Monday Prize Crossword / Oct 16, 2017
Standard Dante fare, nothing to be afraid of.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | LOW-KEY | Undramatic explanation of depression (3-3) |
| LOW (depression) + KEY (explanation, as on maps etc) | ||
| 4 | PUNISHED | Penalised by being pushed around in the wrong way (8) |
| PUSHED around reversal [the wrong way] of IN | ||
| 9 | ORGIES | Rise and go out for drunken binges (6) |
| (RISE + GO)* [* = out] | ||
| 10 | SINISTER | Left with the threat of evil (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 11 | ORNATE | Elaborate point to hold forth about (6) |
| ORATE (to hold forth) around N (point, North) | ||
| 12 | BESTRIDE | Sit a certain way for the ideal journey? (8) |
| BEST (ideal) + RIDE (journey) | ||
| 13 | MAD | Mother comes back in a frenzy (3) |
| Reversal [comes back] of DAM (mother) | ||
| 14 | ERRORS | Fears loss of an opener to slips (6) |
| TERRORS (fears) minus its opening letter T | ||
| 17 | STARTER | Track official whose report is eagerly awaited (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 21 | SEND UP | First start, then finish in ridicule (4,2) |
| S[tart] + END UP (finish) Nice surface but ‘first start’ for S doesn’t work in my world of crosswords. Dante’s done it before, others have done it too, still I don’t like it at all. |
||
| 25 | AGO | An attempt to get past (3) |
| A GO (an attempt) | ||
| 26 | KNOTHOLE | Evidence that the deal is not perfect (8) |
| Cryptic definition ‘Deal’ being wood here. |
||
| 27 | DORMER | Architectural highlight (6) |
| Cryptic definition A ‘dormer’ is a window projecting from a sloping roof, which explains all three parts (archtectural / high / light). |
||
| 28 | VALENCIA | Farewell to an Inca ruin in foreign port (8) |
| VALE (farewell) + (INCA)* [* = ruin] I do not understand why Dante uses ‘an’ in this clue. It stands in the way of the construction and the surface doesn’t need it. |
||
| 29 | IMPAIR | Diminish value of child-bearing (6) |
| IMP (child) + AIR (bearing) I think ‘imp’ is a bit more than just a child. |
||
| 30 | DATE-LINE | One may lose a whole day going over it (4-4) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 31 | ADVERB | It tells how to break bread with a number inside (6) |
| (BREAD)* around V (a number, 5) [* = to break] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | LOOK-OVER | Appear to be in charge and make an inspection (4-4) |
| LOOK OVER (appear to be in charge) | ||
| 2 | WAGONERS | They remove the dead in battles (8) |
| GONE (dead) inside WARS (battles) ‘the’? Just about. The clue as a whole should be seen as a possible definition. |
||
| 3 | ELECTORS | Having a choice makes them cross (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 5 | UNITED | A French diet mixed together (6) |
| UN (a, in French) + (DIET)* [* = mixed] | ||
| 6 | IDIOTS | Fools do, and it is silly (6) |
| (DO + IT IS)* [* = silly] Nice clue. |
||
| 7 | HATPIN | It secures a superior item for ladies (6) |
| Cryptic definition The kind of cryptic definition that leaves me cold. |
||
| 8 | DARNED | Patched up and blooming (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | BARRAGE | Line of defence resulting from counsel’s anger (7) |
| BAR (counsel) + RAGE (anger) | ||
| 15 | STY | Don’t go without a pen (3) |
| STAY (don’t go) minus A | ||
| 16 | YES | No alternative (3) |
| Cryptic definition The kind of cryptic definition that warms me up. |
||
| 18 | REFORMED | Changed class in a rush (8) |
| FORM (class) inside REED (rush) | ||
| 19 | ADAM’S ALE | The first man with a market for water (5,3) |
| ADAM (the first man) + SALE (a market) | ||
| 20 | SPARE RIB | Did it make Eve provide some pork? (5,3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 22 | SKIVED | Played truant from desk, perhaps, about four (6) |
| (DESK)* around IV (four) [* = perhaps] | ||
| 23 | JOB LOT | Odd assortment of Biblical characters (3,3) |
| JOB (Biblical character) + LOT (and another one) | ||
| 24 | PHENOL | No help as a disinfectant? It could be (6) |
| (NO HELP)* [* = could be] | ||
| 25 | ALBION | Midland footballers out on bail? (6) |
| (ON BAIL)* [* = out] West Bromwich Albion, I presume. |
||
*anagram
I hadn’t noticed before that you are a blogger for the FT, Sil. If this is a new venture, congratulations. I normally only do the Guardian cryptics.
But after a bit of browsing I can see that your work goes back until at least 7/2017. Best wishes.
Well, Martin, whoever you are, by FT blogging history (only once a week) goes back to 2011.
I’ve counted about 360 blogs thus far.
Thanks Dante and Sil
A typical puzzle from Dante that was not nearly as enjoyable as the one he produced for the Tuesday slot this week. There were a few clues that left me scratching my head for the definition – SKIVED (thought that it meant more not doing any work when one was there, rather than not being there), your HATPIN, ALBION (dunno whether the West Bromich team is generally known as that in the UK – there did seem to be a lot of other ALBION teams around the place when I looked it up) to name a few.
WAGONERS was going to be in that list until I saw the other wordplay and thought – ‘nice’ !!
Had entered STEWARD initially at 17 and thought ‘weakish’ and finally got STARTERS and thought ‘much better!’ Have seen JOB LOT a number of times previously clued this way but struggled to get it this time and it was my last in.