Monday Prize Crossword/Jul 21
I do so many crosswords nowadays that I actually can’t remember anymore what I thought of this puzzle. When writing this blog, I didn’t see any real difficulties.
Dante is the master of cryptic definitions but I am afraid that today’s offering in that area wasn’t his very best. But all in all enjoyable enough, so once more a thank you to Dante!
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SHORTAGE | Lack of footwear bearing right label (8) |
| SHOE (footwear) around {R (right) + TAG (label)} | ||
| 5 | BOXERS | They are trained to fight dogs (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | OVERLEAF | Applied for leave on the next page (8) |
| (FOR LEAVE)* | ||
| 10 | USURER | One who takes great interest in business (6) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 12 | ALLAY | Put down a pound stake (5) |
| A + L (pound) + LAY (stake) | ||
| 13 | SHED A TEAR | Woman had a rip in her dress and sobbed (4,1,4) |
| SHE’D (woman had) + A + TEAR (rip) | ||
| 14 | ORDERS | Directions taken by clergymen (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | BEGGARS | They have no choice, poor chaps (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 19 | RISIBLE | Lies with rib broken? Ridiculous (7) |
| (LIES + RIB)* | ||
| 21 | ROTATE | Go round with a list at half-term (6) |
| ROTA (list) + TE[rm] | ||
| 23 | ARROWROOT | Missile base and plant (9) |
| ARROW (missile) + ROOT (base) | ||
| 25 | CREDO | Communist firm about belief (5) |
| RED (communist) with CO (firm) around it | ||
| 26 | IN A ROW | Lined up during altercation (2,1,3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 27 | FIRMNESS | Business head shows resolution (8) |
| FIRM (business) + NESS (head) | ||
| 28 | ENTOMB | Wrong note goes to doctor – so bury a patient? (6) |
| (NOTE)* + MB (doctor) – I didn’t want to underline the rest of the second part of the clue, a bit too (or ott) methinks. | ||
| 29 | OLD-TIMER | Veteran convict? (3-5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SLOGAN | Work hard on an advertising jingle (6) |
| SLOG (work hard) + AN | ||
| 2 | OVERLORDS | They’re superior, taking six balls at cricket ground (9) |
| OVER (six balls) + LORDS (cricket ground) | ||
| 3 | TALLY | Total has to correspond (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | GLASSES | How girls, after midnight, make spectacles of themselves? (7) |
| LASSES (girls) after [ni]G[ht] (midnight, surely a well-known device by now) – just like in 28ac a definition that is a bit ‘too much’. | ||
| 6 | ONSLAUGHT | Attack thus with a long formation (9) |
| (THUS + A LONG)* | ||
| 7 | EERIE | No head on the beer? That is strange (5) |
| [b]EER + IE (that is, id est) | ||
| I think I liked this clue the most – brilliant in its simplicity! | ||
| 8 | SURPRISE | An unexpected pleasure? (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 11 | SERB | Some passer-by from Belgrade? (4) |
| Hidden solution (‘some’): [pas]SER B[y] | ||
| 15 | ELBOW ROOM | Sufficient for a joint operation in space? (5,4) |
| An elbow is a joint and room is space but I would still call this a Cryptic definition | ||
| 17 | AT THE HELM | In control of a race taking two men over fifty miles (2,3,4) |
| A + TT (race, Tourist Trophy) + HE HE (two men) + L (fifty) + M (miles) | ||
| An unusually long charade with a good surface. | ||
| 18 | ORGANISE | Marshal in Orange Order is admitted (8) |
| IS inside (ORANGE)* | ||
| 20 | EROS | Tender raised for London statue (4) |
| Reversal (‘raised’) of: SORE (tender) | ||
| 21 | RETRIAL | Put out trailer for the second test? (7) |
| (TRAILER)* | ||
| 22 | DOWSER | Rods we developed for the diviner (6) |
| (RODS WE)* | ||
| 24 | ROAST | Cook using the right oven (5) |
| R (right) + OAST (oven) | ||
| 25 | COMET | Approach junction – it provides a long tail-back (5) |
| COME (approach) + T (junction) | ||
Thanks Dante and Sil
All over in less than 20 mins with no real highlights today.
Agree with your comments on both 28a and 4d – suppose they are there to fill out the surface reading, but it didn’t work for me!