Thanks to Rufus for a characteristic potpourri of anagrams and double and cryptic definitions to start the week.
Across
9 Generally where the seas are high (2,3,4)
IN THE MAIN
Double definition
10 Bohemian girl seen around a US resort (5)
MIAMI
MIMI [heroine of Puccini’s La Bohème] round A
11 Be ready to give support (5,2)
STAND BY
Double definition
12 Listeners burning to get within hearing distance (7)
EARSHOT
EARS [listeners] + HOT [burning]
13 A huge sprawling city (5)
HAGUE
Anagram [sprawling] of A HUGE
Surely we can’t omit the definite article, can we? Sil?
14 Case for building-up, ready for the maiden flight (9)
CHRYSALIS
A rather charming cryptic definition
16 Roughly disturb canaries’ nests that should be protected (4,11)
BIRD SANCTUARIES
A neat anagram [roughly] of DISTURB CANARIES
19 Playing around with males, she’s quite brazen (9)
SHAMELESS
Anagram [playing around] of MALES SHE’S – a very nice surface
21 Weapon in sack (5)
RIFLE
Double definition
22 Terribly grieved, draw apart (7)
DIVERGE
Anagram [terribly] of GRIEVED
23 A race — or the end of of a race, say (7)
FINNISH
Sounds like [say] ‘finish’
24 Breakfast food firm breaks an embargo (5)
BACON
CO [firm] in BAN [embargo]
25 Dismissing someone and discussing the matter no further (7,2)
LETTING GO
Double definition
Down
1 See girl on coach but fail to take opportunity (4,3,3)
MISS THE BUS
MISS [girl] and BUS [coach] – this doesn’t quite work for me
2 Less familiar route followed by park official (8)
STRANGER
ST [route] + RANGER [park official]
3 Jabber and annoy (6)
NEEDLE
An amusing double definition
4 A large number — doesn’t matter which large number (4)
MANY
M [a large number] + ANY [doesn’t matter which]
5 Makes whole — or gets near it, perhaps (10)
INTEGRATES
Anagram [perhaps] of GETS NEAR IT
6 First-class fare to Jupiter and Mars (8)
AMBROSIA
A cryptic definition for the legendary food of the gods
7 She has pain from one side to another (6)
RACHEL
ACHE [pain] in RL [from one side to the other]
8 A great deal of money not yet used (4)
MINT
Double definition
14 She may be recalled in pantomime (10)
CINDERELLA
A clever anagram [may be] of RECALLED IN
[At the exact moment that I wrote this in, James Naughtie on the ‘Today’ programme mentioned the proposed new Cinderella Law.]
15 One of the family takes the veil in religious order (10)
SISTERHOOD
SISTER [one of the family] + HOOD [veil]
17 Cutting off lady on telephone call (8)
SHEARING
SHE [lady] + A RING [telephone call] – but there’s no A in the clue
18 Break popular with those on edge (8)
INFRINGE
IN [popular] + FRINGE [those on edge]
20 Publicity wrong for counsel (6)
ADVICE
AD [publicity] + VICE [wrong]
21 It’s to do with wrought-iron artist (6)
RENOIR
RE [to do with] + an anagram [wrought] of IRON
22 Experts in digitally-recorded evidence (4)
DABS
Double definition, dabs being slang for fingerprints – a very nice clue
23 Lot of grease going on bearing (4)
FATE
FAT [grease] + E [bearing] – and another, to end with
A lot of fun as usual – the NW corner went in like lightning but things then got a bit trickier.
Thanks to Rufus and Eileen. BIRD SANCTUARIES was neat.
Thanks Eileen and Rufus
Although not hard, a particularly enjoyable Rufus (indeed, crossword in general) I thought. I liked BIRD SANCTUARIES, BACON, CINDERELLA and DABS in particular.
I agree about MISS THE BUS and (The) HAGUE (“Den Haag”), though I thought the latter was quite a clever clue. Does INFRINGE really mean “break” by itself? I suppose that “breaking a law” could be “infringing the law”, but “law” wasn’t implied in the clue.
Back on track after a dismal week of errors last week,so thanks Rufus, and Eileen. I too am puzzled by the lack of the definite article in 13a. As Eileen suggests, I am sure that Sil can elucidate if he’s online today.
Hi muffin
INFRINGE does literally mean ‘break’ [it’s the first definition in SOED]: it comes from the same Latin verb as ‘fracture’.
Thanks Eileen – moral: check the dictionary!
Thank you, Rufus and Eileen!
Is the repeated “of” in 23a a typo, or is it intentional? It had me foxed when doing the crossword.
……though Chambers gives
to violate esp a law; to neglect to obey; to encroach or trespass (on)
The only mention of “break” is in the etymology (L infringere from in and frangere – to break)
(Slightly, though not significantly, edited entry)
Hi Abhay
I never even noticed! [In my paper version, they’re on different lines.]
