Having had a Competition Puzzle from Azed last week it was likely that this puzzle would be a standard one. That is how it turned out.
The wordplay in this puzzle struck me as more complex than has been the case with many Azed puzzles I blogged in 2013. I prefer complex wordplay where the entry is built up from three or more constituent parts, so I enjoyed this puzzle.
As usual my vocabulary had increased by the end of the puzzle, but there were enough tightly clued everyday words to help get a start in the grid.
Azed’s anagram indicators are usually very clear. It was with a few of the anagrams that I started. There were also quite a lot of compound anagrams this week using the entry and words in the clue to form another word or phrase in the clue. I spotted three – those involving BAJU (19 across), KURTA (25 down) and SCALA (27 down).
When I solved the puzzle I wrote PIRANA in at 2 down without really thinking about the clue. It was only when I came to write the blog that I realised that the entry had to be PIRAYA for the wordplay to work.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
2
|
Tidy pages grasping skirt (5)
|
PP (pages) containing (grasping) RIM (skirt) P (RIM) P |
PRIMP (tidy)
|
|
6
|
Dependent territory, hence absorbing one (7)
|
APAGE (away, depart, begone; hence) containing (absorbing) AN (one) AP (AN) AGE |
APANAGE (dependent territory)
|
|
11
|
Dressing: odd bits rejected by Jamie Oliver, half cut(5)
|
AI (letters 2 and 4 [ignoring odd bits] of JAMIE) + OLI (if you cut away VER [forming half of the six letters] of OLIVER you are left with OLI)
|
AIOLI (garlic flavoured mayonnaise; dressing)
|
|
12
|
Old-style sex yielding hesitant utterance in Oz? (6)
|
UR (interjection used by speakers to fill a gap when hesitant) contained in (in) AMOS (reference AMOS Oz [born1939], Israeli writer, novelist, journalist and intellectual) AMO (UR) S |
AMOURS (archaic; old style word for love making; sex)
|
|
14
|
Pendant perhaps left trapped in tight corsets (8)
|
L (left) contained in (trapped in) an anagram of (tight) CORSETS CROSS (L) ET* |
CROSSLET (a small cross which may [perhaps] be worn as a pendant)
|
|
15
|
E.g. Bach, confusedly losing lines, buried in task, i.e. right frantic (13)
|
PELL-MELL (confusedly) excluding (losing) LL (lines) contained in (buried in) an anagram of (frantic) (TASK I.E. and R [right]) KA (PELLME) ISTER* |
KAPELLMEISTER (the director of an orchestra or choir, especially formerly in the household of a German prince. Bach held such a post in the court of Price Leopold from 1717 too 1723)
|
|
17
|
Tiptop, reverse of tense inside? So get going (7)
|
(TAUT [tense] reversed [reverse of]) contained in (inside) ACE (outstanding; tiptop) AC (TUAT)< E |
ACTUATE (put into action; get going)
|
|
19
|
Jacket on the short side? You may see me sell this in jumble sale (4)
|
BAJU can be used with ME SELL to form the anagram (may see me in) JUMBLE SALE
|
BAJU (a short jacket traditionally worn in Malaysia)
|
|
20
|
Artist crazy about a type of resin (5)
|
(RA [Royal Academician; artist] + MAD [crazy]) all reversed (about) (DAM AR)< |
DAMAR (a hard resin used for making varnish, obtained from various conifers.)
|
|
22
|
Bone from farm animal, roughly round (4)
|
CA (circa; roughly) containing (round) OX (farm animal) C (OX) A |
COXA (the hip bone;)
|
|
24
|
Oriental figurine, fine one, early reproduction? (7)
|
OK (oaky; fine) + I (one) + MONO (monaural; early form of musical or sound reproduction)
|
OKIMONO (a Japanese ornament or figurine.)
