Monday Prize Crossword / Apr 25, 2016
A crossword in which Dante lived up to his reputation as a setter relying on cryptic and double definitions.
Most of these were not really my cup of tea.
With the one exception (8d, SAME HERE) which was just sheer brilliance.
Well, in my opinion, that is.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | EVICTION | Expulsion for getting into vice criminally (8) |
| (INTO VICE)* [* = criminally] | ||
| 5 | ASSETS | Capital for a ship holding company (6) |
| A + SS (ship) around SET (company) | ||
| 10 | BLOCK | Obstruction in a built-up area (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 11 | AD NAUSEAM | Using Latin to an offensive extent (2,7) |
| (Not so) Cryptic definition | ||
| 12 | ENCHILADA | Prepared a Chile and Mexican dish (9) |
| (A CHILE AND)* [* = prepared] | ||
| 13 | DITCH | The last place to fight (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 14 | MOROSE | Sad as the Walrus, swallowing first of the oysters? (6) |
| MORSE (the walrus) around O[ysters] | ||
| 15 | TANGIER | More tasteful port? (7) |
| Double definition Tangier is a port in Morocco. |
||
| 18 | ABSOLVE | Sailors love to be free – so acquit (7) |
| ABS (sailors) + (LOVE)* [* = to be free] | ||
| 20 | AGE-OLD | A ruined lodge that’s been around for centuries (3-3) |
| A + (LODGE)* [* = ruined] | ||
| 22 | EXTRA | Run a special edition (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 24 | ADULTHOOD | Majority status (9) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 25 | AGAMEMNON | Special among men, a legendary Greek hero (9) |
| (AMONG MEN A)* [* special] | ||
| 26 | EATEN | Where some pupils go, say, having been fed? (5) |
| Homophone, indicated by ‘say’, of: ETON (where some pupils go) | ||
| 27 | ENTITY | Body essence (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | SEXTANTS | Employed by navigators remaining aboard (8) |
| EXTANT (remaining) inside SS (aboard) The definition is really in the wrong part of speech. Some may find it defendable, I don’t like it. |
||
| Down | ||
| 1 | EMBLEM | In a gem, blemishes affect the standard (6) |
| Hidden solution, indicated by just ‘in’: [g]EM BLEM[ishes] | ||
| 2 | IRON CROSS | Award for Brand X (4,5) |
| IRON (brand) + CROSS (X) | ||
| 3 | TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT | Fancy Kate over Letitia? It’s Hobson’s choice (4,2,2,5,2) |
| (KATE OVER LETITIA)* [* = fancy] | ||
| 4 | OF AN AGE | Having so many years belonging to a particular generation? (2,2,3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | SOUND INVESTMENT | Money well spent on hearing aids? (5,10) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 7 | ERECT | Not having a list to put up (5) |
| Definition plus a cryptic extension | ||
| 8 | SAME HERE | Like this place? Me too! (4,4) |
| Double definition There were quite a few things I didn’t like in this puzzle. However, I thought this was a marvellous clue. |
||
| 9 | INFANT | First-class student? (6) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 16 | ILL-GOTTEN | “Wages of Sin” – an unusually long title (3-6) |
| (LONG TITLE)* [* = unusually] Poor definition, in my opinion. |
||
| 17 | NAMESAKE | One having the same calling (8) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 19 | ELAINE | In the wrong lane, that’s where to see this woman (6) |
| (LANE + IE (that’s, id est))* [* =wrong] For a while, I thought this to be a faulty clue. Also because I unjustly saw the solution as an anagram of IN and LANE. It is, of course, an anagram of LANE and IE as Hamish pointed out in comment @1. |
||
| 20 | ALUMNAE | Female pupils of the past (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 21 | ADONIS | The handsome youth said no, unfortunately (6) |
| (SAID NO)* [* =unfortunately] | ||
| 23 | TOAST | Brown bread for good health (5) |
| Double definition | ||
*anagram
Thanks Dante ans Sil.
19dn is actually an anagram of LANE and IE (that’s) which to my mind made it even poorer. Elsewhere ENTITY and ALUMNAE were barely cryptic.
As so often with this setter, I got caught out by the curved ball at 12ac – I confidently entered DEATH instead of DITCH – until ERECT made me face facts.
It’s strange how some of Dante’s clues can illicit opposite responses. Personally I thought SAME HERE was weak but ILL-GOTTEN was very clever.
So the normal Dante mixed bag. Enjoyed it all the same so thanks again.
Thanks Dante and Sil
Found this puzzle a little more difficult than normal from Dante when I did it earlier this week – needed an easier one after trawling through some harder ones over the weekend – and not sure that I got it one as straightforward as I was expecting here. Have seen both AGAMEMNON and ADONIS surfacing across different puzzles of recent times.
Like Sil, I thought that SAME HERE was excellent – just a silky smooth surface with an economy of words and a chuckle when it went in. Didn’t mind ELAINE – it was quite clear what he was getting at with it, although from a purist perspective it is maybe not quite kosher. ILL-GOTTEN was the one that probably grated the most … it just didn’t seem to be defined quite right.
Still, overall, it was quite entertaining and enabled me to keep the numbers up after the spate of hardies. Finished in the SW corner with AGAMEMNON (even though it had done the rounds), ENTITY and NAMESAKE as the last one in.
Surely the wages of sin are ill-gotten gains.
Thanks, Hamish, for putting me right re 19d (ELAINE).
Don’t know why/how I missed that.
Now corrected (and to avoid too much wordiness I deleted most of my original comment).
Hi Hamish
That’s the point, they are ILL-GOTTEN GAINS – not ILL-GOTTEN. It’s no big deal but it just didn’t sit quite right at the time.
I agree with everyone — just a bit tame
Thought lots of te supposed cryptics were awful!! My last one in was same here, suddenly came to me in the middle of dinner. Thanks all.
The wrong part of speech clue 12 prepared, verb, answer “enchilada” noun; ditto clue 20,noun, answer, “age old” adjective. 24 across “majority status” clue, answer “ adulthood” is a hell of a stretch, I.e. clue implies math where answer is life stage.