Monday Prize Crossword/24 Oct
After last week’s Monday Prize Crossword (a smoothie by Armonie, which unfortunately didn’t call for many comments), we return to a familiar area with this Dante puzzle .
I found this a relatively easy crossword [and remember, at times I do struggle more with Dante/Rufus than with eg an Enigmatist – Enigmatist? Yes, that one! ]. Usually I do not look at grids very much, but this one was exactly the same as in the previous Dante. And the more I look at it, the more I remember me having problems with this grid, and with 11d and 14d in particular [though not today].
Many thanks, Dante!
| Across | ||
| 1 | ADORED | Fuss about daughter having lover |
| ADO (fuss) + RE (about) + D (daughter) | ||
| 4 | DESPATCH | Bulletin carelessly pasted to front of church |
| (PASTED)* in front of CH (church) | ||
| The actual solution is an alternative to the more familiar ‘dispatch’. | ||
| 9 | AVERSE | Opposed States open engagement |
| AVERS (states, with a lower case S [which is a contradictio in terminis J]) + E[ngagement] | ||
| In Crosswordland we are quite used to a false capitalisations. Unlike my PinC I have no problems with them at all. Yet, here I was very much misled, because I thought that ‘States’ might perhaps be US or just S. Well done, Dante! | ||
| 10 | TOLERATE | A love letter disposed to show forbearance |
| (A O (love) LETTER)* | ||
| What a nice anagram. | ||
| 12 | DISALLOW | I’d turn a sickly colour and refuse permission |
| DI (reversal of I D) + SALLOW (a sickly colour) | ||
| Strictly speaking “a sickly colour” is not an adjective, but I see what Dante means: “I’d turn a sickly colour” as a whole taken in a similar way as for example “I see red” [I guess]. | ||
| 13 | ASTHMA | A maths formula which leaves one breathless |
| (A MATHS)* | ||
| It’s not just because I am a maths teacher, but this is one of these natural surfaces that make(s) Dante such a stand-out compiler. | ||
| 15 | NO GO | Futile report on person lacking energy? |
| NO GO (lacking energy, energy being GO), with the first part of the clue ‘cryptic’? | ||
| Is the first part of the clue just cryptic? | ||
| 16 | YESTERDAYS | Yeasty reds drunk in the recent past |
| (YEASTY REDS)* | ||
| 19 | ATTRIBUTES | Skills shown by artiste, but presented badly |
| (ARTISTE BUT)* | ||
| 20 | OTIC | Opposition leader, a jerk, is of concern to the listener |
| O[pposition] + TIC (jerk) | ||
| 23 | TIFFIN | Light meal for a pet at home |
| TIFF (a pet, in its colloquial meaning of ‘bad mood’, I guess) + IN (at home) | ||
| 25 | BLUE MOON | Once in a lifetime phenomenon? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| The classic song ‘Blue Moon’ creeps up, but I also have to think of Ireland’s No 1 songstress Mary Black: Once in a very Blue Moon. | ||
| 27 | NAUTICAL | A lunatic, crazy about boats |
| (A LUNATIC)* | ||
| One of two very nice, um, nautical clues. | ||
| 28 | HUMANE | Compassionate chap put in the shade |
| MAN (chap) inside HUE (shade) | ||
| 29 | ANATHEMA | A song about a subject a person cannot stand |
| {ANTHEM (a song) around A} + A | ||
| 30 | SEVERE | Cut off head of enemy – being ruthless |
| SEVER (cut off) + E[nemy] | ||
| This is really a bit of a macabre clue, isn’t it? I am not that sensitive myself and I consider Dante to be a very peaceful man, but …. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ABANDON | A group of musicians on leave |
| A + BAND (group of musicians) + ON | ||
| 2 | OVERSIGHT | Finished with a sense of failure |
| OVER (finished) + SIGHT (a sense) | ||
| 3 | EASILY | Lie, say, is found out without difficulty |
| (LIE SAY)* | ||
| 5 | EROS | His influence may make Rose change her name |
| (ROSE)* | ||
| Not very convinced by the definition here. I think I understand Dante’s Way here, but even so. | ||
| 6 | PLEASURE | Claims an old city quarter provide a diversion |
| PLEAS (claims) + UR (an old city) + E (quarter, East) | ||
| Shouldn’t “provide” be “provides” in this clue? | ||
| 7 | TRASH | Refuse to start treating skin problem |
| T[reating] + RASH (skin problem) | ||
| 8 | HEEHAWS | Asinine utterances |
| Not so very cryptic definition | ||
| 11 | COVER UP | Conceal that the cost of insurance has risen |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | OTHELLO | Moorish gentleman to rise with a greeting |
| OT (reversal of TO) + HELLO | ||
| 17 | ASTROLABE | Navigation aid gives boats real improvement |
| (BOATS REAL)* | ||
| The second nautical clue and again one I liked. | ||
| 18 | DIMINISH | Short skirt pretty girl’s about to make shorter |
| DISH (pretty girl) around MINI (short skirt) | ||
| With ?I?I?I?? in place, I was initially convinced this had to start with ‘mini’, but I could not justify ‘minimise’. | ||
| 19 | ANTENNA | Feeler from a National Trust girl taken up |
| A + NT (National Trust) + ENNA (reversal of ANNE (a girl)) | ||
| 21 | CONCEDE | Admit to swindle over grant |
| CON (to swindle) + CEDE (grant) | ||
| 22 | DE LUXE | Conclude Luxembourg is somewhat rich and elegant |
| Hidden solution: [conclu]DE LUXE[mbourg] | ||
| 24 | FAUNA | Rural deity heads a list of animal life |
| FAUN (rural deity) preceding A | ||
| 26 | PALM | Sign of victory on hand |
| Double definition | ||
Couldn’t get 9a,29a,30a, 17d, 24d 7 26d
Was fairly sure 19d was fauna but didn’t know faun =rural deity.
Thought 26d might be palm but still don’t see how a palm is sign of victory. Is it a reference to the black power clenched fist or the Nazi Seig Heil? Can’t get much more opposite than that!
Re 26d Chambers definition of palm includes ‘a leaf of this tree carried as a token of rejoicing or of victory; emblematically, pre-eminence, the prize; a branch of willow or other substitute in symbolic or ceremonial use.’ and the Thesaurus includes palm of victory.
New phrase for me too.