Azed 2764

11 comments on “Azed 2764”

1. 24 Ac: I don’t think ‘blue ribbon’ on its own is allowable as a definition for the race itself. My take on the clue was ‘blue ribbon’ = distinction and ‘tinct’ is incorporated in it. I thought that was unfair because it’s really a clue to a clue.

   I note that The Clue Clinic has a third interpretation but that also is not entirely satisfactory.

   Stefan

2. Thanks for the blog , I am simply astonished by 4D , I was hoping to find out today that I was wrong and there was some other answer . What is Azed playing at ? So many alternatives . Why did the Observer allow this ? Someone should be sacked .

   As mentioned , TINCT is not a good clue and I do not think that TWEED works , TED means spread out to dry , there is no inclusion indicator for WE .

3. Re Roz @2, I think ‘spread out’ is the inclusion indicator at 6d. It makes the word longer. Agree about 4d. Overall, straightforward, and thanks to AZED and to Andrew.

4. Nonafi @3 , I do not know what Chambers 2016 says but TED means spread out to dry , it does not mean to dry , I have used a tedder many times . Spread out is being used twice .

5. I failed to get 4dn. It was not part of my vocabulary growing up and I’d forgotten the word. I tried SPAT and SPAR, but the definitions didn’t fit.

6. Yes, I thought SPAT or SPAR for 4d were sort of possible from the wordplay. Astonished to find it was Zaps reversed- a cruel word from 1970s school playground usage, thankfully I’ve not heard for a very long time (and very distasteful for someone with a disabled relative).

7. Re TINCT: blue ribbon is the badge of the teetotal Blue Ribbon Army (founded in America in 1878), so I assumed the TT was in reference to that (not a direct definition, but perhaps less tortuous than the Isle of Man one). Agree about 4dn. I was surprised by staggering/staggered in two consecutive clues, especially as both could have had different definitions; TAVERT usually means muddled or bewildered, rather than staggered. I also thought “Controlled intake” was an odd definition for DIET SHEET – a diet is controlled intake, but a diet sheet is a list of permitted foods – related, obviously, but maybe not quite the same. TESTATE – my Chambers (’98) only gives this as an adjective, but I guess the more recent edition allows it as a noun.

8. Anyone who doubts that ‘blue ribbon’ in 24a refers to the temperance movement should check the slip for Azed 2,642:

   “A few were puzzled by my clue to STORIETTE (‘Novella that is distinguished by blue ribbon in shop’). Explanation may be found at blue ribbon under blue in Chambers, which refers to the American Blue Ribbon Army. I confess that this was new to me before I found it in Bradford at the entry for Teetotal(ler).”

9. Hello, DrC.

   We shall need someone with the 2016 Chambers. My 2006 allows ‘blue-ribbon’, hyphenated note, as adjectival only in relation to ‘very high distinction’. Azed does not give us the hyphen. The blue ribbon is defined as a ‘badge’. How on earth do you solve a crossword clue to get tinct out of badge?

   I think the only possible solution is to take the tinct out of either distinction or distinctive, in both of which cases I believe Azed is giving us only a clue to a clue and he needs a good smack.

   Stefan

10. I am not Azed’s apologist, I am just saying that if you look up ‘Teetotal(ler)’ in Bradford’s Crossword Solver’s Dictionary you will find – along with Abdar, Nephalist and Rechabite – both ‘TT’ and ‘Blue Ribbon’ (Mrs B did Everything in Capitals). Hence Azed’s ‘blue ribbon?’ for TT in 24a.

11. Thanks DrC, you make a lot of sense. 🙂

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