Monday Prize Crossword/Oct 7
Rather typical Dante puzzle (to be found at the FT website) but I need help on two clues: 8ac and 6d.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SCRIBE | Score as a writer (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | TOUCHE | It’s said to have proved a hit (6) |
| Kind of double definition | ||
| In fencing ‘touché’ is a hit. It is also a good point made in general. | ||
| 8 | DESPAIR | A spider possibly saved Bruce from it (7) |
| (A SPIDER)* | ||
| I need help here because I have no idea what the second part of the clue, surely containing the definition, is about. Thanks guys (@ 1& 2) for enlightening me! | ||
| 9 | STARTER | One who begins a race but doesn’t finish it (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 11 | SLAUGHTERS | Dispatches produce merriment on board (10) |
| LAUGHTER (merriment) inside SS (on board, inside a steamship – familiar device) | ||
| 12 | CATO | Whip-round for an old Roman (4) |
| CAT (whip) + O (round) | ||
| 13 | TREVI | Name of Roman source for investors looking for a return (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| They say when you throw a coin in Rome’s Trevi fountain, you will return to the city one day or another. | ||
| 14 | LADYBIRD | Hen possibly spotted beetle (8) |
| A ‘hen’ is an example of (‘possibly’) a LADY BIRD | ||
| 16 | ALLERGIC | Being so, one may react rashly with unusually ill-grace (8) |
| (ILL GRACE)* | ||
| 18 | FLAIL | I fall awkwardly and thrash around (5) |
| (I FAIL)* | ||
| 20 | ARGO | Famous ship built by king in the past (4) |
| R (king, Rex) inside AGO ((in) the past) | ||
| 21 | DISTRAUGHT | Triad thugs running wild (10) |
| (TRIAD THUGS)* | ||
| 23 | ANTONIO | A notion to be cast as the Merchant of Venice (7) |
| (A NOTION)* | ||
| 24 | ANODISE | Design on a side plate (7) |
| (ON A SIDE)* | ||
| 25 | ELYSEE | French president’s palace – see more than once (6) |
| ELY (see, example of a diocese) + SEE (one more ‘see’) | ||
| 26 | DEBRIS | Society girl’s rejecting a title? Rubbish! (6) |
| DEB (society girl) + RIS (reversal of SIR (a title)) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SWELL | Splendid organ effect (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| ‘Organ’ as in the musical instrument. | ||
| 2 | RAPTURE | Put out in unusual transport (7) |
| (PUT)* inside RARE (unusual) | ||
| 3 | BLIGHTING | Spoiling the opening of Blackpool’s Illuminations (9) |
| B[lackpool] + LIGHTING (illuminations) | ||
| 5 | OATHS | Has to renew promises (5) |
| (HAS TO)* | ||
| 6 | CORNCOB | Smoked chestnuts and hazel nut (7) |
| Help! Despite ernie’s post (see below) which reflects my own thoughts I am still a bit reluctant to write down a definitive explanation here. | ||
| I know that COB can be ‘hazel nut’ but there it ends for me. | ||
| 7 | ELECTORAL | Choose exam for this sort of college (9) |
| ELECT (choose) + ORAL (exam) | ||
| 10 | BELLICOSE | Looking for scraps? (9) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| This is the kind of cd that heavily relies on its crossing letters. Without these I would never have found the solution. | ||
| 13 | TOLERANCE | Why one doesn’t give the sack to bad cleaner? (9) |
| TO + (CLEANER)* | ||
| The clue as a whole is the intended definition. | ||
| 15 | DEFERENCE | Respect some hesitation in one’s excuses, perhaps (9) |
| ER (some hesitation) inside DEFENCE (one’s excuses, perhaps) | ||
| 17 | ECONOMY | Saving firm beset by money trouble (7) |
| CO (firm) inside (MONEY)* | ||
| 19 | ASUNDER | Separated and sure to play around (7) |
| (AND SURE)* | ||
| The last of eight (ie quite a lot) full anagrams. | ||
| 21 | DRIVE | Plunge right in, displaying energy (5) |
| R (right) inside DIVE (plunge) | ||
| 22 | HOSTS | They entertain vast crowds (5) |
| Double definition | ||
8a. The story of Robert the Bruce & the spider. While the defeated Bruce was hiding in a cave he watched a spider failing to connect to a surface from which to start weaving a web. Eventually it succeeded. This inspired Bruce to fight the English again, resulting in his victory at Bannockburn.
8a There is a famous story poem. This was read to me by my father when I was a boy of some 10 years:
http://www.poetry-archive.com/b/bruce_and_the_spider.html
re 6d
Corn can mean something hackneyed or old-fashioned – chestnut can mean an old joke or cliché.
Cob as you say refers to the hazel nut.
A pipe can be made from corncob (in which the items can be smoked).
That was how I read it but I could be wrong.
Thought 14a could also be Hen (lady) + possibly spotted (bird)…the latter from “bird spotting”
I failed on
4a A bit hard with only ?o??? in place
13a , 14a
6d Still don’t get this though appreciate Ernie’s attempt.
7d
For 12a I had taco -whip round tac old o . Sadly he or she doesn’t exist.
Thanks to all for helping me out of my misery :).
JohnH @4: I think, only underlining beetle, was wrong. The definition is surely ‘spotted beetle’. Now corrected.
Yes, ernie, I thought about ‘corn’ being something like ‘old chestnut’ too but decided to wait for someone else with a similar idea. But the (ie your) definition still doesn’t make much sense to me. So, Bamberger, in a way I am with you.
As to Bruce, here I had the disadvantage of not being British.
Thanks, kettledrum and Rishi.
I think ernie @3 has it right for 6d.
Definition is “Smoked”. (Collins gives corncob as short for corncob pipe.)
Wordplay is CORN (chestnuts) plus COB (hazel nut).
On the one hand I agree, Keeper, that ernie is definitely right.
But on the other, “Smoked” does not equate “corncob”. The definition is “something that can be smoked” or the like which, unfortunately, doesn’t settle well with me here.
Of course, I can see why Dante did it this way (for the surface).
So, accepted, but with a bit of moaning & groaning. 🙂