An enjoyable dip into the week’s cryptic waters from Quiptic regular Provis.
Not without its head-scratching moments, mind you, at least for this solver, but not too much damage done to the scalp.
I particularly enjoyed the language used by Monsieur Dupont 🙂
| Across | ||
| 1 | STAMPED |
Put foot down to impress editor (7)
STAMP (to impress) ED (editor) |
| 5 | INFIDEL |
He doesn’t believe in organised life to accommodate daughter (7)
IN (in) plus an anagram (organised) of LIFE containing (to accommodate) D (daughter) |
| 9 | RADIO |
Right fuss about start of interference on the wireless (5)
R (right) ADO (fuss) containing (about) I (start, i.e. first letter, of interference). I can’t account for the ‘on’ here |
| 10 | EXTRINSIC |
Foreign extremists reduced by 60% in western half of Sicily (9)
EXTR (extremists reduced by 60%, i.e. losing six letters) IN (in) SIC (western half, i.e. left-hand half, of Sicily) |
| 11 | PERFORMERS |
They put on an act, according to ex-head of state (10)
PER (according to) FORMER (ex) S (head, i.e. first letter, of state) |
| 12 | URDU |
Language of Monsieur Dupont (4)
An answer hidden in (of) MonsieUR DUpont |
| 14 | RESPECTABLE |
Proper to place berets askew (11)
Anagram (askew) of PLACE BERETS. I can’t account for the ‘to’ here |
| 18 | INDEPENDENT |
Free newspaper (11)
A double definition. Free = INDEPENDENT. Newspaper = INDEPENDENT |
| 21 | IDOL |
In retrospect, see princess as someone to worship (4)
A reversal (in retrospect) of LO (see) and DI (princess) |
| 22 | DICTIONARY |
Find meaning in this way of speaking a line (10)
DICTION (way of speaking) A (a) RY (line, abbreviation for railway) |
| 25 | HEALTHIER |
More wholesome cure by Doctor Reith (9)
HEAL (cure) next to (by) an anagram (doctor) of REITH |
| 26 | AVAIL |
Profit is something to conceal, we are told (5)
I had to go to the thesaurus for this one. It’s a homophone (we are told) of A VEIL (something to conceal) |
| 27 | STEEPLE |
Difficult to climb the French tower (7)
STEEP (difficult to climb) LE (the French) |
| 28 | WAYWARD |
Perverse means to attract backing (7)
WAY (means) followed by a reversal (backing) of DRAW (to attract) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SCRAPE |
Get rid of earth from a graze (6)
A double definition. Get rid of earth from = SCRAPE. A graze = SCRAPE |
| 2 | ADDERS |
Dreads lousy summers? (6)
An anagram (lousy) of DREADS |
| 3 | PHOTOGRAPH |
Old slang being resurrected among locals in print (10)
I failed on this. It’s O (old) plus a reversal (being resurrected) of ARGOT (slang) contained in (among) PH PH (locals, i.e. two pubs). Not entirely sure about ‘resurrect’ as a reversal indicator. I imagine it has to be read as ‘raise’. |
| 4 | DREAM |
King had this vision (5)
The King here is Martin Luther King, the reference being to his ‘I have a dream’ speech |
| 5 | INTERFERE |
Meddle in their offer regularly without hesitation (9)
IN (in) then every odd letter (regularly) of ThEiR oFfEr containing (without) ER (hesitation) |
| 6 | FAIL |
Be unsuccessful in fighting against insurgency leaders, initially (4)
The first letters (initially) of Fighting Against Insurgency Leaders |
| 7 | DESCRIBE |
Give details of closure of watercress bed in river (8)
S (closure, i.e. last letter of, watercress) CRIB (bed) contained in (in) DEE (river) |
| 8 | LECTURER |
Teacher shows first sign of resentment after reprimand (8)
R (first sign, i.e. first letter, of resentment) following (after) LECTURE (reprimand) |
| 13 | STATIONARY |
Still, try it on as a change! (10)
An anagram (change) of TRY IT ON AS A |
| 15 | SENSITIVE |
Easily upset, it is even beginning to snow afresh (9)
An anagram (afresh) of IT IS EVEN S (beginning to, i.e. first letter of, snow) |
| 16 | FINISHES |
In the end, she stops (8)
SHE (she) contained in (in) FINIS (the end) |
| 17 | ADVOCATE |
Recommend liqueur after losing a point (8)
ADVOCAAT (liqueur) minus an A (after losing a) E (a point, i.e. of the compass) |
| 19 | BANANA |
Fruit is not available after a prohibition begins (6)
NA (not available) after (after) A, all following (begins) BAN (prohibition) |
| 20 | CYCLED |
Went round Germany by bike? (6)
D (Germany, IVR code) next to (by) CYCLE (bike) |
| 23 | THROW |
Could be worth a go (5)
An anagram (could be) of WORTH |
| 24 | STOP |
Refrain from raising large amounts (4)
A reversal (raising) of POTS (large amounts) |
Thanks Provis and nms
Very enjoyable, but rather hard for a Quiptic, I thought. PHOTOGRAPH and DREAM were particularly obscure (though I was pleased to get and parse both!)
