Monday Prize Crossword/Feb 20
Another good puzzle by last week’s Birthday Child. Actually, I found this crossword a lot more satisfying than Rufus’ Guardian puzzle (also published Feb 20) which I thought wasn’t the one the well-respected Mr Squires deserved that week over there. Ah well, that’s just how I feel about it.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or relevant.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ASSIGN | A direction indicator gains award |
| A + S (direction, South) + SIGN (indicator) | ||
| 4 | LUGGER | Tug-boat? |
| Doublish definition – ‘to tug’ can be ‘to lug’ and a LUGGER is a boat, while a tug-boat is a kind of vessel too (but a LUGGER isn’t a tug-boat, phew) | ||
| 8 | USERERS | They take more interest than you would wish |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 9 | LISSOME | The pound is to a certain extent flexible |
| L ((the) pound) + IS + SOME (to a certain extent) | ||
| 11 | STONY-BROKE | On the rocks, shattered and destitute |
| STONY (on the rocks) + BROKE (shattered) | ||
| 12 | APSE | Apostles lost out, become upset in church |
| (AP[ostl]ES)*, so an anagram of APOSTLES kicking ‘out’ LOST – the definition is, I think, a bit minimalistic | ||
| 13 | GRAIL | A girl in distress sought by Parsifal |
| (A GIRL)* – the definition being ‘that thing’ sought by Parsifal | ||
| 14 | SERAPHIC | Chips are heavenly served like this |
| (CHIPS ARE)* – I haven’t seen ‘heavenly’ as anagram indicator before, or is it even ‘heavenly served’?. In either cases there is some interference between wordplay and definition, but the imagery of chips being served like a real treat is quite appealing …. 🙂 Yes, togo @1, that’s surely the way to look at it – didn’t see that. Anagram indicator ‘(when) served like this’, definition just ‘heavenly’. Many thanks! BTW, just recently there was a discussion on definitions not being placed at one of the ends of a clue. Well, boys and girls ‘over there’, here’s indeed a good counterexample. | ||
| 16 | ABRASION | A foundation garment is retired on showing wear |
| A + BRA (foundation garment) + SI (reversal of IS) + ON | ||
| 18 | CAIRN | Smashed car in a pile of stones |
| (CAR IN)* | ||
| 20 | CRAM | Stuff to study for an exam |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | MINUTE HAND | Precise employee is on time |
| MINUTE (precise) + HAND (employee) – the definition “is on time” a bit loose but perfectly all right within the surface | ||
| 23 | DIARIST | Daily journalist |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 24 | RAIMENT | An object in rent is investment |
| AIM ((an) object) inside RENT | ||
| 25 | ERRAND | Make a mistake with the charge |
| ERR (make a mistake) + AND (with) | ||
| 26 | SKINNY | Lacking food, find a pub in heavenly surroundings |
| INN ((a) pub) surrounded by SKY (in heavenly surroundings) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ASSET | When established, something to one’s credit |
| AS (when) + SET (established) | ||
| 2 | SYRINGA | Shrub that’s no good in Asian country |
| NG (no good) inside SYRIA (Asian country) | ||
| 3 | GARIBALDI | Soldier imprisons a licentious Italian leader |
| GI (soldier) around {A + RIBALD (licentious)} | ||
| 5 | UNITE | Join some troops heading east |
| UNIT (some troups) + E (east) | ||
| 6 | GAS LAMP | Talk with the French politician may be illuminating |
| GAS (talk) + LA (the, in French) + MP (politician) – again, the definition is “something” that may be illuminating | ||
| 7 | REMISSION | Pardon means prison sentence is cut |
| Double definition, the second one a “prison sentence thát is cut” | ||
| 10 | CONSONANT | Agreeing to study the issue with a worker |
| CON (study) + SON ((the) issue) + ANT (a worker) | ||
| 13 | GABERDINE | Fabric, being dear, abandoned |
| (BEING DEAR)* | ||
| 15 | RACE-TRACK | A course people follow |
| RACE (people) + TRACK (follow) | ||
| 17 | ADMIRER | Unhappily married – lover required |
| (MARRIED)* | ||
| 19 | INHUMAN | Beastly cruel |
| Double definition, the first part having a cryptic element: ‘beastly’ = ‘non-human’ | ||
| 21 | MASON | Constructive member of society |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 22 | NANNY | Billy’s mate – good with children? |
| Double definition with a cryptic element – we have a ‘billy goat’ and a ‘nanny goat’, and we also hope that a NANNY is good for children | ||
Dear Sil
When chips are ‘served like this’ (anagramatised..) they become seraphic – heavenly. I think.