Monday Prize Crossword/Dec 29
The last prize puzzle of 2014 and a very enjoyable one it was. Immaculately clued by a setter who still has to write a bad crossword. Idea for a New Year’s resolution? 🙂
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | PALTRY | Worthless mate shot (6) |
| PAL (mate) + TRY (shot) | ||
| 4 | ATRIUM | A union leader intruding on orderly chamber (6) |
| A + {U (union) inside TRIM (orderly)} | ||
| 8 | ALL TOLD | When everything adds up, end of story? (3,4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | BARKING | Man behind counter producing bananas (7) |
| BAR (counter) + KING (man, chess piece) | ||
| 11 | EXTINGUISH | Old misfiring gun, this I put out (10) |
| EX (old) + (GUN THIS I)* [* = misfiring] | ||
| 12 | LORE | Traditional wisdom somewhat mythical or esoteric (4) |
| Hidden solution (‘somewhat’): [mythica]L OR E[soteric] | ||
| 13 | SMELT | Fish carried an odour (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 14 | KHARTOUM | African capital where motors are buried, might you say? (8) |
| Homophone (‘might you say’) of: CAR TOMB (where motors are buried) | ||
| Khartoum is the capital of Sudan. | ||
| 16 | DAFFODIL | Bloomer rejecting topless commercial? (8) |
| Reversal (‘rejecting’) of: LID OFF (topless) + AD (commercial) | ||
| 18 | DUCAT | Canal harbours a coin of old (5) |
| DUCT (canal) around A | ||
| 20 | MEGA | Stone rolled over a mammoth (4) |
| MEG (reversal (‘rolled over’) of GEM (stone)) + A | ||
| 21 | COAT OF ARMS | Crest designed for a mascot (4,2,4) |
| (FOR A MASCOT)* [* = designed] | ||
| 23 | NYMPHET | Nabokov’s denial about measure of pace in Lolita (7) |
| NYET (Nabokov’s denial, the Russian word for ‘no’) around MPH (measure of pace) | ||
| Lolita (Nabokov, 1958) has become a general word for a sexually precocious young girl, a nymphet. | ||
| 24 | GEORGIA | State of the nation (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | EARNER | Sovereign bags composer, one working for money (6) |
| ER (sovereign) around ARNE (composer) | ||
| Thomas Arne of ‘Rule, Britannia’ fame. | ||
| 26 | SARNIE | Common snack has arisen in a stew (6) |
| (ARISEN)* [* = in a stew] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PHLOX | Plant groups of birds in sound (5) |
| Homophone (‘in sound’) of: FLOCKS (groups of birds) | ||
| 2 | LATRINE | On manoeuvres, I learnt there’s somewhere to go (7) |
| (I LEARNT)* [* = on manoeuvres] | ||
| For those who don’t know, a latrine is a lavatory in military barracks etc. | ||
| 3 | RELEGATED | Downgraded papal official welcomed by cardinal (9) |
| LEGATE (papal officer) inside RED (cardinal) | ||
| 5 | TRASH | Waste time on evidence of allergy (5) |
| T (time) + RASH (evidence of allergy) | ||
| 6 | INKBLOT | Tested stain on kilt dubious, bishop admitted (7) |
| (ON KILT)* around B (bishop) [* = dubious] | ||
| 7 | MINOR SUIT | Diamonds, say, one for the small claims court? (5,4) |
| Double definition, the second one more Cryptic | ||
| 10 | MILK FLOAT | Use launch for slow-moving vehicle (4,5) |
| MILK (use) + FLOAT (launch) | ||
| 13 | SPARE TYRE | Don’t attack Middle Eastern city, one getting booted? (5,4) |
| Please, SPARE (don’t attack) TYRE (Middle Eastern city) ! | ||
| 15 | ANDROMEDA | An ungulate wiping bottom twice for mythical princess (9) |
| AN + DROMEDA[r][y] (ungulate, twice cut at the end) | ||
| Andromeda was an Ethiopean princess, daughter of Cassiopeia. | ||
| 17 | FLAPPER | 1920s party girl – loose thing? (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | CHAGRIN | Man almost has to look pleased, showing displeasure (7) |
| CHA[p] (man, almost) + GRIN (to look pleased) | ||
| 21 | CRETE | Turkish leader invading native American island (5) |
| T[urkish] inside CREE (native American) | ||
| 22 | MAIZE | Puzzling thing to claim one is a grass (5) |
| MAZE (puzzling thing) around I (one) | ||
Thanks Mudd and Sil
More of a challenge than normal for the Monday Prize, but as you say Sil, from a compiler who consistently produces high quality and entertaining puzzles week in and week out.
The two clues for NYMPHET and RELEGATED are prime examples – their solid cryptic component together with a related surface reading and a commonly used word as a solution.
Having said that, NYMPHET was my last in after having messed up FLAPPER by originally writing in hoedown at 17d and not turning the O into a P clearly in my paper copy.
Looking forward to more from him in 2015.