This is the first non-standard Azed puzzle that I have blogged for some time. I found it a pleasant change from the normal fare.
There was a preamble to this puzzle which stated "Clues are of two types. In each of the acrosses, the cryptic part leads to the answer to be entered and the definition part leads to an anagram of that answer. In each of the downs, the definition part leads to the answer to be entered and the (cryptic) remainder leads to an anagram of that answer. All grid entries and anagrams thereof may be verified in Chambers Dictionary (2011) except for the anagram at 5 across and the grid entry at 16 down, both of which are (possibly unfamiliar) proper names. Bracketed numbers after clues refer throughout to grid entries. The anagram of 16 down is given in Chambers by implication only.
This struck me a tour de force in grid construction given that every single entry had to have an anagram that was also a word or phrase. The fact that Azed only had to rely on two proper names to complete the grid is impressive.
I didn’t really know where to start on this so took my normal approach in this fairly common situation these days. I dived straight in and hoped all would become clearer as I went along. In fact, I felt that the cryptic parts were easier than a standard Azed and I found the top left hand corner fell quite quickly. I got in with CACTI (1 across), COSMETICIAN (1 down), LINO (11 across), and CLEARED. (3 down) followed quickly by MEAD (15 across) and EARNS (18 across).
To submit the puzzle, it is only necessary to solve the part of the clue that relates to the grid, but I feel sure most people felt the urge to solve the two parts of each and every clue. Certainly I had to if I was going to compile a comprehensive blog.
I probably solved the majority of clues initially on the wordplay rather than the definition and then considered anagrams as appropriate. There were times though when I stared at my down entries and struggled with the wordplay before I remembered that the wordplay led to something different.
This style of puzzle shows the skill of Azed in writing clues that read very well even although the definition and wordplay lead to different results. It’s all about compartmentalising the clue and considering the possible meanings of each and every word. As I wrote the blog I was struck by how often the definition part appeared at the beginning of the clue. I reckon 25 of the 38 clues had the definition at the front. I don’t know what the normal split is but I would expect it to be nearer 50/50.
I haven’t given the meanings of the words derived by wordplay alone, but I can confirm that they all appear or can be implied from Chambers 2011.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Definition | Entry |
|
1
|
Hired leader of chorus just before first part of play (5)
|
CACTI: C (first letter of [leader of] CHORUS + ACT I (act one [first part of play])
|
TICCA (hired [of an Indian taxi])
|
CACTI
|
|
5
|
Guy’s place? Very good existence, right inside it (8)
|
SOBERING: SO (very good) + (R [right] contained in [inside it] BEING [existence]) SO BE (R) ING |
GISBORNE (reference Sir Guy of GISBORNE, a character in the legends of Robin Hood)
|
SOBERING
|
|
11
|
Cat brought back duck – then another (4)
|
LINO: NIL (zero; duck) reversed (brought back) + O (zero; duck – another one) LIN< O |
LION (big cat)
|
LINO
|
|
12
|
The old agree a long time is taken over bagging rubbish (6)
|
NOTATE: EON (a vast age; a long time) reversed (taken over) containing (bagging) TAT (rubbish) NO (TAT) E< |
ATTONE (an old word [the old] meaning reconcile or agree)
|
NOTATE
|
|
13
|
Aged slave showing contempt when ring’s removed (4)
|
SNEE: SNEERING (showing contempt) excluding (when … removed) RING
|
ESNE (a domestic slave in Anglo-Saxon times; aged slave)
|
SNEE
|
|
14
|
Up-lighters? Singers without us messed up rites (9)
|
CHORISTER: (CHORUS [singers] excluding [without] US) + an anagram of (messed up) RITES CHOR ISTER* |
TORCHIERS (floor lamps consisting of a bowl for reflecting light upwards mounted on a tall stand; up-lighters)
|
CHORISTER
|
|
15
|
Woman crazy about ultimate in elegance (4)
|
MEAD: MAD (crazy) containing (about) E (last letter of [ultimate in] ELEGANCE) M (E) AD |
DAME (woman)
|
MEAD
|
|
17
|
Clothes abruptly reduced by 50% (4)
|
