Dac has given us a puzzle today with many basic, but well disguised, cluing techniques
When I first started writing this blog, I was struck by the number of clues where I used just one colour to describe the word play. In these cases the wordplay was formed from consecutive parts of the entry, or the entry was hidden in the clue or the entry was a double definition.
As the blog went on there were a few more complex constructions, principally container & contents and anagrams, plus one or two reversals. One device used three times involved repeats – Republicans as RR, double degree as MAMA and the prison as SING SING.
Dac rarely does messages or gimmicks, but today’s puzzle is a pangram where every letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
In front of kilns see black crows (6)
|
B (black, when describing pencil leads) + OASTS (kilns)
|
BOASTS (brags; crows)
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4
|
Traitor who, in France, faces the rope (8)
|
QUI (‘who’ in French) + SLING (a strap which may be made of rope)
|
QUISLING (person who aids the enemy; traitor)
|
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10
|
Dish that is served with prune (5)
|
CUT (prune) + I.E. (id est; that is)
|
CUTIE (smart or beautiful girl; dish)
|
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11
|
Trees burning in Hampshire town (9)
|
ALDERS (examples of trees) + HOT (burning)
|
ALDERSHOT (town in Hampshire)
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12
|
Plant concealed by wild rose rarely (7)
|
DROSERA (hidden word in [concealed by] WILD ROSE RARELY)
|
DROSERA (any plant of the sundew genus)
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13
|
Article making big noise? (6)
|
REPORT (account on a matter of news; [newspaper] article)
|
REPORT (explosive noise) double definition
|
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14
|
Going back through Dudley Zoo, was in a daze (5)
|
Hidden word (going … through) reversed (back) in DUDLEY ZOO WAS WOOZY< |
WOOZY (in a daze)
|
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15
|
Very thin leek, last to be cooked (8)
|
Anagram of (to be cooked) LEEK LAST SKELETAL* |
SKELETAL (emaciated; very thin)
|
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18
|
Spa hotel’s meal provided without a honeyed drink (8)
|
HYDRO (spa hotel) + (MEAL excluding [provided without] A)
|
HYDROMEL (beverage made of honey and water, also known as mead)
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19
|
Suspended casts of EastEnders during broadcast (5)
|
FROZE (sounds like [during broadcast] the way an EastEnder [Cockney] would pronounce THROWS [casts])
|
FROZE (suspended)
|
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20
|
One embracing Lenten ritual with greater alacrity (6)
|
FASTER (during the period of Lent, Christians FAST, so one who embraces the Lenten ritual is a FASTER)
|
FASTER (with greater alacrity)
|
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22
|
The perfect male Republicans in power (2,5)
|
(R [Republican] + R [Republican] giving the plural) contained in (in) MIGHT (power) M (R R) IGHT |
MR RIGHT (ideal male or marriage partner)
|
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24
|
Revise to secure double degree in university? (4,5)
|
ALTER (revise) containing (to secure) (MA [Master of Arts; degree] + MA [Master of Arts; the second degree]) AL (MA MA) TER |
ALMA MATER (benign mother, applied by alumni to their university, school or college)
|
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25
|
A Welsh woman from further away? (5)
|
A + SIAN (Welsh christian name for a lady)
|
ASIAN (from the continent of ASIA, far away from Britain)
|
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26
|
Repeatedly act as nark and you’ll get prison (4,4)
|
SING (act as an informer or nark) + SING (act as an informer or nark, again [repeatedly])
|
SING SING (maximum security prison in New York State)
|
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27
|
Satellite: vainly hope to live on it (6)
|
Anagram of (vainly) HOPE + BE (live) PHOE* + BE |
PHOEBE (satellite of Saturn; also PHOEBE means moon which is a generic term for a satellite)
|
| Down | |||
|
1
|
Give in, having suffered relegation again? (4,4)
|
BACK DOWN (relegated again!)