|
|
28
|
Silly me, uncool with a girl, making prediction from figures (13)
|
Anagram of (silly) (ME UNCOOL and A GIRL)
|
NUMEROLOGICAL (making predictions of future events from a study of numbers)
|
|
31
|
Spicy dish from Iran, one brought in by exotic bird (8)
|
(IR [International Vehicle Registration for Iran] + I [one] contained in [brought in] BY) + ANI (tropical American bird; exotic bird) B (IR I) Y ANI |
BIRIYANI (spicy rice dish)
|
|
32
|
Dull time in firm (6)
|
T (time) contained in (in) SOLID (firm) S (T) OLID |
STOLID (showing little or no interest; dull)
|
|
33
|
Fruit pieces placed round centre of charlottes (5)
|
MEN (pieces, for example in a game of chess) containing (placed round) LO (middle letters of [centre of] CHARLOTTES) ME (LO) N |
MELON (fruit)
|
|
34
|
Virginia bags a Bill perhaps in this novel (7)
|
VA (Virginia; state of the United States) containing (bags) (A + NESS [headland, bill, as in Portland Bill]) V (A NESS) A |
VANESSA (novel by Hugh Walpole) |
|
35
|
Celebrity left back, a darling of yore (5)
|
(NAME [celebrity] + L [left]) all reversed (back) (L EMAN)< |
LEMAN (archaic [of yore] word for a lover; a sweetheart; darling of yore)
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Barack O, upset rising senator, scraggy American? (10)
|
Anagram of (upset) BARACK O + (SEN [senator] reversed [rising; down clue]) RACKABO* + NES< |
RACKABONES (American word for a very thin person; scraggy American)
|
|
2
|
Fish tucking into tropical plant, voracious one (6)
|
RAY (fish) contained in (tucking into) PIA (a tropical monocotyledonous plant [genus Tacca; family Taccaceae) with a rhizome yielding E India or Madagascar arrowroot) PI (RAY) A |
PIRAYA (one of the many spellings of a ferocious S American river fish)
|
|
3
|
A bit off colour, consuming nothing, like Scot with a bad throat (5)
|
ROPY (slightly unwell; a bit off colour) containing (consuming) O (nothing) RO (O) PY either O could be contained |
ROOPY (Scottish word meaning to make a hoarse sound; like a Scot with a bad throat)
|
|
4
|
Major road vehicle with runners taken for a ride (6)
|
MI (reference M1 motorway) + SLED ([snow] vehicle with runners)
|
MISLED (directed, informed or advised to go wrong; taken for a ride)
|
|
5
|
Plush saloon diverted up Mall; last in procession (7)
|
Anagram of (diverted) UP MALL + N (final letter of [last in] PROCESSION) PULLMA* N |
PULLMAN (a luxuriously furnished railway saloon or sleeping-car, first made by George M PULLMAN [1832 – 1897] in America)
|
|
6
|
Attention-seeker, one on fringe (4)
|
A (one) + HEM (edge; fringe)
|
AHEM (interjection used to draw attention to oneself)
|
|
7
|
Baptismal ceremony, part in Malayalam ritually (5)
|
AMRIT (hidden word in (part in) MALAYALAM RITUALLY)
|
AMRIT (Sikh baptismal ceremony)
|
|
8
|
Wayward nun’s admitting love – church reveals this once unique thing (7) |
(Anagram of [wayward] NUNS containing (admitting) O [love score in tennis]) + CH (church) N (O) NSU* CH |
NONSUCH (archaic [once] word for a unique, unparalleled or extraordinary thing)
|
|
9
|
Decapitating cow, one provides practical advice (4)
|
DAUNT (subdue; cow) excluding the first letter (decapitating) D
|
AUNT (reference agony AUNT [a person, usually a woman, who gives advice in an agony column or in a radio or television programme of similar nature; any female adviser]).
|
|
10
|
Hail ends in spring weather we like best (5)
|
GREET (last letters of [ends in] SPRING WEATHER WE LIKE BEST)
|
GREET (hail)
|
|
13
|
See activated mangle stir a mere trickle (10)
|
Anagram of (see activated) MANGLE STIR
|
STREAMLING (a small STREAM, a mere trickle, where mere could mean either ‘only a’ or refer to a lake)
|
|
16
|
Sweer drink (not soft) with honey in – might it make you see double? (7) |
(JULEP ([sweet drink] excluding P [piano; soft]) containing (with … in) MEL (honey) JU (MEL) LE |
JUMELLE (a paired or twinned article, esp opera glasses; might it make you see double)
|
|
18
|
Dad looking up and in the pink – strong stuff is drawn on? (7)
|
(PA [father] reversed [looking up; down clue]) contained in (in) CORAL (deep orange-pink colour; pink) C (AP<) ORAL |
CAPORAL (a kind of strong, dark, shag tobacco; strong stuff is drawn on)
|
|
21
|
Administration that’s put settler up exchanging final pair (6)
|
ÉMIGRÉ (emigrant; settler) reversed (up; down clue) after the final two letters R and E are swapped round (exchanging) REGIME< |
REGIME (administration)
|
|
23
|
Primitive statue? Rising pollutant envelops a number (6)
|
(NOX [nitrogen oxide; pollutant] reversed [rising; down clue]) containing (A + NO [number]) XO (A NO) N< |
XOANON (primitive statue, said to have fallen from heaven, originally of wood, later overlaid with ivory and gold.
