Independent 7,459 by Anax (Saturday Prize Puzzle, 11/09/10)
Posted by Simon Harris on September 18th, 2010
After last month’s exceedingly tricky Anax puzzle, I was a little worried about this one, but it turned out to be a lot more manageable. No obvious theme, but a pangrammatic grid, if I’m not mistaken.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | WHOLE – W + HOLE. |
| 4 | PATAGONIA – (TAG + ON) in (PA + IA). Pennsylvania, Iowa. |
| 9 | SHELL-HOLE – (HELL + H) in SOLE. |
| 10 | EQUAL – E[astenders] + QU + AL. |
| 11 | PROPER FRACTION – R in (PROPER + FACTION). |
| 13 | LENTISSIMO – (IT IS + SOLEMN)*. |
| 14 | DIAL – DIAL is LAID<, so "laidback". |
| 16 | TIDY – dd., the “drawer” in question being Bill Tidy. |
| 18 | LIKE BLAZES – dd. |
| 21 | PETROLEUM JELLY – J[ungl]E in (MERELY TO PULL)*. |
| 23 | SWORE – W[ound] in SORE. |
| 24 | OBJECTIVE – dd. |
| 25 | SPINNAKER – A K in SPINNER. |
| 26 | TANSY – ANS in TY. |
| Down | |
| 1 | WUSS – [sho]W US S[andwiches]. |
| 2 | OVERRUN – O + R. Clever. |
| 3 | ELLIPSIS – S[wam]P< in LILIES*. Also clever: the definition is simply "…". |
| 4 | PROGRESSIVE ROCK – two defs, one cryptic. |
| 5 | THE TRUMPET-MAJOR – two defs, one cryptic. |
| 6 | GREECE – [mea]GRE EC E[conomic]. |
| 7 | NAUTILI – [mari]NA UTILI[sing]. |
| 8 | AT LONG LAST – (GOT STALL AN[d])*. |
| 12 | PLATYPUSES – (SUPPLY EAST)*. |
| 15 | ALLEY CAT – ALL + (CA in YET*). |
| 17 | DETTORI – (I + ROTTED)<. |
| 19 | ZILLION – ILL in ZION. |
| 20 | SOLEMN – SO + LEM[o]N. |
| 22 | SEXY – S[ton]E + X + Y. |
September 18th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Sorry to come on like the proofreader I am, but the second U in your answer to 12 down should be E; and, in 4 across, shouldn’t ATG be TAG? 3 down was utterly brilliant: one of the best clues of all time (but I would say that, wouldn’t I?).
September 18th, 2010 at 11:14 am
A lot easier than Anax’s previous saturday but a challenge nonetheless, thought 3 down was inspired … as a definition, fantastic. re 4dn I knew I’d seen this recently after Tees on tuesday.
September 18th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Thanks for the blog, Simon, and thanks Anax for another quality puzzle.
I was pleased to be able to complete it before the usual time that the blog comes out (which I rarely do for the online Saturday puzzle).
Favourite clues are 11A, with a seamless wordplay/definition, and 3D which had a clever way of presenting the definition, misdirecting one to look for an &lit.
Maybe it’s me, but was there a ring of familiarity with some of the clues, eg. 4D, 3D, 20D, 25A? But no matter, I couldn’t remember the answers anyway, much less in which Anax crossword(s) I may (or may not) have encountered them before. It could well be my mind playing déjà-vu tricks, but certainly it did not distract me from a great puzzle.
September 18th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Thanks for the blog Simon. Another top quality offering from Anax. It did seem a bit easier than some by this setter – the top half fell very quickly, but maybe that is just getting to know his style. Agree that 3 dn was a bit special, but there were also many other great clues to enjoy.
September 18th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Prog rules: there can be no mishtake.
Fab puzzle Anax – top quality at 3dn.
September 18th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Quite a quick solve for a Saturday puzzle; certainly easier than some from Anax. I agree about the brilliant clue for 3dn, especially following on from 2dn.
Can’t say that I recall any clues from previous Anax offerings.
September 18th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Enjoyable. Although would two submarines both named Nautilus really be referred to as Nautili? ;^)
September 18th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Hi sidey, this is Crosswordland, where of course they would!
I agree with Allan_C that it’s the link with 2dn that makes 3dn so very special!!
Many thanks, Anax, for another super puzzle.
September 18th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
The link with 2d is what makes 3d clever? Agree 110%.
But 2d in itself was just as clever!
[like Simon Says (remember the 1910 Fruitgum Company?)]
And I liked PROGRESSIVE ROCK (4d).
- in a week in which Tees forgot to mention Caravan]
[think about thát, my dear friends!
But I didn’t quite understand why in 1ac the ‘w[omen]‘ WILL have a ‘hole’ – apart from the fact that it is rather dubious putting it this way anyway.
But no doubts about the crossword as such – quality stuff.
September 18th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Good evening friends, and many thanks for your very kind comments.
Sidey, you have a very good point. Thank you Eileen for jumping in, but the truth is that after looking for the various meanings of Nautilus that could work in the clue I forgot to note that the one I chose wasn’t really valid in plural form; just a case of momentarily taking my eye off the ball, for which I apologise.
September 18th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Having just enjoyed Anax’s NTSPP032 over at BigDave’s Telegraph Crossword Blog (possibly too risqué in places for a national paper), I tackled this and enjoyed it immensely too, despite missing the Bill Tidy reference.
I too loved 3d – superbly hidden definition, reminding me of “(thus)” as a definition in one of Paul’s recent Guardian crosswords, and it had to be combined with a sensible 2d (in which I’d missed the clever cryptic wordplay) to make sense.
…and 4d was also marvellous.
10a was beautifully constructed, requiring a lift and separate to disassociate Albert from Square, whose link in the surface reading was reinforced by the mention of Eastenders.
Blog Typo: 25a A K in SPINNER
Thanks to Anax and all who blogged and commented.