[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here
Monday Prize Crossword/Jun 23
Dante in his familiar style? Well, he left most of his cryptic definitions at home this time! However, to compensate that plenty of double definitions and anagrams.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DISARM | Win over military leader after fresh raids (6) |
| (RAIDS)* + M[ilitary] | ||
| 4 | ACERBATE | Create novel about graduate in distress (8) |
| (CREATE)* around BA (graduate) | ||
| 9 | FRIEND | It’s half-day closing, mate! (6) |
| FRI (half-day, Fri[day]) + END (closing) | ||
| 10 | INSTANCE | Dissecting an insect for example (8) |
| (AN INSECT)* | ||
| 12 | COLLAPSE | Pass, momentarily fail, then break down completely (8) |
| COL (pass) + LAPSE (momentarily fail) | ||
| 13 | CRUSOE | Changing course, he was shipwrecked (6) |
| (COURSE)* | ||
| 15 | TIED | Bound together at the finish (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | RETIREMENT | Pulling back and turning in (10) |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | ABSTEMIOUS | Dry sort of item sailors ring us about (10) |
| {ABS (sailors) + O (ring) + US} around (ITEM)* | ||
| 20 | STAG | Speculator has a way with silver (4) |
| ST (a way, street) + AG (silver) | ||
| 23 | VIABLE | Scurvy taking hold of sailor? It’s not impossible (6) |
| VILE (scurvy) around AB (sailor, again!!) | ||
| 25 | BEGINNER | First-class student? (8) |
| Cryptic definition, more or less | ||
| 27 | SOUTHPAW | What’s up? Nothing wrong being left-handed (8) |
| (WHAT’S UP + O (nothing))* | ||
| 28 | SOCIAL | State one is found in after very good neighbourly party (6) |
| SO (very good) + {I (one) inside CAL (state, California)} | ||
| 29 | ROSEMARY | Two girls useful in the kitchen (8) |
| ROSE & MARY (two girls) | ||
| 30 | TINNED | Possibly intend getting canned (6) |
| (INTEND)* | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | DEFICIT | Loss of business (7) |
| Cryptic definition (or not even that) | ||
| 2 | STILLNESS | Calm the good man with a complaint (9) |
| ST (the good man, Saint) + ILLNESS (a complaint) | ||
| 3 | RENTAL | Charge for digs a student received by letter (6) |
| RENT (charge for digs) + A L (student, learner) – the definition is ‘something received by letter’ and so close to the first part of the clue that I cannot appreciate this clue very much | ||
| 5 | CANT | Inclination to admit incompetence (4) |
| Double definition, the second one needing an apostrophe (CAN’T) | ||
| 6 | RETURNED | Elected to be sent back (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | AGNES | Girl with bubbly’s half-cut (5) |
| Half of (‘half-cut’): [champ]AGNE’S (bubbly’s) | ||
| 8 | ELEMENT | Basic substance used in heating (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 11 | ASCETIC | His view of life is austere, one might say sour (7) |
| Homophone (‘one might say’) of: ACETIC (sour) | ||
| 14 | MINUTES | Notes the time (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | EXTENSION | Longer period on the phone? (9) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | SEALYHAM | Dog leash may become entangled (8) |
| (LEASH MAY)* | ||
| 19 | ADVISER | A new diver’s mentor (7) |
| A + (DIVER’S)* | ||
| 21 | GARBLED | Clothing in the van was mixed up (7) |
| GARB (clothing) + LED ((was) in the van, leading) – LED is in the past tense here but Dante doesn’t tell us to use that (apart from the word ‘was’ which doesn’t convince me, unfortunately, as it is in the wrong place) | ||
| 22 | TIVOLI | One group, about six, seen going round foreign pleasure gardens (6) |
| TOLI (reversal of {I(one) + LOT (group)} around VI (six) | ||
| One of the main tourist attractions of Copenhagen. As ernie @1 tells us, it could just as easily refer to the gardens of Villa d’Este in Tivoli (near Rome). Or to the Tivoli Gardens in Paris which do not exist anymore but which were shaped after the ones in Italy. These Parisian gardens (1766-1842) were the inspiration for Copenhagen’s Tivoli. What a small world, isn’t it? | ||
| 24 | ABUTS | Joins a dog-end that’s picked up (5) |
| 26 | PARR | Young fish wife who survived Henry VIII (4) |
| Double definition | ||
22d could also refer to the Italian gardens at Tivoli near Rome
The customary affable Dante, but I agree about 3dn RENTAL (a bit tired). Thanks Dante and Sil van den Hoek.
Tried my best but simply didn’t know acerbate at 4a or sealyham at 18d .
I’d still be trying to solve 17d and 25a ,leaving 28a that was too clever for me
Thanks Dante and Sil
I much prefer Roger in his Dante role than his Rufus one … and quite enjoyed this while it lasted.
Sil, I think that ABUTS is A plus the reversal (picked up) of STUB – then it works OK!
A couple of new learnings with SCURVY = vile and the TIVOLO gardens which was my last one in.
Of course, bruce @4, that’s it.
Thanks for the correct explanation of 24d.