Monday Prize Crossword/13 Aug
Friendly crossword (which you may find here) in the well-known Dante style. Some really nice touches today, but also The Chestnut of all Chestnuts (15d).
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | IN TIME | Later perhaps, but not too late |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | LAUNCH | Craft project |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 8 | DERVISH | Man in a whirl – engine fuel his trouble? |
| DERV (engine fuel) + (HIS)* | ||
| A dervish is one of those monks who were noted for their wild or ecstatic rituals and were known as dancing, whirling or howling according to the practice of their order. | ||
| 9 | RAMADAN | Adam upset, bolted out fast |
| RAN (bolted, like Bolt :)) outside (ADAM)* | ||
| 11 | MEERSCHAUM | Pipe bursts each summer |
| (EACH SUMMER)* | ||
| Nice anagram, less convinced about the indicator as its position is concerned. | ||
| 12 | AIDE | General assistant |
| Cryptic definition (is it?) | ||
| 13 | AT SEA | A seat arranged on board |
| ( A SEAT)* | ||
| 14 | VIOLATES | Set back after an instrument breaks |
| VIOLA (an instrument) + TES (reversal of SET) | ||
| 16 | FALL FLAT | Don’t drop round – it will produce no response |
| Double defintion, the first being cryptic | ||
| 18 | CROSS | Angry indication that the answer isn’t right |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | IDES | Side turning Caesar was warned about |
| (SIDE)* | ||
| 21 | STONEHENGE | Rock group that’s been around for a long time |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 23 | UNDOING | Returning antelope occupied by kill gets coup de grace |
| UNG (reversal of GNU (antelope)) around DO IN (kill) | ||
| 24 | AT A LOSS | Uncertain how incompetent companies can operate |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | DOTARD | Spot a doctor going back to the old |
| DOT (spot) + A + RD (reversal of DR (doctor)) | ||
| 26 | SAPPHO | Female poet delivers a couple of pages in curtailed performance |
| A PP (a couple of pages, each page being P) inside SHO[w] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | IRENE | She brings peace to Greece |
| Cryptic definition – Irene, the Greek goddess of Peace | ||
| 2 | TAVERNS | Servant trouble makes these establishments harder to run nowadays |
| (SERVANT)* – quite a bit of padding in this clue | ||
| 3 | MUSIC HALL | Form of variety before the 50s, much as I recollect |
| (MUCH AS I)* coming before LL (the 50s, each 50 being L) | ||
| Nice surface. | ||
| 5 | ALARM | This may cause nearly everybody to take up weapons |
| AL (nearly ALL (everybody)) + ARM (to take up weapons) | ||
| 6 | NIAGARA | A river once more rises and falls |
| Reversal of {A + R (river) + AGAIN (once more)} | ||
| 7 | HEAD-DRESS | The man to approach for capital investment |
| HEAD (The man, with capital T) + DRESS (to approach) | ||
| 10 | SALVATION | Rescuing army? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 13 | ABANDONED | Completely irresponsible profligate |
| Double definition | ||
| One of quite a few solutions today that might be an anagram indicator on other occasions (e.g. 13ac, 14ac, 24ac). | ||
| 15 | ORCHESTRA | Sort of stall for the frisky carthorse |
| (CARTHORSE)* | ||
| I say nothing :). At least this orchestra isn’t the very familiar bunch of players, but a “seating on the main floor of a theatre”. | ||
| 17 | LASH OUT | The French cry “Attack!” |
| LA (the, in French) + SHOUT (cry) | ||
| 19 | OVERLAP | Cover work that includes Ravel composition |
| OP (work, opus) around (RAVEL)* | ||
| 21 | SENOR | I leave the elder Spaniard |
| SENIOR (the elder) minus I | ||
| 22 | GUSTO | Sudden blow to add nothing to one’s enjoyment |
| GUST (sudden blow) + O (nothing) | ||