Monday Prize Crossword / Feb 22, 2016
On a day I expected a Crux crossword, it was Falcon who made a quick re-appearance.
Something that is surely appreciated by those who loved the old-style Everyman.
It has been said many times before: smooth, elegant and easy.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | FALSE ALARM | A small fear spread, out of unfounded scare (5,5) |
| (A SMALL FEAR)* [* = spread] | ||
| 7 | BASE | Centre of inferior quality (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | BLUR | Incomplete publisher’s puff leaves confused impression (4) |
| BLUR[b] (publisher’s puff, incomplete i.e. missing the last letter) | ||
| 10 | SPELLBOUND | Certain, after short period, to become enthralled (10) |
| SPELL (short period) + BOUND (certain) | ||
| 11 | ANSWER | Reply right at the end of a news broadcast (6) |
| (A NEWS)* followed by R (right) [* = broadcast] | ||
| 12 | DECADENT | Dissolute ten-year period, not without love (8) |
| DECADE (ten-year period) + N[o]T (the deleted O = love, (in)famous for its use in crosswords) | ||
| 13 | PARTICLE | Extremely small piece in newspaper’s centre column (8) |
| [news]P[aper] + ARTICLE (column, in a newspaper) | ||
| 15 | ARMY | Host foolish to ignore bishop (4) |
| BARMY (foolish) minus B (bishop) | ||
| 17 | APSE | Some chap’s entombed in church recess (4) |
| Hidden solution, indicated by ‘some’: [ch]AP S E[ntombed] | ||
| 19 | TREATISE | I, a setter, compiled for paper (8) |
| (I A SETTER)* [* = compiled] | ||
| 22 | LECTURER | Teacher may provide ruler, etc (8) |
| (RULER ETC)* [* = may provide] | ||
| 23 | TRILBY | Hear about one pound getting you a hat (6) |
| TRY (hear) around ILB (1 lb, one pound) | ||
| 25 | PEDESTRIAN | A president, oddly dull (10) |
| (PEDESTRIAN)* [* = oddly] | ||
| 26 | TRIP | Ride for a fall? (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 27 | PEST | Endless sauce, an annoyance (4) |
| PESTO (sauce) minus its last letter, indicated by ‘endless’ | ||
| 28 | SURE ENOUGH | Definitely home and dry, having sufficient (4,6) |
| SURE (home and dry) + ENOUGH (sufficient) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | ATLANTA | Worker employed in Los Angeles, after a short time in state capital (7) |
| {ANT (worker) inside LA (Los Angeles)} coming after {A + T (time, shortened)} | ||
| 3 | SHREW | Vixen, cunning no end (5) |
| SHREWD (cunning) minus its last letter, indicated by ‘no end’ | ||
| 4 | ABSTRACT | Synopsis, hard to understand (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | ABERDEEN TERRIER | Dog breeder and trainer abroad – elkhounds originally kept (8,7) |
| (BREEDER + TRAINER)* around E[lkhounds] [* = abroad] | ||
| 6 | MALICE | Spite shown by male and female in children’s tale (6) |
| M (male) + ALICE (female in children’s tale, set in Wonderland) | ||
| 7 | BROADCAST | Outspoken, all the actors in show (9) |
| BROAD (outspoken) + CAST (all the actors) | ||
| 8 | SYNONYM | Another word for terribly nosy New York male (7) |
| (NOSY)* + NY (New York) + M (male, another one!) [* = terribly] | ||
| 14 | TREATMENT | Medical care coverage (9) |
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | SENTENCE | Fine for a few words? (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | PRECEDE | Parking, about to deliver lead (7) |
| P (parking) + RE (about) + CEDE ((to) deliver) | ||
| 20 | SIBLING | Brother, perhaps, is upset over ostentatious jewellery (7) |
| SI (reversal of IS, indicated by ‘upset’) + BLING (ostentatious jewellery) | ||
| 21 | GRATIS | Free turncoat held by soldiers (6) |
| RAT (turncoat) inside GIS (plural of GI, soldiers) | ||
| 24 | INTRO | Opening of number covered by funky trio? (5) |
| N (number) inside (TRIO)* [* = funky] | ||
*anagram
Thanks Sil and Falcon.
A good example of a smoothly-constructed puzzle and an ideal test for those starting to get to grips with the art of cuciverbalism.
No greats, now iffy clues. Good, solid stuff.
Great crossword from Falcon -why was he replaced as Everyman?
Thanks Falcon and Sil
A perfect crossword for the train ride home after dinner / wine in the city after work last night. No real holdups nor call outs. Just another one crossed off the to do list !
Thanks Falcon and Sil
In 9, I think the publisher’s puff is BLURB rather than BLURT.
Yes, Simon, of course it is.
Now corrected.