Monday Prize Crossword/Oct 22
Two weeks ago, Bamberger was very clear: “Bring back Crux!”. Well, here he is [the number of the puzzle being a palindrome!] with, in my opinion, one of his gentler crosswords …..
….. one in which there was no anagram in any of the Across clues. Quite remarkable. Instead, we got five (sometimes partial) cryptic definitions there. Not Crux’s forte, but for some reason I liked 12ac.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DISCIPLINARIAN | His charges might well be beaten (14) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 10 | WINCE | Flinch from cold in port, say (5) |
| C (cold) inside WINE (port, say) | ||
| 11 | REGRETTED | Felt sorry about Garbo without a man (9) |
| RE (about) + GRET[a] (Garbo, without a) + TED (man) | ||
| 12 | LURCHER | Dog that might rock and roll, apparently (7) |
| Double/Cryptic definition | ||
| Apart from a hunting dog, a lurcher can also be a ‘robber’ – one who’s ready to ‘roll’. Nice allusion. | ||
| 13 | THIRSTS | This goes without rest, lacks energy, needs water (7) |
| THIS around R[e]ST (rest, lacking the E meaning ‘energy’) | ||
| 14 | SAMOA | Does a moat help create an island? (5) |
| Hidden solution: [doe]S A MOA[t] | ||
| 16 | DOTTINESS | Eccentric style of the pointillists? (9) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 19 | MISNOMERS | Wrong names, like French one among misers (9) |
| NOM (name, in French) inside MISERS | ||
| 20 | SUITS | Models assume uniform is flattering (5) |
| SITS (models, as a verb) around U (uniform) | ||
| My last one in, very nicely written with “assume” as the container indicator and “is” part of the definition. Yet, I started thinking again about whether it should be “assume” or “assumes” in cryptic language. I am confident Paul B and/or Jolly S will help me out. 🙂 | ||
| 22 | NUMBING | Miners with famous singer make a stunning combination (7) |
| NUM (miners, National Union of Mineworkers) + BING (famous singer, Bing Crosby) | ||
| 25 | PERFORM | Hairstyle adopted for act on stage (7) |
| PERM (hairstyle) around FOR | ||
| 27 | TOTTING UP | Working out the total damage perhaps (7,2) |
| Double/Cryptic definition | ||
| The first part is straightforward, the second part refers to the hyphenated ‘totting-up’ which Chambers describes as “the cumulation of certain motoring offences, eventually resulting in disqualification”. | ||
| 28 | BUILT | Raised objection about the Italian (5) |
| BUT (objection) around IL (the, in Italian) | ||
| 29 | ENFANT TERRIBLE | A real problem for French parents? (6,8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | IGNORAMUS | Amusing or drunk he’s clueless (9) |
| (AMUSING OR)* | ||
| We’re already in the Down clues and this is only the first anagram – and a nice one it is. | ||
| 3 | CZECH | Bill’s said to be European (5) |
| Homophone of CHEQUE (bill) | ||
| 4 | PARTRIDGE | Segment on crest identifies this bird (9) |
| PART (segment) + RIDGE (crest) | ||
| 5 | INGOT | I finally won and took gold perhaps (5) |
| I + [wo]N + GOT (took) | ||
| 6 | AMENITIES | The last word one connects with “conveniences” (9) |
| AMEN (the last word) + I (one) + TIES (connects) | ||
| 7 | IOTAS | Tiny scraps of rations at sea the navy jettisoned (5) |
| Anagram of RATIONS minus RN (navy) | ||
| 8 | NUDISTS | Mad about the underworld, they reveal all (7) |
| NUTS (mad) around DIS (the underworld) | ||
| 9 | SWELLS | Drinking place on board for VIPs (6) |
| WELL (drinking place) inside SS (on board, a very familiar device) | ||
| 15 | ABOLITION | A note on unheaded will can signify annulment (9) |
| A + B (note) + [v]OLITION (will, minus its starter) | ||
| 17 | TEST PAPER | Steep part may give problems for examinee (4,5) |
| (STEEP PART)* | ||
| 18 | EDITORIAL | Leader partially solved it – or I, allegedly! (9) |
| Hidden solution: [solv]ED IT OR I AL[legedly] | ||
| 19 | MANATEE | Heartless decree primarily endangers rare sea mammal (7) |
| MAN[d]ATE (decree, minus its heart) + E[ndangers] | ||
| 21 | SEMITE | English newspaper upsetting for Jew or Arab (6) |
| Reversal of E (English) TIMES (newspaper) | ||
| 23 | MOTIF | Design with safety check provided (5) |
| MOT (safety check) + IF (provided) | ||
| 24 | GIGOT | Leg of lamb a soldier acquired (5) |
| GI (soldier) + GOT (acquired) | ||
| The second time Crux uses GOT the same way (see 5d). Very un-Crux. | ||
| 26 | RABBI | Religious teacher has to prattle on endlessly (5) |
| RABBI[t] (prattle on, minus the last letter) | ||
| Dear Crux, next time you include this word in one of your puzzles, you are going to clue it differently, OK? 🙂 | ||
I solved all this unaided except for 19d where faced with m?n?t?e, I couldn’t decide if it was manitee, manitoe or similar and just couldn’t get mandate.
I parsed everything else except 8d where I got nuts but the only dis I could think off was the street argot of “He dissed me” meaning “He disrespected me” rather forgetting that respect is earned not imposed.
Thanks Crux and thanks Sil.
I didn’t get round to solving this Monday puzzle but reading through your notes I think 28a should be BUT around IL the Italian for the.
You’re absolutely right, TonyP17.
Now corrected.