Monday Prize Crossword/Feb 13
The last two Crux crosswords generated a spectacular total of zero comments. That’s perhaps disappointing for me, but even more for the setter who, in my opinion, is one of the more imaginative compilers within the FT area. In this puzzle once more smooth surfaces, a fine spread of devices (no overdose of cds, dds or anagrams, for example) and occasionally some adventurous cluing (like in 23d).
Definitions are underlined where applicable and/or relevant.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TIPTOES | Creeps give advice to heartless employers |
| TIP (give advice) + TO + E[mployer]S | ||
| 5 | ANAGRAM | There can be one of three |
| As the clue says, ‘there’ can be an ANAGRAM of ‘three’ | ||
| 9 | PITCH | Many games require it to toss |
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | OURSELVES | What belongs to us little people, Ukip’s prime concern? |
| OURS (what belongs to us) + ELVES (little people) – the Ukip being the ‘UK Independence Party’ | ||
| 11 | EPICENTRE | The most shocking of locations, perhaps |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 12 | DIETS | Freak tides causing stones to vanish |
| (TIDES)* – the definition being slightly cryptic: one causing stones (think: weight) to vanish | ||
| 13 | SCRUB | Cancel clean-up |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | ADDRESSES | Talks to commercial outfits |
| AD (commerical) + DRESSES (outfits) | ||
| 18 | ON HOLIDAY | Not working, I only had love, unfortunately |
| (I ONLY HAD O (love))* | ||
| 19 | THETA | Soldiers compose letter from abroad |
| ‘The TA’ (Territorial Army) | ||
| 21 | EERIE | Spooky l-lake |
| E-ERIE (l-lake, lake with a stammer) | ||
| 23 | LIFE RAFTS | Some convicts hiding behind emergency gear at sea |
| LIFERS (some convicts) around AFT (behind) | ||
| 25 | ATTRIBUTE | Quality attire but looking out of place |
| (ATTIRE BUT)* | ||
| 26,27 | PRESS RELEASE | How to work ejector seat? It’s meant to be printed |
| When you are a pilot and in trouble, you may like to PRESS the button ‘RELEASE’ after which you will be launched into safety | ||
| 28 | TIRADES | Businesses employ one to make angry speeches |
| TRADES (businesses) around I (one) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TOPLESS | Revealing how Mandy appears to change sex |
| If ‘Mandy’ were TOPLESS, she would become ‘Andy’ and therefore change sex | ||
| 2 | PATRIARCH | Irishman, mostly cunning, like Abraham was |
| PATRI[ck] (Irishman, mostly) + ARCH (cunning) | ||
| 3 | OCHRE | Colour regularly found among coach-horses |
| The even letters of [c]O[a]C[h]-H[o]R[s]E[s] | ||
| 4 | SHORTHAND | Understaffed, editor’s off – secretary can take it! |
| SHORTHAND[ed] (understaffed) with the deleted letters representing ‘editor’ – SHORTHAND is a method of writing rapidly (useful for eg a secretary) | ||
| 5 | AGREE | Suit a particular colour? Not quite |
| A + GREE[n] ((particular) colour, not quite) | ||
| 6 | AMENDMENT | “Correction” – last word many people have time for |
| AMEN (last word) + D (many, 500 (Roman numeral)) + MEN (people) + T (time) | ||
| 7 | REVUE | Show to see twice, we’re told |
| Homophone of REVIEW (to see twice) | ||
| 8 | MISUSES | Badly treats a young girl without work |
| MISS (a young girl) around USE (work) | ||
| 14 | BALLERINA | She performs on 1 across |
| She, indeed, might perform on the ‘tips of her toes’ (see 1 across) | ||
| 16 | DAY OF REST | The vicar’s time to relax? Hardly! |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 17 | SHEFFIELD | Sounds like Cook lied about where the silver came from |
| SHEFF (homophone of CHEF (cook)) + (LIED)* | ||
| 18 | OPEN AIR | Start with a song in such a theatre |
| OPEN (start (with)) + AIR (a song) | ||
| 20 | ASSISTS | Provides help as Jenny sits spinning |
| ASS (Jenny) + (SITS)* – only a pity that the clue already contains the word “as” | ||
| 22 | RATEL | Badger some councillor at elections |
| Hidden solution: [councillo]R AT EL[ections] | ||
| 23 | LOUSE | One of those bloodsuckers locked up by policemen |
| Hidden in ‘policemen’ are LICE, and this is one of them – very original idea | ||
| 24 | ROPER | Endless noise upsets the horse catcher |
| Reversal of REPOR[t] (noise, endless) | ||
Hi Sil, I have not done a Crux, so I did this one so I could brighten up your day with a comment!
It was a pleasant crossword, a bit like a Rufus. My favourites were 5ac and 11ac.
Whoa, thank you, PeeDee!
What Crux has in common with Rufus/Dante is the smoothness of his cluing. Just like Rufus, Crux has always some cryptic definitions but – as you might guess – no-one can beat this week’s Birthday Child in that area.
That aside, I think, Crux has a real good sense for judging which devices to use and how often, while keeping a close eye on the surface.
Most of his clues are based on construction and that’s where he differs from Rufus/Dante.
I really like the combination of “a light touch” and “thoughtful cluing” in Crux’s puzzles.
He’s not a hard setter, but certainly not a throwaway setter either.
And if someone said to me “he’s the FT incarnation of Dac”, I would believe him/her instantly.
The fact that his crosswords do not attract many comments, is not something that bothers me [I learn from blogging a puzzle, irrespective of how many comments there are].
But I think, a good setter like Crux deserves more credit than he usually gets here.
Couldn’t get the wordplay for 1d or 23d . Had no idea what Mandy had to do with it. Mandy who I was thinking?
If I solve the crossword fully (albeit with aids) and fully understand it, I don;t usually comment.
Hi Sil – thanks for the blog and I don’t think you (or Crux, whose puzzle today was also excellent) should take the low number of comments personally! The same is often true for most of the prize crosswords given the long delay before the blog can be posted. I thoroughly enjoy reading Fifteensquared everyday but by the time the blog for the prize versions comes around have pretty much forgotten those crosswords. My selfish preference (being US-based and never bothering to submit entries) would be to do away with the prize part altogether. Or maybe the FT could move to an on-line solution submission process with much shorter deadlines for entry.