Monday Prize Crossword/5 Dec
Another fine crossword by Dante.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CASHMERE | Fabric obtained for ready money only |
| CASH (ready money) + MERE (only) | ||
| 5 | BYPATH | Rarely taken walk |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| I really like walking, do it every Sunday. Never seen a bypath though. | ||
| 9 | FACE PACK | Confront Wolves, say, in the mud |
| FACE (confront) + PACK (wolves, say) | ||
| 10 | ASTERN | A hard back for sailors |
| A + STERN (hard), the definition being ‘back for sailors’ | ||
| 12 | ILIAD | Classic appearing in 151AD |
| I (1) + LI (51) + AD | ||
| 13 | INSPECTOR | Official reformer of prison etc |
| (PRISON ETC)* | ||
| 14 | SNICKS | They may be more than a touch unlucky for some batsmen |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 16 | RIDDLED | Cleric angered about being screened |
| RILED (angered) about DD (cleric, Doctor of Divinity) | ||
| 19 | ILL FAME | The notoriety only a hypochondriac would enjoy |
| Kind of cryptic definition | ||
| 21 | COYOTE | Beast retiring with a broken toe |
| COY (retiring) + (TOE)* | ||
| 23 | SOLITAIRE | Game bird |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | FENCE | Criminal may be 21 down |
| Probably a double definition | ||
| 26 | RESIST | Is among those left to fight |
| IS inside REST (those left) | ||
| 27 | ARRANGED | Fixed the score to suit the players |
| Cryptic definition, alluding to a musical score | ||
| 28 | PARODY | Staff taken in by salary – it’s a travesty |
| ROD (staff) inside PAY (salary) | ||
| 29 | IDOLATER |
One to perform afterwards for a devoted fan |
| I (one) + DO ( to perform) + LATER (afterwards) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | COFFIN | Dead man’s chest |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 2 | SECTIONAL | In parts coastline is rocky |
| (COASTLINE)* | ||
| 3 | MOPED | Bike was blue |
| Double definition, with two different pronunciations | ||
| 4 | RECOILS | Goes back after being fired |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 6 | YESTERDAY | Wild-eyed satyr of most recent history |
| (EYED SATYR)* | ||
| 7 | AGENT | Factor eliminated by direct dealing |
| Double definition, or is it meant to be cryptic one? | ||
| 8 | HUNDREDS | Centuries old political divisions |
| Double definition | ||
| 11 | TSAR | A good man elevated to king and emperor |
| TS A (reversal of A ST (a good man)) + R (king, Rex) | ||
| 15 | CHASTISED | At chess I’d moved and switched |
| (AT CHESS I’D)* | ||
| What about the definition here? | ||
| 17 | LATE NIGHT | At length I made good – at the eleventh hour? |
| (AT LENGTH I)* | ||
| 18 | AIRSTRIP | Aircraft base advertises tour |
| AIRS (advertises) + TRIP (tour) | ||
| 20 | EVIL | Be overthrown – that’s bad |
| Famous reversal of LIVE (be) | ||
| 21 | CLEARED | Brightened up when found not guilty |
| Double definition | ||
| 22 | LEADER | Editorial boss |
| Double definition | ||
| 24 | LOSER | Does he keep to the beaten track? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 25 | FRAIL | Too delicate to use loud abuse |
| F (loud) + RAIL (abuse) | ||
Have decided to keep you company for a second in this draughty little corner, Sil, as the tumbleweeds blow past…
Nice puzzle, as always, from Dante.
15dn – I think the definition ‘switched’ = ‘struck with a switch’ is fine. As you probably know, the English have an entire armoury of often makeshift weapons, including the switch, with which to chastise people – it’s part of our rich heritage, much treasured by some former public schoolboys, the odd Formula 1 boss, and the Daily Mail.
I couldn’t understand swtiched=chastised either and still not convinced by explanation above. Is “switch” in common usage?
I agree, Bamberger, that it’s not in common use these days, but it’s in Chambers as a transitive verb “to strike with a switch”.
I know this is months after the event but I always try to go over Dante’s Monday crosswords when I cannot complete them. I can see I really should have managed more than I did.
You will find that you have the wrong clue for 29a with 28a repeated.
Oops, thanks TonyP17.
Funny that no one else saw that.
Not even our beloved Arachne …. 🙂