Monday Prize Crossword / Jul 27, 2015
An enjoyable Crux puzzle that took more time to finish than I thought it would (due to the tricky NE, 10ac/5d). Once more some cross-references and a nice &lit at the start of the puzzle.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | PAYMENT RECEIVED |
Could be every cent paid me (7,8)
(EVERY CENT PAID ME)* [* = could be] The clue as a whole is the definition: &lit. |
| 9 | IN RUINS |
Broken-down, one enters fashionable races (2,5)
I (one) inside {IN (favourable) + RUNS (races)} |
| 10 | AERATES |
Charges with gas and water reversed around a percentage (7)
AES (reversal (‘reversed’) of SEA (water)) around RATE (a percentage) One of my last ones in. Many setters like the use of articles before nouns as the English language is one that uses articles. Yet, in this case, I feel ‘a’ stands in the way. |
| 11 | OSAGE |
Old wise man of Native American tribe (5)
O (old) + SAGE (wise man) More about them here: Osage Nation. |
| 12 | STEEL TRAP |
Explosion of saltpetre could take your leg off (5,4)
(SALTPETRE)* [* = explosion of] I fear the definition should be taken in a literal sense? |
| 13 | COMMITTAL |
Give a short speech at burial service (9)
COMMIT (give) + TAL[k] (a speech, shortened) |
| 15 | HINGE |
Part of speech in German that’s pivotal (5)
Hidden solution (‘part of’): [speec]H IN GE[rman] |
| 16 | MEANS |
Indicates an unpopular test (5)
Double definition A ‘means test’ is an investigation into someone’s financial situation, used to see whether that person rightly claims an allowance or concession. Not liked by the people involved. |
| 18 | KIDNAPPER |
Tease your Head – he might lock you away! (9)
KID (tease) + NAPPER ((your) head) |
| 20 | ALL ABOARD |
Everyone gets blasé, say, about a departure announcement (3,6)
{ALL (everyone) + BOARD (homophone (‘say’) of BORED (blasé)} around A |
| 23 | PLAIN |
Simple, undecorated yet homely flat (5)
Quadruple definition Although the first three are quite similar. |
| 24 | SERVANT |
Sancho Panza eg was not entirely eagle-eyed (7)
[ob]SERVANT (eagle-eyed, not entirely) The deletion of OB at the start being indicated by ‘not entirely’ I find somewhat unsatisfactory, not specific enough. |
| 25 | CHOLERA |
Puncture in dodgy car could prove fatal (7)
HOLE (puncture) in (CAR)* [* = dodgy] |
| 26 | SAN ANDREAS FAULT |
Deep split might cause the downfall of Hollywood (3,7,5)
Cryptic definition Not so very long ago we had this in a Guardian puzzle (Brummie, May 13), also clued by a cryptic definition. I remembered it immediately, hence a write-in. |
| Down | ||
| 1 | PAIR OF COMPASSES |
Two comparative dunces need careful handling in geometry lesson (4,2,9)
PAIR OF (two) + COMP (comparative) + ASSES (dunces) |
| 2 | YARDARM |
How it stands with the Sun said to determine drinking time (7)
Cryptic definition When ‘the sun is over the yardarm‘ it may be time to start drinking alcohol. It’s a saying, so therefore the inclusion of ‘said’ in the clue. |
| 3 | EPIDEMICS |
Long stories about single US politician – 25 could be one (9)
EPICS (long stories) around {I (single) + DEM (US politician, Democrat)} In the definition, 25 refers to clue 25ac (CHOLERA). |
| 4 | TASKS |
What’s on your to-do list? First of ten questions (5)
T[en] + ASKS (questions) |
| 5 | ENAMELLED |
Strange half-animal with needle-like teeth? (9)
([ani]MAL + NEEDLE)* [* = strange] This took a while to find and unravel! |
| 6 | ENROL |
Sailor nearly holds sign up the wrong way (5)
Hidden solution (‘holds’): [sai]LOR NE[arly] , then reversed (‘the wrong way’) to give ENROL Cleverly hidden solution. |
| 7 | VETERAN |
Old Tommy in TA, never in trouble (7)
(TA + NEVER)* [* = in trouble] |
| 8 | DISAPPEARING ACT |
Cat jumpy after running off – a Cheshire cat’s speciality (12,3)
(CAT)* after DISAPPEARING (running off) [* = jumpy] The one with the grin from Alice in Wonderland: Cheshire Cat. |
| 14 | TAKE AFTER |
Favour that owners may do vis- à-vis their pets (4,5)
Double definition Although both meanings are virtually the same: ‘to resemble’. |
| 15 | HEATPROOF |
Staying cool, he starts to attack the evidence (9)
HE + A[ttack] T[he] + PROOF (evidence) |
| 17 | AILERON |
I learn nothing about flight control (7)
(I + LEARN + O (nothing))* [* = about] |
| 19 | PLATEAU |
High 23 in China, perhaps, with gold (7)
PLATE (china, porcelain) + AU (gold) The definition is a ‘high plain (23ac)’ – and not specifically in China. |
| 21 | BRAIN |
Female support at home, located in 18 partly (5)
BRA (female support) + IN (at home) Another cross-reference, this time to ‘napper’, the head part in 18ac. |
| 22 | DACHA |
Russian retreat leads to defiant action confronting heavy artillery (5)
Starting letters (‘leads to’) of: D[efiant] A[ction] C[onfronting] H[eavy] A[rtillery]
|
Thanks Crux and Sil.
I had difficulty around the middle – with Committal, enamelled, take after and kidnapper holding me up confirming steel trap and getting aerated.
Steel trap was clearly the answer but my on-line dictionary refers only to the expression ‘mind like a steel trap’ rather than the device itself so I held back till there was no alternative.
I started 14dn with ‘look’ rather than ‘take’ after – wrong sort of ‘favour’ and a bit iffy either way.
Too many questions about Kidnapper for comfort. Nap for head is fine but I haven’t come across ‘napper’ before in that sense. Not sure what ‘your’ is doing there. And no idea why he might lock me away. There’s no chance of getting a ransom out of Mrs H!
Once I committed to 14 and 18 then 13 popped out – as did 5 which I rate as a very good clue.
So a little dissatisfied but an enjoyable puzzle all the same so thanks again.
Thanks Crux and Sil
Crux is fast becoming a favourite of the more gentle setters with this crossword almost teetering off the gentle edge into a harder place.
A lot to enjoy here, especially two of the long ones – 8d and 1a (interesting anagram which sent me down a couple of false tracks – PERCENT and DESERVED before finding no ‘S’), ENAMELLED (good subtraction anagram) and the well disguised hidden answer for ENROL which was my last one in.
NAPPER and PAIR OF COMPASS were both new terms.
Failed on 5d,6d & 10a.
Water =sea hmmm?
The free dictionary doesn’t mention enrol as being a sailor -where does no definition appear, please?
Bamberger #3 The definition in that case is sign up = enrol.
Who is sancho panza?
Oh and having gone back to look at my answers had 1d wrong and therefore 16a and 24a. Made my own answers up!!!! No wonder didn’t seem quite right. Especially 1d a pair of castaways!! Heho