Monday Prize Crossword / Sep 7, 2015
Armonie’s crosswords mostly appear on a Tuesday but this puzzle made once more clear why many solvers think he is the ideal week-opener.
Easy, concise and accessible, generally smooth surfaces and surely no trickery.
Having said that, it took me quite a while to find 17d (SLATTERN) – almost just as long as the rest of the solutions.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | HUSTINGS |
Hospital superior inflames electioneering (8)
H (hospital) + U (superior) + STINGS (inflames) |
| 5 | ACROSS |
Oscar’s created a clue like this (6)
(OSCAR’S)* [* = created] |
| 9 | CAST AWAY |
Abandon players on holiday (4,4)
CAST (players) + AWAY (on holiday) |
| 10 | RUSTIC |
Doctor is curt and unrefined (6)
(IS CURT)* [* = unrefined] |
| 12 | ELEMENTAL |
Cooked eel with crackers is basic (9)
(EEL)* + MENTAL (crackers) [* = cooked] |
| 13 | GRIPE |
Understanding European carp (5)
GRIP (understanding) + E (European) |
| 14 | SHAD |
Mum gets a dead fish (4)
SH (mum, i.e. silence!) + A + D (dead) |
| 16 | PITCHED |
Playwright initially longed for cast (7)
P[laywright] + ITCHED (longed) |
| 19 | LAPLAND |
Boy holds map of part of Europe (7)
LAD (boy) around PLAN (map) |
| 21 | NEED |
They say massage is essential (4)
Homophone, indicated by ‘they say’, of: KNEAD (massage) |
| 24 | TRACT |
Diplomacy keeps king in the area (5)
TACT (diplomacy) around R (king, i.e. Rex) |
| 25 | CARNATION |
People after motor that’s pink (9)
CAR (motor) + NATION (people) |
| 27 | EVEN UP |
Girl new to riding shows balance (4,2)
EVE (girl) + N (new) + UP (riding) |
| 28 | DAUGHTER |
Girl sees Changing of the Guard (8)
(THE GUARD)* [* = changing (of)] |
| 29 | NATANT |
Nathaniel retains sunburn when floating (6)
NAT (Nathaniel, shortened) around TAN (sunburn) |
| 30 | HEATHROW |
Man gets a surprise in airport (8)
HE (man) + A + THROW (surprise) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | HOCKEY |
English painter loses knight in game (6)
HOCKNEY (English painter, i.e. David Hockney) minus N (knight, in chess) |
| 2 | SISLEY |
Painter of body of land in the Seychelles (6)
ISLE (body of land) inside SY (The Seychelles, IVR) |
| 3 | INANE |
Grandmother interrupts? That is silly! (5)
NAN (grandmother) inside I.E. (that is) |
| 4 | GRANTED |
Girl blustered, “that’s OK” (7)
G (girl) + RANTED (blustered) |
| 6 | COURGETTE |
Chase round to obtain oriental vegetable (9)
COURT (chase) around GET ((to) obtain) + E (oriental, i.e. Eastern) |
| 7 | OUTRIGHT |
Unqualified old-fashioned Tory (8)
OUT (old-fashioned) + RIGHT (Tory) |
| 8 | SUCCEEDS |
Top players embrace university cricket club producing wins (8)
SEEDS (top players, e.g. in tennis tournaments) around {U (university) + CC (cricket club)} |
| 11 | SLIP |
Undergarment that’s a mistake (4)
Double definition |
| 15 | HEARTBURN |
Pick up head of thistle by stream? That’s painful! (9)
HEAR (pick up) + T[histle] + BURN (stream) |
| 17 | SLATTERN |
Tart last seen being eaten by players (8)
LATTER (last seen) inside S,N (players, in bridge) |
| 18 | APPARENT |
Father upset over guardian? That’s clear! (8)
AP (reversal, indicated by ‘upset’, of PA (father)) + PARENT (guardian) |
| 20 | DOCK |
Weed cut short (4)
Double definition |
| 21 | NARRATE |
Ran over judge? Tell us the story (7)
NAR (reversal, indicated by ‘over’, of RAN) + RATE (judge) |
| 22 | FITTER |
Workman is in better shape (6)
Double definition |
| 23 | ANDREW |
Warned wayward apostle (6)
(WARNED)* [* = wayward] |
| 26 | ARGOT |
Artist’s upset having understood the vernacular (5)
AR (reversal, indicated by ‘upset’ (again!), of RA (artist)) + GOT (understood) |
Thanks Sil.
Slat term came to mind straight away. I wonder what was on my mind?
All fairly straightforward and nothing else to add but didn’t want you to feel that nobody was reading your blog.
Thanks to Armonie for the gentle puzzle.
****ing auto correct!
SLATTERN!
Thanks Armonie and Sil
Did it last week but only got around to checking it today. Found it a typically neat puzzle by this setter that would be a good exercise for those folk who were learning this craft.
Hamish, I’ve ended up turning my autocorrect off – for exactly those reasons … reckon my fingers make less mistakes than the function :).