Monday Prize Crossword/May 26
You often hear that solvers don’t like Spoonerisms that much but my least favourite device is the Double Definition. In this otherwise typical and enjoyable Dante puzzle there were quite a lot of them.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SECURE | Organise rescue – fast (6) |
| (RESCUE)* | ||
| 4 | DERANGED | Called into action, totally without reason (8) |
| RANG (called) inside DEED (action) | ||
| 9 | REMOVE | Take away or put back on the agenda? (6) |
| Double / Cryptic definition | ||
| 10 | MEASURES | Steps taken in dances (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | BROOKLYN | Put up with a girl in New York (8) |
| BROOK (put up) + LYN (a girl) | ||
| 13 | ARMOUR | Rigid habit of old king caught in affair (6) |
| R (king, Rex) inside AMOUR (affair) | ||
| 15 | PRIM | Quiet, on edge and rather demure (4) |
| P (quite) + RIM (on edge) | ||
| 16 | BALANCE DUE | Outstanding figure in the financial world (7,3) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 19 | SWEEPSTAKE | Chimney cleaners accept a gamble (10) |
| SWEEPS (chimney cleaners) + TAKE (accept) | ||
| 20 | ORAL | A student is after an alternative exam (4) |
| A L (student, learner) coming after OR (an alternative) | ||
| 23 | EXTRAS | Former star played walk-on parts (6) |
| EX (former) + (STAR)* | ||
| 25 | CONVICTS | They have time to finish (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 27 | SENTENCE | Condemn complete grammatical structure (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | QUAINT | Question a unit perhaps, being curious (6) |
| Q (question) + (A UNIT)* | ||
| 29 | NEPOTISM | Points me out as example of relative favouritism (8) |
| (POINTS ME)* | ||
| 30 | SHINTO | Very occupied by intimate Japanese cult (6) |
| SO (very) around HINT (intimate) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SCRUB UP | Drop out at university and prepare for the theatre (5-2) |
| SCRUB (drop out) + UP (at university) – the theatre here is the operation room in hospital | ||
| 2 | COMPOSITE | Combined to make notes about it (9) |
| COMPOSE (to make notes) around IT | ||
| 3 | REVOKE | Don’t follow suit (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | EDEN | Key study provided by former PM (4) |
| E (key, musical note) + DEN (study) | ||
| 6 | ABSTRACT | The summary is merely theoretical (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | GARBO | Famous film actress seen in the dress circle (5) |
| GARB (the dress) + O (circle) | ||
| 8 | DESERVE | Justify rate (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 11 | DYNASTY | House rule (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | BACKLOG | Finance record reveals arrears (7) |
| BACK (finance) + LOG (record) | ||
| 17 | DIRECTION | The way of management (9) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | APPARENT | Dad turns up with Mum perhaps, that’s obvious (8) |
| AP (reversal (‘turns up’) of PA (dad) + PARENT (Mum, perhaps) | ||
| 19 | STEPS IN | Intervenes with measure to confront evil (5,2) |
| STEP (measure, think dance like in 10ac) + SIN (evil) | ||
| 21 | LESOTHO | Empty hotels converted in African kingdom (7) |
| (HOTELS)* with O (nothing) in it, i.e being empty | ||
| 22 | AVOUCH | Guarantee a number finish with a painful expression (6) |
| A + V (number, 5) with after that (‘finish with’) OUCH (a painful expression) | ||
| 24 | TON-UP | Put on new presentation, reaching 100 mph (3-2) |
| (PUT ON)* | ||
| 26 | ACTS | Performs after John (4) |
| Double definition | ||
Another regular complaint of mine is the letter count noted in the clue. Here in 1D it is given as (5-2) where it should be (5,2). Sil has entered the answer correctly in his blog. Thank you.