Monday Prize Crossword on 21 June 2010
Another painless way to start the week, solving smooth clues and enjoying slick surfaces
ACROSS
1 VIVACE V (Roman numeral for 5) IV (ditto for 4) ACE (winner, like an unreturnable serve in tennis) musical term for in a lively manner
4 EVOLVING (R) evolving = going round
9 TAGGED *(gadget)
10 COLANDER *(near-cold)
12 COLESLAW Ins of LES (French definite article) in CO (company or firm) + LAW (rule)
13 DYNAST D (first letter of despot) + *(NASTY)
15 NINE ha but what a lovely surface … could almost see the cleavage 🙂
16 VIETNAMESE *(navies meet)
19 VIEWFINDER Tichy way of describing market researcher
20 VOID (A) VOID, go round
23 NAVIES Ins of A VIE (struggle) in N S (Northern and Southern)
25 VENERATE *(rate even)
27 SWINDLES *(wildness)
28 VISITS V (another time the Roman numeral for 5 is used) ins of SIT (take a seat) in IS
29 NOSTRILS A very hairy cd
30 VENEER cd
DOWN
1 VATICAN VAT (Value added tax) I (one) CAN
2 VIGILANCE cd
3 CREASE Ins of RE (about) in CASE
5 VIOL Sounds like VILE (appalling))
6 LEAP YEAR cd
7 INDIA *(aid in)
8 GAROTTE *(great to)
11 VARIANT VA (Virginia) + *(train)
14 STEERED Ins of RE (half of REIN) in STEED (horse)
17 EVOCATIVE E (note) VOCATIVE (case)
18 OFFENDER Ins of END (outcome) in OFFER (proposal)
19 VENISON *(in ovens) … a delicious annie clue
21 DRESSER dd
22 VENICE VERY NICE minus RY (miniature railway)
24 VEINS cd
26 VEIL *(live)
Key to abbreviations
dd = double definition
dud = duplicate definition
tichy = tongue-in-cheek type
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
ha = hidden answer
*(fodder) = anagram
Thanks, Uncle Yap, for your fine blog.
Dante was apparently in a V mood : 7 of the Across solutions and 8 of the Down ones start with that letter!
I got stuck in the SW corner because of 27c [thought it had to be an anagram of ‘dealings’ (could have been with the crossing letters)].
Indeed, 15ac (NINE) is marvellous.
And although, just like recently in a Rufus, some people may find that 26d (VEIL) is a contender for the Easiest Anagram Ever, I thought this one was brilliant in all its simplicity!