It’s Wednesday, it’s a Dac. All is well with the world.
No unusual words, no theme, no awkward grid just smooth surfaces and precise clueing. We imagine that a lot of people out there will be very happy. However Dac’s crosswords never seem to generate many comments so we may never know whether we are correct or not.
| Across | ||
| 1 | Carefully select worker having ground-breaking equipment (4-4) | |
| HAND-PICK | HAND (worker) PICK (ground-breaking equipment) | |
| 5 | After retiring in office, yours truly worked for a short time (6) | |
| TEMPED | ME (yours truly) in DEPT(office) all reversed or ‘retiring’ | |
| 9 | After tea, new storm (7) | |
| TYPHOON | TYPHOO (tea) N (new) | |
| 10 | Sons will tuck into venison and finish off suet pudding (7) | |
| DESSERT | SS (sons) inside or ‘tucking into’ DEER (venison) T (last letter or ‘finish’ of sueT) | |
| 11 | Be desperate for cocaine before party (5) | |
| CRAVE | C (cocaine) RAVE (party) | |
| 12 | Actor, right old one, appearing in function briefly (9) | |
| TRAGEDIAN | R (right) AGED (old) I (one) inside TAN (function, as in tangent abbreviated or ‘briefly’) | |
| 13 | Surprisingly Internet meant fun (13) | |
| ENTERTAINMENT | An anagram of INTERNET MEANT (anagrind is ‘surprisingly’) | |
| 15 | Where clock’s numbers can be seen, apparently (2,3,4,2,2) | |
| ON THE FACE OF IT | A cryptic definition. Thanks for the comments – ‘apparently’ is now underlined but we’re still not sure whether we would count the clue as a ‘double definition’. | |
| 19 | Fellow in lane that endlessly winds (9) | |
| NATHANIEL | An anagram of IN LANE THA |
|
| 20 | Number three? Wrong (5) | |
| ETHER | An anagram of THREE (anagrind is ‘wrong’) | |
| 22 | Loud disturbance right at start of sale, after article’s disposed of (7) | |
| RUCTION | R (right) |
|
| 23 | Swamped by tax, old lady becomes homeless (7) | |
| VAGRANT | GRAN (old lady) inside or being ‘swamped by’ VAT (tax) | |
| 24 | Education newspaper staff rejected in part of southern England (6) | |
| DORSET | TES (newspaper – Times Education Supplement) ROD (staff) reversed or ‘rejected’ | |
| 25 | Villains turning the screw (8) | |
| WRETCHES | An anagram of THE SCREW (anagrind is ‘turning’) | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | European cracks problem using computers etc (2-4) | |
| HI-TECH | E (European) inside or ‘cracking’ HITCH (problem) | |
| 2 | Leather from sheepskin apparently (5) | |
| NAPPA | Hidden in the clue sheepskiN APPArently | |
| 3 | Expert about to get involved in aircraft design (7) | |
| PROJECT | PRO (expert) + C (about) inside or ‘involved in’ JET (aircraft) | |
| 4 | Worry business people are holding back (13) | |
| CONSTERNATION | CO (business) NATION(people) around or ‘holding’ STERN (back) | |
| 6 | Sculptor‘s record, using stone from Germany (7) | |
| EPSTEIN | EP (record) STEIN (German for stone) | |
| 7 | Nixon, say, concealed papers in here (9) | |
| PRESIDENT | PRESENT (here) around or ‘concealing’ ID (papers) | |
| 8 | Go off school in time (8) | |
| DETONATE | ETON (school) in DATE (time) | |
| 10 | Screen award I’ve flourished in front of admirer (4,1,4,4) | |
| DRAW A VEIL OVER | An anagram of AWARD I’VE (anagrind is ‘flourished’) LOVER (admirer) | |
| 13 | Vehicle, say, used in competition, reversing (6,3) | |
| ESTATE CAR | STATE (say) inside RACE (competition) reversed | |
| 14 | Caught nasty crone looking angry? (8) | |
| CORNERED | An anagram of CRONE (anagrind is ‘nasty’) RED (looking angry) | |
| 16 | Search river in which former dictator drowned (7) | |
| EXAMINE | EXE (river) around or ‘drowning’ AMIN (former dictator). | |
| 17 | Transport some soldiers in battle (7) | |
| FREIGHT | RE (soldiers) inside FIGHT (battle) | |
| 18 | Priceless musical instrument, note, held up (6) | |
| GRATIS | SITAR (musical instrument) + G (note) reversed or ‘held up’ | |
| 21 | Former PM escaping row in air terminal (5) | |
| HEATH | HEATH |
|
Thanks, both, for blogging.
You are correct. I, personally, am very happy, both in general and about this puzzle (when appropriate, I reserve my place as the resident grump, though).
You do run out of stuff to say about Dac’s puzzles, which is probs why there are generally not many comments. You could go on about the smooth surfaces for ever, but I especially liked the one for CONSTERNATION.
STEIN for ‘stone from Germany’ might be a bit of an ask, but you’ve got crossing letters. And it’s one of the links between the two languages: stEIN = stONE; EIN = ONE; allEIN = alONE (nearly); and bEIN = bONE (except it’s the German word for ‘leg’, which contains the largest bone in your body, so I rest my case and will now go away).
Thanks to Dac for the puzzle.
Thanks both.
First class surfaces as usual.
Great puzzle.
New to DAC and parsed 6 as you did, but did wonder if it might be ‘st’ one from Germany?
Also, maybe, underline ‘apparently’ in 15?
Thanks all.
Sorry – ‘Dac’, Didn’t mean to shout.
[the usual stuff about Dac puzzles]
I agree with morphiamonet, 15a is a double definition
“We imagine that a lot of people out there will be very happy. However Dac’s crosswords never seem to generate many comments so we may never know whether we are correct or not.”
As far as I’m concerned you are correct.
Only one comment – I agree that 15ac is a DD
Thanks, Dac and B&J
Well, it seems that we have some debate about a Dac crossword for a change. Is 15ac a double definition or a cryptic definition – or does it really matter?
For me, like for most others above, 15ac is a double definition.
How about cd&d?
The clock definition has nothing to do with the answer in real terms, so must be cd.
Paul@9 – We realised that we should have underlined ‘apparently’ so yes, we agree with your analysis.
I could do this one unaided! Thanks to both.,
I’ve been enjoying this site for years without commenting largely because I’m solving DAC’s elegant puzzles five years after you regulars. In that time you have all effectively taught me the trade for which I am very grateful. Mr Crossley deserves all our praise as he always comes up with belters like 10d. Best wishes to all.
I’ve just heard the sad news about DAC’s passing. More on David Crossland in the link below:
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2018/10/30/david-crossland-dac-rip/