[New comment layout] - details here
The usual thing: utterly sound clues and much struggling with words that one suspects will not for ever be retained by the Chambers Dictionary.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | WALDRAPP — (law)rev. drapp{ie} — a drappie is a Scottish word for a little drop, esp of spirits |
| 11 | CREMATORIA — (air came)* round tor |
| 12 | REJO{i}N |
| 13 | GRACE — (cigar – I)* {smok}e |
| 14 | DUM-PALM — dump alm{ond} |
| 15 | R A CON — con has several meanings, one of which is to direct the steering of |
| 18 | TA(MA)L{low} — one of the many meanings of low is badly-nourished |
| 19 | M O({cr}U{st})LDER |
| 20 | SKEGG — skin with ‘in’ replaced by ‘egg’ |
| 23 | IN REM — r in (mine)* |
| 24 | M(ELAN)IE{n} |
| 25 | MISSA{I’d} |
| 28 | HA(B)LE — hable is a Spenserian word for able |
| 29 | myTHIST LEgends |
| 31 | E QUID |
| 32 | LEN(E)S — contact lens — lenes are consonants articulated with relatively little muscular effort and pressure of breath |
| 33 | RUNE-SINGER — r (one urge)* with the o replaced by sin (e.g. lust) |
| 34 | SAGENES S — a sagene is a rare word for a network |
| Down | |
| 1 | WORDSMITHERY — {whic}h in (Morse dry wit)* — I’m not quite sure about the &lit. quality, which it clearly has: does it refer to Sir Jeremy Morse, prolific Azed prizewinner, or is it in some way a reference to Colin Dexter’s Morse? The former seems more likely (at any rate it fits the clue better I think), but Sir Jeremy Morse, although a great name to crossword enthusisasts, can hardly be expected to be known far outside this world [The ultimate of which is seen in what Morse with dry wit clues?] |
| 2 | A(L EURO)N |
| 3 | DROPPLE — I think this is Doppler with the r moved to the second position, but why then does it say ‘second to last’ when what is meant is ‘last to second’? [Trickle (rare), Austrian physicist’s second to last] |
| 4 | REN{T} AY |
| 5 | {big}AMY L — an obsolete meaning of bigamy is a second marriage (church law) |
| 6 | PALM TREE — (Ra temple)* — a palmyra is an African and Asiatic palm |
| 7 | J(OR{ange})AM |
| 8 | D(RACA)EN A — raca is a Biblical word for worthless |
| 9 | NICOL — (in)rev. col — a nicol is a special crystal of calcium carbonate |
| 10 | CAENOGENESIS — (in e.g. SE oceans)* |
| 16 | FUR I(BUN)’D |
| 17 | GEM ATRIA |
| 21 | KAMSEEN — k{eel} (seamen)* |
| 22 | GIB LETS — a gib is an obsolete word for a tomcat, and to let is to give leave to |
| 25 | MAQUI — a maqui is a Chilean evergreen shrub whose berry is a source of medicinal wine, and the Maquis were the French guerilla Resistance forces in the Second World War |
| 26 | SLIER — (relis{h})* |
| 27 | BI(L)G E |
| 30 | rusH ON Gold — a multinational trading company from Hong Kong |
Thanks all
The usual enjoyable tussle for a Sunday.
Thanks, John, for explaining some of the more obscure references. I agree about DROPPLE. And was it a weakness to have DUM-PALM and PALM TREE in the same puzzle, in fact sharing a letter?
It’s worth noting that WORDSMITHERY was the competition word in puzzle 1702, although Azed’s clue seems to be original. The competition was not won by Sir Jeremy Morse although his entry did receive a commendation. The &lit website has an excellent searchable archive of Azed puzzles.
Thanks Azed for the puzzle – back to my normal solving time – and John for the blog.
I agree with John and bridgesong about DOPPLER.
In my comment @3, I should have said DROPPLE, not DOPPLER.
John, it would be interesting to hear from you about precisely which of the words are likely to be excised. ‘Melanie’ is not in the 12th edition, of course. Which others will join her?
Well at least some folks do read these John. I just don’t have the time, patience or resources to do something like this.
Thanks for the hard work anyway.
I’m not going to guess, Bob@5. All I know is that many of the words in Azed’s crosswords are very unusual and that with a whole lot of new ones coming into the new edition, they will have to make room for them.