I’ve got bumped off the front page straight away. Please give it a go and give feedback so I know why. It’s on the harder side I suppose until you see it, but not hard once resolved I shouldn’t imagine. Ty.

I gave it my best go and got OBLITERATED. Even when resolved I had only an idea for one! Super unique topics, too hard for my lil' brain. :)

Ah, thanks Bouldersaur - but reason to downgrade it on quality or just upgrade it on difficulty? I very rarely give less than 3 stars - only if someone is clearly mucking about or it’s not suitable for kids who might be playing.

I gave your 5 stars! I tried to display all puzzles, regardless of ratings and didn't see this puzzle at all. I forgot to set a puzzle to "for a general audience" and it didn't show up on the site at all. Maybe that's what happened?

To be worth 3 stars it must be at least theoretically possible to solve it. This was not only exceedingly obscure, but even if one had an idea what one was looking for, there were so many ways that much of it could be interpreted, that it would take way too long to run through all the possibilities. For example, muddled sale could have been a clue for an anagram of "sale". So after eliminating the easy group, dawdle etc. I looked through all the other clues to see if they had any possible connection with lase, then seal, then leas then ales. By then most of the time had expired, and I'd barely started considering what the rest might mean.

Thanks Bouldersaur. I once had it explained to me that if your grid gets awarded less than 3 stars then it will go off the main page and can only be found by specifying that you want to browse grids of that rating. People wouldn’t generally do that so then it doesn’t get seen.
But I think some people rate down because they find it hard or don’t like it, rather than rating up on difficulty and remaining neutral on quality.

Oh! I see. I was filtering by USA, I see it now. For sure, I think it's hard for folks to remain neutral after they've gotten 0/10 on a puzzle!

@Bouldersaur 😂

@Nighteyes, thanks for attempting and for feedback. Realised that muddled sale might be confusing but both words were there for a reason in a way. I thought someone might know Mayday then pick out that group. Then you’re looking at a smaller set of words, and onwards…
I often don’t get any groups then answers seem more obvious once the grid is resolved. Or I just like reading the connections anyway even if I would have never got them.

@Nighteyes, or if the grid is by someone I recognise I might refresh to give myself more time to figure out the connections.

Nice, I like word play, TY.

Even after reading comments, still got nowhere [but should have done] saw Stroll and assumed [wrongly] there was a motoring theme, thanks Fam

Thanks Jmelb, St John et al for comments. I’ve now modified it to make it easier. Another case where I thought it would be too obvious so got carried away disguising again.

I thought that about Stroll too St John but only because of my interest. Didn’t think anyone else would go down that route. Did you not see that group once you observed the rest of the grid though?

Great grid, and I got all the links, but the answer required for the Bargy group was so obscure that I doubt anyone will get 10/10!

Hi Fam, I did not spend too long on that line as others would have been SERIOUSLY cryptic. The syns were then quite easy. Also I thought possible anagrams rather than coming up with alternative rhyming.. So. looking like Max for the win?

other trips - ho and I say, maybe?

@ St John, definitely, but I’ve been thinking that from about mid season. It only takes one DNF to throw that up in the air though. I certainly think he’s deserving of it this year, and RB are in with a shot at the championship too now which I wouldn’t have predicted.

Thanks Jeannie, yes it was difficult to describe that group, let alone think what other people might put down. I put lots of different words in the acceptable answers but also hoped that people would award themselves the point anyway 🙂

@St John, didn’t get your second comment btw. Remember you sometimes have to spell it out for me 😄 and I think at this stage giving clues to other people would be a blessing 😄

Very good, I solved the wall in 20 seconds.
Answered 3 rows with one word.
Failed on the Fall over row just on terminology (I put sounds similar)
(Gave myself a point anyway.)
You win 10 - 7
Thanks for posting, more please.

i say, i say, i say for example or ho! ho! ho!

Oh, tips rather than trips then 😄

Very nice, 5 stars. Gave myself a point for 'Umble'. Didn't find it too difficult but I guess sometimes it just comes to you. Thank you!

This was a quality grid. I put up a grid (only my third) and it was on the home page for about 2 mins before someone gave it 2 stars and well that was it. And there was me thinking that the puzzgrid police (Puzz fuzz) had censored for some obscure reason.

Thanks @StinkyPete, Freddgar, Ace of Spies.
Yes AOS, that’s what I see as a fault of the system as if someone marks it down early doors then there’s no chance to see how it would have been rated by different people over a longer time period. So it’s skewed in favour of whoever marks it down as it can be off the page in mere minutes. I’d suggest you just make a mention of it in the comments as then people are at least aware of it and can give it a go. If nothing else you can get feedback if there was a reason it was unpopular.

Btw Puzz fuzz 😄