Monday Prize Crossword/Sep 29
After a string of Dantes, Cruxes and Falcons it was nice to have this setter for a change. No Mudd without bums or buttocks (and so it was) but the most amusing clue was surely 26ac.
I didn’t know the plant at 23ac but thanks to the homophone I know how to pronounce it now. There was once more a shedload of double definitions (seven!) but as I wasn’t always familiar with the second meaning of a word (e.g. in 1ac and 10ac) it didn’t feel like an overdose this time. Mudd gave us no less than four homophones too and – phew – seven one-letter selections (either first or last). But it was an enjoyable solve, immaculately clued and raising several smiles.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DIPSTICK | Oil-tester, a jerk (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | SECOND | Silver tick (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | MYSTIQUE | Magical aura? Well I never! Squadron leader quite extraordinary (8) |
| MY (well I never!) + S[qaudron] + (QUITE)* [* = extraordinary] | ||
| 10 | DENIER | A measure of nylon? One’s not saying (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | STEAK | Cut? Then pale, by the sound of it (5) |
| Homophone (‘by the sound of it’) of: STAKE (pale) | ||
| 13 | POINTLESS | Insignificant as the bottom-of-the-table team? (9) |
| Double / Cryptic definition | ||
| I haven’t seen many competitions in which the bottom team has 0 points but, yes, it is possible. | ||
| 14 | BIRDIE | One flying higher than an eagle? (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| For once, a really nice double definition clue. No birdwatching here but golf, of course. | ||
| 16 | TORPEDO | Missile knocking over old warehouse around back of harbour (7) |
| TOPEDO (reversal (‘knocking over’) of O (old) DEPOT (warehouse)) around [harbou]R | ||
| 19 | CORONET | Invest gold in business to win a crown (7) |
| {OR (gold) inside CO (business)} + NET (to win) | ||
| 21 | PELOTA | Pulse taken, accepting fate in Spanish sport (6) |
| PEA (pulse) around LOT (fate) – a ball game played with basket-like rackets | ||
| 23 | HYDRANGEA | Plant has to conceal worker in park, say (9) |
| Homophone (‘say’) of: HIDE (to conceal) + RANGER (worker in park) | ||
| 25 | BURMA | Drifter touring capital in rags reaching a country of old (5) |
| {BUM (drifter) around R[ags]} + A | ||
| Since 1989 the country is officially named (Union of) Myanmar. However many still use the name Burma. | ||
| 26 | UNDIES | Custodian of the crown jewels returns to life? (6) |
| Two Cryptic definitions for the price of one! | ||
| 27 | THOUSAND | You smooth number! (8) |
| THOU (you) + SAND (smooth) | ||
| 28 | EVER SO | Very English page (4,2) |
| E (English) + VERSO (page, the left-hand one) | ||
| 29 | TRIBUNAL | Place of judgment as cake enters test (8) |
| BUN (cake) inside TRIAL (test) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | DAMASK | Stop to request fabric (6) |
| DAM (stop) + ASK (to request) | ||
| 2 | POSTERIOR | Last rites sad – unfortunate about it (9) |
| POOR (unfortunate) aound (RITES)* [* = sad] | ||
| 3 | THICK | Dopey yokel subordinate to principal in tractor (5) |
| HICK (yokel) under T[ractor] | ||
| 4 | CRUMPLE | Seeing muscleman in the middle squeezing buttocks, collapse (7) |
| [mus]CLE[man] around RUMP (buttocks) | ||
| 6 | ELECTORAL | Relocate struggling left so related to votes (9) |
| (RELOCATE)* + L (left) [* = struggling] | ||
| 7 | OLIVE | First of oranges, as it happens, a fruit (5) |
| O[ranges] + LIVE (as it happens) | ||
| 8 | DERISION | Contemptuous mocking, inside or out (8) |
| (INSIDE OR)* [* = out] | ||
| 11 | MINT | Perfect herb for sauce? (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | DUNGAREES | Garment, something brown put on a Welshman (9) |
| DUNG (something brown) + A + REES (Welshman) | ||
| 17 | ENTERTAIN | Internet proving unreliable around a host (9) |
| (INTERNET)* around A [* = proving unreliable] | ||
| 18 | ICE HOUSE | Cold place where I soak, did you say? (3,5) |
| Homophone (‘did you say’) of: I SOWSE (I soak) | ||
| 20 | TOGO | Country awaiting departure? (4) |
| TO GO (awaiting departure) | ||
| 21 | POACHER | One preparing eggs for a nicker? (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 22 | HANDEL | By listening, deal with composer (6) |
| Homophone (‘by listening’) of: HANDLE (deal with) | ||
| 24 | DODGE | Italian magistrate claiming head of dead duck (5) |
| DOGE (Italian magistrate) around D[ead] | ||
| 25 | BLURB | Cry about the initiation of rotten publicity (5) |
| BLUB (cry) around R[otten] | ||
I couldn’t get 26a and I can see the un dies bit but lost on the other bit. Must be something to do with beefeaters but can’t see it, sorry
Also failed on 28a . I don’t think that I’ve come across verso
Well, bamberger, I am happy to explain the first part of 26ac (if I have to).
It’s another example of that laddish humour of which one can say it’s trademerk Paul/Punk/Mudd (in that order).
The “crown jewels” are a man’s genitals.
Enough said, I think.
Well I have never come across that -must be regional .
Thanks Mudd and Sil
Enjoyable as ever from Mr Halpern – with UNDIES being the stand out. Hi Bamberger – it drives from the crown jewels being ones most prized possession … and men universally would regard them right up there :D.
Not quite as hard as he can be, but guess that it fits in to the leve of the normal Monday setters.
Liked all of the double definition clues