Monday Prize Crossword/Feb 23, 2015
A puzzle from Crux somewhere between a Dac and a Dante/Rufus. Too many cryptic definitions to my taste today.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | STING IN THE TAIL |
Unpleasant ending as late-night sit-in breaks up (5,2,3,4)
(LATE NIGHT SIT IN)* [* = breaks up] |
| 10 | EVIAN |
Bring back simple springwater (5)
Reversal (‘bring back’) of: NAIVE (simple) I am not a great fan of having brand names as a solution in crosswords. However, I don’t mind using them at all as part of the construction. Others might think differently. |
| 11 | LEGWARMER |
Kind of hose that’s a foot short (9)
Cryptic definition |
| 12 | RHUBARB |
Possibly sweet mutterings in the theatre (7)
Double definition |
| 13 | SCOTTIE |
Dog that is seen tracking lost explorer (7)
IE (that is) coming after SCOTT (lost (?) explorer, Robert Scott (1868-1912)) |
| 14 | NEARS |
Listener, welcomed by Poles, gets closer (5)
EAR (listener) inside N,S (poles) |
| 16 | REHEARSES |
Takes part in foreplay? (9)
Cryptic definition |
| 19 | PAY TOILET |
You’d spend more than a penny here nowadays! (3,6)
Cryptic definition, punning on the expression ‘to spend a penny’ |
| 20 | EBONY |
Tree starts to exfoliate, being old not young (5)
Starting letters (‘starts to’) of: E[xfoliate] B[eing] O[ld] N[ot] Y[oung] |
| 22 | RECITED |
Strange creed requires it to be read allowed (7)
(CREED IT)* [* = strange] |
| 25 | ORBITAL |
Test includes section like the M25 (7)
ORAL (test) around BIT (section) |
| 27 | BILLOWING |
Account unpaid being affected by inflation (9)
BILL (account) + OWING (unpaid) |
| 28 | LLANO |
In S. America, plain students meet with a refusal! (5)
L,L (students) + A + NO (refusal) |
| 29 | ENFANT TERRIBLE |
A growing problem for Maman et Papa? (6,8)
Cryptic definition |
| Down | ||
| 2 | TRIBUTARY |
Secondary flower (9)
Cryptic definition |
| 3 | NINJA |
Assassin in Japan seen here (5)
Hidden solution (‘seen here’): [assassi]N IN JA[pan] The definition is probably meant to be the clue as a whole (but I wouldn’t call this an &lit). |
| 4 | ILLIBERAL |
In France he joins a party that’s narrow-minded (9)
IL (in France, he) + LIBERAL (a party) |
| 5 | TOGAS |
Time to reject starchy pudding when only these will fit! (5)
T (time) + OGAS (reversal (‘reject’) of SAGO (starchy pudding)) I’ve only underlined ‘these’ because it’s difficult to underline more than that, even if more should perhaps be underlined. The clue is probably meant to be a semi-&lit but I find the definition very vague/loose. |
| 6 | ELABORATE |
Polish can be complicated (9)
Double definition |
| 7 | ADMIT |
Grant daughter gets in a top university (5)
D (daughter) inside {A + MIT (top university)}
|
| 8 | LARGESS |
Generosity shown by Spanish leader to the audience (7)
Homophone (‘to the audience’) of: LARGE S (‘Spanish leader’, the first letter of ‘Spanish’ is a large S, isn’t it?) |
| 9 | TEHRAN |
The revolutionary fled the capital (6)
(THE)* + RAN (fled) [* = revolutionary] |
| 15 | SHOOT DOWN |
Sprout feathers to make a killing (5,4)
SHOOT (sprout) + DOWN (feathers) |
| 17 | HOTDOGGER |
Frankfurter, only half-German, who shows off in 23, say (9)
HOTDOG (frankfurter) + GER[man] The solution is a word for some kind of stuntman, mainly used in America (therefore ‘in 23, say’ (which is California, briefly)). |
| 18 | SHORTFALL |
Loss suffered by Humpty Dumpty (9)
Double / Cryptic definition Not sure that the Humpty Dumpty part works for me. True, Humpty Dumpty was short and he fell. But the nursery rhyme talks about a ‘great fall’. |
| 19 | PARABLE |
Competent (though sub-standard!) scripture lesson (7)
ABLE (competent) placed under (‘sub’) PAR (standard) |
| 21 | YELLOW |
Chicken-hearted or egg-hearted perhaps (6)
Double definition Simple but actually quite nice. |
| 23 | CALIF |
Western state briefly with eastern ruler (5)
CALIF[ornia] (Western state, briefly) |
| 24 | DRIFT |
Democrat split leads to state of indecision (5)
D (Democrat) + RIFT (split) A typo in the published clue (which wasn’t too much of a problem). |
| 26 | BALTI |
Hot spicy dish from the sea, not cold (5)
BALTIC ((the) sea) minus C (cold) |
Thanks Crux and Sil
This didn’t feel at all easy as I was doing it, but the clock said that it was finished at the quicker end for me. There were a lot of cryptic definitions – but found REHEARSES quite amusing !
Liked the linked 17 & 23 where the HOTDOGGER is a surfer who performs skilled tricks on the waves – unfortunately down this way those tricks have included dodging great white sharks!!
M25 as the London Orbital motorway was new to me.
ENFANT TERRIBLE was my last in after spending a bit of time trying to find the anagram of ‘for Maman et Papa’ for a while.