Monday Prize Crossword / Jul 6, 2015
I found this crossword easier when writing the blog than when solving. Quite a few cryptic and double definitions held me up, can’t see why now.
Definitions are underlined weherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | FIRST AID |
Is adrift at sea, needing immediate help (5,3)
(IS ADRIFT)* [* = at sea] |
| 6 | ACUMEN |
Perspicacity shown by a hundred university chaps (6)
A + C (hundred) + U (university) + MEN (chaps) |
| 9 | FLOWER |
Banker’s bloomer? (6)
Double definition Two crossword clichés for the price of one! |
| 10 | ORGANDIE |
Instrument to stamp fine material (8)
ORGAN (instrument) + DIE (stamp) |
| 11 | STAY |
Check part of the rigging (4)
Double definition The second definition is a nautical term (it’s Dante, after all). |
| 12 | PREP SCHOOL |
Educational institution where homework comes before discipline? (4,6)
PREP (homework, prep(aration)) + SCHOOL (discipline) |
| 14 | CRITICAL |
Finding fault may be crucial (8)
Double definition |
| 16 | ACID |
Drug found in a police department (4)
A + CID (police department) |
| 18 | ABLE |
The Spanish scholar returned, qualified (4)
Reversal (‘returned’) of: EL (the, Spanish) + BA (scholar) |
| 19 | VOLATILE |
Liable to lose one’s memory (8)
Kind of double definition ‘Volatile memory’ is a kind of memory that does not retain information after the power supply is turned off (in computing). That is what Mrs Chambers tells us. ‘Liable to lose’ is perhaps somewhat inadequate as a proper definition. So some may go for a Cryptic definition here. |
| 21 | BLUE-COLLAR |
It’s appropriate to follow unhappy sort of worker (4-6)
BLUE (unhappy) followed by COLLAR (appropriate, as a verb) |
| 22 | ROBE |
Official garment worn by king receiving honour (4)
R (king, Rex) + OBE (honour) |
| 24 | DIAMANTE |
Exceptionally animated, sparkling stuff (8)
(ANIMATED)* [* = exceptionally] |
| 26 | UNKIND |
A French class that’s unfriendly (6)
UN (a, French) + KIND (class) |
| 27 | ANTONY |
Not any sort of companion for Cleopatra (6)
(NOT ANY)* [* = sort (of)] |
| 28 | TIDINESS |
Order insisted – a good order (8)
(INSISTED)* [* = order] |
| Down | ||
| 2 | ISLET |
A bit of land is granted to tenant (5)
IS + LET (granted to tenant) |
| 3 | SAW EYE TO EYE |
Agreed with someone as tall as yourself? (3,3,2,3)
Double / Cryptic definition |
| 4 | AIRSPACE |
It’s under and over a country’s jurisdiction (8)
Cryptic definition I am sure that I saw a similar clue recently. And indeed, it was June 8 that Rufus wrote: ‘It’s under a country’s jurisdiction, though over it (8)’. |
| 5 | DO ONE’S LEVEL BEST |
Go flat out? (2,4,5,4)
Cryptic definition |
| 6 | AUGUST |
Bungling clown is impressive (6)
Double definition |
| 7 | URN |
A badly run vessel (3)
(RUN)* [* = badly] |
| 8 | EDITORIAL |
Column leader, for example (9)
Double definition However, the two definitions are not very distinct. |
| 13 | HEARTBROKEN |
Overwhelmingly distressed as the lover or the banker may become (11)
(OR THE BANKER)* [* = may provide] What a nice clue, my CoD! |
| 15 | REBELLION |
Rising, like a defiant beast (9)
A ‘defiant beast’ might be a REBEL LION |
| 17 | ALL-ROUND |
Spherical sort of sportsman? (3-5)
Double definition |
| 20 | BOUNTY |
Its captain was really put off by the crew (6)
Cryptic definition |
| 23 | BANNS |
Union notices exclude Poles (5)
BAN (exclude) + N,S (poles, North and South) ‘Union’ as in ‘marriage’. |
| 25 | MOO |
Low state of mind on departure of daughter (3)
MOOD (state of mind) minus D (daughter) |
I only failed to get 6d and 10a though I couldn’t parse 19a.
Simply didn’t know the material and o???n?i? wasn’t enough for a guess.
For 6d , how does bungling clown =august, please?
Bamberger, in Chambers meaning #2 of ‘August’ is: A circus clown of the white-faced bungling type.
The preferred spelling, however, seems to be ‘Auguste’.
More information in this Wikipedia article which contains also some pictures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown
Thanks Dante and Sil
Nothing too memorable with this one – a lot of stale clues and bits of clues for mine.
Hadn’t seen the term AUGUST(E) for a clown type before. It was my last in.
Thanks Sil and Dante.
I’m never quite sure whether to criticise of applaud Dante.
It’s important to have entry-level crosswords to remind us how we got up to our ivory Towers and to encourage les autres.
But many of the cryptic clues were bearly that and others quite lame.
And then he throws in a couple of curved balls – I had to come here to check whether it was only me that thought Auguste the clown was spelt with an ‘e’ for instance.
Volatile was similarly obvious but seemed like both halves of the clue were incomplete.
And then some nice clues. 5dn was simple but neat, and 13dn had a good feel to it.
So in balance, fine.