Another quality puzzle from Monk, a bit more accessible than his usual fare I thought (though still not easy!). Thanks Monk
Monk puzzles always contain some sort of hidden message but yet again I can’t see what it is. Please try for yourself…
| Across | ||
| 1 | TACIT |
Silent one taken into consideration (5)
I (one) in TACT (consideration) |
| 4 | ARCHANGEL |
Divine messenger in a shift held by both hands (9)
A then CHANGE (shift) inside (held by) R and L (both hands) |
| 9 | AGAMEMNON |
Begin play about heartless man pursuing a classical king (9)
GAME ON (begin play) containing (about) MaN (heartless) all following A |
| 10 | SYNOD |
Fellows about to cover opening of York Assembly (5)
DONS (fellows) reversed (about) contain (to cover) York (opening letter of) |
| 11 | SISTER |
One employed to oversee tenders (6)
cryptic definition – one who oversees people who nurse (tend) |
| 12 | MISRULED |
As vulnerable people may be hoodwinked about sport (8)
MISLED (hoodwinked) containing (about) RU (sport) |
| 14 | PRAYER SHAWLS |
Sharp lawyers prepared items for petition (6,6)
(SHARP LAWYERS)* anagram=prepared – to petition is to pray |
| 17 | ESSENTIAL OIL |
Must gorilla regularly produce something smelly? (9,3)
ESSENTIAL (MUST) then gOrIlLa (every other letter, regular selection) |
| 20 | SOUL MATE |
One who’s very close to us males, mostly moving (4,4)
anagram (moving) of TO US and MALEs (mostly) |
| 21 | FRIEND |
Run into one consumed by hate? The complete opposite (6)
R (run) inside FIEND (one consumed by hate) |
| 23 | AMOUR |
Fling last bit of letter from mail, say (5)
R (last bit of letteR) missing from ArMOUR (mail, say) |
| 24 | STILL-LIFE |
Image portrayed by even one long sentence (5-4)
STILL (even) with LIFE (one long sentence, in gaol) |
| 25 | DISMISSED |
Small girl having entered popped off out (9)
S (small) MISS (girl) inside (having entered) DIED (popped off) |
| 26 | SKEIN |
Hank Williams finally getting school punishment in report? (5)
willianS (final letter of) getting KEIN sounds like (in report) “cane” (school punishment) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | TRANSEPT |
Section of church wants new agency to be set up before one month (8)
N (new) ART (agency, means of acheivement) reversed (to be set up) then (before) SEPT (one month) |
| 2 | CLASS WAR |
Conservative girl exposed rising social struggle (5,3)
C (Conservative) LASS (girl) RAW (exposed) reversed (rising) |
| 3 | THE SEVEN SAMURAI |
Still, succeeded to stop amateurish perverted film (3,5,7)
EVEN (still) S (succeeded) inside (to stop, like a cork) AMATEURISH* anagram=perverted |
| 4 | ARNO |
Flower revealed by fairly green unknown botanist in seconds (4)
second letters of (in seconds) fAirly gReen uNknown bOtanist – a river in Italy, something that flows |
| 5 | CONFIDANTE |
Trust her to finance new housing for daughter (10)
(TO FINANCE)* anagram=new contains (housing for) D (daughter) |
| 6 | AUSTRALIAN RULES |
For some, football trials near usual ground (10,5)
(TRIALS NEAR USUAL)* anagram=ground |
| 7 | GENTLE |
Easily controlled insurgent leaking only the core material (6)
insuGENT LEaking (centre of, only the core material) |
| 8 | LA-DI-DA |
Posh boy and girl (2-2-2)
LAD (boy) and IDA (girl) |
| 13 | ASBESTOSIS |
Serious complaint made by boss taking siesta badly (10)
anagram (badly) of BOSS with SIESTA |
| 15 | HOSEPIPE |
It may precede ban of offensive term for women reported on the tube (8)
HOSE (sounds like (reported) ho’s (whores, offensive term for women) on PIPE (the tube) – could be a hosepipe ban |
| 16 | BLUDGEON |
Club lounge disrupted by bishop boxing duke (8)
LONGE* anagram=disrupted following (by) B (bishop) containing (boxing) D (duke) |
| 18 | ASGARD |
Heroes go here since trail turned north (6)
AS (since) DRAG (trail) reversed (turned north, up the grid) |
| 19 | JURORS |
Renaissance painter picked up second panel (6)
JUROR sounds like (picked up) “Durer” renaissance painter then S (second) |
| 22 | KIND |
Considerate character (4)
double definition |
definitions are underlined
Apart from 15 and 19 which beat me, I agree that Monk was in a benign mood- and a very slight nod to it with the the solution “gentle” and the word “soft” buried in the undergrowth.
The homophones in 15 and 26 didn’t work for me, I’m sorry.
Perhaps it is a personal message this time: sister – kind, gentle, soul mate, conidante, friend…
Another easy ish monk, he must be going soft in his old age. I jest monk, I suspect you’re a similar age to me.
As for the Nina if you shift all the letters in the unchecked across lines by one you get a Hebrew text from the Apocrypha.
Ok that last bit is a lie, I can’t see what monk used this time either, thanks Paul D6
Deke @3 – I think you are right. There is also amour, prayers, angel. I hope that whatever or whoever this commemorates it is not too sad an event for Monk.
PeeDee @6, sadly there is also ESSENTIAL OIL and PRAYER SHAWLS…
Thanks Monk and PeeDee
Afraid that I didn’t find this gentle at all – maybe just wasn’t on the right wavelength. Finished with three of the long ones – PRAYER SHAWLS (carelessly had written in prayer wheels with just a cursory glance at the fodder), ESSENTIAL OILS and ASBESTOSIS.
Still enjoyed it all the same – especially SKEIN and ESSENTIAL OIL.