Enjoyed this, but just wasn’t on the right wavelength for Rufus’s cryptic defs this week, so my last couple in took considerably longer after the rest was done. 27ac was my favourite.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TREADMILL | Circulatory system forces one to walk to work (9) |
| cryptic def | ||
| 6 | CUFF | Belt as part of a shirt (4) |
| =”Belt”=strike [as a verb]; =”part of a shirt” | ||
| 8 | MENELAUS | King whose wife went to Paris, causing strife (8) |
| cryptic def – Helen, the wife of King MENELAUS, went with Paris to Troy, causing the Trojan War | ||
| 9 | OPUSES | Works with potential spouse (6) |
| =”Works”. (spouse)* | ||
| 10 | CREATE | Found note in packing case (6) |
| =”Found”. E=”note” in CRATE=”packing case” | ||
| 11 | OVERCAME / OVERCOME? | Subdued, having arrived after it’s finished (8) |
| =”Subdued”. CAME/COME=”arrived”, after OVER=”finished” | ||
| 12 | ASSETS | Capital for a ship holding company (6) |
| =”Capital”. A SS=”a ship”, around SET=”company”=group of people | ||
| 15 | EYEGLASS | A singular spectacle? (8) |
| cryptic def – EYEGLASSes would be spectacles | ||
| 16 | DEMOCRAT | Revolutionary comrade at last becomes a politician (8) |
| =”politician”. (comrade)* plus [a]T=”at last” | ||
| 19 | FECUND | City investment is about to be productive (6) |
| =”productive”. EC is the postcode area for most of the “City” of London, with FUND=”investment” around (“about”) it | ||
| 21 | OFF-PITCH | Cricket side and ground not in harmony (3-5) |
| =”not in harmony”. OFF=”Cricket side” as opposed to the leg side, plus PITCH=”ground” | ||
| 22 | BAMBOO | Possibly shoots ducks with graduate doctor (6) |
| =”Possibly shoots”. OO=”ducks”=scores of 0 in cricket, following BA=”graduate” and MB=”doctor” | ||
| 24 | KITSCH | Inferior school to get equipment first (6) |
| =”Inferior”. SCH[ool] with KIT=”equipment” first | ||
| 25 | RESIDENT | Study, entering further exam for junior hospital doctor (8) |
| =”junior hospital doctor”. DEN=”Study”, entering RESIT=”further exam” | ||
| 26 | TEAR | Saline drip? (4) |
| cryptic def – referring to the salt in teardrops | ||
| 27 | DINING CAR | Fast food outlet? (6,3) |
| cryptic def – it’s the outlet that is fast, not the food | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | THEIR | The one on the right of them (5) |
| =”of them”. THE plus I=”one” plus R[ight] | ||
| 2 | ELEVATE | Leave scribbled note offering lift (7) |
| =”lift”. (leave)* plus TE=ti=”note” | ||
| 3 | DRAKE | A duck for this celebrated bowler? (5) |
| =”A duck”; =”celebrated bowler”: Sir Francis DRAKE famously played bowls as the Spanish Armada approached | ||
| 4 | INSHORE | Not far out in marine navigation (7) |
| cryptic def | ||
| 5 | LOOSE-LEAF | Extensively used sort of folder, found abandoned on table extension? (5-4) |
| =”Extensively used sort of folder”. LOOSE=”abandoned” plus LEAF=a folding “table extension” | ||
| 6 | COUNCIL | Local authority, giving sound advice (7) |
| =”Local authority”. Sounds like ‘counsel’=”advice” | ||
| 7 | FREEMASON | Forenames out of place for member of a secret order (9) |
| =”member of a secret order”. (Forenames)* | ||
| 13 | SHELF LIFE | Extent of usefulness on board (5,4) |
| =”Extent of usefulness” on a SHELF or “board” | ||
| 14 | SCRATCHED | Slightly damaged, so withdrawn (9) |
| =”Slightly damaged”; =”withdrawn” from a competition | ||
| 17 | OPPOSER | One who is against work has a problem (7) |
| =”One who is against”. OP=”work” plus POSER=”problem” | ||
| 18 | TEHERAN | Moves near the capital (7) |
| =”capital” of Iran. (near the)* | ||
| 20 | COMEDIC | Company doctor is amusing (7) |
| =”amusing”. CO[mpany] plus MEDIC=”doctor” | ||
| 22 | BASIN | Sailor came up to wrong dock (5) |
| =”dock”. rev(AB)=”Sailor came up” plus SIN=”wrong” | ||
| 23 | OWNER | Man of property, three quarters in gold (5) |
| =”Man of property”. W[est], N[orth] and E[ast] are “three quarters”, all inside OR=”gold” | ||
Thanks to Rufus and manehi! Found this surprisingly easy.
Took some time to get 18 as I have always seen it spelt “Tehran”.
Re. 11: I had put in the past tense, and the “check all” function on the online version confirms it is correct, but overcome would fit in just as well with “subdued”, and “having arrived” can indicate both come and came. Some loose clueing there!
