Monday Prize Crossword/Feb 6
In my previous blog (on Mudd’s Prize Crossword) I gave my opinion on the use of ‘double definitions’ (not my favourite device, indeed) and see, here is Dante to do me a favour with a real overdose (8+) of that device ….. 🙂 . And only one cryptic definition!
All in all, though, an entertaining puzzle full of the usual smooth surfaces. Particular highlights for me: 19ac (yes, a double definition ….), 29ac (great natural surface) and the clever one at the end (26d, PIER). It is probably not intentional [although, who knows] but the first column showed us the ‘rhyming’ ENDURES-INSURES, while the third column gave us two dances (HOPSCOTCH-RUMBA) and the 13th row: ROMANTIC AFFAIR ….. 🙂
Just like an increasing number of other bloggers, I decided to underline the definition(s) where possible/applicable/relevant.
| Across | ||
| 1 | EXHALE | Expire, though previously fit as a fiddle |
| EX (previously) HALE (fit as a fiddle) | ||
| 4 | STUDIOUS | Academic has rooms outside the university |
| STUDIOS (rooms) around U ((the) university) | ||
| 9 | DEPUTY | Substitute a mine safety official |
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | ROSSETTI | The poet Dante? |
| Dante punning on his own pseudonym: Dante Gabriel ROSSETTI (the poet, and painter – also a desperate 27ac) | ||
| 12 | RECEIVER | Criminal who runs a bankrupt business |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | WRAP UP | Be quiet and finish |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | SETH | Son of Adam said to sound archaic |
| Homophone of SAID, archaic use? – I am not a native speaker, therefore I surrender | ||
| 16 | JERRY-BUILT | Unstable German joined the Italian in bar |
| JERRY (German, esp. a soldier, or the Germans as a collective noun) + {IL (the, in Italian) inside BUT (bar)} | ||
| 19 | IN HOT WATER | Where eggs may be cooked for it |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | ETNA | Bet backing a mount hotly tipped when it runs |
| Reversal of ANTE (bet) – a very wordy (and amusing) definition ; just yesterday (Wed 15 Feb) we had Cinephile with an original definition for ETNA too, but then Great Minds think alike | ||
| 23 | SCRAPE | Jam – thinly applied? |
| Almost, but not really a double definition, as ‘thinly applied?’ is not a noun, but I see what Dante means | ||
| 25 | REVERSAL | Crossword addicts should be used to such a setback |
| Let’s call this another double definition, but I underlined only the second one | ||
| 27 | ROMANTIC | Sentimental jerk in the Eternal City? |
| A ‘tic’ (jerk) in Rome (the Eternal City) might be called a ROMAN TIC | ||
| 28 | AFFAIR | A very strong atmosphere of romance |
| A + FF (very strong) + AIR (atmosphere) | ||
| 29 | SEASHORE | Beach shoes are adjusted for it |
| (SHOES ARE)* | ||
| 30 | CRAYON | Little girl pinching little boy’s pencil |
| CON (little girl, Conny) around RAY (little boy) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ENDURES | Suffers, made to conclude sure change is needed |
| END (to conclude) + (SURE)* | ||
| 2 | HOPSCOTCH | Game for a drink after hard work |
| H (hard) OP (work) + SCOTCH (drink) | ||
| 3 | LET RIP | Behave uninhibitedly on the French tour |
| LE (the, in French) + TRIP (tour) | ||
| 5 | TOOK | Captured and shot |
| Double definition – ‘shot’ in the sense of ‘made a photograph’ | ||
| 6 | DESCRIBE | Bed in new seed and provide an account |
| CRIB (bed) inside (SEED)* | ||
| 7 | ON TAP | Where to find a washer always available |
| Double definition | ||
| 8 | SNIPPET | Tacks up a favourite piece from the paper |
| SNIP (reversal of PINS (tacks)) + PET (a favourite) | ||
| 11 | FEDERAL | Fear led to new form of government |
| (FEAR LED)* | ||
| 14 | ORDERED | Called for as arranged |
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | INTESTACY | In which one lacks the will to benefit others |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 18 | AT A PINCH | In emergency, get a bugging device and move slowly |
| A + TAP (bugging device, with bugging meaning: listening secretly to other people’s conversations) + INCH (move slowly) | ||
| 19 | INSURES | Provides cover when the nurse is busy |
| (NURSE IS)* | ||
| 21 | AILERON | A new role in flight control |
| A + (ROLE IN)* | ||
| 22 | HEIFER | If here, has to be moved a little lower |
| (IF HERE)* – a ‘heifer’ is a young cow (‘lower’) | ||
| 24 | RUMBA | After a drink sailor gets up for a dance |
| RUM (a drink) + BA (reversal of AB (sailor)) | ||
| 26 | PIER | Support one throughout |
| I (one) with PER (through) on the outside, so ‘through/out’ has to be split | ||
Re your query at 15a: ‘Seth’ is homophone of “saith”, an archaic form for “says”.
PS
“Saith” is 3rd person singular present indicative and so I think it will give only ‘says’ not ‘said’.
Perhaps there is a better explanation for 15a, which has “said to sound archaic” (emphasis added).
Thanks Sil. I couldn’t get ETNA but can see now how clever it is. I also couldn’t work out the cryptic side of ROMANTIC and didn’t know how IL worked for Italian. So thanks for those explanations.
I can’t see the cryptic nature of 10A, I am afraid. And I don’t understand the “for it” in 19A.
Dante is a bit saucy at times isn’t he? 30A is even more so than his “two girls on one kneee”.
John @3 re 19ac: “for it” in the sense of “in trouble”. Chambers 2008 gives this implicitly with be for it (inf) to have something unpleasant about to happen, esp a scolding.
Couldn’t get 10a -I mean come on Dante Gabriel ROSSETTI who on earth has heard of him? Otherwise didn’t need a solver
Lots of people have heard of Dante Gabriel Rossetti – if you’re ever in Oxford check out his paintings of Jane Morris in the Ashmolean – she’s a real stunner. His sister was quite famous too. Have you ever heard In the Bleak Midwinter? Keep solving and keep learning.
And, Bamberger, those who like period dramas on TV will know him too.
That’s why I said that he was a ‘desperate 27ac’.
“Desperate Romantics” – BBC, 2009: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desperate_Romantics
“BBC finally invested in broadcast of ten top drama series – here’s one (9,9)”
Or alternatively: “Rossetti raped me – can possibly be seen on tv (9,9)”
OK, one more then: “Silly me, pedestrian actors on tv (9,9)”.
🙂