers. I use these myself, on the basis most people won’t notice but those with an Everyman habit get an extra hint to one once they’ve solved the other.
On the subject of music: unlike people, songs age at different speeds throughout their lives. Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay was old (54) but current enough to justify its place in Everyman 1; it’s now 132 and much less likely to appear in a crossword than the one-year-younger song about the bicycle made for two That may not be the best question, as this week’s puzzle is Everyman 4,000, which includes clues written by everyone who has set in the intervening 78 years; more on that here. Also, you should have a look at Everyman 1 before reading on: it has joined the online archive.