Thanks Rufus and manehi
Generally easy, though I spent some time staring at 3 crossing clues in the SE. I enjoyed it, particularly the contrasting uses of “capital”. TEAR also amused me.
I hadn’t heard of RESIDENT in that sense. I also started entering MONOCLE for 15a, but there weren’t enough letters!
I put OVERCAME, but did consider OVERCOME as well.
I found this a little trickier than most of Rufus’ offerings, but completed o.k.
Is the “extensively used” necessary in 5d? I suppose it refers to the ability to open it out, but the clue would work without it, wouldn’t it?
Thanks menhi and Rufus
I too put ‘overcome’.
A relatively straightforward puzzle for the most part. The SW quarter held me up a little.
I ticked 16a.
Thanks Rufus and manehi. I enjoyed this more than I usually do although I had never heard of Menelaus before. I also liked dining car.
Thanks, manehi.
Three quarters of the puzzle went in quickly, but the SW quadrant was empty until I spotted a couple of solutions and the rest fell out.
I prevaricated for a while on 11a but finally plumped for OVERCOME. Either is a possible solution: it depends whether ‘having’ is interpreted as a linking word, in which case ‘arrived’ = CAME, or a part of a compound participle, in which case ‘having arrived’ = COME.
I particularly liked 15a, 19a and 27a. I’m not convinced that ‘inferior’ = KITSCH.
re Menelaus
I hesitated before using this usual English spelling since the old Greek name is Menelaos. Once again (cf 11) either answer fits.
Entertaining Monday fare.
Thanks manehi; isn’t 1a a simple charade TREAD/MILL? I liked BAMBOO, reminded me of ‘Eats, Shoots and Leaves.’
Wouldn’t OVERCOME be subdue rather than subdued?
Robi – I considered that for 1a but wasn’t convinced by MILL=”work”. 11a: X subdued Y / X overcame Y / Y was subdued by X / Y was overcome by X
Thanks all
I wish I coul brag about how many languages in which I can spell Greek kings.
Sadly not even English so I abandonned 8ac and came here.
Favourite was 16 ac.
Count me as another with “overcome” at 11ac. It fits both the wordplay and the definition so is a valid alternative, and the clue should have been changed at the editing stage to avoid any ambiguity. This puzzle seemed to be no harder or easier than most Rufus offerings, to me at least. ASSETS was my LOI.
Thanks for the blog manehi.
I was another one who put OVERCOME.
I particularly liked the neatness of 1dn and 18dn.
re TREADMILL — I didn’t parse it as Tread + Mill at the time, but I do think it’s plausible, if you take ‘Mill’ to be a place of work, like a factory.
Gervase @7 — I agree re the definition of ‘kitsch’. ‘Inferior’ seems too loose.
Can’t think of much to say about this one – fairly straightforward with nothing too ambiguous until I read the comments here and realised there was an alternative to overcome. Last in was CREATE. Thanks to manehi and Rufus.
manehi@10; work=mill is in my Chambers Crossword Dictionary
I’m starting to really warm to Rufus’s Monday offerings – there’s some lovely stuff here. Although they are mostly virtual write-ins, you can see from the ‘serenity’ of the clue-writing that this is clearly a master at work!
And I love the way he composes an easyish crossword (as he has been asked to) and yet always throws in a few trickier ones just as you begin to brew contemptuous and hubristic thoughts!
I had to laugh, as I am always held up by FOUND = CREATE. It’s such a lovely trick, and I never seem to remember it for next time!
“Saline drip” was a pretty clue as well.
Cryptic crosswords are what these are called and this certainly was. I thought it was excellent and shows of what Rufus is capable. I had to search MENELAUS, put OVERCOME, and am only left wondering how 4d is cryptic really.
Many thanks all.
Another easy Rufus which was quite entertaining while it lasted.
A couple of the CDs were bordering on being non-cryptic for me.
Sorry I never considered OVERCOME but instantly wrote in OVERCAME. (Of course both are valid as are the alternative spellings for 8A). But it’s Monday so everything is allowed 😉
Thanks to manehi and Rufus
is it necessary to mention how ‘easy’ the crossword has proved for some people? smacks of smugness and could cause others for whom it wasn’t so simple to feel a bit thick. just a thought. im proud to say this crossword took me blooming ages to complete! immensely satisfying thankyou rufus x
Yes
I found it harder than most recent Monday Rufus fare; and had to come here after only half complete.
shaar @19
Sorry if honest comments offend.
I assure you my comments in particular are not smug. As this is a messageboard to discuss 15X15 cryptic crosswords I’m afraid you can expect all levels of solver to contribute. In fact a majority of contributors appear to be rather competent.
People are free to express their honest opinions about the puzzles. There is no place for politcal correctness.
I’m afraid that if you find people saying “a spade is a spade” offensive then perhaps you shouldn’t read this board.
This puzzle was “easy” to the large majority of solvers that comment on here. However that is probably because we have been struggling with these things for about 30 years in a lot of cases so don’t despair. It does get easier.
Re 4d: Ah, I think I perhaps see. By “not far out” were we supposed to understand “accurate” on first reading, rather than the definition, “close to land” as I did?
We get a few like this with Rufus from time to time.