Monday Prize Crossword / Nov 27, 2017
Dante is back with a typical Dante crossword.
One, though, that was somewhat underwhelming for me.
A handful of ‘question marks’ that spoiled the fun.
Better next time!
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | THIEVE | Article about that is very appropriate (6) |
| THE (article) around {IE (that is, id est) + V (very)} | ||
| 4 | HALLOWED | Public building due to be consecrated (8) |
| HALL (public building) + OWED (due) | ||
| 9 | REPENT | Regret past evil or heartless present, perhaps (6) |
| (PRE[s]ENT)* [* = perhaps] | ||
| 10 | BROTHERS | Relatives who join a religious order (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | EGOMANIA | This can provide an image that includes love – for oneself? (8) |
| After taking an anagram ‘this [the answer] can provide’ AN IMAGE around O (love) ‘Love’ doing double duty here. The more love the better, though! |
||
| 13 | CHUKKA | Time for some horse-play? (6) |
| Cryptic definition A ‘chukka’ is one of six divisions in which a polo match is divided. Not that I was aware of it – I am just relying on Mrs Chambers. |
||
| 15 | OVID | Classical author I’d nothing against at first (4) |
| I’D preceded by {O (nothing) + V (against, versus)} | ||
| 16 | CHANCELLOR | Fortune, pounds, gold – all go into his purse (10) |
| CHANCE (fortune) + L,L (pounds) + OR (gold) | ||
| 19 | CHESS MATCH | The mating game (5,5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 20 | PROP | Support pair going to work (4) |
| PR (pair, abbreviated) + OP (work, opus (also abbreviated)) | ||
| 23 | ANDEAN | Dan and Ena ramble about S. American mountain range (6) |
| (DAN + ENA)* [* = ramble] | ||
| 25 | BONHOMIE | In boom he reacts with exuberant friendliness (8) |
| (IN BOOM HE)* [* = reacts] | ||
| 27 | TALK OVER | Assume control and show one around (4,4) |
| Double definition …. …. I guess. One of my last three in. Has to be this, doesn’t it? Though ‘assume control’ points in the direction of TAKE OVER. And the second part of the clue? Don’t ask me. |
||
| 28 | CRAYON | Examine a name written in coloured pencil (6) |
| CON (examine) around RAY (a name) Another of my ‘last three in’ as I was reluctant to equate ‘examine’ and ‘con’. |
||
| 29 | CRITERIA | One involved with erratic standards (8) |
| (I (one) + ERRATIC)* [* = involved] | ||
| 30 | REARED | Are in debt, but managed to bring up the children (6) |
| ARE is clearly in the RED (in debt) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TORPEDO | Naval weapon or depot at sea (7) |
| (OR DEPOT)* [* = at sea] | ||
| 2 | IMPROVISE | One’s seen in better make up (9) |
| I’S (one’s) inside IMPROVE (better) | ||
| 3 | VANDAL | Old German destroyer still active today (6) |
| Double / Cryptic definition Blame it on the Germans! |
||
| 5 | ACRE | Port area (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | LATCHKEY | They lack co-ordination, these problem children (8) |
| (THEY LACK)* [* = co-ordination] The definition is not really perfect but it’s clear what Dante wants us to see. |
||
| 7 | WRECK | In the main, it’s a disaster (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 8 | DESPAIR | The padre is sunk in gloom (7) |
| (PADRE IS)* [* = sunk] Some might question the anagram indicator but for me it’s more ‘the’ that bothers me. |
||
| 11 | BIGHEAD | Conceited boss? (7) |
| A boss is a ‘big head’ and a ‘bighead’ is a conceited person. | ||
| 14 | KNOCK ON | Such an effect goes further in Rugby infringement (5,2) |
| Double definition I think the answer should be hyphenated. |
||
| 17 | LORD MAYOR | In speech, commend senior citizen (4,5) |
| I assume it’s meant to be a homophone [in speech] of LAUD (commend) + MAJOR (senior) …. …. but, in my opinion, it’s not. And if you take ‘senior citizen’ to describe ‘mayor’, then there’s actually no separate definition. |
||
| 18 | ESCALOPE | Get out, and look inside, a dish of meat (8) |
| ESCAPE (get out) with LO (look) inside | ||
| 19 | CHAOTIC | Being confused, it is sent up in the wrong coach (7) |
| Reversal [sent up] of IT inside (COACH)* [* = wrong] | ||
| 21 | PREENED | Put down in the correct order (7) |
| Cryptic definition The last of my ‘last three in’, my last one in, actually. My Guardian solving partner helped me out here. On reflection, a very good cd. |
||
| 22 | CHARGE | What it costs to service batteries (6) |
| Double definition Or is it triple? |
||
| 24 | DELHI | I held wrong capital (5) |
| (I HELD)* [* = wrong] | ||
| 26 | SEMI | Half a suburban home (4) |
| Double definition | ||
*anagram
I felt much the same as you about this crossword, Sil.
Quite honestly, there were too many minor irritations.
LORD MAYOR and Homophone Clues
After all the feedback in blogs, why don’t compilers
now use ‘In speech for some’ or similar?
I felt sorry for the LATCHKEY KIDS. Problem children?
I thought they were the ones who faced the problem!
TALK OVER
I also thought that 27ac was a clue for TAKE OVER.
I had the same reservations as you.
In trying to parse 27a I read the first part as in a conversation when one party is talking and the other interrupts and talks over he is taking control. In the second where, for example, a solicitor is discussing a contract he is discussing it with you and so showing you around. Rather feeble, I admit.
Thanks Dante and Sil
Took more than double my normal time to solve this one – I think in part to some pretty tenuous clues as has been mentioned.
LORD MAYOR was one of those whilst I was comfortable with the homophone for ‘laud’, I struggled to see the secon half for ages – ended up going with MAYOR being the Spanish word for higher or senior, which is a stretch for sure. Not quite sure how your major turns into mayor. Similarly, it took an age for the penny to drop that he was referring to the CHANCELLOR of the Exchequer in 16. The TALK OVER double definition was not easy as well – initially had TAKE OVER which I still think is better.
The last couple in for me were CHUKKA (a good cryptic definition) and LATCHKEY children which was a new term.