Monday Prize Crossword / Jul 11, 2016
Dante left most of his cryptic definitions at home, instead overloaded us with anagrams.
Generally, easier than usual. But I was (almost) defeated by two clues (6d and 27ac).
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BLACKLISTING | Banning tipping on jet (12) |
| BLACK (jet) + LISTING (tipping) | ||
| 10 | ORGANIC | Vital change in cargo (7) |
| (IN CARGO)* [* = change (in)] | ||
| 11 | NOISOME | Offensive rumour about retired doctor (7) |
| NOISE (rumour) around a reversal [retired] of MO (doctor) | ||
| 12 | THEIR | The one to the right of them (5) |
| THE + I (one) + R ((the) right) Typical Dante clue which I liked. Effortless and smooth. |
||
| 13 | ASUNCION | Capital city that could become an US icon (8) |
| (AN US ICON)* [* = could become] The capital of Paraguay. |
||
| 15 | EAST ENDERS | Long-running TV programme possibly needs a rest (4,6) |
| (NEEDS A REST)* [* = possibly] I am pretty sure that I have seen this anagram before. That said, a nice one. |
||
| 16 | EDIT | Press boss has no alternative but to revise (4) |
I guess that’s the idea behind IT? No it’s not. See comments 1 and 2. It’s simply EDITOR (press boss) minus OR (alternative). I should have seen that but I didn’t, I’m afraid. |
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| 18 | TO A T | Precisely where a driver is heading, say (2,1,1) |
| The driver is perhaps heading towards a T-crossing While, in my opinion, this explanation works well enough, JohnH’s idea @3 is a lot better. Golf is not my forte but, indeed, Dante surely meant ‘a driver heading to a tee’. My first one in, immediately clear from the enumeration. |
||
| 20 | FLASHLIGHT | Torch provides illumination for a photographer (10) |
| Double definition | ||
| 22 | ORGANIST | Player given an awful roasting (8) |
| (ROASTING)* [* = awful] | ||
| 24 | TOTEM | Image to carry on the first of March (5) |
| TOTE ((to) carry) + M[arch] | ||
| 26 | ITEMISE | I seem somehow to follow it in detail (7) |
| (I SEEM)* following IT [* = somehow] | ||
| 27 | CRAMPON | The climber’s sole aid (7) |
| Cryptic definition I got the idea straightaway but being unfamiliar with this word I had to look it up. My last one in. |
||
| 28 | TWENTY-TWENTY | High in visual acuity scores (6-6) |
| TWENTY (a score) + TWENTY (another one), thus together being ‘scores’ Normal eyesight. |
||
| Down | ||
| 2 | LEGLESS | Drunk as a snake? (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 3 | CANARIES | Is able to sign for Norwich City FC (8) |
| CAN (is able) + ARIES (sign) The nickname for the players of this club (as they play in yellow and green). They were relegated from the Premier League ‘thanks to’ Sunderland. That club was actually the theme of yesterday’s Independent crossword. A puzzle written by Hoskins who is not really interested in football and lives in, er, Norwich! |
||
| 4 | LACE | Student, one with a tie (4) |
| L (student) + ACE (one) | ||
| 5 | SONGSTRESS | Singer has tension after her work (10) |
| STRESS (tension) following SONG (her, i.e. the singer’s, work) | ||
| 6 | IXION | Nine get half ration – yet he got revolutionary punishment (5) |
| IX (nine) + [rat]ION The solution was clearly clued and having the crossing letters, it couldn’t be anything else. Oxford: “A king punished by Zeus for attempting to seduce Hera by being pinned to a fiery wheel that revolved unceasingly through the underworld”. |
||
| 7 | GLORIED | Rejoiced in godlier fashion (7) |
| (GODLIER)* [* = fashion] | ||
| 8 | DON’T MENTION IT | Keep it secret? Not at all! (4,7,2) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | REINSTATEMENT | Coming back into office to check report (13) |
| REIN (check) + STATEMENT (report) | ||
| 14 | ADOLESCENT | A colt needs schooling as a youngster (10) |
| (A COLT NEEDS)* [* = schooling] | ||
| 17 | FLAT RACE | Its promoters will raise no obstacles of course (4,4) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 19 | AUGMENT | Increase gun team in action (7) |
| (GUN TEAM)* [* = in action] | ||
| 21 | GO TO POT | Attempt to pocket a ball, but lose one’s nerve (2,2,3) |
| GO (attempt) + TO + POT (pocket a ball, in snooker) | ||
| 23 | NAIVE | Cultivating a vine is simple (5) |
| (A VINE)* [* = cultivating] | ||
| 25 | SCOT | Tax man north of the Tweed (4) |
| Double definition | ||
*anagram
Thanks Sil and Dante.
I thought that 16 was even simpler than your parsing Sil. I read it as just EDITOR without the OR (alternative) and so marked it as my least favourite clue.
I too had to look up IXION and his perpetual punishment.
THEIR was, as you say, simply elegant.
8 dn was typically Dantean but still my last in.
And no curved balls this time.
Thanks again.
Thanks Dante and Sil
A straightforward start to last week’s puzzles.
I read 16ac as EDITOR without OR (an alternative).
I thought 18a was referring to golf, the driver heading towards a tee.
Thanks
Thanks Dante and Sil
At 13 minutes, by far my quickest cryptic crossword solve. Play golf, knew of that Greek myth (they were pretty inventive with some of their punishments – those chief of gods !) and heard of CRAMPONS on the bottom of boots for climbing so wasn’t held up by any of the ‘tougher’ ones.
Sometimes it’s good to have a quickie … this one was.