Monday Prize Crossword/May 21
By now, readers of my blogs will know that I like Crux crosswords very much. This one was no exception, but for some reason I’m always hoping that Crux will gear up a bit. He is very creative, writes beautiful surfaces, nothing wrong with that – it is just a tad too easy. Or in technical terms, there is a discrepancy between the level of difficulty and the quality of writing. Today one clue (2d) stumped me, so “won’t you please, please, help me” (courtesy of Lennon/McCartney).
Definitions are underlined whenever and wherever possible.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TAHITI | A success in Treasure Island initially leads to another |
| A HIT (success) inside T[reasure] I[sland] | ||
| 4 | BARONESS | Individuals in pubs for Lady Thatcher? |
| ONES (individuals) inside BARS (pubs) | ||
| Yes, she was! And let’s leave it there. | ||
| 9 | EASTER | England’s first flower festival |
| E[ngland] + ASTER (flower) | ||
| 10 | ETHEREAL | Late back holding present, but it’s heavenly |
| ETAL (reversal of LATE) around HERE (present) | ||
| 12 | OPPOSITE | Face conceals it? The reverse, in fact |
| OPPOSE (face) around IT | ||
| 13 | ACCENT | It could be acute stress |
| Double definition, perhaps | ||
| Perhaps, because when it comes to linguistics the two are more or less interwoven. That said, as a verb ‘accent’ can also mean ‘to accentuate’ which is a more general definition for ‘to stress’. | ||
| 15 | DOPE | Take some exercise, stupid! |
| DO PE (exercise) | ||
| I am pretty sure that I have seen this clue before. And it would not surprise me if it was Crux himself who was the magician. | ||
| 16 | RHYTHMS | They’ll be beaten in time |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 20 | ENTRAIN | Net deployed by Water Board |
| (NET)* + RAIN (water) | ||
| 21 | BRAE | Bank of Scotland needs support introducing economies |
| BRA (support) + E[conomies] | ||
| 25 | STANCE | Pakistan certainly hold this position |
| Hidden solution: [Paki]STAN CE[rtainly] | ||
| 26 | BEDSORES | They trouble those who lie a lot |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 28 | ONE-PIECE | Slimmer’s chocolate ration, perhaps, if she’s to look good in it! |
| Double definition, both of ‘em a bit loose/cryptic | ||
| 29 | ADAGIO | Slow movement gets a soldier into trouble |
| A GI (soldier) inside ADO (trouble) | ||
| 30 | TRAVESTY | Server holding underwear – what a farce! |
| TRAY (server) around VEST (underwear) | ||
| 31 | ASTERN | Oriental doesn’t start at the back |
| EASTERN (oriental) minus its starter E | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | THE LORDS | House shortlisted for demolition, it’s not needed |
| (SHORTLISTED minus ITS)* | ||
| Initially, I was completely on the wrong track, thinking that Crux was in such a devious mood that we had to separate short/listed, leading to an anagram of HO[use] + LISTED with the last part of the clue as the definition. How wrong I was! | ||
| 2 | HOSEPIPE | Playing it on grass may be banned |
| Cryptic definition, or double? | ||
| I don’t know what to make of this one (yet). The ‘hosepipe’ in relation to a ban on making the grass even greener, is clear. And ‘playing it’ points in the direction of ‘pipe’ as a musical instrument. It would have made sense to me if ‘hose’ could be ‘grass’ or vice versa. Any help is much appreciated here! | ||
| 3 | TSETSE | Having set off twice to fly |
| (SET)* + (SET)* | ||
| 5 | ASTI | Wine that in test appears most palatable |
| When inside TEST, one will get TASTIEST(most palatable) | ||
| 6 | OVERCOME | Speechless in defeat |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | ELEVEN | Sporting side appearing in Mexico |
| XI (eleven) is at the heart of Mexico | ||
| 8 | SALUTE | Kind of welcome that makes us late |
| (US LATE)* | ||
| 11 | ETCHERS | They do impressions and such for the lady |
| ETC (and such) + HERS (for the lady) | ||
| I think this was quite a clever clue, the definition being slightly cryptic. | ||
| 14 | STRIVES | Last miner in Cornish town works hard |
| [mine]R inside St IVES (Cornish town) | ||
| One of these fine surfaces (Crux is a specialist), but purists might object to ‘last miner’ for R. I do not, unless people like Anax or Neo say I should 🙂 . |
||
| 17 | INACTIVE | Still popular stage show I’ve taken on |
| IN (popular) + ACT (stage show) + I VE | ||
| 18 | PROROGUE | Suspend meeting with professional villain |
| PRO (professional) + ROGUE (villain) | ||
| 19 | TEASPOON | Most of the side kiss and cuddle, which causes a stir! |
| TEA[m] + SPOON (kiss and cuddle) | ||
| 22 | ESCORT | Sector at sea giving protection |
| (SECTOR)* | ||
| Would you believe, I first entered here ‘corset’. Also something that gives a certain protection …. 🙂 |
||
| 23 | PAMELA | Girl friend takes me in on April 1st |
| {PAL (friend) around ME}+ A[pril] | ||
| If Crux were a devious setter, he would have written ‘Girlfriend’ as one word. I am not Ximenean nor Libertarian, but I probably would have done that. I think it is the influence of the Guardian that reigns over me. | ||
| 24 | ASIDES | A party’s words softly spoken |
| A SIDE (party) S | ||
| 27 | SCUT | Possibly old Rover’s disheartened with short tail |
| SCOUT (a scout car, which might be a Rover) minus O (i.e.disheartened) | ||
Is it possible that 2d is “hashpipe”? That would fit with the “grass” theme. Still a bit of a stretch…
Thanks for the blog, Sil.
Yes, I think 2dn is a Cryptic Definition referring to a Hosepipe Ban.
For PLAY, Collins gives “to discharge or cause to discharge: he played the water
from the hose onto the garden”.
Definition in 14dn – a verb: works hard = ST(R)IVES (rather than STRIVER).
Definition in 22dn – a noun: protection (rather than ‘giving protection’) = ESCORT.
Thankyou Sil.
My take on 2dn is –
surface reading: to play this pipe (musical instrument) whilst taking drugs (grass) is illegal
cryptic reading: sprinkling (playing) a hosepipe on the lawn (grass) may be illegal (during a hosepipe ban).
Not the greatest clue ever written IMO.
I’m happy with the level of difficulty. Of course I’m at the lower end of the ability level but my view is that if anyone finds it too easy , they have 5 others to choose from.
OK, Bamberger, I will not mention it again – promise (er, try to)! 🙂
It is just how I feel about Crux crosswords.
And I am perfectly happy with so-called ‘easier’ crosswords when they are so well-written as the puzzles this fine setter produces, time after time.