|
|
25
|
Dressed in clean one? Keralan tunic possibly (5)
|
KURTA can be used with IN CLEAN to form the anagram (dressed) KERALAN TUNIC
|
KURTA (a loose-fitting collarless shirt or tunic worn in India.. Kerala is a state in South West India)
|
|
26
|
Upholsterer’s trim – it smells of violets (5)
|
ORRIS (the Florentine or other iris; its dried rootstock,smelling of violets, used in perfumery
|
ORRIS (upholster’s lace used in trimming) double definition
|
|
27
|
Ear part: coiled canals may reveal one, note (5)
|
SCALA and N (note) can be used to form the anagram (coiled) CANALS
|
SCALA (a ladder-like structure, such as any of the spiral canals of the cochlea)
|
|
29
|
Satellite? Computer device shows use with this (4)
|
MO ON (if you put MO ON USE you get MOUSE [a computer device])
|
MOON (satellite)
|
|
30
|
Some Croatian money a twit laid up but without lock (4)
|
(A + PILLOCK [stupid or foolish person; twit] excluding (without) LOCK) all reversed (laid up; down clue) (PIL A)< |
LIPA (a Cropatian monetary unit)
|
First, I have just realised I have an unfinished paper copy of this. I usually do it online so I don’t have to use a magnifier. This week the site refused to supply a valid certificate so I couldn’t get it to run. I do wish they would get round to something that doesn’t require the ghastly (and terribly unsafe)Java.
[end of rant]
I’ll come back after I’ve seen if I can finish it…
Thanks Duncan. This was the first Azed I’ve had a go at and I got all but Baju, having guessed at Baku. I didn’t see how the anagram fodder worked but now you have pointed it out, together with the other two examples (which I had solved via their definitions), I’ll look out for clues of this style in future if the standard solving methods aren’t leading anywhere.
Thank you Duncan.
Some puzzle(d) solvers may like to know that the printed version of this crossword had for 31A “Spicy dish from Iran, brought in by exotic bird”, ie it left out the “one”. This made a cryptic for BIRYANI rather than BIRIYANI.
The online version came out on Monday, a day late: coincidence?
Thanks Azed for the usual enjoyment and Duncan for the blog.
Andrew@3 re 31ac: Although I am sure Azed’s intention was to include the “one”, and use IR as the IVR for Iran (as given in Chambers), in fact the clue works without the “one”, because IRI is also a valid abbreviation for Iran, actually standing for Islamic Republic of Iran, although this is not in Chambers.
Hi Duncan,
Excuse the extremely late blog for Azed 2175 but could you confirm the following is a possible justification for:
27 Ear part: coiled canals may reveal one, note (5)
definition = Ear part: coiled canals
so
sc = abbreviation for Latin scilicet(permitted to know) or may reveal + a (one) + la (note i.e. do ra me fa so la)
Interested to hear your comments
Philip Knowles @ 5
Philip, I’m not a setter so I’m not an authority on clue construction, but as a solver I would struggle to make a connection between sc [scilicet] and ‘may reveal’. I looked in two or three dictionaries after your comment and all seem to favour a definition of scilicet as ‘to wit; namely’ with namely further defined as ‘that is to say’
Azed is fairly scrupulous in linking his clues to definitions in Chambers and I can’t find a link between scilicet and ‘may reveal’ in any of my recent copies of Chambers.
I accept that the dictionaries also tend to link scilicet to the Latin scire licet – permitted to know. I am even less a Latin scholar than I am a crossword setter.
However, having said all that I can clearly see the construction SC + A + LA could work.
Thanks for feedback Duncan,
Probably a case of making it more difficult than it needed to be on my part.
Anyhow a good challenge.
The only other clue I had difficulty with (though still able to provide the entry)was amours.
Being from Australia I got rather hung up on the AMOS – Australia connection rather than the correct Oz Amos one.
Thanks for putting me out of my misery on that one.