We always look forward to tackling Anax puzzles, albeit with a slight sense of trepidation at the devilish nature of his clueing. This lived up to our expectations, and despite some unusual words, it seemed a little easier than some previous offerings.
As expected, some excellent surface readings and clever anagrams – we particularly liked 3d and 4d, but overall a very enjoyable and challenging Saturday work-out. In fact 3d was one of the best clues based on an anagram that we can remember. Thanks Anax – we’re only sorry that we can’t say it in person at your birthday bash!
We will have posted the blog before we board a train from Florence but if there are any errors or comments needing a response we will be able to access wi-fi later in the day.
| Across | ||
| 1 | Married in haste, problem being alcoholic drink … | |
| RUM SHRUB | M (married) in RUSH (haste) + RUB (problem) = alcoholic drink (one we’d never come across before!) | |
| 8/9 | … and that’s why feelings change over time? | |
| WHEN THE FAT LADY SINGS | Anagram of AND THAT’S WHY FEELINGS (anagrind is ‘change’) = over time – the phrase relates to the end of an event – ‘it ain’t over till the fat lady sings’. | |
| 11 | The empty workshop, not one providing shelter | |
| TESTUDO | T(h)E (empty, or with the middle letter removed) + STUD(i)O (workshop, without I or one) = shelter – used by Roman soldiers under attack from above, so-called because of it’s similarity to a tortoise’s shell | |
| 12 | Tyre on motorway surprisingly loud | |
| REMOULD | RE (on) M (motorway) + an anagram of LOUD (anagrind is ‘surprisingly’) = tyre | |
| 13 | Sacks, for example, in the same place but for return | |
| RABBI | IB (in the same place) + BAR (but for) reversed, or ‘returned’ = Rabbi Jonathan Sacks | |
| 15 | Appropriate locations for toll booths? | |
| RING ROADS | A play on two meanings of ‘toll’ – the RINGing of a bell, and the tax for using ROADS or bridges | |
| 17 | State control apparatus is cutting spare money? | |
| DIRIGISME | RIG (apparatus) + IS in,or ‘cutting’ DIME (spare money, as in ‘Brother can you spare a dime?’) = state control | |
| 18 | Blue movie watched from the back | |
| WASTE | ET (movie) + SAW (watched) reversed, or ‘from the back’ = blue – we had to look this one up, but there it is in Chambers – ‘to squander’ | |
| 19/20 | In some way soldiers serve the amateur playhouse | |
| MERMAID THEATRE | We thought that this must be the answer when we had a few checking letters, but we couldn’t parse it at first. When we realised that there could be no other solution, we concluded that the parsing must be: RM (Royal Marines, or soldiers) + AID (serve) + THE + A (amateurs) in METRE (some way, as in a measure of distance) (?) = playhouse | |
| 22 | For thirteen stone vagrant, feeding provided | |
| IN THE INTEREST OF | An anagram of THIRTEEN STONE (anagrind is ‘vagrant’) in or ‘feeding’ IF (provided) = for | |
| 23 | Soft centre, as yolk contains | |
| EASY | Hidden or ‘contained’ in (centr)E AS Y(olk) = soft | |
| 24 | I will almost turn some games around | |
| TESTATOR | ROTAT(e) (turn, ‘almost’ or with the last letter missing) + SET (some games, as in tennis) all reversed or ‘around’ = someone who leaves a valid will | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Is humming sound made by vents? | |
| REEKS | Sounds like WREAKS or vents, as in ‘venting one’s anger’ = is humming, as in smelling | |
| 2 | German suit, poor copy as a rule | |
| MEASURING TAPE | Anagram of GERMAN SUIT (anagrind is ‘poor’) + APE (copy) = a rule | |
| 3 | Children feel so excited securing a place at university | |
| HALL OF RESIDENCE | Anagram of CHILDREN FEEL SO (anagrind is ‘excited’) aroundor ‘securing’ A = place at University – brilliant surface reading and so topical. | |
| 4 | Reform mustn’t ever end in low funding | |
| UNDERINVESTMENT | Anagram of MUSTN’T EVER END IN (anagrind is ‘reform’) = low funding – another excellent anagram | |
| 6 | German guards on duty, half beginning to resent some natives | |
| HONDURANS | HANS (German) around or ‘guarding’ ON DU(ty) (half) + R (beginning or first letter of ‘Resent’) = some natives, from Honduras | |
| 7 | Moved at low –p-e-? | |
| NOSED | ‘Nosing’ is moving at low speed, ‘-p-e-‘ is speed with NO S–E–D | |
| 9 | Weighty junk carried by confident daughter | |
| STATURED | TAT (junk) in, or ‘carried by’ SURE (confident) D (daughter) = weighty | |
| 10 | Piece of kit almost cooked in missile hit | |
| SAM BROWNE BELT | BROWNE(d) (‘cooked’ with the last letter omitted, or ‘almost’) in SAM (surface-to-air missile) BELT (hit) = piece of army kit, a belt with a shoulder strap. Have a look at one here. | |
| 14 | Ferry full of sailors to consider losses before gains? | |
| BURN RATES | BUS (ferry) around or ‘full of’ RN (sailors) + RATES (considers) = rates at which companies spend capital, resulting in possible losses before gains | |
| 18 | Arab princes that girl with key’s primarily seducing | |
| SHEREEFS | SHE (that girl) + REEF (key, as in a small island) + S (first or ‘primary’ letter of Seducing) = Arab princes | |
| 19 | Current passed through West US state | |
| MAINE | IN (current, as in ‘trendy’) in or ‘passed through’ MAE (Mae West) = US state | |
| 21 | Show disapproval for losing head coach | |
| TUTOR | TUT (show disapproval) + (f)OR (‘for’ without the first letter or ‘head’) = coach | |
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