Monday Prize Crossword / Aug 8, 2016
For the second time in a row, I found the Dante offering a lot more challenging than the Rufus puzzle (at another place).
It was enjoyable enough, for which thanks to Dante, but in the blog below there’s quite a lot written in colour.
So, I must have had deeper thoughts on some of the clues.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ISRAEL | One’s king toppled to form republic (6) |
| I’S (one’s) + a reversal of LEAR (king) | ||
| 4 | MAYFLIES | Moving film, say, about English insects with short lives (8) |
| (FILM + SAY)* around E (English) [* = moving] | ||
| 9 | CLUTCH | Eggs used for a change? (6) |
| Double definition The second one probably refers to car clutches, devices that transmit power produced by the engine to the gear box. But don’t shoot me, I’m only the piano player. |
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| 10 | CRACKPOT | It’s crazy, using hard and soft drugs together (8) |
| CRACK (hard drug) + POT (soft drug) | ||
| 12 | ECHO | What one said after reflection (4) |
| Cryptic definition Typical Dante cd and … I got it straightaway! |
||
| 13 | INANE | Silly girl that is going out (5) |
| NAN (girl, short for Nancy I guess) with IE (that is) going around it | ||
| 14 | ALTO | This singer develops a lot (4) |
| (A LOT)* [* = develops] I don’t think the clue needs ‘this’. |
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| 17 | SIGHT SCREENS | They help strikers to see the delivery men (5,7) |
| Cryptic definition If you’re a cricketeer than this clue is surely a giveaway. For me it wasn’t because I leave cricket to the Brits. |
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| 20 | BALL-BEARINGS | They prevent friction when put in a race (4-8) |
| Cryptic definition Well, I guess it is. Or is it a straightforward definition with some whimsical extension? |
||
| 23 | ADAM | A mother for one who was motherless (4) |
| A + DAM (mother) | ||
| 24 | PUTTY | Glass holder (5) |
| Cryptic definition My last one in. Is this really gettable without the crossing letters? |
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| 25 | BALL | Bouncer for the dance (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | SOLITUDE | You can’t enjoy it in company (8) |
| (Not so) Cryptic definition | ||
| 29 | DEMIST | Clear half the street (6) |
| DEMI (half) + ST ((the) street) | ||
| 30 | COALPORT | Firm needing a line to Shanghai, say, in China (8) |
| CO (firm) + A + L (line) + PORT (Shanghai, say) Coalport is a type of porcelain named after the place in Shropshire where it was produced, mainly during the 19th century. |
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| 31 | HUGGED | Held in great affection (6) |
| (Not so) Cryptic definition | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | INCREASE | Where striker stands for more pay (8) |
| Double definition A batsman (cricket again) may stand at the crease. Not sure you can say ‘in crease’. Moreover, increase doesn’t specifically mean ‘more pay’, does it? |
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| 2 | ROUGHAGE | It aids digestion when you have a hard time (8) |
| ROUGH (hard) + AGE (time) | ||
| 3 | EACH | A head surrounded by teachers (4) |
| Hidden solution [surrounded by]: [t]EACH[ers] Personally, I am not keen on ‘surrounded by’ as a hidden indicator. Strictly speaking, EACH is surrounded by T/ERS and not by ‘teachers’. It is similar to Arachne using ‘about’ as a hidden device – it just doesn’t work for me. |
||
| 5 | ARRANGEMENTS | Plans to give scope to people in the arts (12) |
| RANGE (scope) + MEN (people), together inside ARTS Dante loves his ‘articles’ and most of the time I accept them. Here, however, I find ‘the’ out of place. |
||
| 6 | FACE | Effrontery, more than cheek (4) |
| Straightforward definition plus an extra bit (the face being more than just the cheek). | ||
| 7 | IMPALE | Transfix politician caught in a lie, perhaps (6) |
| MP (politician) inside (A LIE)* [* = perhaps] | ||
| 8 | SITS ON | Is a member of a board and delays decisions (4,2) |
| Double definition Not sure whether the first definition needs ‘a board’ (but the surface does, I know). |
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| 11 | KNUCKLE UNDER | Be subject to joint French and German articles (7,5) |
| KNUCKLE (joint) + UN (French article) + DER (German article) | ||
| 15 | STEAL | Take things the wrong way? (5) |
| Cryptic definition Exactly the same clue was on offer in Dante’s previous crossword. Different enumeration, therefore a different answer but the same idea. |
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| 16 | ENTRY | A record number of contestants in the field (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | ENGAGING | Taking someone on of attractive disposition (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | ISOLATED | Ill-disposed ladies to be separated (8) |
| (LADIES TO)* [* = ill-disposed] | ||
| 21 | PARSEC | A 19 billion miles right in outer space? (6) |
| R (right) inside (SPACE)* [* =outer] A parsec is about 3 x 10^13 km and with 1 miles being about 1.6 km, this will give us 19 x 10^12. In everday life a billion is 10^9 but Dante uses 10^12 which has a mention in the dictionaries but is a dated term. The combination ‘outer / space’ is tempting but is ‘outer’ really a proper anagram indicator? |
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| 22 | PAELLA | Pea soup everyone sent back – another dish wanted (6) |
| (PEA)* + a reversal [sent back] of ALL (everyone) [* = sop] | ||
| 26 | STOP | Finish second best (4) |
| S (second) + TOP (best) How a simple clue can be very elegant. |
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| 27 | MENU | University chaps are first to be ordered off (4) |
| U (university) with MEN (chaps) coming first You can order off the menu – bit of a half-definition, isn’t it? In the surface ‘to be ordered off’ means ‘to be asked to leave’. Nice misdirection perhaps but somehow I feel that the clue lacks the ultimate precision. |
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*anagram
Thanks Sil and Dante.
It’s that grid again! And with Dante’s style I knew that 13, 15, 16 and 24 were all going to need to wait for the crossers. And so it was with ENTRY and PUTTY the last two.
I agree with all your comments Sil.
At 13 I assumed NAN was short for a grandparent so questioned the “girl” – I think you’re right that it’s short for Nancy.
At 20ac, I seem to recall that a “race” is the term for a ball-bearing assembly, making it a very good clue.
Despite all the iffiness, 26 was simple but very elegant. So overall a fun challenge.
I thought this was awful. So many SD and cd a nightmare. Gave up. Really do not like Dante crosswords. Thanks Sil for
Defeated by 13a, 24a,30a, 5d, 16d, and 21d all of which I thought were hard. I’ve never understood how nan can be short for grandmother or grandma and I’m ok with it being short for Nancy.
Thanks Dante and Sil
Even done such a long time after, this still felt harder than normal for Dante.
It’s a pity that it is so long and discussion of it will not happen, but I had entered PUNTY as my last clue in at 24a. It is the name for the long metal rod that is used in glass-blowing, so we’ll qualifies as a ‘glass holder’ to me. See that PUTTY was the published answer, so I guess it must go down as a mistake.
What I did like, and now miss, is the beautiful elegance of his clues, typified by 26d.