An easier than usual puzzle from Monk, but no less enjoyable for that.
The grid shape means there are many fewer clues than normal, so this led to a quick solve. There are also more cryptic definitions than usual from Monk.
A message will be cleverly hidden within the grid. So cleverly in fact that I have not the least idea what it is or where to find it. In lieu of an explanation I include an image of a completed grid for you to have a look for yourself.
Thanks Monk.
| Across | ||
| 7 | PINHOLE CAMERA | One could make it fundamentally snappy (7,6) |
| cryptic definition – a basic (fundamental) camera to take snaps with | ||
| 9 | LIBRETTO | Love bitterly, mostly lost for words (8) |
| anagram (lost) of O (love) and BITTERLy (most of) – the words for an opera | ||
| 10 | CRIKEY | My report is blocked by old president (6) |
| CRY (report) contains (is blocked by) IKE (Dwight D Eisenhower, old president) i- definition is ‘my’, an exclamation | ||
| 11 | ZEUGMA | Regular contributors to quiz game developed figure of speech (6) |
| anagram (developed) of qUiZ (regular selection from) and GAME* – a figure of speech where a word or phrase links two parts of a sentence | ||
| 12 | DRAGSTER | Fast car in Gerard Street crashed (8) |
| (GERARD ST)* anagram=crashed | ||
| 13 | ORNITHOLOGIST | Scientist, an idiot, runs ahead into terribly hot igloos (13) |
| R (runs) ahead of NIT (idiot) in (HOT IGLOOS)* anagram=terribly | ||
| 15 | ENTRANCE | Hold door? (8) |
| double definition – to hold is to spellbind? | ||
| 17 | ORRERY | About to fill up HGV that fails to start – it turns like clockwork (6) |
| RE (regarding, about) in lORRY (HGV missing first letter) – a clockwork model of the solar system | ||
| 18 | CASTRO | Old leader wants endless commercial oil (6) |
| CASTROl (brand of oil, endless) | ||
| 19 | MAINTAIN | Keep isn’t commonly toured by chief (8) |
| AINT (isn’t, commonly) in MAIN (chief) | ||
| 20 | ELECTROMAGNET | One might attract a screw or two when turned on (13) |
| cryptic definition – screws are typically steel | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | UPSIDE-DOWN CAKES | Snub? (6-4,5) |
| BUNS reversed (upside down) | ||
| 2 | ANDROGEN | Groaned about new hormone (8) |
| GROANED* (about=anagram) then N (new) – a hormone controlling the development of male characteristics | ||
| 3 | CONTRACTING OUT | Withdrawing shrink because of complaint (11,3) |
| CONTRACT (shrink) IN (because of?) GOUT (complaint) – definition is withdrawing. Not 100% sure of this explanation. | ||
| 4 | SECOND HONEYMOON | Romantic break to encourage sweetheart to drop pants? (6,9) |
| SECOND (to encourage, to back up) HONEY (sweetheart) and MOON (to drop one’s pants) | ||
| 5 | MEDICS | Trap nearly catches police lifting some bones (6) |
| MESh (trap, nearly) contains (catches) CID (police) reversed (lifting) – ‘bones’ is slang for’doctor’ | ||
| 6 | PAVEMENT ARTISTS | Those with flagging inspiration for their work (8,7) |
| cryptic definition, flags are paving stones | ||
| 8 | ARCHAEOLOGICAL | Good area alcoholic ruined in digs? (14) |
| anagram (ruined) of G (good) AREA and ALCOHOLIC – a type of dig, question mark indicates ‘perhaps’, an example of | ||
| 14 | IRRITANT | Trouble girl to fill in Tax Office books (8) |
| RITA (girl) in IR (Inland Revenue, tax office) NT (books) – definition is ‘trouble’, as a noun | ||
| 16 | ROTTER | Pig runs with another animal (6) |
| R (runs) with OTHER (another animal) | ||
*anagram
I think your explanation of the answer to 8D has been messed up somewhere.
The anagram is derived from alcoholic rather than digs
Thanks AID, for some reason I wrote ‘dig’ in place of ‘alcoholic’. I think my mind must have already moved on the what I was going to write for the definition. Fixed now.
I knew you were going to say that it was an easier than usual Monk as I for once could solve it all. Thanks to Monk for letting me think that one day I might get on your wavelength all the time and to PeeDee for the explanations.
Thanks, PeeDee and Monk. 4d was a masterpiece of elegance.
Thanks PeeDee for accurate blog and to all for comments. Just thought I’d spare you a Nina search: there isn’t one. The seed for this puzzle was simply the reduction of the number of answers to 20 (with a resulting whopping average word length of 9.8 using only common words [with perhaps one exception at 11ac]). I don’t think that the editor would have accepted fewer answers for fear of short-changing solvers. So glad that Hornbeam@4 appreciated the intended “elegance” of the romantic imagery at 4dn 😉
Thanks for dropping by Monk, it is really appreciated. I can’t ever remember a Monk puzzle without a Nina! I am so hopeless at spotting them that I just assumed it was another fail on my part.
Beautifully clued , now that it has been explained.I’m looking forward to the next one by Monk, but I’ll try at the start of the day , instead of rather late in the evening.Best clue: 1d.
Wow! Just 20 clues!