Following puzzles by Ballard, Mitz, Dalibor and Neil, the latter’s second puzzle – an alphabetical – will be the final Cambridge blog. For those who still want to give it a go, click here: Neil 2 @ Cambridge .
The puzzle was written around Christmas in the year that Araucaria, the master of this type of crossword, sadly passed away.
After some jigsaw activities the completed grid should be:
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| A | ARCHIE |
A name for a man, not bald if short (6)
The solution is short for Archi/bald |
| B | BANNING |
Forbidding for Crosby when Ann is caught (7)
BING (Crosby) around ANN |
| C | CHAINED |
Article in feature by newsman is bound (7)
{A (article) in CHIN (feature)} + ED (newsman) |
| D | DOSS DOWN |
What odds, snow? It lies on the ground (4,4)
(ODDS SNOW)* Two four letter words starting with D, one’s going up, the other’s going down. Guess which one’s going down? |
| E | EARLOBES |
Peer at decorations on the side of my face (8)
EARL (peer) + OBES (decorations) |
| F | FAIRY LIGHT |
Match for a fag that brightens the place? (5,5)
Double definition With apologies of the setter for this non-PC clue! |
| G | GIFT WRAP |
Hide surprise talent with music like that (4,4)
GIFT (talent) + W (with) + RAP (music) |
| H | HORIZONTAL |
In the distance, trail unevenly leads to flat (10)
HORIZON ((in) the distance) + T[r]A[i]L (unevenly, i.e. the odd letters) |
| I | I SWEAR |
Promise to dress to follow to be (1,5)
WEAR (to dress) following IS (to be) |
| J | JAPONICA |
Asian coin is scratched on a tree (8)
JAP (Asian) + (COIN)* + A [* = is scratched] |
| K | KISSES |
XXX: weekend matters without you saying (6)
[wee]K (weekend, the end of ‘week’) + ISS[u]ES (matters, the deleted U being a homophone (‘saying’) of YOU) |
| L | LIB DEMS |
Party misled by leader’s dismaying (3,4)
(MISLED B[y])* [* = dismaying] |
| M | MAKES HAY |
Grabs the chance for yams and hake stew (5,3)
(YAMS + HAKE)* [* = stew] |
| N | NOONTIME |
I’m not one to dither when luncheon is due (8)
(I’M NOT ONE)* [* = to dither] |
| O | ODOURS |
Love glum skinhead who smells, does he (6)
O (love) + DOUR (glum) + S[kin] (skinhead, head of ‘skin’) |
| P | POLYURIA |
I play our games and pass loads of wee (8)
(I PLAY OUR)* [* = games] |
| Q | QUIFFS |
Locks Roman who eats the heads of flat fish (6)
QUIS (Roman who, i.e. ‘who’ in Latin) around F[lat] F[ish] |
| R | RIGATONI |
Stage an award, called “Pasta Dish” (8)
RIG (stage) + A TONI (an award) |
| S | SANTA CLAUS |
At X he won’t toss talc in saunas (handmade) (5,5)
(TALC)* inside (SAUNAS)** [* = toss] [** = handmade] The X here obviously stands for ‘Christmas’. |
| T | TWELFTH DAY |
On 5 Jan I’m sent what deftly is played (7,3)
(WHAT DEFTLY)* [* = is played] |
| U | UNYOKE |
Keep the white we hear, outspan the cows (6)
Homophone (‘we hear’) of: UNYOLK (keep the white, of an egg) |
| U | UPLIFT |
Over 17 yards it will help to rouse (6)
UP (over) + LI (51) + FT (feet) [51 ft = over 17 yards] The setter chose this to be the ‘vertical’ or ‘up/down’ clue, indicated by the ‘up’ in the solution. |
| V | VACUUM |
State “copper” with doubt that’s used to clean… (6)
VA (state, Virginia) + CU (copper) + UM (doubt) |
| W | WASTAGE |
… and used to label the end that’s not green (7)
WAS (used to be) + TAG (label) + [th]E |
| X | XMAS |
Boy’s back after times when gifts abound (4)
MAS (reversal (‘back’) of SAM (boy)) coming after X (times, think: multiplying) |
| Y | YARMOUTH |
Posh “yes” as spoken from island town (8)
YAR (posh way of saying ‘yes’) + MOUTH (as spoken) |
| Z | ZOOS |
Returns thus down under where fauna is found (4)
Reversal (‘returns’) of: SO (thus) + OZ (down under) |