Monday Prize Crossword / Jan 18, 2016
Now that was initially a shocker. A grid that didn’t fit the enumerations of the clues. I tried to find a suitable grid but what I meanwhile didn’t see was that the clues were exactly the same as in the previous Dante (15,140 – 4 Jan 2016)). Fortunately, the FT changed the clues appropriately within a day, avoiding another Carte Rosee …..
While I was going through Fifteensquared’s archive looking for a grid that would work, I came across a Dante Prize Crossword from 27 Aug 2015 which was the same as the puzzle published on 4 Jan 2016. In my preamble then I mentioned a ‘deja vu’ feeling. Apparently, rightly so. Only, the ‘Liegemen’ clue was correct in the old version!
Anyway, the crossword ‘today’ I found somewhat uncharacteristic at first, slightly harder than usual too.
However, when I had a second go, that feeling was gone.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ALBUMS | They are bound to hold different views, for instance (6) |
| Cryptic definition Photo albums, I guess. |
||
| 4 | ACROSTIC | A verse that’s initially puzzling (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 9 | SWAYED | Influenced kid when speaking (6) |
| Homophone, indicated by ‘when speaking’, of: SUEDE (kid, ie leather) | ||
| 10 | ENDOWING | Willing to finish in debt (8) |
| END ((to) finish) + OWING (in debt) | ||
| 12 | ROSE | Stood up for a lady (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | TRUTH | Sincerity, as a matter of fact (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | AVON | New star makes a comeback at Stratford (4) |
| Reversal, indicated by ‘makes a comeback’, of NOVA (new star) I cannot say that I like the definition very much but the solution was clear enough. |
||
| 17 | SHIP’S MASTERS | Captains confused by mishap and stress (5,7) |
| (MISHAP + STRESS)* [* = confused by … and …] | ||
| 20 | FIDDLESTICKS | Rubbish played on violins (12) |
| Double / Cryptic definition | ||
| 23 | EDDY | The boy’s in a whirl (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 24 | KNOCK | Criticise the effect of a loose bearing (5) |
| Double / Cryptic definition? Actually, I don’t get the second part of the clue. Any help will therefore be welcome. Thanks for explaining this, mike04 @ 1. |
||
| 25 | ABBA | Sailor goes to and fro to see famous pop group (4) |
| AB (sailor) + BA (the same sailor, going the other way around) | ||
| 28 | GAINSAID | Profit declared – but disputed (8) |
| GAIN (profit) + SAID (declared) | ||
| 29 | VANDAL | Destructive youngster is sent back on vehicle (6) |
| VAN (vehicle) + DAL (reversal, indicated by ‘is sent back’, of LAD (youngster)) | ||
| 30 | ESTRANGE | Sergeant set out to part friends (8) |
| (SERGEANT)* [* = set out] | ||
| 31 | STAYED | Remained sober, we hear (6) |
| Homophone, indicated by ‘we hear’, of: STAID (sober) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ABSTRUSE | Hard to fathom why corruption engulfed good man and king (8) |
| ABUSE (corruption) around {ST (good man, Saint) + R (king, Rex)} | ||
| 2 | BEARSKIN | Carries family headgear (8) |
| BEARS (carries) + KIN (family) | ||
| 3 | MEET | Encounter a group of hunters (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | CONSTITUENCY | What an MP stands for (12) |
| (Not so) Cryptic definition | ||
| 6 | OBOE | Orchestral piece initially written on back of envelope (4) |
| Starting letters, indicated by ‘initially written’, of: O[n] B[ack] O[f] E[nvelope] | ||
| 7 | THIEVE | Take things the wrong way and drunkenly hit girl (6) |
| (HIT)* + EVE (girl) [* = drunkenly] | ||
| 8 | COGENT | Firm takes on man well-spoken and persuasive (6) |
| CO (firm, Company) + GENT (man) | ||
| 11 | BREAK-DANCING | There’s possible danger back in this 80s form of gymnastics (5- 7) |
| (DANGER BACK IN)* [* = possible] | ||
| 15 | ASTIR | Bustling atmosphere around the street (5) |
| AIR (atmosphere) around ST ((the) street) | ||
| 16 | CRATE | A case of a treacherous person entering the church (5) |
| RAT (treacherous person) inside CE (the church) | ||
| 18 | ACT BADLY | Ham in a roll, it’s said (3,5) |
| Cryptic definition with a homophone involved ‘Ham’ being a bad actor, someone playing ‘a role’. |
||
| 19 | ASSAILED | Said sale is fixed and charged (8) |
| (SAID SALE)* [* = fixed] | ||
| 21 | LEAGUE | Clubs competing over three miles (6) |
| Double definition A ‘league’ can be a nautical measure (3.456 miles). If that’s the one Dante means, we can see ‘over’ as part of the definition. There are other (old) measures of length called ‘league’ (varying from 1.4 to 4.2 miles). If Dante means such a measure of distance (by land), which is usually about 3 miles, then ‘over’ should perhaps not be included in the definition. |
||
| 22 | ADRIFT | Having a meaning, but not having a purpose (6) |
| A + DRIFT (meaning) | ||
| 26 | ASIA | A unit in the Salvation Army East of Suez (4) |
| A + {I (unit, one or 1) inside SA (Salvation Army)} | ||
| 27 | PACT | Say one is ready to move in agreement (4) |
| Homophone, indicated by ‘say’ of: PACKED (ready to move) I don’t think the use of ‘one is’ is appropriate here. |
||
*anagram
Thanks Sil.
24ac: A knock is the sound of knocking in an engine.
I think it’s often caused by a loose bearing.
Thanks Sil and Dante.
This seemed tougher than Dante’s usual fare but on reflection I think it’s just that I’ve missed his style – the usual combination of iffy double definitions and quite a few “is that it?” moments.
However, there’s always the odd curved ball to keep one interested and a new word for me – ACROSTIC.
Mike04 has already explained the Engine Knock in 24ac.
I’m actually with Dante on 27dn. The saying is ‘I’m packed and ready to move/go’ so I think that the “one is” does add to the surface.
Thanks Dante and Sil
For some reason I found this not only tougher than usual for Dante, but one of the hardest puzzles that I have done by Roger Squires anywhere. I had initially entered at least 4-5 wrong answers including coming here with an incorrect ALLOWING, even after the N crosser went in at 10a. 🙁
I disagree that there was anything dodgy with the clues in the puzzle – when one looked back at the finished solutions, there was no ambiguity with any of them.
The last few in were SHIPS MASTERS (a deceptively hard anagram – not made any easier by having a C from ABSTRACT at 1d), BREAK DANCING (a well concealed and very clever anagram) and KNOCK (which I had originally entered SLATE and then had to change after the N crosser from 11d and which led to having to change CONSTITUENTS to CONSTITUENCY after that).
Like I said, I found this very hard going !
Thanks Dante and Sil – I also had a ‘deja vu’ feeling with this puzzle; the exact same clue/answer for 1D appeared from the same setter in Rufus # 26,777 in the January 11 Guardian (9A). Some of the other clues/answers seemed familiar too (e.g. bearskin) but that may just be a cryptic ‘old chestnut’.