Financial Times 14,009 – Crux
Posted by Sil van den Hoek on May 31st, 2012
Monday Prize Crossword/May 21
By now, readers of my blogs will know that I like Crux crosswords very much. This one was no exception, but for some reason I’m always hoping that Crux will gear up a bit. He is very creative, writes beautiful surfaces, nothing wrong with that – it is just a tad too easy. Or in technical terms, there is a discrepancy between the level of difficulty and the quality of writing. Today one clue (2d) stumped me, so “won’t you please, please, help me” (courtesy of Lennon/McCartney).
Definitions are underlined whenever and wherever possible.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TAHITI | A success in Treasure Island initially leads to another |
| A HIT (success) inside T[reasure] I[sland] | ||
| 4 | BARONESS | Individuals in pubs for Lady Thatcher? |
| ONES (individuals) inside BARS (pubs) | ||
| Yes, she was! And let’s leave it there. | ||
| 9 | EASTER | England’s first flower festival |
| E[ngland] + ASTER (flower) | ||
| 10 | ETHEREAL | Late back holding present, but it’s heavenly |
| ETAL (reversal of LATE) around HERE (present) | ||
| 12 | OPPOSITE | Face conceals it? The reverse, in fact |
| OPPOSE (face) around IT | ||
| 13 | ACCENT | It could be acute stress |
| Double definition, perhaps | ||
| Perhaps, because when it comes to linguistics the two are more or less interwoven. That said, as a verb ‘accent’ can also mean ‘to accentuate’ which is a more general definition for ‘to stress’. | ||
| 15 | DOPE | Take some exercise, stupid! |
| DO PE (exercise) | ||
| I am pretty sure that I have seen this clue before. And it would not surprise me if it was Crux himself who was the magician. | ||
| 16 | RHYTHMS | They’ll be beaten in time |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 20 | ENTRAIN | Net deployed by Water Board |
| (NET)* + RAIN (water) | ||
| 21 | BRAE | Bank of Scotland needs support introducing economies |
| BRA (support) + E[conomies] | ||
| 25 | STANCE | Pakistan certainly hold this position |
| Hidden solution: [Paki]STAN CE[rtainly] | ||
| 26 | BEDSORES | They trouble those who lie a lot |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 28 | ONE-PIECE | Slimmer’s chocolate ration, perhaps, if she’s to look good in it! |
| Double definition, both of ‘em a bit loose/cryptic | ||
| 29 | ADAGIO | Slow movement gets a soldier into trouble |
| A GI (soldier) inside ADO (trouble) | ||
| 30 | TRAVESTY | Server holding underwear – what a farce! |
| TRAY (server) around VEST (underwear) | ||
| 31 | ASTERN | Oriental doesn’t start at the back |
| EASTERN (oriental) minus its starter E | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | THE LORDS | House shortlisted for demolition, it’s not needed |
| (SHORTLISTED minus ITS)* | ||
| Initially, I was completely on the wrong track, thinking that Crux was in such a devious mood that we had to separate short/listed, leading to an anagram of HO[use] + LISTED with the last part of the clue as the definition. How wrong I was! | ||
| 2 | HOSEPIPE | Playing it on grass may be banned |
| Cryptic definition, or double? | ||
| I don’t know what to make of this one (yet). The ‘hosepipe’ in relation to a ban on making the grass even greener, is clear. And ‘playing it’ points in the direction of ‘pipe’ as a musical instrument. It would have made sense to me if ‘hose’ could be ‘grass’ or vice versa. Any help is much appreciated here! | ||
| 3 | TSETSE | Having set off twice to fly |
| (SET)* + (SET)* | ||
| 5 | ASTI | Wine that in test appears most palatable |
| When inside TEST, one will get TASTIEST(most palatable) | ||
| 6 | OVERCOME | Speechless in defeat |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | ELEVEN | Sporting side appearing in Mexico |
| XI (eleven) is at the heart of Mexico | ||
| 8 | SALUTE | Kind of welcome that makes us late |
| (US LATE)* | ||
| 11 | ETCHERS | They do impressions and such for the lady |
| ETC (and such) + HERS (for the lady) | ||
| I think this was quite a clever clue, the definition being slightly cryptic. | ||
| 14 | STRIVES | Last miner in Cornish town works hard |
| [mine]R inside St IVES (Cornish town) | ||
One of these fine surfaces (Crux is a specialist), but purists might object to ‘last miner’ for R. I do not, unless people like Anax or Neo say I should  . |
||
| 17 | INACTIVE | Still popular stage show I’ve taken on |
| IN (popular) + ACT (stage show) + I VE | ||
| 18 | PROROGUE | Suspend meeting with professional villain |
| PRO (professional) + ROGUE (villain) | ||
| 19 | TEASPOON | Most of the side kiss and cuddle, which causes a stir! |
| TEA[m] + SPOON (kiss and cuddle) | ||
| 22 | ESCORT | Sector at sea giving protection |
| (SECTOR)* | ||
| Would you believe, I first entered here ‘corset’. Also something that gives a certain protection …. |
||
| 23 | PAMELA | Girl friend takes me in on April 1st |
| {PAL (friend) around ME}+ A[pril] | ||
| If Crux were a devious setter, he would have written ‘Girlfriend’ as one word. I am not Ximenean nor Libertarian, but I probably would have done that. I think it is the influence of the Guardian that reigns over me. | ||
| 24 | ASIDES | A party’s words softly spoken |
| A SIDE (party) S | ||
| 27 | SCUT | Possibly old Rover’s disheartened with short tail |
| SCOUT (a scout car, which might be a Rover) minus O (i.e.disheartened) | ||
May 31st, 2012 at 12:19 am
Is it possible that 2d is “hashpipe”? That would fit with the “grass” theme. Still a bit of a stretch…
May 31st, 2012 at 8:05 am
Thanks for the blog, Sil.
Yes, I think 2dn is a Cryptic Definition referring to a Hosepipe Ban.
For PLAY, Collins gives “to discharge or cause to discharge: he played the water
from the hose onto the garden”.
Definition in 14dn – a verb: works hard = ST(R)IVES (rather than STRIVER).
Definition in 22dn – a noun: protection (rather than ‘giving protection’) = ESCORT.
May 31st, 2012 at 8:21 am
Thankyou Sil.
My take on 2dn is -
surface reading: to play this pipe (musical instrument) whilst taking drugs (grass) is illegal
cryptic reading: sprinkling (playing) a hosepipe on the lawn (grass) may be illegal (during a hosepipe ban).
Not the greatest clue ever written IMO.
June 1st, 2012 at 8:42 am
I’m happy with the level of difficulty. Of course I’m at the lower end of the ability level but my view is that if anyone finds it too easy , they have 5 others to choose from.
June 1st, 2012 at 7:28 pm
OK, Bamberger, I will not mention it again – promise (er, try to)!
It is just how I feel about Crux crosswords.
And I am perfectly happy with so-called ‘easier’ crosswords when they are so well-written as the puzzles this fine setter produces, time after time.