Monday Prize Crossword/May 28
A typical Dante crossword, at the start of what turned out to be a great FT week (with, for me, Mudd’s ‘marathon’ puzzle a particular highlight).
Definitions are underlined wherever appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | NEPHEW | Relative gets a quarter – that’s a relief! |
| NE (a quarter, the North East) + PHEW (that’s a relief!) | ||
| 4 | SHORT-CUT | Bob indicates a more direct route |
| Double definition | ||
| The first of these definitions referring to a hairstyle. | ||
| 9 | RESIST | Check one’s surrounded by others |
| {I (one) S} inside REST (others) | ||
| 10 | TRIMARAN | Neat island type of boat |
| TRIM (neat) + ARAN (island) | ||
| The beautiful Aran Islands lie off the Irish coast near Galway – not sure whether Aran itself is an island, though. | ||
| 12 | ACHIEVED | Bad advice he obtained |
| (ADVICE HE)* | ||
| 13 | IMPOSE | I’m taking a certain attitude for tax |
| I M + POSE (a certain attitude) | ||
| 15 | ERSE | Possibly the language of Alexander Selkirk? |
| Hidden solution: [Alexand] ER SE [lkirk] | ||
| 16 | EVANGELIST | Preacher gives Lent a transformation |
| (GIVES LENT A)* | ||
| 19 | EVERYTHING | Extremely slender, for example, that’s about all |
| VERY THIN (extremely slender) with EG (for example) around it | ||
| 20 | VIEW | See you get five to one each way |
| V (five) + I (one) + EW (each way) | ||
| I do not see (yet) how EW works. Is it E[ach] W[ay]? |
||
| 23 | RECOIL | Getting the wind up – retreat! |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | BOAT-RACE | Snake and dog in crafty contest |
| BOA (snake) + TRACE (dog, as a verb) | ||
| 27 | TEAR DUCT | A crying need for free trade cut |
| (TRADE CUT)*, the definition being cryptic | ||
| 28 | LARIAT | A trial could result in the noose |
| (A TRIAL)*, a ‘lariat’ is a noosed rope (so, not sure what should be underlined – as I’ve done it now, there is some double duty going on) | ||
| 29 | MINORITY | Its members are outnumbered |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 30 | ADONIS | A Spaniard is taken for a Greek |
| A + DON (Spaniard) + IS | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | NARRATE | Hastened up with speed to tell the tale |
| NAR (reversal of RAN (hastened)) + RATE (speed) | ||
| 2 | POST-HASTE | Posse that is organised with all speed |
| (POSSE THAT)* | ||
| 3 | EASTER | Incomplete oriental holiday |
| EASTERN (oriental) minus the final N | ||
| 5 | HORN | Cape familiar to the matador? |
| Double definition, the second one a bit cryptic | ||
| 6 | REMEMBER | Recall soldiers and arm |
| RE (soldiers) + MEMBER (arm) | ||
| 7 | CURIO | Collector’s piece that will be odd to us |
| This would be ‘odd’ (ie CURIOUS) when added to US | ||
| 8 | TANGENT | An outside line to ring |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 11 | HEAVE-HO | Moving sailor’s call for dismissal? |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | ON AND ON | Performing with an academic chap continuously |
| ON (performing) + AN + DON (academic chap) | ||
| 17 | IMITATION | Simulated take-off |
| Doublish definition | ||
| 18 | CYLINDER | Solid block of cars |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | ERRATUM | Singular mistake in Latin translation |
| Definition | ||
| 21 | WREATHS | Tributes to the dead from the wars |
| (THE WARS)* | ||
| 22 | STRAND | Leave without resources – need way to get currency |
| ST (way, ie street) + RAND (currency, from South Africa) | ||
| 24 | CHAIN | Length of pitch for batting after tea |
| IN (batting) after CHA (tea) | ||
| 26 | SCUT | Rabbit’s tail docked to a point |
| S (a point ) + CUT (docked) | ||
Sil
EW is very common as the abbreviation for each way in the racing world. A bet of 5 pounds each way is 5 pounds for a win (w) and 5 pounds for a place (p). A clever clue, I thought.
I am not so sure about 19D, ERRATUM. I can only see a straight forward definition. Not the cryptic bit.
John
Well, John, that’s it then – I’m not a better.
I couldn’t find the abbreviation EW for ‘each way’ in the dictionary.
I agree about ERRATUM. A strange clue. Maybe I should have underlined the whole clue as the definition. Wonder what was going on in Dante’s head here.
On second thoughts, when looking at the surface in 19d, one can read it as if someone makes a mistake in the Latin translation of some text. So, probably, this clue is meant to be a cryptic definition. And if so, well, let’s say I’ve seen better ones.