Monday Prize Crossword / Dec 12, 2016
Nothing too tricky in this Dante puzzle.
Two weeks ago we had no cryptic definitions but this time we had.
Not that many though.
For your information: because of being outside the UK for a couple of weeks I am not able to respond to any comments.
By the way, for the same reason, I cannot properly comment on Rosa Klebb’s Saturday prize either, blogged about simultaneously with this Dante.
But wow, that puzzle was surely not Arachne Lite. Tremendous crossword, one that deserves a lot of praise!
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BUNKER | Underground shelter for trapped clubmen (6) |
| Double / Cryptic definition | ||
| 4 | MARBELLA | Spoil beautiful Italian holiday resort (8) |
| MAR (spoil) + BELLA (beautiful, in Italian) Marbella is actually in the south of Spain, the Costa del Sol. |
||
| 9 | NECTAR | Drink specially made for the Olympics (6) |
| A definition with a cryptic extension Olympics as the ones that kept an eye on Greece from Mount Olympus. |
||
| 10 | CYCLONES | Rides round on whirlwinds (8) |
| CYCLES (rides) around ON | ||
| 12 | ROTA | List of Biblical books held by academy (4) |
| OT (Biblical books) inside RA (academy, i.e. Royal Academy) | ||
| 13 | KARMA | Sounding more relaxed with one’s destiny (5) |
| Homophone [sounding] of CALMER (more relaxed) | ||
| 14 | BOSS | An outstanding manager (4) |
| Double / Cryptic definition Apart from being a manager, BOSS can also mean “A knob, stud, or other circular rounded protuberance, esp an ornamental one on a vault, a ceiling, or a shield”, as Collins tells me. |
||
| 17 | PRESENTATION | Nearest point at sea for the launch (12) |
| (NEAREST POINT)* [* = at sea] | ||
| 20 | MARRY IN HASTE | It’s said to be one way to ensure a good stretch of repentance (5,2,5) |
| Marry in haste and repent at leisure | ||
| 23 | LULL | Quiet university, three students seen around (4) |
| U (university) with L,L,L (students, three of them) around it | ||
| 24 | KNEAD | Require sound massage (5) |
| Homophone [sound] of NEED (require) | ||
| 25 | BASE | Mean to be bottom (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | ROSEMARY | She makes me turn in a string of beads (8) |
| Reversal [makes … turn] of ME inside ROSARY (a string of beads) | ||
| 29 | OUTFIT | Not in suitable attire (6) |
| OUT (not in) + FIT (suitable) | ||
| 30 | SIDE-ARMS | Weapons carried personally by team members (4-4) |
| SIDE (team) + ARMS (members) | ||
| 31 | AROUND | Approximately three minutes in the ring (6) |
| A ROUND (three minutes in the ring, the boxing ring) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BANKRUPT | He suffers from a lack of balance (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 2 | NICETIES | Insect that is dissected gives precise details (8) |
| (INSECT + IE (that is))* [* = dissected] | ||
| 3 | ESAU | Jacob supplanted him in the wages audit (4) |
| Hidden solution [in]: the wages audit For more: see The Bible. |
||
| 5 | ASYMMETRICAL | Not even a gymnast would use such bars (12) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 6 | BELT | Clip round the ear – or waist (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | LONDON | Pound added by university fellow to the capital (6) |
| L (pound, £) + ON (added) + DON (university fellow) | ||
| 8 | ASSIST | A fool it’s silly to help (6) |
| ASS (a fool) + (IT’S)* [* = silly] | ||
| 11 | BATTERING RAM | Gate-crasher? (9,3) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 15 | DEBAR | Exclude from French drinking place (5) |
| DE (from, in French) + BAR (drinking place) | ||
| 16 | MOCHA | Instant tea or coffee (5) |
| MO (instant, a short time) + CHA (tea) | ||
| 18 | ASIAN FLU | Gold in finals’ round? Quite the opposite, producing serious complaint (5,3) |
| (FINALS)* inside AU (gold), instead of the other way round [* = round] | ||
| 19 | DEFEATED | Beaten by an heroic exploit in action (8) |
| FEAT (heroic exploit) inside DEED (action) | ||
| 21 | ALARMS | Intimidates the French, surrounded by weapons (6) |
| LA (the, in French) inside ARMS (weapons) | ||
| 22 | CLOSED | Having clinched the deal shut up! (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 26 | EMMA | Some of them may be featured in Austen novel (4) |
| Hidden solution [some of]: them may | ||
| 27 | BURR | A natural hanger-on, in a manner of speaking (4) |
| Double definition | ||
*anagram
Thanks Dante and Sil
Not too many cryptic definitions … and they were all excellent, I thought. In fact, BUNKER was my last one in taking an absolute age to equate ‘clubmen’ to golfers – quite brilliant.
MARBELLA was my first in despite having never heard of the place – but obvious from the word play – then a quick follow up on Wiki.
No other real hold ups or issues in what was quite an enjoyable solve.