A plain Azed puzzle for us this time
This was a fairly standard Azed puzzle with precise cluing. The format of the clues is rarely different from those you find in a national broadsheet daily puzzle but they always look more intimidating in an Azed puzzle because of the more obscure vocabulary used in the clues and in the grid.
I thought this was one of Azed’s more gentle offerings, but whenever I say that about a puzzle there’s usually someone who disagrees. I thought GHOST at 3 down was particularly easy but it gave a number of crossing letters quickly.
One slightly unusual clue was the one for TROW at 11 across where there were two distinct definitions as well as wordplay.
It’s not often you get two entries in a crossword beginning PS – PSOCID and PSORIC
I don’t know whether it is coincidence but all the two letters forming the middle two columns are either words or abbreviations in Chambers – TA, OS, NT, IO, EO, SP, SP, IS, SO, TR, RI and AC. In fact you can go further and find three letter words or abbreviations in either columns 6,7 and 8 or 5, 6 and 7 – TAR, COS, ANT, RIO, LEO, ESP, TSP, HIS, SON, TRI, ERI and RAC. There are a few four letter words across bars near the middle as well – STAR, COSS, WANT, TRIO, LEOS, ,SPIN, CHIS, , , and RACE. Yes, the bottom row has a 5 letter word – TRACE. It’s probably all just curiosity rather than intent.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
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1
|
Top of the bill at Carnegie Hall? (Margate’s quite wrong!) (8)
|
Anagram of (quite wrong) MARGATE’S MEGASTAR* |
MEGASTAR (Carnegie Hall is a prime venue in New York where the MEGASTAR‘s all want to perform)
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7
|
With introduction of rule, parent becomes terrifying no longer (4)
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DAD (parent) containing (with introduction of) R (rule) D (R) AD |
DRAD (Spenserian [old poetic; no longer] word for DREAD [terrifying])
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10
|
CEO’s getting frisky – monkeys with English country dance (9)
|
Anagram of (getting frisky) CEO’S + SAIS (capuchin monkeys) + E (English) ECOS* SAIS E |
ÉCOSSAISE (lively country dance or its music in 2-4 time) |
| 11 | Orcadian dwarf in boat rowing … one such (4) |
TROW (hidden word in [in] BOAT ROWING) TROW |
TROW (a form of troll [evil tempered ugly dwarf] referenced in Orkney and Shetland) TROW is also any of various small boats or barges, usually flat-bottomed, so one such rowing boat Two definitions |
|
12
|
Prepare for exam and face success (5, 2 words)
|
MUG (face) + UP (success) MUG UP |
MUG UP (revise; prepare for an exam)
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13
|
E,g, O. Peterson directed this old player (7)
|
Oscar Peterson often played / directed with HIS TRIO, the members of whom, other than Oscar, changed frequently HISTRIO |
HISTRIO (archaic [old] word for actor [player])
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16
|
Taste eel? No, oddly like bony fish (10)
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Anagram of (oddly) TASTE EEL NO TELEOSTEAN* |
TELEOSTEAN (like bony fish)
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17
|
One who triumphed in New World parliament (6)
|
CORTES (reference Hernán CORTÉS, a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under Spanish rule; one who triumphed in the New World) CORTES |
CORTES (reference CORTES Generales, bicameral parliament of Spain) double definition
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19
|
Page like this is set before those investigating e.g. booklouse (6)
|
P (page) + SO (like this) + CID (Criminal Investigation Department; those investigating) P SO CID |
PSOCID (tiny winged or wingless insects, eg booklice)
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20
|
Paired cymbals creating a bit of laughter in chart-toppers (6)
|
HA (bit of laughter, i.e a bit of HA-HA [laughter]) contained in (in) HITS (chart toppers) HI (HA) TS |
HIHATS (pairs of cymbals on a stand, the upper one operated by a pedal so as to strike the lower one; variant spelling of HIGH HATS)
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22
|
Where notice ‘as been posted giving chocolate ingredient? (6)
|
Where the notice ‘as been posted is evidenced by a PIN ‘OLE [pin hole]) PINOLE |
PINOLE (mixture of vanilla and aromatic substances in chocolate)
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23
|
An old dog I spot – it’s seen in larder often (10, 2 words)
|
A (an) + RACH (dog that hunts by scent) + I + SOIL (spot or stain) A RACH I S OIL |
ARACHIS OIL (peanut oil; as peanut oil it may be a common item in a larder, named ARACHIS OIL it may not be so common)
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26
|
Boy marries? It may have meant holy obligations (7)
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SON (boy) + TIES (marries) SON TIES |
SONTIES (word used in an oath in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice (II.2.43) perhaps meaning sanctities; it may have meant holy obligations)
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28
|
Sabbath leave? Nonsense (5)
|
S (Sabbath) + QUIT (leave) S QUIT |
SQUIT (nonsense)
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29
|
Part of old Japanese get-up worn in wraps swept back (4)
|
INRO (hidden word [wraps] reversed [swept back] in WORN IN) INRO< |
INRO (small Japanese container for pills and medicines, once part of traditional Japanese dress; part of old Japanese get-up)
|
| 30 | Part of German history is involved with armies led by king (9) |
K (king) + an anagram of (involved with) ARMIES and IS K AISERISM* |
KAISERISM (relating to the life and times of a Kaiser; part of German history) |
