Monday Prize Crossword/Jun 10
In a day and age that the FT’s Saturday Prize has become much harder (mainly due to Mudd gearing up a bit – IMO, happily so) Dante et al stand tall to represent the other side of the spectrum. This was another user-friendly crossword which one can find here.
I am quite sure that this puzzle will generate at least the same amount of comments as Dante’s previous one (two weeks ago) ….. 🙂
Definitions are underlined wherever appropriate and/or possible.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ANTHEM | Music sets worker on edge (6) |
| ANT (worker) + HEM (edge) | ||
| 4 | SCRAMBLE | Such a mad rush will make a message unintelligible (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | POOR DEVIL | He’s not good and rich (4,5) |
| POOR (not rich) added to DEVIL (not good) | ||
| The clue reads well but from a cryptic point of view the order of things is debatable, in my opinion. | ||
| 11 | CHILD | Infant learner told off, put outside (5) |
| CHID (told off) around L (learner) | ||
| 12 | NOSE | It detects by smell and is aware by sound (4) |
| Homophone of KNOWS (is aware) | ||
| 13 | BLOOD DONOR | He contributes to the liquid assets of a bank (5,5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 15 | INDULGE | Honour eluding interpretation (7) |
| (ELUDING)* | ||
| 16 | TANGLE | T-junction snarl-up (6) |
| T + ANGLE (junction) | ||
| Unless I parsed the clue wrongly, I am not particularly happy with junction = angle. See comment #1 from Muffyword. | ||
| 19 | AS IT IS | Unaltered, it’s as I designed (2,2,2) |
| (IT’S AS I)* | ||
| 21 | STARVED | Adverts may make you really hungry (7) |
| (ADVERTS)* | ||
| 23 | DEPRESSION | Bad times in the valley (10) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | SKIS | Takes part in winter sports needing skills – no learners (4) |
| SKILLS minus LL (learners) | ||
| 27 | EXTRA | Not a hit certainly, but he plays his part (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | ELECTRODE | Those chosen travelled with the conductor (9) |
| ELECT (chosen) + RODE (travelled) | ||
| 29 | BOOK ENDS | Literary props (4,4) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 30 | CRISIS | In trouble, is repeatedly after credit (6) |
| CR (credit) followed by IS IS (is repeatedly) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | APPENDIX | Writer’s addition may be removed when it gets to the theatre (8) |
| Double/Cryptic definition | ||
| The second definition refers to ‘theatre’ as in a hospital. | ||
| 2 | TOOK SIDES | Photographed both teams, but was biased (4,5) |
| TOOK (photographed) + SIDES ((both) teams) | ||
| 3 | EDDY | Boy in a whirl (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | CALL OUT | Appeal – and how the umpire may react? (4,3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | ACCIDENTAL | Unintentional change of key (10) |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | BAIRN | Scatter-brain child (5) |
| (BRAIN)* [I entered BRIAN here until ernie @2 made me change my mind] | ||
| 8 | ENDURE | Put up with being last (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | EVOLVE | Develop and go round topless (6) |
| REVOLVE (go round) minus its starting letter (‘topless’) | ||
| 14 | ALL THE RAGE | Not mad about silver? It’s very much in fashion (3,3,4) |
| ALL THERE (not mad) around AG (silver) | ||
| 17 | LOVE-KNOTS | Ties of affection (4-5) |
| Ties (KNOTS) of affection (LOVE) are LOVE-KNOTS | ||
| 18 | ODYSSEUS | His Greek island tour turned out quite an epic (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 20 | SUSPEND | We object during pay out – stop the proceedings (7) |
| US (objective form of ‘we’) inside SPEND (pay out) | ||
| 21 | SHOWER | Rabble’s downfall (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| One of the meanings of ‘shower’ is ‘a group of people perceived as being incompetent or worthless’ [ODE]. | ||
| 22 | ADVERB | Such a word invariably is (6) |
| Indeed, ‘invariably’ may be such a word | ||
| 24 | PATIO | Courtyard in occupation (5) |
| Hidden solution: [occu]PATIO[n] | ||
| 26 | STIR | Produce disorder, wake up in prison (4) |
| Triple definition | ||
Thanks for the amusing blog, Sil. I enjoyed this. It was particularly nice to see EDDY making a comeback.
Re TANGLE – angle and junction seem to be used almost interchangeably in anatomical circles eg manubriosternal junction = the angle between the manubrium and the body of the sternum.
Sil, I agree with you regarding 10A
My favourite clues were 13A and 29A.
The first part of 21D (shower)had me mystified for a good while.
By the way I had ‘bairn’ for 7D (dialect word for child in Scotland and Northern England).
Thanks for the useful comments so far.
Well, ernie, I put in BRIAN straightaway (almost without thinking) but I must admit that your option is no doubt the right solution. BRAIN is more a boy or a man rather than the child that BAIRN surely is.
Four missing for me
1a I even thought it must be ant??? but still couldn’t get anthem, Doh!
3d I’ll remember that
18d I had ?d?s?e?s but that wasn’t enough
21d Another doh! S?o?e? but still couldn’t see it
Re my own post @3, BRAIN should of course be BRIAN.
Many thanks, Sil and Dante
However, I much prefer BRYAN as the best way of spelling my name.