Monday Prize Crossword / Sep 4, 2017
Another accessible Falcon puzzle.
Not many cultural references this time.
Only the play at 16d (its answer) and the actor in 10ac (serving as anagram fodder).
However, once more a pangram – the third in a short time.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | MACABRE | Grim, the old lady about to grab taxi (7) |
| MA (the old lady) + RE (about), together around CAB (taxi) | ||
| 5 | JOBLESS | Undertaking linked to fewer being unemployed (7) |
| JOB (undertaking) + LESS (fewer) | ||
| 9 | DACHA | Duke having a tea in a country house (5) |
| D (duke) + A CHA (tea) | ||
| 10 | COSTUMIER | Outfitter Tom Cruise used (9) |
| (TOM CRUISE)* [* = used] | ||
| 11 | FRACTIOUS | Universal replacing number in small parts ready to quarrel (9) |
| FRACTIONS (small parts) with the N (number) replaced by U (uinversal) | ||
| 12 | PLEAT | Gather fuel round lake (5) |
| PEAT (fuel) around L (lake) | ||
| 13 | COME FULL CIRCLE | Return to the starting point with CO and detailed soldiers crowded round? (4,4,6) |
| CO + ME[n] (soldiers, shortened (‘detailed’)) + FULL (crowded) + CIRCLE (round) | ||
| 18 | REPRESENTATIVE | Typical traveller (14) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | SLANG | Colloquialisms in indigenous language (5) |
| Hidden answer [in]: indigenous language | ||
| 22 | QUADRILLE | Bad during first half of reel after square dance (9) |
| ILL (bad) inside RE[el], coming after QUAD (square) | ||
| 24 | SMOKE RING | Round after cure? Blow me! (5,4) |
| SMOKE (cure) + RING (round) Nice (kind of cryptic) definition! |
||
| 25 | BRASS | Money that is missing from old golf club (5) |
| BRASSIE (old golf club) minus I.E. (that is, id est) | ||
| 26 | AGAINST | Opposed to increases in a toll, initially (7) |
| GAINS (increases) inside A T[oll] | ||
| 27 | CONCEAL | Keep out of sight to study sound of sea creature (7) |
| CON (study) + homophone [sound of] SEAL (sea creature) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | MODIFY | Name of dog that has come over wearing my temper? (6) |
| Reversal [come over] of FIDO (name of dog) inside MY | ||
| 2 | COCK-A-HOOP | In very high spirits, a band supporting strutting leader (4-1- 4) |
| COCK (strutting leader) + A HOOP (band) | ||
| 3 | BLAST | Slate bishop after all others (5) |
| B (bishop) + LATE (after all others) | ||
| 4 | ENCLOSURE | Court in Colne? Not exactly certain (9) |
| (COLNE)* + SURE (certain) [* = not exactly] | ||
| 5 | JESUS | Kids spending time outside university college (5) |
| JESTS (kids, as a verb) minus T (time), then around U (university) One may perhaps wish to take ‘university’ as part of the definition but Falcon usually doesn’t do double duty. Cambridge or Oxford, take your pick. |
||
| 6 | BLUEPRINT | Down drink in pub around middle of afternoon – that’s the original plan (9) |
| BLUE (down) + PINT (drink in pub) around [afte]R[noon] | ||
| 7 | EXILE | One deported from former French island (5) |
| EX (former) + ILE (island, in French) | ||
| 8 | SPRITZER | After trips out, love endless white wine with soda (8) |
| (TRIPS)* + ZER[o] (love, nothing, minus the last letter) [* = out] | ||
| 14 | EVERGREEN | Holly, perhaps, constantly on putting area (9) |
| EVER (constantly) + GREEN (putting area) | ||
| 15 | LETHARGIC | The garlic could make one sluggish (9) |
| (THE GARLIC)* [* = could make (one)] | ||
| 16 | CAVALCADE | Sparkling wine, liberally laced in Coward play (9) |
| CAVA (sparkling wine) + (LACED)* [* = liberally] Noel Coward finished the play in 1931. In the autumn of the same year, it was premiered in London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. In 1933, Fox Film Corporation (USA) released an eponymous film based on Noel Coward’s work. |
||
| 17 | IRISH SEA | Girl – she drifted over a large stretch of water (5,3) |
| IRIS (girl) + (SHE)* + A [* = drifted] | ||
| 19 | WEASEL | Deceitful type may get women’s support (6) |
| W (women) + EASEL (support) | ||
| 21 | AROMA | Distinctive smell in area overlooking Italians’ capital? (5) |
| A (area) + ROMA (capital of Italy, in Italian) | ||
| 22 | QUILT | Bedspread left outside front of laundrette (5) |
| QUIT (left) around L[aundrette] | ||
| 23 | ROBIN | Steal from popular boy (5) |
| ROB (steal from) + IN (popular] | ||
*anagram
Thanks Falcon and Sil
Not terribly difficult but it was very enjoyable … and missed his third pangram in a row.
Had MARE as the derogatory term for an ‘old lady’ instead of what was meant as MA (old lady) and RE (about) – think my one nearly works.
Liked the Coward play and the clue for BRASS.
Finished in the NE corner with BLUEPRINT, JESUS and the clever FRACTIOUS as the last one in.