Monday Prize Crossword/Sep 12
Are there any other average solvers out there who thought this Dante crossword was somewhat harder than usual?
If not, then it is obviously my problem. I could only get a few answers during my first session, most of them in the South. It took me another two sessions to finish the job. In hindsight, there is nothing too difficult. It looks like a normal Dante, so I am not sure why it took me so long. But at last we had a Prize Crossword here that really made me work! 🙂
| Across | ||
| 1 | SWITCH | It may be thrown for a change |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | FRAMED | Falsely accused of having sheep pastured outside |
| RAM (sheep) with FED (pastured) on the outside | ||
| 8 | CONVERT | Make believe |
| Let’s call this a Cryptic definition | ||
| 9 | CASTILE | I entered dream-home – in Spain appropriately |
| I inside CASTLE (dream-home) | ||
| I was wondering about the word “appropriately” in the clue, but this Wiki article on CASTILE tells us that its name is thought to mean “Land of Castles”. | ||
| 11 | CROSSWORDS | Angry expressions which call for solutions |
| CROSS (angry) + WORDS (expressions) | ||
| 12 | LAID | Placed a number on benefit |
| L (a number) + AID (benefit) | ||
| 13 | AISLE | Such a passage is a tissue of lies |
| A + (LIES)* | ||
| I know “a tissue of lies” is an expression, but is “tissue” good enough as an anagram indicator? | ||
| 14 | EXACTING | Demanding much in either effort or money |
| More or less a double definition | ||
| 16 | FALL FLAT | Happen to be on the level but produce no response |
| FALL (happen to be) + FLAT (on the level) | ||
| 18 | OF AGE | In the majority |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 20 | MESS | Canteen stew? |
| Double definition | ||
| It will come as no surprise when I say that this was my first entry …. How chestnutty can it get. | ||
| 21 | CULTIVATED | Farmed in a civilised way |
| Double definition | ||
| 23 | GIRONDE | Ignored trouble in the French department |
| (IGNORED)* | ||
| After having a part of Spain in an earlier clue, here is some tourist information on the part of France that is called GIRONDE. | ||
| 24 | PICADOR | Sanctimonious bounder or ringfighter? |
| PI (sanctimonious) + CAD (bounder) + OR | ||
| Nice clue, I thought. Despite the fact that I do not like bullfighting at all. | ||
| 25 | SATIRE | Burlesque star that is ill-disposed |
| (STAR + IE (that is))* | ||
| 26 | CENTRE | Recent change of heart |
| (RECENT)* | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SPOOR | Point to inferior scent |
| S (point (South)) + POOR (inferior) | ||
| 2 | INVESTS | Puts one’s money in underwear |
| IN VESTS (in underwear) | ||
| 3 | CARTWHEEL | Revolutionary move to go on the wagon |
| Double definition, formulated in a cryptic way | ||
| 5 | REARS | Raises bucks |
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | MATELOT | Sailor gives a great deal to wife |
| MATE (wife) + LOT (a great deal) | ||
| 7 | DALLIANCE | A number lead the union in time-wasting action |
| D (a number) + ALLIANCE (union) | ||
| Not sure whether the other meaning of DALLIANCE is a time-wasting action ….. 🙂 | ||
| 10 | FREE STYLE | There’s no set way to win this race |
| FREE STYLE (no set / way) | ||
| Freestyle (usually written as one word) doesn’t necessarily have to indicate a form of racing, but it is often linked with racing (motor racing, swimming) and I am fine with it. | ||
| 13 | ACADEMIES | I made case out for specialised schools |
| (I MADE CASE)* | ||
| 15 | ABORIGINE | Early Australian with derivation in Lincoln? |
| ORIGIN (derivation) inside ABE (Abraham Lincoln) | ||
| 17 | LASH OUT | Give generously when there’s a whip-round? |
| Straightforward definition with a cryptic extension | ||
| 19 | ADAMANT | The first male worker in firm |
| ADAM (the first male) + ANT (worker) | ||
| The other Adam Ant is currently almost as popular as he was in the early 80s, which btw has nothing to do with this clue. | ||
| 21 | CEDAR | It has branches in Lebanon |
| Cryptic definition for a tree (it has branches) that has a Lebanon variety | ||
| 22 | ELOPE | Dash off to fulfil a secret engagement |
| Not so very cryptic definition | ||
Sil
Re your question at 7dn.
It depends on whether it’s the primrose path or a path full of nettles.
Yes I found this much tougher and could only get 2d in the NW.Embarrassed not to get 11a!