But, muffin, as you said @2, to infringe a law is to break it: I don’t see the problem. SOED: 1. ‘to break, shatter [rare in physical sense]; to crush; to defeat, frustrate; to invalidate 2. to violate or break [an oath, pledge, treaty, etc …’
Good start to the week.
Thanks Eileen; whenever I see AMBROSIA I think not of the gods but of Billy Liar’s fantasy country in one of the greatest films of all time.
As well as DABS, I particularly liked the simple RACHEL.
Thanks, Eileen and Rufus.
I am surprised no one mentions they found this very easy – surely I am not the only one? I had done all but about four (CHRYSALIS, NEEDLE, AMBROSIA, …)in about nine minutes; these last ones took a bit longer.
On re-reading just now, most of the CDs seemed quite respectable.
I did find most of this a little easier than normal for Rufus. Failed on ambrosia and chrysalis though – I had to resort to using a crossword solver when I got home to find them.
Thanks, Eileen
I agree with muffin @2: straightforward but particularly enjoyable. I especially liked the clever anagrams at 16a, 5d and 14d, the neat construction of 7d and the CD at 6d.
But I also wondered about the missing article in ‘s-Gravenhage.
I raced through all but CHRYSALIS, which for some reason held me up for a few minutes at the end.
Rufus has produced HAGUE as an answer before, and the last time I complained about it Eileen pointed out that “the city” was in the clue and might have excused the lack of THE in the answer. That reasoning can’t be used this time and the answer is just plain wrong IMHO.
If I had the trick of raising one eyebrow I’d have done so for AMBROSIA. That’s the food of the Greek not the Roman gods.
David @14; my Oxford Dictionary says ‘Greek & Roman Mythology: the food of the gods;’ Eileen should know.
Thanks, Robi. 😉
David is, of course, right but, since Jupiter and Mars are the Roman equivalent of Zeus and Ares respectively, I dare say they ate similar food.
Thanks to Eileen for the blog.
I thought that in 21 the ‘of’ was misleading. We have many times seen double definition clues consisting of just two words.
I was somewhat held up on 3d being led astray (well done Rufus) by Jabber seeming to be a verb but I got there in the end.
I also noted the lack of ‘a’ in 17d.
DABS gave me pause as I’d never heard it used as a noun – only adjectivally eg DAB HAND.
NEEDLE was last in, having settled on MEDDLE previously, but I thought I’d better double check before submission.
Just enough looseness to force a bit of lateral thinking. I agree about The Hague – but surely to a Dutchman it would be Den Haag. If only the definition had been politician or Minister! Last in was MINT, and MANY took me too long as well.
Thanks to Eileen and Rufus
When I put this up on the screen, a stray thought crossed the brain for no apparent reason. But imagine the culture shock if a Rufus was headed with Special Instructions:
I like dabs. It is a triple definition: a dab hand, digital audio broadcast and fingerprints.
John.
Thanks all
Pretty straightforward. I am surprised that 14d hasn’t been used before – or has it.
Havered momentarily between chrysalis and chrysalid for 14ac
Enjoyed the puzzle but agreed – as usual – with all of Eileen’s reservations
7d
I started with sashes, anagram of she has,sent me astray for a wheel. I messed. Up pain and pane
Don
I also raced through this in rapid time until the SE corner which was blank, together with 3d. I then took about four times as long again to complete it!
I actually enjoyed this Rufus 😮 .
Some nice clues and none of the DD or CD were fuzzy.
I’ll wait for Sil’s verdict on Den Haag. I did spend quite a lot of time in that area when I worked for Shell but didn’t actually master the language! My only thought is that continental languages often use the definite article when in English we omit it. So perhaps our “translation” of Den Haag is erroneous/misguided?
Thanks to Eileen and Rufus
Well, boys and girls, here I am then.
First I want to say that we thought this to be a very easy Rufus.
There were some nice clues as ever (16ac, 19ac, 23ac (but, Finnish, a race?)), however all in all it was very lightweight.
Rufus often uses articles that can be missed within the cryptic reading. As a blogger of most of Dante’s crossword, I have become immune to this. But, yes, indeed Eileen and Chas (@17), today there wasn’t an A where there really should have been one.
Now – HAGUE (13ac).
I saw the answer rightaway but just like Andy B (@13) I recalled an earlier occasion on which Rufus did the same thing.
Therefore I couldn’t be bothered too much.
But it’s wrong, of course.
The city is originally called: ‘s Gravenhage.
As others said, through the years this has become : Den Haag.
Whatever “Den” means (could be an old version of the definitive article “de”, or even a genitive form), it cannot be omitted.
The Hague without The is a bit like San Francisco without San or New York without New.
I thought about a British example too.
It feels a bit like “I am going to sail on Broads next weekend”.
I beg to differ. 14A Chrysalis completely stumped me. Y’all are too jaded.
Best Rufus ever! Thanks for the blog Eileen.
Sure, some quibbles over articles.
I ticked:
A 11, 13, 19, 21, and 24
D 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7
Never in a lifetime would have figured out DABS, even if I had overcome the misdirection at “digital”.