Monday Prize Crossword/21 Nov
Back to life, back to reality: a smoothie by Dante.
Hardly anything controversial in this crossword. In particular, some nice anagrams with 10ac and 19ac (ROMAN TIMES – MONETARISM – topical?) leading the pack. Not really an AS USUAL type of device (for Dante, that is) in 14ac . Nice use of two different kind of pronunciations in the SKIERS of 22d. Many thanks to Dante!
| Across | ||
| 1 | OFFCUT | Remnant is substandard, needing price reduction |
| OFF (substandard) + CUT (price reduction) | ||
| 4 | COMPLETE | Engage in competition without money to finish |
| COMPETE (engage in competition) outside L (money, a pound) | ||
| 9 | THEISM | Convert me with this belief |
| (ME + THIS)* | ||
| 10 | GARGOYLE | It drains off water from scrambled Royal egg |
| (ROYAL EGG)* | ||
| 12 | COMPOUND | Add on to a POW camp |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | RAGTAG | Cheap newspaper with stock phrase for the riff-raff |
| RAG (cheap newspaper) + TAG (stock phrase) | ||
| 15 | LIST | Pay attention or bend over |
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | BRASS TACKS | Brazen supporters that really mean business |
| BRASS (brazen) + TACKS (supporters) | ||
| 19 | MONETARISM | A way to regulate the economy from Roman times |
| (ROMAN TIMES)* | ||
| 20 | AMMO | Large number seen in a doctor’s rounds |
| M (large number, 1000) inside A MO (a doctor) – the definition here is ‘rounds’ (a round is the ammunition of one shot) | ||
| 23 | NESTED | Built a home for a good man in want |
| ST (good man, Saint) in NEED (want) | ||
| 25 | BANK LOAN | Finance advanced for riverside development |
| Probably a cryptic definition, playing on the word ‘bank’ in different ways | ||
| 27 | TENEMENT | Holding belief about humanity |
| TENET (belief) around MEN (humanity) | ||
| 28 | TENUTO | It’s held musically to follow the wrong tune |
| TO following (TUNE)* | ||
| 29 | RAILROAD | Force both sides into a radio broadcast |
| L (left) R (right) [both sides] inside (A RADIO)* | ||
| 30 | AS WELL | It follows a gale at sea, too |
| A SWELL (which might be the result of a gale at sea) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | OPTICAL | Visual changes to the Capitol |
| (CAPITOL)* | ||
| 2 | FREEMASON | Strange forenames of the lodger? |
| (FORENAMES)* | ||
| 3 | UPSHOT | Outcome of an anti-aircraft gun? |
| Double definition, the second a bit cryptic | ||
| 5 | OVAL | Love girl’s curved shape |
| O (love) + VAL (girl, short for Valerie) | ||
| 6 | PAGEANTS | A long time in short trousers and spectacles |
| AGE (a long time) inside PANTS (short trousers) | ||
| 7 | EGYPT | Type out a note in a foreign country |
| (TYPE)* outside E (a note) | ||
| 8 | EMERGES | Comes out east and joins up |
| E (east) + MERGES (joins up) | ||
| 11 | SNORERS | They don’t have a quiet retirement |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 14 | AS USUAL | It’s customary for escort to leave assault course when injured |
| (ASSAUL[t] [co]U[rse])* , [t][co][rse] being the letters of ESCORT | ||
| 17 | COMPOSURE | Aplomb of company representative certain about nothing |
| CO (company) + {MP (representative) + SURE (certain)} around O (nothing) | ||
| 18 | STREAMER | Pennant flown by vessel with monarch aboard |
| STEAMER (vessel) around R (monarch, Rex or Regina) | ||
| 19 | MONSTER | No terms could describe such a wicked person |
| (NO TERMS)* | ||
| 21 | OWN GOAL | Have an ambition that gives advantage to opponents |
| OWN (have) + GOAL (an ambition) | ||
| 22 | SKIERS | Highballs for winter sportsmen |
| Double definition, the first one an alternative to SKYERS (think cricket) | ||
| 24 | SINAI | Deserted area is in a poor state |
| (IS IN A)* | ||
| 26 | ANNA | She was a copper, once, in India |
| Double definition, the first just simply ‘she’ | ||