Financial Times 13,920 – Dante
Posted by Sil van den Hoek on February 16th, 2012
Monday Prize Crossword/Feb 6
In my previous blog (on Mudd’s Prize Crossword) I gave my opinion on the use of ‘double definitions’ (not my favourite device, indeed) and see, here is Dante to do me a favour with a real overdose (8+) of that device ….. 
. And only one cryptic definition!
All in all, though, an entertaining puzzle full of the usual smooth surfaces. Particular highlights for me: 19ac (yes, a double definition ….), 29ac (great natural surface) and the clever one at the end (26d, PIER). It is probably not intentional [although, who knows] but the first column showed us the ’rhyming’ ENDURES-INSURES, while the third column gave us two dances (HOPSCOTCH-RUMBA) and the 13th row: ROMANTIC AFFAIR …..
Just like an increasing number of other bloggers, I decided to underline the definition(s) where possible/applicable/relevant.
| Across | ||
| 1 | EXHALE | Expire, though previously fit as a fiddle |
| EX (previously) HALE (fit as a fiddle) | ||
| 4 | STUDIOUS | Academic has rooms outside the university |
| STUDIOS (rooms) around U ((the) university) | ||
| 9 | DEPUTY | Substitute a mine safety official |
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | ROSSETTI | The poet Dante? |
| Dante punning on his own pseudonym: Dante Gabriel ROSSETTI (the poet, and painter – also a desperate 27ac) | ||
| 12 | RECEIVER | Criminal who runs a bankrupt business |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | WRAP UP | Be quiet and finish |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | SETH | Son of Adam said to sound archaic |
| Homophone of SAID, archaic use? – I am not a native speaker, therefore I surrender | ||
| 16 | JERRY-BUILT | Unstable German joined the Italian in bar |
| JERRY (German, esp. a soldier, or the Germans as a collective noun) + {IL (the, in Italian) inside BUT (bar)} | ||
| 19 | IN HOT WATER | Where eggs may be cooked for it |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | ETNA | Bet backing a mount hotly tipped when it runs |
| Reversal of ANTE (bet) – a very wordy (and amusing) definition ; just yesterday (Wed 15 Feb) we had Cinephile with an original definition for ETNA too, but then Great Minds think alike | ||
| 23 | SCRAPE | Jam – thinly applied? |
| Almost, but not really a double definition, as ‘thinly applied?’ is not a noun, but I see what Dante means | ||
| 25 | REVERSAL | Crossword addicts should be used to such a setback |
| Let’s call this another double definition, but I underlined only the second one | ||
| 27 | ROMANTIC | Sentimental jerk in the Eternal City? |
| A ‘tic’ (jerk) in Rome (the Eternal City) might be called a ROMAN TIC | ||
| 28 | AFFAIR | A very strong atmosphere of romance |
| A + FF (very strong) + AIR (atmosphere) | ||
| 29 | SEASHORE | Beach shoes are adjusted for it |
| (SHOES ARE)* | ||
| 30 | CRAYON | Little girl pinching little boy’s pencil |
| CON (little girl, Conny) around RAY (little boy) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ENDURES | Suffers, made to conclude sure change is needed |
| END (to conclude) + (SURE)* | ||
| 2 | HOPSCOTCH | Game for a drink after hard work |
| H (hard) OP (work) + SCOTCH (drink) | ||
| 3 | LET RIP | Behave uninhibitedly on the French tour |
| LE (the, in French) + TRIP (tour) | ||
| 5 | TOOK | Captured and shot |
| Double definition – ‘shot’ in the sense of ‘made a photograph’ | ||
| 6 | DESCRIBE | Bed in new seed and provide an account |
| CRIB (bed) inside (SEED)* | ||
| 7 | ON TAP | Where to find a washer always available |
| Double definition | ||
| 8 | SNIPPET | Tacks up a favourite piece from the paper |
| SNIP (reversal of PINS (tacks)) + PET (a favourite) | ||
| 11 | FEDERAL | Fear led to new form of government |
| (FEAR LED)* | ||
| 14 | ORDERED | Called for as arranged |
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | INTESTACY | In which one lacks the will to benefit others |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 18 | AT A PINCH | In emergency, get a bugging device and move slowly |
| A + TAP (bugging device, with bugging meaning: listening secretly to other people’s conversations) + INCH (move slowly) | ||
| 19 | INSURES | Provides cover when the nurse is busy |
| (NURSE IS)* | ||
| 21 | AILERON | A new role in flight control |
| A + (ROLE IN)* | ||
| 22 | HEIFER | If here, has to be moved a little lower |
| (IF HERE)* – a ‘heifer’ is a young cow (‘lower’) | ||
| 24 | RUMBA | After a drink sailor gets up for a dance |
| RUM (a drink) + BA (reversal of AB (sailor)) | ||
| 26 | PIER | Support one throughout |
| I (one) with PER (through) on the outside, so ‘through/out’ has to be split | ||
February 16th, 2012 at 3:54 am
Re your query at 15a: ‘Seth’ is homophone of “saith”, an archaic form for “says”.
February 16th, 2012 at 7:13 am
PS
“Saith” is 3rd person singular present indicative and so I think it will give only ‘says’ not ‘said’.
Perhaps there is a better explanation for 15a, which has “said to sound archaic” (emphasis added).
February 16th, 2012 at 7:15 am
Thanks Sil. I couldn’t get ETNA but can see now how clever it is. I also couldn’t work out the cryptic side of ROMANTIC and didn’t know how IL worked for Italian. So thanks for those explanations.
I can’t see the cryptic nature of 10A, I am afraid. And I don’t understand the “for it” in 19A.
Dante is a bit saucy at times isn’t he? 30A is even more so than his “two girls on one kneee”.
February 16th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
John @3 re 19ac: “for it” in the sense of “in trouble”. Chambers 2008 gives this implicitly with be for it (inf) to have something unpleasant about to happen, esp a scolding.
February 17th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
Couldn’t get 10a -I mean come on Dante Gabriel ROSSETTI who on earth has heard of him? Otherwise didn’t need a solver
February 17th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Lots of people have heard of Dante Gabriel Rossetti – if you’re ever in Oxford check out his paintings of Jane Morris in the Ashmolean – she’s a real stunner. His sister was quite famous too. Have you ever heard In the Bleak Midwinter? Keep solving and keep learning.
February 17th, 2012 at 8:48 pm
And, Bamberger, those who like period dramas on TV will know him too.
That’s why I said that he was a ‘desperate 27ac’.
“Desperate Romantics” – BBC, 2009: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desperate_Romantics
“BBC finally invested in broadcast of ten top drama series – here’s one (9,9)”
Or alternatively: “Rossetti raped me – can possibly be seen on tv (9,9)”
OK, one more then: “Silly me, pedestrian actors on tv (9,9)”.