Guardian 24,476/Rufus

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A straightforward Rufus for Bank Holiday Monday. A couple of nice cryptic definitions, and a couple more I’m not so keen on.

Key:
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
* = anagram
< = reverse

 
Across
1 ROLLMOPS MOP in ROLLS
5 LASSES (c)LASSES
9 POIGNANT PAIGNTON*
12 IMBUE First letters
13 TRACK DOWN dd
14 SOMNAMBULIST cd “Out” = asleep
18 CONTAMINATED (NO ADMITTANCE)* A marvellous anagram
21 DECK CARGO Pack=DECK, freight=CARGO It wouldn’t be Rufus without a nautical reference. As the name implies, Deck Cargo is cargo stored on the deck of a ship.
23 RALPH hidden
24 MAIDEN AID in MEN
25 ARCHIVES IV in SEARCH*
27 PRUDENCE cd
Down
1 REPAID DIAPER<
2 LAID BY BID* in LAY
3 MINNESOTA NOMINATES*
4 PENITENTIARY cd I quite liked this because of the misleading surface.
7 STEP ON IT (SET POINT)*
8 STRENGTH dd Interesting idea, STRENGTHS is a longer one-syllable word.
11 FARM LABOURER cd Rather a weak one, I thought
15 UNEARTHED dd
16 ACADEMIC dd
19 ELEVEN EL EVEN
20 CHASTE H in CASTE
22 CREED C REED

5 comments on “Guardian 24,476/Rufus”

  1. Yes, pretty straightforward but I enjoyed it – I thought 12ac was clever, with the less common meaning of ‘steep’.

    [A wee typo in 4dn, Andrew – PENITENTIARY. I agree, a nice clue.]

    I know I shouldn’t do this but is there going to be a blog for Taupi’s prize crossword 24,469? I thought there were some great clues and finished it ok but coudn’t see all the word-play for 4dn: LEASE. I can see ‘agreement to let’ but not the rest [‘live with freedom from disturbance’]

  3. SOMNAMBULIST made laugh when we finally got it 🙂

    Eileen: I thought the same as Geoff although I wasn’t sure about L = “live”. It’s not in my big list of abbreviations or Chambers 2003, but I think it’s used in electronics and so on…

  4. Thanks, both. Easy when you know how, isn’t it? I wasn’t aware of that abbreviation but, as I’ve said before, I’m no scientist!

  5. You see L N and E on virtually every plug, electrical diagram etc., at least here in the UK. L = live is not in Chambers or COED but it is listed in Collins.

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