Monday Prize Crossword/Aug 15
Two Dante puzzles in a row, but I am not one who is going to complain about that .
Just like last week, please keep in mind that I cannot respond to any comments in the next few days.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TIBETANS | Foreigners bait nets differently |
| (BAIT NETS)* | ||
| 5 | PUTRID | Corrupt, but set free |
| PUT (set) + RID (free) | ||
| 9 | OPEN-CAST | Clear, the actors are, from the pit |
| OPEN (clear) + CAST (the actors) | ||
| 10 | CRIMEA | War, a subject of many a novel article |
| CRIME (a subject of many a novel) + A (article) | ||
| The solution is referring to the Crimean War (1853-1856). Not sure though whether ‘War’ is enough to define ‘Crimea’ as it is only the scene of that war. | ||
| 12 | HABIT | Worn by a sailor in a blow? |
| AB (a sailor) inside HIT (a blow) | ||
| 13 | BRIEFCASE | Carried by lawyer for a short trial? |
| BRIEF (short) + CASE (trial) | ||
| 14 | OLD LAG | One who has served time and time again |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 16 | IGNOBLE | Base for soldier in retreat, one of rank |
| IG (reversal of GI (soldier)) + NOBLE (one of rank) | ||
| 19 | BAYONET | It’s a fixed sort of charge |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 21 | GO DOWN | Decline to leave university |
| Double definition | ||
| 23 | REINSTATE | Re-establish control by government |
| REIN (control) + STATE (government) | ||
| 25 | BATHE | Bachelor taking the plunge |
| BA (bachelor) + THE | ||
| 26 | IN PLAY | Not out of touch but performing publicly? |
| Double/Cryptic definition | ||
| 27 | SNATCHES | Quickly grasps fragments of songs |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | ELYSEE | Rarely seen part of the French president’s residence |
| Hidden answer: [rar]ELY SEE[n] | ||
| 29 | TRINIDAD | Secret society hides racket back in island |
| NID (reversal of DIN (racket)) inside TRIAD (secret (Chinese) society) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TROPHY | Work hard in attempt to gain prize |
| {OP (work (‘opus’) H (hard)} inside TRY (attempt) | ||
| 2 | BEER BELLY | Pot of ale? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 3 | TACIT | Bird without bill is silent |
| TIT (bird) around AC (bill) | ||
| The first time Dante uses ‘without’ for ‘around’ in this puzzle. | ||
| 4 | NOSEBAG | A beastly food store? That depends |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 6 | UNREFINED | Crude and rude |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | RUMBA | Dance and a drink to uplift a sailor |
| RUM (a drink) + BA (reversal of BA (sailor)) | ||
| 8 | DIABETES | Expires without help for disease |
| DIES (expires) around ABET (help) | ||
| Here’s the second time that ‘without’ = ‘around’. | ||
| 11 | KIWI | All black bird? |
| Cryptic definition (Think New Zealand) | ||
| 15 | LANDSCAPE | Painters may paint it, and in a variety of places |
| AND inside (PLACES)* | ||
| Probably my Clue of the Day. | ||
| 17 | BEWITCHED | Get married without desire? Must be under a spell |
| BE WED (get married) around ITCH (desire) | ||
| ‘Without’ #3 … | ||
| 18 | ABORTIVE | A bit over-developed and not at all successful |
| (A BIT OVER)* | ||
| 20 | TRAP | Vehicle that may catch a speeding motorist |
| Double definition | ||
| My last entry. One of the meanings of TRAP is ‘a light carriage’, while TRAP is also slang for a person who catches offenders (like the police). | ||
| 21 | GLEANER | Description of Ruth, in general terms |
| (GENERAL)* | ||
| I have at least two weak points. One is my ignorance of war, soldiers and battles (and although the Real World is different, I want to keep it like that). The other is my lack of knowledge of the Bible. As a non-religious person I could at first only see GLEANER being an anagram of ‘general’. But now I know: Ruth went to glean in the fields where she met Boaz etc. etc. | ||
| 22 | LEASED | Let out the smallest amount, say |
| Homophone of ‘least’ (the smallest amount) | ||
| 24 | IMPLY | Suggest I am to practise a trade |
| I’M (I am) + PLY (practise a trade) | ||
| 25 | BATON | Carry on playing for the club |
| BAT ON (carry on playing) | ||
Thanks Sil. Am I confusing myself or is there a false double negative at 26? When a ball is out, it is in touch so ‘in play’ should be ‘not in touch’ not ‘not out of touch’. Now I’m more confused than when I started
Many thanks Sil & Dante for another enjoyable puzzle.
I didn’t understand GLEANER – which I entered hoping for the best – and you have fully resolved my only query.
My COD was BEER BELLY.
Lenny @ 1 – I think that you have either confused yourself or there’s a typo in your version of 26a.
in the version that I downloaded, the clue specified ‘not out of touch’ – so therefore it was IN PLAY.
Let me try again. ‘Out of play’ is ‘in touch’. ‘in play’ is ‘out of touch’ so there is a redundant Not.
Lenny @ 3
In your confusion, you are now trying to confuse me but I am not confused. Believe me!
Lenny & Bryan:
Could you be thinking of different sports? I suspect Lenny is referring to rugby, where a ball kicked “into touch” is out of play, while Bryan may be thinking of football (soccer), where a ball kicked “out of touch” is out of play. (Interestingly, the phrase “out of touch” appears neither in the IRB Laws of Rugby Union nor the FIFA Laws of the Game.)