Thanks, newmarketsausage, for the blog and Provis for the puzzle.
An enjoyable solve, at just the right level – perhaps 3dn is a bit tough for a Quiptic but I’ve no problem with ‘resurrected’ as an indicator.
I read 1dn as SCRAP [get rid of] + E [earth].
Thanks both. Lots to like here. I had no problem with “ressurrect”, particularly as it is a down clue. My only gripe is that 10a is a bit messy for me
Thanks to Provis and newmarketsausage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and having a few challenges in a Quiptic keeps me humble. PHOTOGRAPH and EXTRINSIC were my favourites, perhaps because they gave my grey cells a work out.
I read 1dn the same as Eileen @2.
I enjoyed this, though I agree that it may be a little too testing for the Quiptic slot. I also agree with Shirl @3 that the clue for EXTRINSIC is a bit clumsy. My favourites are and PHOTOGRAPH.
Thanks to Provis and newmarketsausage.
jennyk @5
Oops … I’m not sure how I managed to lose a word. That should have read “My favourites are DICTIONARY and PHOTOGRAPH.”
Question on 3 down. How does PH PH mean two locals? I know a local is a pub.
Thanks!
Hello Mary Jo.
PH is the abbreviation for public house (pub). It’s often seen on maps.
So if PH is [one] local, PH PH is [two] locals.
I managed to finish this although couldn’t parse dictionary, photograph, dream and advocate – thanks newmarketsausage for explaining how these work. Definitely at the upper limits of my abilities, but that made it all the more enjoyable.
A question for the more advanced solvers here – is it ‘acceptable’ to use dictionaries and thesauruses? I had to for a few of the clues…
matrixmania @9
No question that dictionaries are fine to use. One of the beauties of doing crosswords is finding out new words, for which a dictionary is essential. Chambers is recommended by most crosswords, though some solvers prefer Collins.
There is more difference of opinion about whether electronic aids, word searches etc. are valid. I do use them, but I know that others think that they are cheating.
I agree with muffin @10. I use a variety of aids (dictionaries, google, a word finder), but only as a last resort when I’m completely stuck. If it was a competition, it might be cheating, depending on the rules. It isn’t, though, unless you want to enter the Prize puzzle contest. If you are just solving for your own enjoyment and edification, you can set rules for yourself or just solve them in whatever way works best for you.
I often use the Oxford or Collins online thesauruses, or the Chambers Crossword Dictionary.
The important thing for me is to understand the cryptic structure of the clue. If I’ve got that right, but can’t bring the appropriate synonym to mind, I’ll look it up.
I also use an anagram solver. Again, the important thing for me is to recognise that an anagram is required and to identify the anagram fodder. If I can’t work out the answer within a reasonable length of time, I’m quite happy to stick the fodder into the anagram solver.
I think of a word completer as the nuclear option.
@newmarketsausage: Thank you very much!