Julius

Really enjoyed this one - well-constructed, and very satisfying when it clicked. As a Brit, though, I should point out that all the Georges reigned post-union - and the first two were born in Hanover - so calling them 'English monarchs' isn't really true in any sense! If I had a dollar for every foreigner to whom I've had to explain that the two aren't the same...

Fun on the whole, great concept, and not especially difficult, but some of the split solutions are questionable at best. Technically correct words and phrases, yes, but ones you could probably go through a decent lifetime without hearing... Side note: AFTERS isn't very commonly used here outside of old people and/or a few northern towns - for the majority it refers to the postscript to a heavy night of revelry. Not the first arcane British regionalism/generationism, in fairness. PUDDING is far more widespread. Might have been better to have eschewed the 'wisdom' of ChatGPT on that one!

Absolutely spiffing puzzle. Redolent of a First Division table of the mid-70s. Ipswich, Derby, Manny - I can almost picture Don Revie and Brian Clough snarling at each other... Minor, but este/esta/ese/esa in place of esto/eso always irritates me - you can't randomly pick a gendered form!

Absolute disrespect to label the realm of the super athlete that is Luke Littler as a 'game' rather than a 'sport'.

STRAWBERRYSHAKE, ROOFTOPBAR, SCARYMOVIE, KOREA, BABAR - fun, ingenious, whimsical. MEREMORTAL (!), STEAKSALAD, KINDASORTAMAYBE - the less said the better. The highs are worth the lows though, you have to swing and miss sometimes to hit a few sixes. Also - please tell me y'all across the ocean don't really use the word 'winningest'...