Monday prize Crossword / Jun 20, 2016
In a Rufus-free Guardian week the ideal opportunity to still get a glimpse of our beloved setter.
The previous Dante puzzle I found both easy and somewhat sloppy.
This one was fine, although it had some words I’d never heard of (UPAS, CONNIVE, to name two).
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | WORKING PARTY | Study group combining business with pleasure (7,5) |
| WORKING (business) + PARTY (pleasure) Others may see this as a cryptic definition. |
||
| 10 | EVIDENT | It’s obvious I’ve been set back by depression (7) |
| Reversal [set back] of I’VE + DENT (depression) | ||
| 11 | ENDORSE | Second at the finish, terribly sore (7) |
| END ((the) finish) + (SORE)* [* = terribly] | ||
| 12 | THORN | The point of growing roses (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 13 | ASPIRATE | Begins hunting like a sea-wolf (8) |
| AS (like) PIRATE (a sea-wolf) ‘Hunting’ begins with an H, its sound (when pronounced) is technically called ‘aspirate’. |
||
| 15 | ASSESSMENT | Inspectors’ appraisal fools people, in a way (10) |
| ASSES (fools) + {MEN (people) inside ST (a way, street)} | ||
| 16 | MEGA | Big game shot (4) |
| (GAME)* [* = shot] How economical can a clue be? |
||
| 18 | UPAS | Tree that grows up to a point (4) |
| UP + A + S (point, South) I’d never heard of this tree but Dante clued it very user-friendly. Dictionaries tell me that its sap is used as poison. |
||
| 20 | BEFRIENDED | Wrongly briefed about the finish but made allies (10) |
| (BRIEFED)* around END ((the) finish, again!) [* = wrongly] | ||
| 22 | IN THE AIR | Flying is not yet fully developed (2,3,3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 24 | ACCRA | Capital required to get a new car on account (5) |
| AC (account) + (CAR)* [* = new] The capital of Ghana. |
||
| 26 | ELEVATE | Eve late, may get a lift (7) |
| (EVE LATE)* [* = may get ….] I don’t like that little word ‘a’ here. I know it’s there for the surface, but still. |
||
| 27 | CONNIVE | Scheme to get a pub returned in the bay (7) |
| Reversal [returned] of INN (a pub) inside COVE ((the) bay) | ||
| 28 | STOUT-HEARTED | Upset due to threats, but resolute (5-7) |
| (DUE TO THREATS)* [* = upset] | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | OMINOUS | Threatening ring with MI intelligence (7) |
| O (ring) + MI + NOUS (intelligence) | ||
| 3 | KEENNESS | The clever head raises enthusiasm (8) |
| KEEN (clever) + NESS (head) No idea why Dante uses ‘The’ here. One could easily do without. |
||
| 4 | NOTE | Writing up of school register (4) |
| Reversal [writing up] of ETON (school) | ||
| 5 | PLEASANTRY | Joke appeals to a worker on the railway (10) |
| PLEAS (appeals) + ANT (a worker) + RY (railway) | ||
| 6 | RADII | Bones set in a circle (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 7 | YARDAGE | Charge for use of a pen (7) |
| Cryptic definition One meaning of ‘yardage’ is ‘the charge made for the use of a yard’. Yard in the sense of an enclosure. |
||
| 8 | WEST HAM UNITED | The new stadium being constructed for Premier League club (4,3,6) |
| (THE NEW STADIUM)* [* = being constructed] Yes, it is a stunning anagram but I have seen it now so many times that it almost belongs in the orchestra/carthorse category. I’m curious to know who was the first setter that came up with it. |
||
| 9 | GENERAL DEALER | Isn’t he particular what he sells? (7,6) |
| Cryptic definition Not the strongest of the set. |
||
| 14 | IMPEDIMENT | I’m in prison without money, it’s a burden (10) |
| I’M PENT (I’m in prison) around [without] DIME (money) | ||
| 17 | RETAINER | Retire an eccentric old family servant (8) |
| (RETIRE AN)* [* = eccentric] | ||
| 19 | ANTHEMS | Articles on writing music (7) |
| AN, THE (articles) + MS (writing) | ||
| 21 | DECEIVE | Take in, but not in an accommodating way (7) |
| Definition plus an indication in which direction to look (or not to look) for the right meaning of ‘take in’. | ||
| 23 | ERATO | Uplifting holy books are an inspiration to poets (5) |
| OT (holy books) + ARE, all reversed [uplifting] Erato must have been clued in 837 ways. Credits to Dante to come up with something new. |
||
| 25 | ACNE | Teenage trouble spots? (4) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
*anagram
Thanks Sil and Dante.
I agree that 9dn was a bit weak, and ‘a’ in 26 and ‘the’ in 3 were a bit superfluous but on the whole this was Dante at close to his best with quite a good variety of styles and not too many CDs and DDs. I actually felt confident enough to write them all in as they came without having to wait for all the crossers.
I’ve seen UPAS quite recently in a puzzle so even that went straight in.
ASPIRATE was my favourite even though I’m sure I’ve seen something similar quite recently.
Thanks Dante and Sil
Did this one last weekend and remember it being one of this setter’s more enjoyable and a tiny tad harder than normal.
UPAS has been around crossword land for many many years – maybe it has been focused in Aussie ones – but the arrow poison from this Indonesian tree first surfaced in the 70’s for me and was my third in !
Whereas I’ve only seen the WEST HAM clue a couple of times before and which strangely enough was my last one in – so obviously didn’t remember it all that well! No other real stand outs one way or the other.
By the way, Sil, there is a slight typo with your answer to 17d.
For 1a I had concert party which mucked up any chance of 3d & 4d . That left 13a where not knowing sea wolf =pirate did not help.
Connive was well known to me.