|
BACK DOWN (abandon one’s position; give in)
|
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2
|
The interminable love record in any collection (9)
|
(THE excluding the final letter [interminable] E + O (zero; love score in tennis] + LOG [record]) all contained in (in) ANY AN (TH O LOG) Y |
ANTHOLOGY (collection)
|
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3
|
Men who strike yet order daily paper (3,3,4,5)
|
Anagram of (order) MEN WHO STRIKE YET THE NEW YORK TIMES* |
THE NEW YORK TIMES (daily newspaper)
|
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5
|
Apply anti-rust treatment to submarine near loch (9)
|
UNDERSEA (submarine) + L (loch)
|
UNDERSEAL (apply anti-rust treatment to)
|
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6
|
Revolving components on various cheap Fords nearly broke (8,3,4)
|
PARTS (components) reversed (revolving) + an anagram of (various) CHEAP FORDS STRAP< PED FOR CASH* |
STRAPPED FOR CASH (short of CASH; nearly broke)
|
|
7
|
Bloody liquid concoction in cans – hope one’s refreshing when opened (5)
|
ICHOR (first letter of [when opened] each of IN, CANS, HOPE, ONE’S and REFRESHING)
|
ICHOR (colourless matter oozing from an ulcer or wound; bloody liquid)
|
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8
|
It could be found in Gironde, vacant (4)
|
IT contained in (could be found in) GE (the letters remaining in GIRONDE after the central letters IROND have been removed; GIRONDE vacant) G (IT) E |
GITE (simple holiday accommodation in France, e.g. a cottage. One may look for a vacant GITE to book for a holiday in the GIRONDE region of France)
|
|
9
|
A holiday is over: here’s souvenir from Spain, perhaps (4)
|
(A + VAC [vacation; holiday]) all reversed (over) (CAV A)< |
CAVA (sparkling Spanish wine; souvenir from a Spanish holiday perhaps)
|
|
15
|
Man and woman saved by an adviser to desperate people (9)
|
SAM (man’s name, although it could also be a woman’s name) + (RITA [woman’s name] contained in [saved by] AN) SAM A (RITA) N |
SAMARITAN (reference The SAMARITANs, an organisation that helps people in distress; adviser to desperate people)
|
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16
|
Alien dogs barking nearby (9)
|
Anagram of (barking) ALIEN DOGS ALONGSIDE* |
ALONGSIDE (nearby)
|
|
17
|
Feeling I missed judge’s verdict (8)
|
SENTIENCE (feeling) excluding (missed) I
|
SENTENCE (punishment pronounced by a judge; judge’s verdict)
|
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21
|
Paperwork collected by head mindlessly (5)
|
ADMIN (hidden word in (collected by) HEAD MINDLESSLY
|
ADMIN (paperwork)
|
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22
|
Political philosopher shows how to spoil vote (4)
|
MAR (spoil) + X (the mark used when selecting a candidate in a vote)
|
MARX (reference Karl MARX [1818 – 1883], German political philosopher)
|
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23
|
Spielberg film has a lot to say (4)
|
JAWS (talks at excessive length; has a lot to say)
|
JAWS (1975 film directed by Steven Spielberg) double definition
|
Never met a Welsh girl called Sian (sounds more Irish) so I put ALIEN.
This seemed as difficult as Monk or Picaroon but nowhere near as good.
Thanks both.
Excellent surfaces as usual. First class crossword.
According to Wikipedia, Sian is a Welsh feminine given name – but I’ve never met one either….
As always, the clues in a Dac make perfect English sense, 3d a classic.
Thanks to S and B for a good midweek challenge.
Thanks Dac and duncan
I’ve met two Welsh Sians in my lifetime, so it’s fine by me.
I’ve met 3 Sians (all Welsh ) and often watched the obviously Welsh Sian Lloyd tell me about the weather …
Excellent puzzle and blog. Thanks to both.