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31
|
Contraction among Scots total Oxford expelled (4)
|
AMOUNT (total) excluding (expelled) OU (Oxford University) AMN’T |
AMN’T (Scots contraction of AM NOT)
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32
|
Mad career taking in starter’s signal? One witnesses that (8)
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Anagram of (mad) CAREER containing (taking in) GO (a signal to start) RACE (GO) ER* |
RACEGOER (one who witnesses the start [and all of] of horse races)
|
| Down | |||
|
1
|
Rhythm bashed out with right hand? You shouldn’t trust it (4)
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Anagram of (bashed) RHYTHM excluding (out with) RH (right hand) MYTH* |
MYTH (commonly-held belief that is untrue, or without foundation; something you shouldn’t trust)
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2
|
Contemporary desk producing rigorous observation on love in Ireland (9)
|
(CRIT [rigorous judgment or observation] + O [zero; love score in tennis]) contained in (in) EIRE (Ireland) E (CRIT O) IRE |
ÉCRITOIRE (modern [contemporary] form of ESCRITOIRE [writing desk])
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3
|
Grand army spirit (5)
|
G (grand) + HOST (army) G HOST |
GHOST (spirit)
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4
|
Rococo altar chest, one of many in the Vatican (10, 2 words)
|
Anagram of (rococo) ALTAR CHEST SCARLET HAT* |
SCARLET HAT (Cardinals, of there are many in the Vatican, wear SCARLET HATs)
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5
|
Theatre awards, acceptable within limits (6)
|
ON (acceptable) contained in (within) TIES (limit) T (ON) IES |
TONIES (The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more
|
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6
|
The old bent over regarding work (6) |
AS TO (regarding) + OP (opus; work) AS TO OP |
ASTOOP (archaic [old] word for ‘bent over’)
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7
|
Fellow receiving relative, Scottish cow? (7)
|
DON (fellow of a college or university) containing (receiving) AUNT (relative) D (AUNT) ON |
DAUNTON (Scottish word meaning to subdue or cow)
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8
|
Capital piece of origami (4)
|
RIGA (hidden word in [piece of] ORIGAMI) RIGA |
RIGA (Capital city of Latvia)
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9
|
Hinged front of desk writer’s standing above, in fact (8)
|
(PEN [writer] + D [first letter of {front of} DESK) contained in (in) DEED (fact) As this is a down entry, the letters in PEN stand above the D of Desk DE (PEN D) ED |
DEPENDED (relied; hinged)
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12
|
Writings I penned I noise abroad, to spread the word? (10)
|
(I contained in [penned] MSS [manuscripts]) + I + an anagram of (abroad) NOISE M (I) SS I ONISE* |
MISSIONISE (spread the word)
|
| 14 | Runny miel’s spread around – it results in various recipients getting the same (9) |
MARGE (margarine; spread) containing (around) an anagram of (runny) MIEL MA (ILME*) RGE |
MAILMERGE (computer program producing of a series of letters addressed to individuals by merging a file of names with a file containing the text of the letter resulting in various recipients getting a personalised version of the same letter) |
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15
|
Men gripped by rhythmical music – lancers put it on (8)
|
CHAPS (men) contained in (gripped by) SKA (form of Jamaican music similar to reggae; rhythmical music) S (CHAPS) KA |
SCHAPSKA (military cap of a shape adapted from the traditional Polish peasant cap, worn by lancer regiments)
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18
|
Like splotchy art? This chap’s is received in display of discretion (7)
|
HIS (this chap’s) contained in (is received in) TACT (display of discretion) TAC (HIS) T |
TACHIST (descriptive of a mid-20c movement in abstract painting characterized by irregular splotches and dabs of colour apparently applied at random for dramatic or emotional effect rather than to represent or express)
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21
|
You’d find Isis traditionally providing setting for these (6)
|
SISTRA (hidden word in [providing setting for] ISIS TRADITIONALLY) SISTRA |
SISTRA (ancient Egyptian wire rattles used in Isis-worship)
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22
|
It’s describing what you should do about spore clusters, itchy (6) |
PC (political correctness; describing what you should do to avoid upsetting anyone – completely impossible these days ) containing (about) SORI (clusters of sporangia or soredia) P (SORI) C |
PSORIC (itchy)
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24
|
Latin above entrance in kirk? It could be (5)
|
L (Latin) + INGO (Scottish word for entry; kirk is a Scottish word for church) L INGO |
LINGO (language, e.g. Latin)
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25
|
One in five have optical fault missing peripheral characters (4)
|
SQUINT (muscular defect of the eye, preventing parallel vision) excluding (missing) the outer letters (peripheral characters) S and T QUIN |
QUIN (one of five)
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27
|
Turned well before middle of turn (4)
|
SO (well) + UR (central letters of [middle of] TURN) SO UR |
SOUR (gone off; turned)
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Yes, at the gentler end of AZED’s spectrum I think. Good double definition clue for CORTES
Is ÉCRITOIRE in Chambers now? I can only find it in French dictionaries online.
sidey @2
Yes, it’s in Chambers (and Collins).
Thank you Gaufrid, I must get my eyes checked as I missed it in both. I wonder why that spelling has come in.