Monday Prize Crossword/Aug 8
In a day and age that not everyone seems to appreciate Dante, I can only say that I liked this crossword very much.
Despite the fact that Dante copied himself on one or two occasions (which was fair enough in 19d) , there were some really bright clues of which the very easy 20ac (PLEA) and 11d (CONTAIN) are for me perhaps the leaders of the pack. Once more many thanks, Dante!
Please be aware that I will not be able to respond to any comments in the next ten days or so. So, have a lot of fun together without me!
| Across | ||
| 1 | AGENDA | Woman gathers information for things to be done |
| GEN (information) inside ADA (woman) | ||
| 4 | AIRSTRIP | Side passage for those taking flight? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| This was my last entry in the NE corner of the puzzle (which gave me some trouble after I entered ‘preside’ at 8d). I am not fully confident about this. Neither about the crypticness of the definition nor about the answer itself. As ‘passage’ could be a definition for ‘trip’ I became even more confused … | ||
| 9 | TITIAN | It returned more than once to an old master |
| TI (‘it’ returns) + TI (and again!) + AN | ||
| 10 | ANYWHERE | New Year when there’s a situation of uncertainty |
| (YEAR WHEN)* | ||
| 12 | STALLION | Stop one on a horse |
| STALL (stop) + I (one) + ON | ||
| 13 | FREEZE | Be still shivering |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | SAIL | Pole to feel sick on voyage |
| S (pole (South)) + AIL (feel sick) | ||
| 16 | STALAGMITE | A prison-camp child growing up |
| STALAG (prison-camp) + MITE (child) | ||
| Not sure which dictionary gives ‘prison-camp’ with a hyphen, but a prison camp it was: STALAG . Though sounding a bit Siberian to me, the word originates from ‘Stamm Lager’ (base camp). And, btw, the definition is something that grows in the upward direction (as we all know, opposite to … indeed!). Maybe this clue needed a question mark? | ||
| 19 | PRECARIOUS | Not having a steady position as croupier, perhaps |
| (AS CROUPIER)* | ||
| I thought this was a very good anagram. | ||
| 20 | PLEA | Turn pale – guilty perhaps? |
| (PALE)* | ||
| And this one too. I mean, simple as it is, it is so effective. | ||
| 23 | TEMPTS | Appeals for casual worker, a good man, to return |
| TEMP (casual worker) + TS (reversal of ‘St’ (Saint, which is a good man) | ||
| 25 | DECLUTCH | How to pedal to coast |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 27 | LIMERICK | Rice cooked with milk and port |
| (RICE + MILK)* | ||
| I have a feeling I have seen a similar clue recently somewhere else, but nice it was. | ||
| 28 | SALAAM | Scholar regrettably rejected an Arab’s greeting |
| Reversal of {MA (scholar) ALAS (regrettably)} | ||
| 29 | AUCKLAND | Port reached with luck and a fortuitous break |
| (LUCK AND A)* | ||
| 30 | FRIEND | Supporter of half-day closing |
| FRI[day] + END (closing) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ARTISTS | Dire Straits are recording ones |
| (STRAITS)* | ||
| Well, not every artist has the opportunity to record, but Dire Straits surely had. I think this a great clue, but probably one that Dante used before in the 80s when Mark Knopfler cs had their Heyday. If not, I apologise. | ||
| 2 | EXTRADITE | Return to the country, the scene of the crime |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 3 | DEARLY | At high cost? Extremely |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | IONA | Early centre of missionaries |
| Hidden solution: [miss] IONA [ries] | ||
| The Scottish isle of IONA is the site of a monastery found by St Columba in 563 AD. One may call this an &Lit. | ||
| 6 | SEWERAGE | Refuse to allow a seamstress time |
| SEWER (a seamstress) + AGE (time) | ||
| 7 | REEVE | Concerning the first female mate of the ruff |
| RE (concerning) + EVE (the first female) | ||
| 8 | PRECEDE | Take the lead, but quietly drop back later |
| P (quietly) + RECEDE (drop back (later)) | ||
| This clue made the NE harder than it should have done as I initially had here ‘preside’. To ‘reside’ is a bit like dropping back and, indeed, later for most of us. | ||
| 11 | CONTAIN | Hold on, I can’t move! |
| (ON I CAN’T)* | ||
| Yep, this is another easy anagram, obvious too. But, blimey, this is a good clue!! | ||
| 14 | CLOUDED | One note noisy and two not clear |
| C (note) + LOUD (noisy) + E,D (two (more notes)) | ||
| 17 | ILL AT EASE | Delayed entering aisle, distressed, being nervous |
| LATE (delayed) inside (AISLE)* | ||
| 18 | PASTORAL | Poem completed but not written down |
| PAST (completed) + ORAL (not written) | ||
| I do not immediately connect the word PASTORAL with ‘poem’ but it is right according to the dictionaries. It is more Beethoven’s Sixth that springs to mind, or ‘pastoral care’, or ‘rural’ (which is exactly what a poem like this is about). | ||
| 19 | PATELLA | Two girls, one on each knee |
| PAT and ELLA (two girls) | ||
| This is one of Dante’s favourite clues which he used in the past. And I think, it is a setter’s right to re-use clues that he thinks are fantastic and should be seen by the next generation. And I agree, it is a great clue. | ||
| 21 | ASHAMED | Feeling guilty, has made reparations |
| (HAS MADE)* | ||
| 22 | ALTAIR | A naval officer bearing one star |
| A + LT (lieutenant, cán be a naval officer) + AIR (bearing) | ||
| 24 | MIMIC | Imitate one in opera hitting a note |
| MIMI (one in opera) + C (a note) | ||
| Mimi is one of the main characters in Puccini’s La Bohème . Here is a vintage scene from long long ago: Richard Tucker and Lisa Della Casa . | ||
| 26 | ICON | The first person to study a work of art |
| I (the first person, linguistically) + CON (study) | ||
| My first entry (I always start with the short ones) and another clue that Dante used before. Not even that long ago: Rufus had exactly the same clue in the Guardian on July 11, 2011. | ||
Veel Dank Sil & Many thanks Dante – this was very enjoyable.
I also made a note to myself that it was ‘harder than usual’.
Evidently, after giving Sil an easy introductory ride, Dante has now upped his game.
I also opted for AIRSTRIP @ 4a – but I still don’t fully understand the clue. Very un-Dante-like.
AIRSTRIP is, of course
Side = AIRS + Passage = TRIP
Easy!
Thanks Sil (enjoy your respite), and Dante – a very nice one.
All fairly clued. I have one question (not a quibble, as the dicts bear Dante out). Was it my imagination?…that when I was in school, 50+ years ago, we were taught that “artist” was reserved for the visual arts – painting, graphics (stretching the meaning of art a bit), and “artiste” for the performing arts – trapeze artiste, concert artiste, recording artiste. It now seems that the former includes what the latter means as well, while the latter retains its orignal meaning. Someone kind enough to comment? Thanks.