Monday Prize Crossword / Mar 6, 2017
Dante in a friendly mood for those who dislike his cryptic definitions.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | LIBIDO | Romantic drive? Look around in the same place (6) |
| LO (look) around IBID (in the same place, short for ibidem) | ||
| 4 | GOVERNOR | Good bowling, and no runs for captain (8) |
| G (good) + OVER (bowling) + NO + R (runs) | ||
| 9 | PREFIX | Title to settle beforehand (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | HITHERTO | At one time a chart-topper with other arrangement (8) |
| HIT (a chart-topper) + (OTHER)* [* = arrangement] | ||
| 12 | INKSTAND | Wells included with writers in this case (8) |
| Cryptic definition That’s what I think it is, or is there anything more going on here? |
||
| 13 | COHERE | The commanding officer must get present, to be consistent (6) |
| CO (commanding officer) + HERE (present) | ||
| 15 | GROW | Midnight quarrel to develop (4) |
| [ni]G[ht] + ROW (quarrel) | ||
| 16 | CONSPIRACY | Plot links prisoners to criminal activity (10) |
| CONS (prisoners) + PIRACY (criminal activity) | ||
| 19 | CONVICTION | Firm belief in guilty verdict (10) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | SCAR | Wound bringing endless panic (4) |
| SCARE (panic) minus the last letter E [endless] | ||
| 23 | ODDITY | Do get up to tidy around a curiosity (6) |
| Reversal [get up] of DO, followed by (TIDY)* [* = around] | ||
| 25 | UNAWARES | Girl was about to enter without warning (8) |
| UNA (girl) + WAS with RE (about) going into it | ||
| 27 | PEACOCKS | They’re much smarter than their mates (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 28 | INWARD | Admitted to part of hospital – mental perhaps (6) |
| If one’s admitted to a hospital one might perhaps be IN a WARD | ||
| 29 | RANSOMED | Held in remand perhaps, so paid for release (8) |
| SO inside (REMAND)* [* = perhaps] | ||
| 30 | SEANCE | Irishman goes to church meeting to seek spiritual guidance (6) |
| SEAN (Irishman) + CE (church) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | LAPWING | Friend rose on the football side – a real flier (7) |
| Reversal [rose] of PAL (friend) + WING ((the) football side) | ||
| 2 | BREAKDOWN | Analysis of collapse (9) |
| Double definition | ||
| 3 | DAINTY | Pretty fastidious (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | OMIT | Forget to order vermouth (4) |
| OM (order, Order of Merit) + IT (vermouth) | ||
| 6 | ETHIOPIA | State of a hot pie I ordered (8) |
| (A HOT PIE I)* [* = ordered] | ||
| 7 | NORSE | Norwegian with a choice of directions (5) |
| N (north, one direction) or SE (south-east, another one) | ||
| 8 | ROOKERY | Castle on Eastern Railway is a bird’s nesting place (7) |
| ROOK (castle, as in chess) + E (Eastern) + RY (railway) | ||
| 11 | EN ROUTE | Bound for Rouen, perhaps, with a note (2,5) |
| (ROUEN)* + TE (a note) [* = perhaps – again!] | ||
| 14 | ASTOUND | Stagger to us and collapse (7) |
| (TO US AND)* [* = collapse] | ||
| 17 | ASCERTAIN | Like to be sure, so find out (9) |
| AS (like) + CERTAIN (sure) | ||
| 18 | VIRTUOSO | Ivor’s out to become a skilled performer (8) |
| (IVOR’S OUT)* [* = to become] | ||
| 19 | CROPPER | A reaper in the fall (7) |
| Double definition Come a cropper. |
||
| 21 | RESIDUE | Feel regret about changing the side’s balance (7) |
| RUE (feel regret) around (SIDE)* [* = changing] | ||
| 22 | TWINGE | Pang suffered by one of two, for example, on rising (6) |
| TWIN (one of two) + reversal [on rising] of EG (for example) | ||
| 24 | DRAIN | Runaway debtor in a mess (5) |
| DR (debtor, abbreviated) + (IN A)* [* = mess] Now this is a bit naughty of Dante as the definition is really two words: ‘run away’. |
||
| 26 | SKYE | An island heaven, it’s said (4) |
| Homophone [it’s said] of SKY (heaven) | ||
*anagram
Thanks Dante and Sil
One of Dante’s easier and more straightforward puzzles.
With 12a, I think that it is just one of his clever cryptic definitions with a surface that suggests the author, H G Wells, to be included with his cohorts.
ETHIOPIA was last in for no particular reason.