Monday Prize Crossword/Aug 20
Another fine crossword by Crux. As regulars at this place may know by now, I really like this setter: good surfaces, nice spread of devices and always something to think about.
I remember reading somewhere (and not so very long ago, but where? I’m sure it was a setter who said it) that one should at least have three great clues in a puzzle. And the inimitable Anax/Loroso told me a similar thing a while ago. Well, no problem to find them today: 6d, 16d, 24d. Well done (again), Crux!
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | WITHDRAWN | Rather shy so taken out |
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | GOWNS | Leader of group has formal attire |
| G[roup] + OWNS (has) | ||
| 9 | GUESS | Rashly suggest doing without G&T? It may get you shot! |
| (SUGGEST)* minus GT | ||
| 10 | PIMPERNEL | Baroness’s flowery creation, much sought after in France |
| Double definition | ||
| A pimpernel is a plant of the primrose family with, perhaps, scarlet flowers. Hence a flowery creation. And, of course, there is the Scarlet Pimpernel (created by Baroness Orczy) who some may also know as Le Comte de Frou Frou. | ||
| 11 | RESTAURANT | Truants are out of place in McDonald’s, say |
| (TRUANTS ARE)* | ||
| McDonald’s as an example of a restaurant? Thanks Crux 🙂 | ||
| 12 | VERA | Average woman is taken in by it |
| Hidden solution: [a]VERA[ge] | ||
| Rather unusually, the definition is not at one of the ends of the clue. | ||
| 14 | FOREIGN | Reverse of rule would appear strange |
| FO (reversal of OF) + REIGN (rule) | ||
| 15 | LAMBADA | Greek character wants a dance |
| LAMBDA (Greek character) around A | ||
| I had to think about the use of “wants” here, but it’s OK. | ||
| 17 | RUSTLER | One making illicit stock acquisitions |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| Punning on different meanings of “stock” – the definition refers to someone stealing cattle. | ||
| 19 | MIRACLE | Motoring club enters track race – result is extraordinary |
| RAC (motoring club) inside MILE (track race, in athletics) | ||
| 20 | TWEE | Precious little time to start |
| WEE (little) with T (time) placed in front of it | ||
| 22 | EDWIN DROOD | Died down or became a man of mystery |
| (DIED DOWN OR)* | ||
| “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”, Charles Dickens (1870). Not sure whether I like “became” (past tense) as anagram indicator, but as I said in the preamble “there’s always something to think about”. | ||
| 25 | LEGISLATE | For what governments do support is overdue |
| LEG (support) + IS + LATE (overdue) | ||
| 26 | NIMBY | Selfish citizen who’s quickly left out |
| NIMBLY (quickly) minus L (left) – NIMBY is an acronym: Not In My BackYard! | ||
| 27 | PIETY | It’s a shame about English religion |
| PITY (a shame) around E (English) | ||
| 28 | EASTERNER | Oriental emperor leaves ring after festival |
| EASTER (festival) + {NERO (emperor) minus O (ring)} | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | WAGER | Put on a bit of weight with beer a pound off |
| W[eight] + {LAGER (beer) minus L (a pound)} | ||
| 2 | TREASURES | Theatre a sure success with fortunes invested |
| Hidden solution: [thea]TRE A SURE S[uccess] – as in the other hidden (12ac), the definition is somewhere in the middle | ||
| 3 | DISHABILLE | Good-looker, liable to change into revealing dress |
| DISH (good-looker) + (LIABLE)* | ||
| 4 | ASPIRIN | Endlessly ambitious in number |
| ASPIRING (ambitious) minus its final letter (G) | ||
| 5 | NOMINAL | So-called lion-man adopting disguise |
| (LION MAN)* | ||
| 6 | GLEN | Ben might well dominate him |
| Double/Cryptic definition | ||
| This is by far my favourite clue. Ben (as a Scottish ‘mountain’) may overlook (therefore, dominate) a valley (‘Glen’) . Both Ben and Glen are proper nouns. Very clever! | ||
| 7 | WINCE | Start to gain on crew, oddly |
| WIN (gain) + C[r]E[w] | ||
| 8 | SULTANATE | Fruit Lawrence discovered in Brunei? |
| SULTANA (fruit) + TE (Lawrence, T.E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia) | ||
| 13 | IMPRUDENCE | Prime dunce unlikely to display such foolishness |
| (PRIME DUNCE)* | ||
| 14 | FIRST SLIP | Initial mistake could catch you out |
| FIRST (initial) + SLIP (mistake) | ||
| Where would we be without cricket? | ||
| 16 | ANCHORMAN | He’s last in race but first in studio |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | RADIATE | Spread out tax to absorb rise in benefit |
| RATE (tax) around DIA (reversal of AID (benefit)) | ||
| 19 | MAIDENS | You won’t get the runs from these, girls! |
| Double definition | ||
| Where would we be without cricket? | ||
| 21 | EAGLE | Rare bird of course |
| Double definition, more or less (therefore a bit hard to underline properly) | ||
| Or without golf? | ||
| 23 | DRYER | Doctor takes whiskey in a tumbler, perhaps |
| DR (doctor) around RYE (whiskey) | ||
| 24 | ESPY | Detect first signs of economic slump? Prepare yourself! |
| Starting letters: E[conomic] S[lump] P[repare] Y[ourself] | ||
Many thanks Sil & Crux for a great puzzle.
However, I was very surprised by your comment ‘Where would we be without cricket?’
Haven’t you heard? The South Africans humiliated us in the Tests and, so far, the ODIs have also not been going well.
I couldn’t get 6d even with g?e?.
I’m afraid I don’t understand your explanation. A glen (as in valley) is neuter so how can ben as in mountain dominate him rather than it?
Needed a solver for 22a- or would never have got it.
Off topic -the Alberich of 30th Aug seems to be missing from 225 and I’m stuck.
Fine blog for a fine puzzle, but in 5D I think you have it reversed: “so-called” is the definition and “adopting disguise” the anagram indicator.
Bryan:
I don’t know anything about cricket, sorry.
Bamberger:
Strictly speaking you’re right. But as both Ben and Glen are boys’ names, I can easily accept ‘him’. This plus the fact that they are both related to each in a Scottish landscape worked very well for me, so therefore my CoD.
And, yes, there’s no Alberich blog.
Shall I write a short one?
deke:
Yep, you’re absolutely right. I will tweak my post. Thanx.