SUDD: SUDDENLY (abruptly) excluding the last 4 (of 8; half) letters ENLY
|
DUDS (clothes)
|
SUDD
|
|
18
|
Stormy sea swallowing sailors – a trap (5)
|
EARNS: anagram of (stormy) SEA containing (swallowing) RN (Royal Navy; sailors) EA (RN) S* |
SNARE (trap)
|
EARNS
|
|
19
|
A cross ex-GI given zilch (4)
|
VETO: VET (veteran [of United States army]; ex GI) + O (zero; zilch)
|
VOTE (a cross symbol X is used to record a VOTE)
|
VETO
|
|
21
|
Swears foully in the Nile shifting ship’s ability to hold a certain course (13, 3 words)
|
THE LESSER WAIN: anagram of (foully) SWEARS contained in (in) an anagram of (shifting) THE NILE THE LE (SSER WA) IN* |
WEATHERLINESS (ship’s ability come safely through a stormy sea; ship’s ability to hold a certain course)
|
THE LESSER WAIN
|
|
25
|
As in Scotland, flay old deer, head to tail (4)
|
TAGS: STAG ( a male deer above 4 years old;old deer) with the first letter [head] S moved to the end [tail] TAGS |
GAST (in Scotland one meaning of the word FLAY is ‘to frighten’. GAST is a Shakespearean word with a similar meaning )
|
TAGS |
|
26
|
It’s no good imbibing one Scotch flavoured with geneva (5)
|
NYING: NG (no good) containing (imbibing) YIN (Scottish word for ‘one’; one Scotch) N (YIN) G |
GINNY (flavoured with geneva [gin, made chiefly in The Netherlands])
|
NYING
|
|
28
|
Scratch front of chalice with pointed instrument (4)
|
CAWL: C (first letter of [front of] CHALICE) + AWL (a pointed instrument for boring small holes)
|
CLAW (scratch)
|
CAWL
|
|
30
|
Retreat: a month quietly spent (4)
|
ARIL: APRIL (month) excluding (spent) P (piano, term in music meaing quietly)
|
LAIR (den or retreat of a wild animal)
|
ARIL
|
|
31
|
Being a member of the upper house has briefly ingested what’s designed to treat some diseases (9)
|
INSENSATE: ‘S (shortened form of [briefly] HAS) contained in (ingested) (IN SENATE [being a member of the upper house in, for example, the Unitied States]) IN SEN (S) ATE |
ANTISENSE ([of a drug, etc] designed to treat diseases and infection by inhibiting the production of pathogenic proteins)
|
INSENSATE
|
|
32
|
Obtain adult entrance (4)
|
GETA: GET (obtain) + A
|
GATE (entrance)
|
GETA
|
|
33
|
Attic Greek absorbs class (6)
|
GARTER: GR (Greek) containing (absorbs) RATE (class) G (RATE) R |
GARRET (attic room)
|
GRATER
|
|
34
|
Sewing-case, something kept in boudoir once (4) |
IRON: Hidden word in (something kept in) BOUDOIR ONCE
|
INRO (a small Japanese container for pills and medicines, once part of traditional Japanese dress; presumably this is the same as an ÉTUI [a small sewing-case])
|
IRON
|
|
35
|
Early bike, not quite modern one – wobbly ride’s following (8)
|
NEARSIDE: NEW (modern] excluding the final letter [not quite] W + A [one] + an anagram of (wobbly) RIDE’S
|
DRAISENE (dandy-horse [an early bicycle without pedals, driven by kicking the ground])
|
NEARSIDE
|
|
36
|
Call for help penning exercises? Possibility (5)
|
SPEOS: SOS (appeal for help) containing (penniong) PE (physical education; exercises) S (PE) OS |
POSSE (possibility)
|
SPEOS
|
| Down | ||||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Definition | Entry |
|
1
|
Make-up specialist once muddled has one coated in gum resin (11)
|
ENCOMIASTIC: anagram of (muddled) ONCE + (I [one] contained in [coated in] MASTIC [a pale yellow gum resin from certain Mediterranean trees]) ENCO* M (I) ASTIC |
COSMETICIAN (make up specialist)
|
COSMETICIAN
|
|
2
|
One’s caught by sharper end of hammer – it stops one breathing (5)
|
PAEAN: A (one) contained in (caught by) PEAN (variant spelling of PEEN [the end of a hammer head opposite the hammering face]) P (A) EAN |
APNEA (cessation of breathing, asphyxia)
|
APNEA
|
|
3
|
Former damage – less than half of class kept in found innocent (7)
|
DECLARE: DEARE (obsolete [former] word meaning injure or damage) containing (kept in) CL (first 2 [of 5; less than half] letters of CLASS) DE (CL) ARE |
CLEARED (found innocent)
|
CLEARED
|
|
4
|
In fit condition for rough ocean, ship’s bow engulfed in it (8, 3 words)
|
CANOEIST: anagram of (rough) OCEAN + (S [first letter of {bow of} SHIP] contained in (englufed in) IT) CANOE* I (S) T |
IN CASE TO (in fit condition for)
|
IN CASE TO
|
|
5
|
Like this hooker’s penetrating call to the pack of old? (4)
|
SHOO: hidden word in (penetrating) THIS HOOKER’S
|
SO-HO (a form of call from a distance, a huntsman’s halloo.)
