Financial Times 13,832 – Dante
Posted by Sil van den Hoek on November 3rd, 2011
Monday Prize Crossword/24 Oct
After last week’s Monday Prize Crossword (a smoothie by Armonie, which unfortunately didn’t call for many comments), we return to a familiar area with this Dante puzzle .
I found this a relatively easy crossword [and remember, at times I do struggle more with Dante/Rufus than with eg an Enigmatist – Enigmatist? Yes, that one! ]. Usually I do not look at grids very much, but this one was exactly the same as in the previous Dante. And the more I look at it, the more I remember me having problems with this grid, and with 11d and 14d in particular [though not today].
Many thanks, Dante!
| Across | ||
| 1 | ADORED | Fuss about daughter having lover |
| ADO (fuss) + RE (about) + D (daughter) | ||
| 4 | DESPATCH | Bulletin carelessly pasted to front of church |
| (PASTED)* in front of CH (church) | ||
| The actual solution is an alternative to the more familiar ‘dispatch’. | ||
| 9 | AVERSE | Opposed States open engagement |
| AVERS (states, with a lower case S [which is a contradictio in terminis J]) + E[ngagement] | ||
| In Crosswordland we are quite used to a false capitalisations. Unlike my PinC I have no problems with them at all. Yet, here I was very much misled, because I thought that ‘States’ might perhaps be US or just S. Well done, Dante! | ||
| 10 | TOLERATE | A love letter disposed to show forbearance |
| (A O (love) LETTER)* | ||
| What a nice anagram. | ||
| 12 | DISALLOW | I’d turn a sickly colour and refuse permission |
| DI (reversal of I D) + SALLOW (a sickly colour) | ||
| Strictly speaking “a sickly colour” is not an adjective, but I see what Dante means: “I’d turn a sickly colour” as a whole taken in a similar way as for example “I see red” [I guess]. | ||
| 13 | ASTHMA | A maths formula which leaves one breathless |
| (A MATHS)* | ||
| It’s not just because I am a maths teacher, but this is one of these natural surfaces that make(s) Dante such a stand-out compiler. | ||
| 15 | NO GO | Futile report on person lacking energy? |
| NO GO (lacking energy, energy being GO), with the first part of the clue ‘cryptic’? | ||
| Is the first part of the clue just cryptic? | ||
| 16 | YESTERDAYS | Yeasty reds drunk in the recent past |
| (YEASTY REDS)* | ||
| 19 | ATTRIBUTES | Skills shown by artiste, but presented badly |
| (ARTISTE BUT)* | ||
| 20 | OTIC | Opposition leader, a jerk, is of concern to the listener |
| O[pposition] + TIC (jerk) | ||
| 23 | TIFFIN | Light meal for a pet at home |
| TIFF (a pet, in its colloquial meaning of ‘bad mood’, I guess) + IN (at home) | ||
| 25 | BLUE MOON | Once in a lifetime phenomenon? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| The classic song ‘Blue Moon’ creeps up, but I also have to think of Ireland’s No 1 songstress Mary Black: Once in a very Blue Moon. | ||
| 27 | NAUTICAL | A lunatic, crazy about boats |
| (A LUNATIC)* | ||
| One of two very nice, um, nautical clues. | ||
| 28 | HUMANE | Compassionate chap put in the shade |
| MAN (chap) inside HUE (shade) | ||
| 29 | ANATHEMA | A song about a subject a person cannot stand |
| {ANTHEM (a song) around A} + A | ||
| 30 | SEVERE | Cut off head of enemy – being ruthless |
| SEVER (cut off) + E[nemy] | ||
| This is really a bit of a macabre clue, isn’t it? I am not that sensitive myself and I consider Dante to be a very peaceful man, but …. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ABANDON | A group of musicians on leave |
| A + BAND (group of musicians) + ON | ||
| 2 | OVERSIGHT | Finished with a sense of failure |
| OVER (finished) + SIGHT (a sense) | ||
| 3 | EASILY | Lie, say, is found out without difficulty |
| (LIE SAY)* | ||
| 5 | EROS | His influence may make Rose change her name |
| (ROSE)* | ||
| Not very convinced by the definition here. I think I understand Dante’s Way here, but even so. | ||
| 6 | PLEASURE | Claims an old city quarter provide a diversion |
| PLEAS (claims) + UR (an old city) + E (quarter, East) | ||
| Shouldn’t “provide” be “provides” in this clue? | ||
| 7 | TRASH | Refuse to start treating skin problem |
| T[reating] + RASH (skin problem) | ||
| 8 | HEEHAWS | Asinine utterances |
| Not so very cryptic definition | ||
| 11 | COVER UP | Conceal that the cost of insurance has risen |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | OTHELLO | Moorish gentleman to rise with a greeting |
| OT (reversal of TO) + HELLO | ||
| 17 | ASTROLABE | Navigation aid gives boats real improvement |
| (BOATS REAL)* | ||
| The second nautical clue and again one I liked. | ||
| 18 | DIMINISH | Short skirt pretty girl’s about to make shorter |
| DISH (pretty girl) around MINI (short skirt) | ||
| With ?I?I?I?? in place, I was initially convinced this had to start with ‘mini’, but I could not justify ‘minimise’. | ||
| 19 | ANTENNA | Feeler from a National Trust girl taken up |
| A + NT (National Trust) + ENNA (reversal of ANNE (a girl)) | ||
| 21 | CONCEDE | Admit to swindle over grant |
| CON (to swindle) + CEDE (grant) | ||
| 22 | DE LUXE | Conclude Luxembourg is somewhat rich and elegant |
| Hidden solution: [conclu]DE LUXE[mbourg] | ||
| 24 | FAUNA | Rural deity heads a list of animal life |
| FAUN (rural deity) preceding A | ||
| 26 | PALM | Sign of victory on hand |
| Double definition | ||
November 3rd, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Couldn’t get 9a,29a,30a, 17d, 24d 7 26d
Was fairly sure 19d was fauna but didn’t know faun =rural deity.
Thought 26d might be palm but still don’t see how a palm is sign of victory. Is it a reference to the black power clenched fist or the Nazi Seig Heil? Can’t get much more opposite than that!
November 3rd, 2011 at 9:29 pm
Re 26d Chambers definition of palm includes ‘a leaf of this tree carried as a token of rejoicing or of victory; emblematically, pre-eminence, the prize; a branch of willow or other substitute in symbolic or ceremonial use.’ and the Thesaurus includes palm of victory.
New phrase for me too.