This week a Jumbo puzzle marked the 200th edition of the JDE Original South African Cryptic Crossword published in Grocott’s Mail.
The co-founder of the Polar Plunge – Grahamstown’s mid-winter swim across Grey Dam – and the Indlela yoBuntu pilgrimage from Grahamstown to Cape Town, George Euvrard partnered with Grocott’s Mail to pilot the crossword – as far as Grocott’s or Euvrard knows the first of its kind – in August 2015.
Euvrard spent time researching and developing the JDE Original South African Cryptic Crossword, a uniquely South Africanised cryptic crossword that is in the classic English genre but with a proudly local identity and outlook in terms of people, heritage and language. These crosswords have been published weekly in Grocott’s Mail since August 2015 and are now also published in the Mail & Guardian.
This week, the series marked its 200th puzzle published in Grocott’s Mail.
“This marks the 200th JDE on the trot, never missing a beat over four years. That’s over 6000 clues!” Euvrard wrote to the team, sending the wonderful Jumbo crossword that’s sure to keep word nerds busy this weekend.
