Monday Prize Crossword/Apr 21
Always nice to have Mudd on a Monday as an addition to the familiar Dante/Crux dynasty.
At times Mudd’s puzzles contain too many double definitions that spoil the party (for me) but today it was OK. Some really nice clues to outweigh the odd chestnut (e.g. 21d). Not too difficult but quality cluing throughout.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SOWETO | Very rainy, old township (6) |
| SO WET (very rainy) + O (old) | ||
| 4 | THICKSET | Simple to write crosswords, being sturdy (8) |
| THICK (simple) + SET (to write crosswords) | ||
| 9 | GISMO | Some thingamajig is mooted as a gadget (5) |
| Hidden solution (‘some’): [thingamaji]G IS MO[oted] | ||
| I always thought it was ‘gizmo’ but today I learnt that it can be either of them. | ||
| 10 | CRIME WAVE | In want, I cry, seeing rise in offences (5,4) |
| {I + MEW (cry)} inside CRAVE (want) | ||
| 11 | CHIPPER | Happy golfer, perhaps? (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | STEAMER | Vessel that’s used for cooking (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | TOGA | Past time making a comeback for old garment (4) |
| Reversal (‘making a comeback’) of: AGO (past) + T (time) | ||
| 14 | DEFLATED | Down – or let down? (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| I am not so sure here. Why, for example, has the clue a dash in it? I also tend to read the solution as “flat in/deed”. Is there something going on here that I didn’t see? | ||
| 17 | PARASITE | jumpingsoldier.com, perhaps, for freeloader? (8) |
| PARA is a ‘jumping soldier’ and his/her website, a PARA SITE, could be jumpingsoldier.com | ||
| Really nice find! | ||
| 19 | ASBO | This placed on a delinquent like a bad smell (4) |
| AS (like) + BO (a bad smell) | ||
| 22 | ROSETTE | Badge where badger should be, among eggs (7) |
| SETT (where badger should be) inside ROE (eggs) | ||
| I liked the silliness of the surface. | ||
| 24 | INFANCY | Childhood in favour (7) |
| IN + FANCY (favour) | ||
| 25 | GUINEA PIG | Block of iron on the money, once, as subject of experiment (6,3) |
| GUINEA (the money, once) + PIG (block of iron) | ||
| Only last Monday Rufus (aka Dante in this place) had the same word with the same definition in The Guardian. I prefer Mudd’s clue to the former’s cryptic definition. | ||
| 26 | IMAGO | Caught by him, a gorgeous butterfly (5) |
| Hidden solution (‘caught by’): [h]IM A GO[rgeous] | ||
| 27 | LAPIDARY | Rapid building in place for stone worker (8) |
| (RAPID)* inside LAY (place) | ||
| 28 | CELERY | Sticks, half the number required to poke blubber (6) |
| ELE[ven] (half the number) inside CRY (blubber) | ||
| For the perfectionist in me, that little word “the” stands a bit in the way. Why is “eleven” “the number”? | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SAGACITY | Where urban stories created, perhaps, in wisdom (8) |
| SAGA is a story and SAGA CITY could perhaps be the place where urban stories are created | ||
| 2 | WASHING-UP | Wife pushing a lousy chore (7-2) |
| W (wife) + (PUSHING A)* | ||
| 3 | TROUPE | Overhead cover masking onset of rain for travelling band (6) |
| TOUPE (overhead cover) around R[ain] | ||
| 5 | HAIR-SPLITTING | Particular thing, non-U spiritual being in torment (4-9) |
| (THING + SPIRIT[u]AL)* | ||
| 6 | CLEMENT | Mild cold, ingredient required to clear head (7) |
| C (cold) + [e]LEMENT (ingredient, cleared of head) | ||
| 7 | SHAWM | Old instrument fake, woman initially claimed (5) |
| SHAM (fake) around W[oman] | ||
| Strange word. It’s a medieval oboe. | ||
| 8 | THEORY | Idea to dress man in blue (6) |
| HE (man) inside TORY (blue) | ||
| 10 | CARPET-SWEEPER | Thoughtful type accommodating cats and dogs, sob for cleaner! (6-7) |
| CARER (thoughtful type) around {PETS (cats and dogs) + WEE (sob)} | ||
| 15 | DISENGAGE | Free design manufactured on time (9) |
| (DESIGN)* + AGE (time) | ||
| Quite a nice clue that needed a bit of thinking as there are actually three potential anagram indicators in the clue. | ||
| 16 | ROLY-POLY | Sweet and fat (4-4) |
| Double definition | ||
| The first time I came across this word was as a teenager, in theearly seventies in my native country. In Holland, it was a hit for a band called Stamford Bridge. And I also didn’t know what Stamford Bridge meant in those days. Now that I live in the UK I know better ….. ! | ||
| 18 | RETREAD | One hurrying up to fit the ultimate in durable modified tyre (7) |
| Reversal (‘up’) of DARTER (one hurrying) around [durabl]E | ||
| 20 | FRUGAL | Tight wig in season for Mr Trump, not entirely (6) |
| RUG (wig) inside FAL[l] (season for Mr Trump, ie for an American) | ||
| 21 | OFFICE | Bureau no longer slipping? (6) |
| OFF ICE (no longer slipping) | ||
| We have seen this one before, haven’t we? | ||
| 23 | SKIMP | Captain saving money firstly to economise (5) |
| SKIP (captain, at bowls or curling) around M (money) | ||
On 28a, I thought he had used “sticks” in both parts of the clue. Two sticks would be eleven.