Last time, we shared some old milestone puzzles in anticipation of Guardian cryptic No 30,000. That crossword has since been published: and here, in the order it happened (that is, how solvers experienced it but in reverse), is its tale.

The timeline to 30,000

In 2024, seeing that we are approaching the last half of the 29,000-numbered puzzles, we decide the best way to celebrate it is to have some fun.

Messages start to appear in the bottom rows of the cryptics. The first is by James Brydon (AKA Picaroon) setting as Ludwig, and is explicit – WELL DONE – so that solvers will later notice it and start looking in the same place for more: Imogen’s BRAVO and Paul’s HERE.

Then, to avoid anyone noticing too early, we move away from having real words in uncrossing cells. The next is IN CONCLUSION as its own entry, followed by some fragments of words which will only make sense much later.

29581 WELLDONE
29587 BRAVO
29599 HERE
29611 INCONCLUSION
29629 ISOURF
29633 INALCH
29641 ALLENG
29663 EAREYOU
29669 KEEPINGUPGREAT
29671 THEREWI
29683 LLBEAWON
29717 DERF
29723 ULPRIZ
29741 EBUTFIR
29753 STYOUM
29759 USTENT
29761 ERARAC
29789 ENOTAN
29803 ACTUALATHLETIC
29819 RACEOFC
29833 OURSETH
29837 ATWOULD
29851 BEWEIRD
29863 NOTTHAT
29867 ITSACER
29873 EBRALRA
29879 CEINTHE
29881 FORMOFA
29917 CROSSWORDPUZZLE
29921 ITSAGEN
29927 IUSPUBL
29947 ISHEDAT
29959 NOONBST
29983 TOMORROW
29989 GODSPEED

Along the way, some new names appear: the first Serenos is John Finnemore, who we hope will return with a name of his own (“Serenos”, of course, invites you to read it as “SERE no S”, and remove an S from a synonym of “sere”, THIRSTY minus its S being THIRTY). The last two are by setters already well established elsewhere, Rob Jacques and The Void, and their more obvious bottom rows are disguised as apparent pairs with the letters in the top rows.

To start solvers on the breadcrumb trail – and to specify which puzzles to look at – a message is concealed in the first letters of the sentences of the Guardian editorial on 30,000’s publication day:

LAST THIRTY-FIVE PRIMES

And to get solvers who might miss the editorial peering at it, there is a message in the perimeter of the same day’s quick:

Leader I tailored badly
[ definition: leader ]
[ wordplay: anagram (‘badly’) of ITAILORED ]

The direction to this message comes, of course, from 30,000 itself …

… which also includes the entry ACROSTIC as subliminal help with the editorial. The puzzle is the first in a while from Arachne and it is a mark of solvers’ affection that many quite reasonably think that simply seeing her name is a big enough deal to mark the milestone.

Geniuses

The celebration was a team effort and the Guardian’s team is the best. Last to take part was Enigmatist, whose Genius duly appeared at the appointed hour; winner details to follow. In the meantime, we’re due a solution grid for May’s other Genius. Odo was asking us to look at the middle letters of extra words in clues; they spelled out …

CHORUS OF STEALERS XXVI ACROSS VIII

… which, with reference to the other clues indicated, gives “Chorus of Stealers Wheel ditty”: with alterations we end up with synonyms for “clown” in the left of the grid and actors who played the Joker on the right, with the centre column depicting being, as they say, Stuck in the Middle with You:

June’s Genius awaits your attention.

Cluing conference

Many thanks for your clues for THIRTY THOUSAND. The audacity award goes to Batteredmullet for the brazen “Chew hot, nutty radish – MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!”. The runners-up are Harlobarlo’s “Original hit? Try Twist and Shout number” and Labour_pal’s “Cryptic on Thursday hit what finally?”. And since the nonsense above all kicked off on a Thursday, the winner is the even-more-splendid “Fitting hint to Thursday’s number”.

Kludos to Nestingmachine; please leave clues for BREADCRUMBS below, along with any favourite clues or puzzles you have spotted.