Of all years, 2020 might be the one where you are stuck at home with time to tackle a puzzle and this one created by Dr. Will Marriage is a real brainteaser. Each clue in this quiz leads to something you might reasonably find in a wardrobe: everything can be worn, apart from one clue that leads to an object you might need to look your best – and which, possibly, could be kept in a wardrobe as well. This clue also contains a definition.

General knowledge, a mildly cryptic approach and Google should provide most of the answers, although a good dictionary might be helpful too.  Clues will provide you with two letters to enter into the answer grid below, spelling out a seasonal message. In each case you need to enter the first letter of the answer and one other, whose position is indicated by the number after the colon in the letter count. For example, for the clue ‘I CAN DRAG ABOUT’ (8 : 6), the answer might be CARDIGAN (an anagram of I CAN DRAG): You would then need to enter into the grid the first letter – C – and the sixth – G. 

Closing date: January 10th 2021, with the winner to be chosen at random from the entrants with the most correct answers.

Helen Marriage writes:
Every year my brother, Dr Will Marriage, torments and entertains his family and friends with a fiendish cryptic Christmas quiz. 

‘Tough, but good’, says our MENSA board member and Finance Director Neil Goulder. 

In 2020, in a year like no other, Will and I thought we’d use the quiz to raise money for The Trussell Trust, who are doing such important work feeding the hungry and providing emergency support throughout the Christmas period and beyond. So, there’s a JustGiving page set up by Will that you can find by clicking here. Once you’ve made a donation, download the quiz on our website by clicking the button below and stand by for a brainteasering time over the festival break. Oh, and there’s always a prize, awarded by Will after he’s selected a winner at random from all the correct entries. 

Send your completed quiz to: abdemonpuzzles@gmail.com. And good luck – in 15 years, I’ve only completed and won it once.