Monday Prize Crossword/Apr 23
After a one-off Tuesday appearance Dante is back on the familiar Monday spot. With the quality we have come to expect from, in a way, the Setter of Setters. Thanks Dante, for another not too difficult but elegant puzzle – one that can be found here .
Definitions are underlined where appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | STEADY | Second date broken by youth leader’s girlfriend |
| S (second) + (DATE)* + Y[outh] | ||
| 4 | MADAME | Frenchwoman forced to take in a Frenchman |
| MADE (forced) around A M (monsieur, Frenchman) | ||
| 8, 9 | CUSTOMS BARRIER | The point at which the tourist’s declared? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| In my opinion, not the most imaginative of cryptic definitions. | ||
| 11 | DECORATION | Flags put out in honour of a brave man |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | BAGS | Childishly claims the luggage |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | TUTTI | All the players express mild disapproval before taking it back |
| TUT (express mild disapproval) + TI (reversal of ‘it’) | ||
| 14 | THIRTEEN | Hire-tent collapsing? Unlucky for some |
| (HIRE TENT)* | ||
| Quite a nice surface. Did remember me of camping in near Keswick in the early nineties – in heavy weather dozens of tents collapsed, including mine (the front pole broke), after which I headed down south with no other thing on my mind than just running away. Did I say “Quite a nice surface”? | ||
| 16 | DESIGNER | Couturier resigned in a tantrum |
| (RESIGNED)* | ||
| 18 | PYLON | It may hold up current supplies |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 20 | ADAM | A mother and father figure |
| A + DAM (mother) | ||
| One of two identical mothers, the other one to be found in 3d. Perhaps Dante should have avoided this, but both clues aren’t too bad. | ||
| 21 | HINDUSTANI | Thus Indian gets confused by the vernacular |
| (THUS INDIAN)* | ||
| 23 | LIBRARY | You may take work home from it |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| I liked this one …. | ||
| 24 | BEDROLL | Play the fool? Sleep on it! |
| BE DROLL (play the fool) | ||
| …. and this one, too. | ||
| 25 | LIEDER | Sound conductor of works by Schubert |
| Homophone of LEADER (conductor) | ||
| This homophone is a bit over-familiar, isn’t it? Schubert was, of course, one of the major writers of “Lieder” (German for just ‘songs’), but although I like classical music and Schubert [not as much as my late father did, he put a kitschy Schubert bust on the wall in our living room], I never really got into classical music based on the human voice. | ||
| 26 | STOLEN | Somehow lost on points – or was robbed? |
| (LOST)* + E,N (points, East and North) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SAUCE | Impertinence one might get from a waiter |
| Two definitions with the second one more or less Cryptic | ||
| 2 | EATS OUT | Has a picnic – or goes to a restaurant |
| Double definition | ||
| Both definitions are very close, but it is all about the two different meanings of ‘out’. Very subtle, and therefore I like it. | ||
| 3 | DAMNATION | Curse the motherland |
| DAM/NATION (mother/land) | ||
| 5 | AGAIN | Turkish leader elected once more |
| AGA (Turkish leader) + IN (elected) | ||
| 6 | ACROBAT | Man devoured by a lion, perhaps – a circus performer |
| ROB (man) inside A CAT (lion, perhaps) | ||
| Quelle imagery! | ||
| 7 | EVERGREEN | Always on the go, is Ivy! |
| EVER (always) + GREEN (on the go) | ||
| 10 | BITTER END | No beer left? That’s the limit! |
| Two definitions with the first one Cryptic | ||
| 13 | TREADMILL | Where men with convictions took steps to create revolution |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| Quelle imagery! Poor people. | ||
| 15 | IMPRUDENT | Trumped in error – that’s indiscreet |
| (TRUMPED IN)* | ||
| 17 | IMMERSE | Duck and dive |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | LITERAL | Fired with real reform and no exaggeration |
| LIT (fired) + (REAL)* | ||
| 21 | HORSE | Move south down shore to get to bay, perhaps |
| The S in ‘shore’ moving three places down | ||
| True, all five letters are already there, but still quite a clever clue – with a definition that serves the seaside surface very well. | ||
| 22 | NYLON | Hose in New York left running |
| NY (New York) + L (left) + ON (running) | ||
Sil
No comments must mean everyone is quite comfortable with an enjoyable piece of work. 21D which was my last answer quite takes my fancy. Very clever I thought.