Monday Prize Crossword / Jun 19, 2017
A Dante puzzle in which he clearly lives up to his reputation as a lover of cryptic (and double) definitions.
All very enjoyable and not too hard.
The NE required a bit more time than the rest of the crossword, mainly because I wasn’t familiar with the entry at 10ac.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SUBLET | Retired coach allowed to extend tenancy (6) |
| Reversal [retired] of BUS (coach) + LET (allowed) | ||
| 4 | PRIORESS | She’s responsible for maintaining order in retirement (8) |
| Cryptic definition And my last one in. |
||
| 9 | DIESEL | Pollution-causing lorry driver (6) |
| (Possibly a) Cryptic definition The diesel engine was invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel in 1892. |
||
| 10 | IMPETIGO | Not a fatal disease but one I’m to peg out from (8) |
| I (one) + (I’M TO PEG)* [* = out] The word ‘from’ is probably just there for the surface. The solution was a new word to me – it’s a skin disease. |
||
| 12 | RUIN | Game at home results in defeat (4) |
| RU (game, the (in)famous Rugby Union) + IN (at home) | ||
| 13 | BURNS | Brooks as a poet (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | RING | Four-cornered circle (4) |
| (Kind of) Double definition The first one an adjective to allude to a boxing ring. |
||
| 17 | AGE OF CONSENT | The time to say yes? (3,2,7) |
| Cryptic definition Or Dante telling us what literally might happen? |
||
| 20 | DECELERATION | Speed check (12) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 23 | ROOD | Utterly rude, being cross (4) |
| Homophone [utterly] of RUDE | ||
| 24 | COACH | Train – or part of one (5) |
| Double definition The ‘one’ being a ‘train’, of course. |
||
| 25 | THOU | It became you (4) |
| The old word for ‘you’ is ‘thou’ Quite nice in all its simplicity. Dante is always so good at spotting these things. |
||
| 28 | STANDARD | Definitive colours (8) |
| Double definition ‘Colours’ as in ‘flag’. |
||
| 29 | ADDICT | Drug user did wrong, breaking the law (6) |
| (DID)* inside ACT (law) [* = wrong] | ||
| 30 | SALT-MINE | Siberian place of punishment may produce ailments (4-4) |
| (AILMENTS)* [* = may produce] The Oxford Dictionary of English gives as an ‘example’ of its use (a job that may be gruelling): so it’s back to the salt mines here in Cambridge. Never knew that! 🙂 |
||
| 31 | HEYDAY | Period of vigour brings heady changes before the end of May (6) |
| (HEADY)* + [Ma]Y [* = changes] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SIDEREAL | Team not made up of stars (8) |
| SIDE (team) + REAL (not made up) Very neat clue. |
||
| 2 | BEEHIVES | Workers’ homes (8) |
| Cryptic definition And one of my first ones in. |
||
| 3 | EVER | It’s always in reverse (4) |
| Hidden solution [in]: reverse | ||
| 5 | REMINISCENCE | Recollection of events in crime scene reconstruction (12) |
| (IN CRIME SCENE)* [* = reconstruction] | ||
| 6 | OWED | Outstanding poem that’s recited (4) |
| Homophone [that’s recited] of ODE (poem) | ||
| 7 | ELICIT | To draw out English capital is OK in law (6) |
| E[nglish] + LICIT (OK in law) | ||
| 8 | SPONGE | Clean up and ask for money (6) |
| Double definition Ask for money and probably not giving it back. |
||
| 11 | PUT ONE’S OAR IN | Interfere and start a row (3,4,3,2) |
| Double / Cryptic definition | ||
| 15 | AFTER | Post back with little hesitation (5) |
| AFT (back) + ER (little hesitation) | ||
| 16 | SNEAK | He gives things away – but is not admired for it (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 18 | HIGH WIND | A disturbance that will blow over? (4,4) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 19 | INDUSTRY | Manufacturing requires hard work (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | CRISIS | In an emergency is repeatedly after credit (6) |
| CR (credit) + IS,IS | ||
| 22 | NO BALL | Extra cost of overstepping the mark in play (2,4) |
| Cryptic definition? A question mark because I am not sure how cryptic this is. I am not a cricketer, see. |
||
| 26 | EDAM | A slice of red Amsterdam cheese (4) |
| Hidden solution [a slice of]: red Amsterdam | ||
| 27 | IDLE | Lazy, appearing backward in fielding (4) |
| Hidden solution [appearing in]: fielding, then reversed [backward] | ||
*anagram
Thanks Dante & Sil.
I do not fully understand 4 across. A prioress may have some responsibility in a religious order but what is the significance of “in retirement”?
The usual succinct clueing by Dante — I took ages to appreciate the meaning of “recited” in 6 down.
psmith @1 PRIORESS
Dictionaries have ‘seclusion’ or ‘secluded place’ as possible meanings of retirement. Like a priory?
Thanks Dante and Sil.
Mike
Thanks Mike.
So, the two of you sorted it out then.
My thoughts, too.
That said, it’s not one of Dante’s very best cryptic definitions, is it?
Thanks Dante and Sil
Still took the same sort of time as usual although the three final cryptic definitions – that PRIORESS, DECELERATION and SNEAK took as much time as the rest of the puzzle.
Didn’t feel like I was as close to his wavelength as what I’d normally be. I did think that DIESEL was quite clever when I finally unravelled his crypticness !