Another one of these Dante/Rufus puzzles that left me with one that I couldn’t parse. The Alberichs and Monks of the World are often much easier in that respect.
26 across surely must be GROCERS but I cannot see what was going on in Dante’s mind.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CAPITAL GAINS |
Head profits from a form of taxation (7,5)
CAPITAL (head) + GAINS (profits) |
| 10 | NESTING |
Building a tree-house perhaps (7)
Cryptic definition |
| 11 | ALSO-RAN |
Was in the running but didn’t get a place (4-3)
Cryptic definition |
| 12 | AWASH |
A cleansing operation partly under water (5)
A + WASH (cleansing operation) |
| 13 | ESPECIAL |
Particular mixture of ale and spice (8)
(ALE + SPICE)* [* = mixture of] |
| 15 | TENDERLOIN |
Offer sprawling lion some meat (10)
TENDER (offer) + (LION)* [* = sprawling] |
| 16 | BENT |
Tendency to be dishonest (4)
Double definition |
| 18 | READ |
Study a book about publicity (4)
RE (about) + AD (publicity) |
| 20 | ASTONISHED |
Dumbfounded by a dishonest arrangement (10)
(A DISHONEST)* [* = arrangement] |
| 22 | DIRECTOR |
I’d back the padre for a post on board (8)
DI (reversal, indicated by ‘back’, of I’D) + RECTOR (padre) |
| 24 | AMBER |
Light fossil resin (5)
Double definition |
| 26 | GROCERS |
They supply tea – with or without sugar (7)
Probably, another one of these Cryptic definitions Help! |
| 27 | SCIATIC |
What nerve makes spies start and agents twitch? (7)
S[pies] + CIA (agents) + TIC (twitch) |
| 28 | TREASURY NOTE |
Paper money for the Exchequer to take in (8,4)
Cryptic definition |
| Down | ||
| 2 | ABSTAIN |
Don’t vote and get a black mark (7)
A + B (black) + STAIN (mark) |
| 3 | IRISH SEA |
Man rises above it (5,3)
Cryptic definition |
| 4 | ARGO |
Famous ship with a right to set sail (4)
A + R (right) + GO (set sail) |
| 5 | GRASS WIDOW |
Has her husband gone to seek pastures new? (5,5)
Cryptic definition |
| 6 | ISSUE |
Subject of hand out (5)
Double definition |
| 7 | SERVICE |
Dishes provided by a waiter (7)
Double definition |
| 8 | INFANT PRODIGY |
Little wonder (6,7)
Cryptic definition |
| 9 | INFLATED PRICE |
Charge that’s blown up (8,5)
INFLATED (blown up) + PRICE (charge) |
| 14 | ALMSHOUSES |
They provide poor accommodation (10)
Cryptic definition |
| 17 | RIPARIAN |
He owns land next to the bank (8)
Cryptic definition |
| 19 | AIRPORT |
Where you may see duty-free wine on display (7)
PORT (wine) on AIR (display) |
| 21 | HABITAT |
It’s the custom at home (7)
HABIT (custom) + AT |
| 23 | CREPE |
Creep around in rubber-soled footwear (5)
(CREEP)* [* = around] |
| 25 | USER |
He employs American with hesitation (4)
US (American) + ER (hesitation) |
for 26a, all I can think of is that Grocer (the person) and Grocers (the shop) both supply sugar. Ugh.
26a – grocers can supply a packet of tea along with a bag of sugar (two items) or just a packet of tea on its own accoording to what the customer wants.
Failed on riparian that I had never come across and 24a.
Best I can do for grocer is that if I want some tea bags I can buy them from the grocer and if I want some sugar I can buy that from the grocer. So I can buy tea and sugar at the same time or just tea. I don’t think this will win clue of the year.
Far too many cryptic definitions for me. I thought the grocers clue was beyond the pale. Managed to complete it but didn’t get the wow feeling once I had. Definitely disappointing. Thanks for explanations.
Thanks Sil,
I’d actually concluded that 26 was GROWERS – which is an anagram of W(ith), OR, S(uga)R – I.e. the without – and EG (for some reason only known by me at the time and since forgotten).
I had hoped for better enlightenment from here.
We’ll have to wait for next Monday unless anyone has any better ideas.
Otherwise the usual Dante fare – as ever there was a small positive: GRASS WIDOW is a new expression for me.
But mostly infuriating as ever!
Hamish, I considered GROWERS too but couldn’t make it work.
I do think it’s GROCERS.
What I cannot see is why Dante linked GROCERS to tea, especially as there is no question mark to indicate some kind of ‘definition by example’.
Who knows, perhaps Dante himself may turn up to enlighten us here.
He has done that before – so it would be much appreciated.
Thanks Dante and Sil
A puzzle in two parts for me – the top that went in quickly and in line with the usual Dante flair and then the bottom which brought about very little enjoyment, in fact slight irritation. Finished in the SW corner with AIRPORT (which took a while to sort out how it worked), CREPE (which I had to look up to find the rubber-soled definition) and the whimsical GROCERS as last in.
Ended up going with GROCERS at 26a, with the logic of Bamberger – that they could supply you tea and sugar (if you wanted as well). Originally wrote in GROWERS with the same logic – but then deduced that the same grower would be unlikely to grow both tea AND sugar – but would it have to be the same grower? There is a case for either, but think that the stronger case is for the former. A substandard clue to my mind.
Out of interest, just checked the official solution to 26a – GROCERS.
So it is.
Please drop in Dante, and tell us why.