|
SO-HO
|
|
6
|
Showing full alertness and savvy, ergo quivering inside (11, 3 words)
|
ANDROGENOUS: anagram of (quivering) ERGO contained in (inside) (AND + NOUS [common-sense; savvy]) AND (ROGE*) NOUS |
ON ONE’S GUARD (showing full alertness)
|
ON ONE’S GUARD |
|
7
|
Salt pork stuffed with bits of thyme and eggplant (6)
|
BOATER: BOAR (flesh of the male pig; pork) containing (stuffed with) TE (first letters of [bits of] each of THYME and EGGPLANT) BOA (TE) R |
BORATE (a salt of boric acid)
|
BORATE
|
|
8
|
Civet runs in group of seven traditionally? (5)
|
SEARS: R (runs in cricket scoring notation) contained in (in) SEAS (reference the phrase Seven Seas) SEA (R) S |
RASSE (a small civet)
|
RASSE |
|
9
|
Section of garden’s early requirements (5)
|
DENSE: hidden word in (section of) GARDEN’S EARLY
|
NEEDS (requirements)
|
NEEDS
|
|
10
|
Girl holding e.g. grand fasioned cloche (11)
|
LAGGARDNESS: LASS (girl) containing (holding) an anagram of (fashioned) E.G. GRAND LA (GGARDNE*) SS |
GARDEN-GLASS (bell-glass; cloche)
|
GARDEN-GLASS |
|
16
|
German planes in service, fault-free – race to climb on board (8)
|
INDORSER: (ROD [biblical term for tribe or race] reversed [climbing; down clue]) contained in (on board) (IN SERVICE excluding [free] VICE [fault]) Chambers gives ENDORSE as the headword for the variant spelling INDORSE. It then lists ENDORSER, so, by implication, INDORSER is valid. IN (DOR<) SER |
DORNIERS (German planes. The Dornier aircraft company is no longer in business )
|
DORNIERS
|
|
20
|
Production reduced by half round wayward Nile left deficient Egyptian (7)
|
CINEREA: (CREATION [production] excluding [reduced] the final 4 [of 8; half] letters TION) containing (round) (an anagram of [wayward] NILE excluding [deficient] L [left])
|
CAIRENE (a native or citizen of Cairo; Egyptian)
|
CAIRENE
|
|
22
|
Second-generation immigrant, a son at home in south-east (6)
|
SASINE: (A + S [son] + IN [at home]) contained in (in) SE (south east) S (A S IN) E |
SANSEI (a resident of the Americas born of the offspring of Japanese immigrant parents; second-generation immigrant)
|
SANSEI
|
|
23
|
Truly ‘thankless child’, last character to move to centre scale? (5)
|
RENGA: REGAN (one of the ‘thankless children’ of King Lear who states ‘how sharper than a serpent’s tooth to have a thankless child’) with the final letter (last character) N moved to the middle (centre) RENGA |
RANGE (scale)
|
RANGE
|
|
24
|
Dim teller of tales loses following at the start (5)
|
ABLER: FABLER (teller of tales) excluding (loses) F (following) at the start of the word.
|
BLEAR (dim)
|
BLEAR
|
|
27
|
Explosive self-absorption (version rejected) (5)
|
INTRO: INTROVERSION (self-absorption) excluding (rejected) VERSION
|
NITRO (shortened from of NITROGLYCERINE [explosive])
|
NITRO |
|
29
|
Old ladder to hang on rear of garage (4)
|
SITE: SIT (hang) + E (last letter of [rear of] GARAGE)
|
STIE (variant spelling of STY one old meaning of which is ladder)
|
STIE |
Just imagine the difficulties that might have been encountered by a solver who completely forgot to read the rubric.
Dashed good puzzle. A truly astonishing feat of construction.
Thanks for the blog duncan, I am kicking myself for being unable to spot the anagram of SOBERING.
And a tremendous guide to this puzzle! Well done Duncan
28a Is CAWL in Chambers as I can’t see it? It is in OED though, defined as basket.
Thanks Azed for an excellent puzzle and Duncan for an equally good blog.
I left this last week missing 28ac, 24dn, 31ac, and 16dn. Coming back to it this afternoon I saw CAWL for 28ac and wrote it in without much thought. Then the next two fell into place, leaving me able to give my full attention to 16dn. On reading stevem’s comment @3, I suspect that I got stuck last week because I had looked for cawl in Chambers and not found it. I still cannot find it, and interestingly the spellchecker has queried it as I am typing this.
In my previous comment, I did not really pay sufficient tribute to the skill that Azed has shown in constructing this puzzle. Duncan has mentioned the grid construction, and I fully support his comments. As well as that, the fact that the definition and wordplay lead to different answers means that it is inappropriate to use linking words between them, and Azed has produced some marvellously smooth joins.
Realisation that there could not be any linking words actually helped me with 16dn. I had -ORN-ERS from the checking letters. Since the word “in” had to be part of the wordplay, the anagram of the answer had to be a three-letter word inserted backwards in INSER, and this meant that the second unchecked letter had to be an I. Then it was a matter of a web search on likely first letters, and I got DORNIERS at the third attempt.
Thanks duncanshiell for blog on this glorious example of Azed’s skill, setting himself extra tasks.
I seem to remember his doing something even more dazzling where the four 12-letter words round the edge each had a redundant anagram.
Like most I realised that it wasn’t necessary to know all the “others” but what Azed junkie could leave them uncracked.
I was delighted to get the lot but admire the blog’s clear layout. The one that bothered me was INRO- my Chambers gives it as a male accoutrement containing tobacco so couldn’t see it as a sewing-case