Monday Prize Crossword/Aug 22
After two consecutive Dantes we were likely to have a Crux this time. I know (therefore admit) that I was a bit critical about his recent offerings, but here he was certainly on form.
Some very inventive cluing along the way, notably in 18ac, 3d and 23d. Not hard, but (de)light(ful) and elegant with nice surfaces and plenty of sparkle.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DANGER SIGNAL | Alarm for pilot when landing gear’s out of order |
| (LANDING GEAR’S)* | ||
| 10 | ASPIRIN | Hopeful reduction in supply of drug |
| ASPIRING (hopeful) reduced ie less the final G | ||
| 11 | ENVYING | Showing one’s green? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 12 | Send message via Englishman, say | |
| Homophone of ‘E (English) MALE (man)’ | ||
| The first of two clues in which a word had to be split: English/man. I am not always a fan of this kind of device, but it here (and in 23d) it works well for me. | ||
| 13 | STAR RUBY | “Ray-burst” transforms a sparkling gem |
| (RAY BURST)* | ||
| 15 | EASY STREET | Financial security the simple way |
| EASY (simple) + STREET (way) | ||
| 16 | MENU | List of people in the top class |
| MEN (people) + U (in the top class) | ||
| 18 | LEAD | Sort of poisoning empty pub might indicate |
| Referring to ‘lead poisoning’, indicated by P[u]B (empty pub) being the chemical symbol for lead | ||
| The answer’s not hard to find, but this is surely inventive cluing! | ||
| 20 | PETIT POINT | In fine tapestry it appears in favourite place |
| IT inside {PET (favourite) POINT (place)} | ||
| Shouldn’t the enumeration be (5,5) instead of (10)? | ||
| 22 | ANCESTOR | Ascent or, bizarrely, descent comes from one |
| (ASCENT OR)* | ||
| Easy, but another nice find! | ||
| 24 | LOCUM | Not well treated by this deputy? |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| The definition (this deputy) made the answer clear enough, but it is the first part of the clue that is nicely misleading (in my opinion). | ||
| 26 | TENFOLD | Juliet’s last embrace means so much more |
| [Julie]T + ENFOLD (embrace) | ||
| 27 | SPONSOR | Poles stuck in trail for support |
| N,S (poles (North, South)) inside SPOOR (trail) | ||
| 28 | SOLAR BATTERY | Energy supplier, almost alone, takes a right beating |
| SOL[e] (almost alone) + A R (right) + BATTERY (beating) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | APPEARS | Looks like a soft fruit |
| A + P (soft) + PEARS (fruit) | ||
| 3 | GORMLESS | Unfortunate groom without love – or brains! |
| (GRO[o]M)* + LESS (the minus sign: – ) | ||
| Perhaps some might argue that a minus-sign isn’t the same as a dash, typographically, but I thought this was a splendid clue! Highly original. | ||
| 4 | RAND | Currency starts to recover after near disaster |
| R[ecover] A[fter] N[ear] D[isaster] | ||
| 5 | IN EXTREMIS | Facing death I then get mostly careless |
| I + NEXT (then) + REMIS[s] (careless) | ||
| 6 | NEVER | One version shows us when pigs fly |
| [o]NE VER[sion] | ||
| Never? Are you sure? | ||
| 7 | LEISURE | Lie around on certain days off |
| (LIE)* + SURE (certain) | ||
| 8 | FAREWELL PARTY | Do, before leaving work finally |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 9 | UGLY CUSTOMERS | Dangerous antagonists must trouble a beautician |
| Cryptic/Double definition | ||
| 14 | ORDER ORDER | Two-part harmony request MPs often hear |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 17 | SPELL OUT | Explain in detail, by writing letters? |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | ACCENTS | They stress a dollar’s value . . . |
| A + C CENTS ( = 100 cents = dollar’s value) | ||
| 21 | INCISOR | . . . . including one’s gold tooth! |
| INC (including) + I S (one’s) + OR (gold) | ||
| I was hoping that this would be a real ellipsis, but it wasn’t. That is, I cannot see a causal link with 19d. | ||
| 23 | SCOWL | Sainthood’s gloomy expression |
| S (Saint) COWL (hood) | ||
| One has to split Saint/hood, which, as I said before, works again very well for me here. | ||
| 25 | ASIA | Land of Isaiah, perhaps, without borders |
| ( [I]SAIA[h] )* | ||
| Great surface and therefore ‘Land’ is acceptable as the definition. But I wouldn’t call ASIA ‘land’. Well, it is not ‘sea’, of course … | ||
Thanks Sil, and Crux for an enjoyable puzzle – lots of clever misdirections and definitions.
Favourites were 9D UGLY CUSTOMERS, v. amusing, 24A LOCUM, great misdirection, and 5D IN EXREMIS. I think you’re right about PETIT POINT – perhaps an error a la Guardian?
Many thanks Sil & Crux this was very enjoyable.
I have only one quibble … Surely, beauticians would be delighted to welcome UGLY CUSTOMERS?
I guessed both in extermis and scowl but couldn’t get the wordplay -haven’t seen that trick for saint and hood needing ot be separated