Monday Prize Crossword / Jun 15, 2015
Mostly Crux as we know him (elegantly clued, thoughtful etc) but …..
….. also – in one clue – Crux as we don’t know him (making a mistake). Well, that can happen, can’t it? (that is, if my conclusion’s correct).
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CONSERVATIVE |
Revolutionary, not vice-versa? Not revolutionary at all! (12)
(NOT VICE VERSA)* [* = revolutionary] Quite a clever start to this puzzle. |
| 10 | EXTREME |
Hardline former army corps takes central control (7)
{EX (former) + REME (army corps)} around [con]T[rol] REME = Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. |
| 11 | ATISHOO |
Involuntary expulsion from a paper reported (7)
Homophone (‘reported’) of: A TISSUE (a paper) Bit of a chestnut. |
| 12 | LEG-UP |
A helping hand, paradoxically (3-2)
‘Paradoxically’, because a leg is not a hand |
| 13 | SURGICAL |
Kind of operation on French soldier’s lower leg, mostly (8)
SUR (on, in French) + GI (soldier) + CAL[f] (lower leg, mostly) |
| 15 | NANOSECOND |
Grandma takes ring back for an instant (10)
NAN (grandma) + O (ring) + SECOND (back) |
| 16 | FLOW |
The grey beast retreats – you may go with it! (4)
Reversal (‘retreats’) of: WOLF (the grey beast) |
| 18 | IMAM |
Single mother could be a religious leader (4)
I (single, ie 1) + MAM (mother) |
| 20 | OLD ITALIAN |
Former language of a pope, usually (3,7)
OLD (former) + ITALIAN (language) I don’t know exactly what to underline here – wordplay and definition seem to be a bit mixed up. |
| 22, 24 | LEFT-HAND SCREW |
You must drive one home the other way (4-4,5)
Cryptic definition |
| 26 | FULSOME |
Skilful somersault over the top is involved (7)
Hidden solution (‘… is involved’): [skil]FUL SOME[rsault] |
| 27 | ARRAIGN |
A king’s rule, we’re told, is put on trial (7)
A + R (king, ie Rex) + RAIGN (homophone (‘we’re told’) of REIGN (rule)) |
| 28 | ANAESTHETIST |
A number of those undergoing 13 procedures (12)
Cryptic definition A nice one but only after I found the solution to 13ac. |
| Down | ||
| 2 | OCTAGON |
Figure from a month ago, finally overdrawn (7)
OCT (a month, ie October) + AGO + [overdraw]N |
| 3 | SHEEPISH |
Uncomfortable, like a woolly jumper? (8)
Like a SHEEP (a woolly jumper) A sheep is indeed ‘woolly’ but I haven’t seen many of them ‘jumping’. Well, over a fence, perhaps, as the saying goes. |
| 4 | REEL |
Part of film seen at the ceilidh most likely (4)
Double definition |
| 5 | AMANUENSIS |
Secretary of a Premier club (with three points) is taken on (10)
A + MAN U (Premier (League) club, ie Manchester United) + E,N,S (three points, of a compass) + (indicated by ‘taken on’) IS |
| 6 | ICING |
Kind of sugar to be avoided by pilots (5)
Double definition |
| 7 | ETHICAL |
Moral of the CIA is rubbished on-line (7)
(THE CIA)* + (indicated by ‘on-‘) L (line) [* = is rubbished] |
| 8 | BERLIN AIRLIFT |
It brought capital relief in the forties (6,7)
Cryptic definition More about this operation here: Berlin Airlift, 1948 . |
| 9 | FOLLOWING WIND |
After victory over Germany at sea, this is welcome (9,4)
FOLLOWING (after) + WIN (victory) + D (Germany) |
| 14 | ICELANDERS |
Is calendar reform needed for these people? (10)
Intended is: (IS CALENDAR)* [* = reform (needed)] But this is, I fear, a real mistake. |
| 17 | SANSKRIT |
Its ranks need training in an ancient language (8)
(ITS RANKS)* [* = need training] |
| 19 | ALFALFA |
Twin boys first to arrive in Lucerne (7)
ALF & ALF (twin boys, ie one boy and an identical one) + A Alfalfa is a fodder plant, also known as lucerne (lower case!). |
| 21 | IN RUINS |
Devastated hearing where archaeologist’s interests lie (2,5)
Double definition ‘Hearing’ suggests that there is some homophone going on. But I really cannot get any further than a double definition. Unless Crux had the unsatisfying ‘in runes’ in mind. |
| 23 | HOO-HA |
Fuss Hood had getting rid of churchman (3-2)
HOO[d] HA[d], the deleted DD being ‘churchman’ (Doctor of Divinity) If I were a setter I would have gone for a device telling me to delete both last letters. Goliath would surely agree! |
| 25 | BACH |
Club a choirmaster formed with a famous composer (4)
Hidden solution (‘… formed with …’): [clu]B A CH[oirmaster] |
14d I also thought that there was something amiss here.
‘Is calender’ would have worked.
Thanks to Sil and Crux
Thanks Crux and Sil
Found this one quite straightforward and finished in a couple of short stints – some nice stuff in it though !
FULSOME was my last in – a very well-hidden ‘hidden answer’ !! Thought that LEFT-HAND SCREW was very clever, especially the reference that one would use a screwdriver.
Read 20a as a ‘triple definition’ – a construction of OLD (former) + ITALIAN (language), OLD ITALIAN (a former language) and the clever cryptic reference that many OLD ITALIAN have been made popes.
Had the reverse experience to Sil with ANATHESHETIST – I had all of the crossers for it (and none for 13a at the time)- the biggest drama was trying to remember how to spell it !!
Lucky that I wasn’t the editor for this one, I would have made the same howler with ICELANDERS as he did – just assuming that it was an anagram of IS CALENDAR without actually striking through the letters to check !!! Well spotted, you guys.
Thanks Crux and Sil.
I couldn’t bring myself to write in Icelanders till the very end, just in case my initial conclusion was wrong. Maybe we should blame the editor on this occasion.
I share your concerns about Old Italian. Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think there’s been an Italian pope since 1978 – so maybe a ‘once’ should have been included somewhere in the clue.
Otherwise all pretty mundane with some good clues – like ethical – and some weak – like 9dn.
Probably spent more time posting than solving.