Monday prize Crossword/Apr 22
Another sound puzzle by Armonie who seems to have taken over from the slightly more adventurous Crux as a Prize setter.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | GREATEST | Unsurpassed rage ruined assessment (8) |
| (RAGE)* + TEST (assessment) | ||
| 5 | COLLIE | Miner clipped dog (6) |
| COLLIER (miner) minus its final letter | ||
| 9 | STUDIOUS | Boss promises to be hard-working (8) |
| STUD (boss) + IOUS (promises) | ||
| 10 | SEETHE | Understand article and be incensed (6) |
| SEE (understand) + THE (article) | ||
| 12 | APPLECART | Place trap carelessly and this could be upset (9) |
| (PLACE TRAP)* | ||
| 13 | THEME | Idea for note about border (5) |
| TE (note) around HEM (border) | ||
| 14 | CEDE | Give up issue in conversation (4) |
| Homophone of SEED (issue) | ||
| 16 | PENDENT | Hanging a writer to make an impression (7) |
| PEN (a writer) + DENT (to make an impression, literally) | ||
| 19 | ERASURE | Removal time guaranteed (7) |
| ERA (time) + SURE (guaranteed) | ||
| 21 | CAST | Shy company (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 23 | CANAL | Stir a large watercourse (5) |
| CAN (stir, a prison) + A + L (large) | ||
| 25 | AGREEMENT | A welcome keeps people in sympathy (9) |
| A + {GREET (welcome) around MEN (people)} | ||
| 27 | LEVIES | The Parisian contests taxes (6) |
| LE (the, in French ie Parisian) + VIES (contests) | ||
| 28 | BLUDGEON | Prepare glue, bond and stick (8) |
| (GLUE BOND)* | ||
| 29 | SALUTE | Welcome a bit of lemon in fried dish (6) |
| L[emon] inside SAUTE (fried dish) | ||
| 30 | LIMPIDLY | Hobble lethargically but clearly (8) |
| LIMP (hobble) + IDLY (lethargically) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | GAS-TAP | A good man plugs the hole. That’ll restrict the flow (3-3) |
| {A + ST (good man, Saint)} inside GAP ((the) hole) | ||
| 2 | EQUIPE | Sally gets into east European racing team (6) |
| QUIP (sally) inside {E (east) + E (European)} | ||
| 3 | TRIPE | English support for expedition is nonsense (5) |
| TRIP (expidition) + E (English) | ||
| 4 | SAUSAGE | Outside America there’s flavouring in this food (7) |
| SAGE (flavouring) around USA (America) | ||
| 6 | OVERTONES | Frank individuals producing subtle innuendoes (9) |
| OVERT (frank) + ONES (individuals) | ||
| 7 | LITTERED | Messed up in bed with journalist (8) |
| LITTER (bed) + ED (journalist, editor) | ||
| 8 | ELEMENTS | Weather affected steelmen (8) |
| (STEELMEN)* | ||
| 11 | STOP | Blockage in colon, say (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | EBULLIENT | Ruined but Nellie is full of enthusiasm (9) |
| (BUT NELLIE)* | ||
| 17 | HERCULES | A strong man, he’s about to raise money (8) |
| HE’S around ERCUL (reversal of LUCRE (money)) | ||
| 18 | CARNIVAL | Foursome involved in erotic merrymaking (8) |
| IV (foursome) inside CARNAL (erotic) | ||
| 20 | ELAN | Impetuosity shown by Laurel and Hardy (4) |
| Hidden solution: [Laur]EL AN[d Hardy] | ||
| 21 | CORELLI | Composer’s heart gets bad when climbing (7) |
| CORE (heart) + LLI (reversal of ILL (bad)) | ||
| 22 | LEGEND | Celebrity went ahead without the facts (6) |
| LED (went ahead) around GEN (the facts) | ||
| 23 | STINGY | Mean to irritate youth leader (6) |
| STING (to irritate) + Y[outh] | ||
| 26 | END UP | Finally arrive in topless burlesque (3,2) |
| SENDUP (burlesque) minus its starter | ||
This was a very slow but steady solve leaving only 21a, 21d (unknown) and 30a which was also unknown.
Re 13d: I was struck by the similarity of Orense’s clue for THEME in FT 14,301: “Subject of note crossing border.”