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Classic Rufus, lots of cryptic defnitions! There were a couple of tough ones in here for me, exposing my lack of knowledge of literature and opera.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 9 | ACTON BELL — ACT ON BELL — I’m not familiar with the Bronte’s despite having visited their house in Haworth. |
| 11 | SEEPAGE — SEE+PAGE |
| 12 | OPULENT — OPU(s)+LENT |
| 13 | DUKES — double def. — DUKES is slang for fists. |
| 16 | A DROP IN THE OCEAN — cryptic def. — the best of the CDs. |
| 22 | ALPHA — cryptic def? — not sure about this one, “A classical type (5)”. |
| 23 | FORSAKE — FOR+SAKE — SAKE is a Japanese alcoholic drink. |
| 24 | MACAW — M+A+CAW — a disturbing image! |
| 25 | CEASE FIRE — (FIERCE SEA)* — a semi-&lit. |
| Down | |
| 4 | HERE — HER+E(aster) — first non-CD of the down clues. |
| 5 | ALTOGETHER — double def. |
| 6 | INNUENDO — (ENNUI NOD)* — lovely anagram. |
| 7 | FRIEND — FRI(day)+END |
| 14 | CONSPIRACY — CONS+PIRACY |
| 17 | PIPE DOWN — double def? — not sure whether this is a cryptic definition or a weak double definition. Either way this one doesn’t work for me. |
| 18 | EMPHASIS — (PIES+MASH)* — nice anagram with a misleading definition, I initially looked at ????SHIP! |
| 22 | MIMI — MI+MI — I think this is right, a character from La Boheme and two notes but the online solution suggests MIMA is the answer. MIMA is an art gallery in Middlesborough. |
9ac I think Acton Bell was Anne Bronte’s pen name.
21ac Could the type be an ‘alpha male’?
22dn I think your MIMI must be correct. I can’t make two notes out of MIMA.
Thanks for the Acton Bell clarification.
Thinking about 21ac, it could be a double def. ‘Alpha type’ occurs in a few scientific disciplines and ‘A classical’ serves as a second definition.
Apologies for the awful typing of the original blog. I have just switched to using a MacBook and there’s a fair bit of understeer on the keyboard!
Definitely tougher than average Rufus, with some enjoyable CDs. I think Diagacht is right about Alpha Male, but I couldn’t see the reasoning behind PIPE DOWN or 22ac MEANDER – I guess the latter refers to a stream meandering in its bed.
PS What’s this online solution, Colin – is that one you have to pay for? It certainly seems to be wrong about 22dn, which must be Mimi.
Reply to Mick H – Yes you do have to pay to receive the Guardian crossword on line (this goes for most newspapers in my experience).
With the crossword you also get access to the solutions and some general chat from the editor via email.
If you go to The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/and go to Crosswords you can log in from there
MEANDER is okay for me. Yes, ‘Keep turning in bed? (7)’ refers to a river/stream bed.
The online solution is part of the online crossword subscription service. For non-competition puzzles it allows you to check grid entries, and even cheat. The Guardian has, on at least occasion, left the cheat facility turned on for live competition puzzles!
Pipe down is the instruction on a ship (conveyed via piping) to go to bed and keep quiet. See e.g. http://www.englishdaily626.com/slang.php?092
It seems a decent cryptic def to me.
If that’s what PIPE DOWN means then the clue is no more than a straight definition, I don’t see anything cryptic in it at all.
I had assumed that one definition was ‘Keep quiet’ and the other ‘aboard ship’ was something to do with piping people aboard.
What’s the deal with 1 down? We’re confused.
1dn is a cryptic def. Adam and Eve RAISED CAIN (their son) to create a disturbance is to raise Cain is to create a disturbance.
Aaaaah, thanks. The Bible is not a strong point with us.
Pipe down is a double definition, I think. One dictionary quote for the phrase says “To receive aboard or mark the departure of by sounding a boatswain’s pipe.”
Is it agreed that I am the only one not to get 21d?
21d AGREED It’s A+GREED, greed is a form of one of the deadly sins aka avarice.
22ac: “A classical type” is a CD. The clue should be read as A: classical type – ALPHA is the Greek ( ie classical) letter A
Delta’oh!
lambda omicron lambda!
The innocent beginner can have brainwaves too. When I had Acton Bell, Dukes, and A drop in the ocean, I thought 1 down was MASKED BALL, not bad for ‘How Adam and Eve created a disturbance’, though perhaps a bit crude for Rufus. This blocked all other ideas on 1D till I read your solution. Thanks.