Everyman No. 3275 (July 5th).
Posted by The Trafites on July 12th, 2009
Thanks to Andrew Kitching for the alert re the publishing error on this week’s Observer crossword web page; we never looked at the incorrect pdf file, so therefore solved this cold from the newspaper. Whether this week’s offering will still be a valid prize crossword, we do not know.
Again, another fairly easy jog, but the puzzle does seem to be getting a tad more difficult over the last two weeks.
Legend to solution comments:
* = anagram.
< = word reversed.
| Across | ||
| 1. | MARIA | M + ARIA |
| 4. | TWO SEATER | (ROW ESTATE)* |
| 9. | PENAL SETTLEMENT | ((SETTLE [order] + MEN [soldiers] after [to board, i.e. getting on] (PLANE)*) + T (heading for terrible) This is a bit contrived, we think – hard to work out the word play. |
| 10. | IMPRUDENCE | R in IMPUDENCE |
| 11. | SWAN | S + WAN |
| 13. | TORRENT | OR in TRENT – river |
| 15. | LINING | Hidden: popLIN IN Gaberdine |
| 17. | COLOUR | CO + L + OUR |
| 18. | LAST OUT | L.A. + STOUT |
| 20. | APEX | APE + X |
| 21. | EFFUSIVELY | FF + US + IVE in ELY |
| 24. | FRENCH ONION SOUP | (PHONE COUSIN FOR)* around N |
| 25. | AUTOMATON | AUTO = car + MAN around TO |
| 26. | DWELT | LEWD< + T |
| Down | ||
| 1. | MEPHISTO | (THIS POEM)* |
| 2. | RUN UP | ladder = RUN (as in stockings) + UP (ahead) |
| 3, 4. | ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT |
cryptic def. i.e. no cowboy films being made |
| 5. | OPTICAL ILLUSION | cryptic def. |
| 6. | EDEN | E + (END)* |
| 7. | TAE KWON DO | (DAN WE TOOK)* |
| 8. | RETINA | RE + TINA re = musical note (see re² in Chambers) |
| 12. | UNASSIGNED | UNAS + SIGN + ED |
| 14. | ROOSVELT | (RESOLVE TO)* |
| 16. | STAYS PUT | TAY in SS + PUT – river tay, put = express as in say |
| 19. | RAFFIA | RAF + (I in FA) |
| 22. | ELOPE | (subtract pen)ELOPE |
| 23. | SCAM | (C in SA) + M |
July 12th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Agree. It has been getting tougher.