Azed, as usual, has given us a master class in precise cluing., where it is always clear when you have derived the right answer from the wordplay.
There weren’t very many complex wordplay constructions in last Sunday’s clues. Out of the 36 clues 18 of them had some element of container and contents and 11 were variants on additives. One or two clues are counted in both those categories. There was a good mix of containment indicators in the across clues, but I was slightly surprised to see ‘about’ used four times as a containment indicator in the eight down clues that included that form of clue.
A number of the more obscure words were fairly readily deducible from the wordplay – e.g. UNPAY, VENTIL, THEOREMATIST, PIROSHKI, ERIACH and DRUSE.
I struggled a bit with EKUELE as I was trying to fit LEV in somewhere, until I discovered that LEV is Bulgarian currency rather than Romanian. Most obscure word of the day for me was BERUFSVERBOT. I have worked in Sub-Saharan Africa so a currency beginning EK didn’t sound too unlikely. I have also worked on the island of Borneo with Dayaks, so KANAK seemed a reasonable word before I checked it in the dictionary.
I think this puzzle would be a good introduction to Azed for anyone who has not had much experience with his puzzles.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Man at wicket, ignorant, old, causing big beam for attackers (12)
|
BATTER (man at the wicket in cricket) + INGRAM (obsolete [old] word for ‘ignorant’)
|
BATTERING-RAM (a large beam used for breaking down walls)
|
|
9
|
Some former African money, likewise of old including returned Romanian ditto (6)
|
EKE (archaic [old] word for ‘likewise’) containing (including) (LEU [standard monetary unit of Romania – ditto referring to money] reversed [returned]) EK (UEL)< E |
EKUELE (former unit of currency [money] in Equatorial Guinea)
|
|
11
|
International c-cap recalled? It’s baggy for Australian (5)
|
(I [international] + L-LID [c-cap]) reversed (recalled) (DILL I)< |
DILLI (an Australian Aboriginal bag; it’s baggy for Australians)
|
|
12
|
Buffoons race crazily in warm clothing (8)
|
Anagram of (crazily) RACE contained in (in) FURS (warm clothing) F (ARCE*) URS |
FARCEURS (buffoons)
|
|
13
|
Classy notary always gets to make good by recompense (5)
|
U (upper-class; classy) + NP (Notary Public) + AY (always)
|
UNPAY (to make good by recompense)
|
|
14
|
The Scots abandon pump, hoarding last of water (4)
|
DAP (dialect word for plimsoll; pump) containing (hoarding) R (final letter of [last of] WATER) D (R) AP |
DRAP (Scottish form of DROP [abandon])
|
|
15
|
Sort of dinghy afloat at sea, circling small warship (8)
|
Anagram of (at sea) AFLOAT containing (circling) TB (Torpedo Boat [small warship]) FAL (TB) OAT* |
FALTBOAT (a small collapsible boat of rubberized sailcloth; sort of dinghy)
|
|
18
|
Family holding party as a hoax? (5)
|
KIN (family) containing (holding) DO (party) KI (DO) N |
KID-ON (hoax)
|
|
19
|
I pilfer old mum’s clothing, than which you can’t get lower (6)
|
MA (mum) containing (clothing) (I + NIM [archaic {old} word for ‘pilfer’)
M (I NIM) A |
MINIMA (least quantities or degrees; something you can’t get lower than)
|
|
20
|
Curtain secreting holy books and organ valve (6)
|
VEIL (curtain) containing (secreting) NT (New Testament; holy books) VE (NT) IL |
VENTIL (a valve in an organ for controlling the wind supply to various stops)
|
|
23
|
In matrimonial rights and duties, a right Charlie maybe (5)
|
(A + R [right]) contained in (in) BED (the marriage-BED, matrimonial rights and duties) BE (A R) D |
BEARD (Charlie can be defined as the small triangular beard familiar in the portraits of Charles I)
|
|
26
|
Sediment on promontory pierced by river in beach on sheltered side (8, 2 words)
|
LEES (sediment) + (HOE [promontory, e.g. Plymouth HOE] containing [pierced by] R [river]) LEE S HO (R) E |
LEE SHORE (beach on the sheltered side of a ship)
|
|
27
|
Outrageous bit of satiric humour (4)
|
RICH (hidden word in [bit of] SATIRIC HUMOUR)
|
RICH (outrageous)
|
|
28
|
Response to roll-call? Notice total (5)
|
AD (advertisement; notice) + SUM (total)
|
ADSUM (I am present; possible response to roll-call)
|
|
30
|
Dutch registering speed of birds (8)
|
BAT (speed – a definition I haven’t come across before) + AVIAN (of birds)
|
BATAVIAN (relating to the ancient Batavi in the Low Countries, or to the modern Dutch)
|
|
31
|
Turning dry? Certainly pulled in for refreshing drinks (5)
|
OK (certainly) contained in (pulled in) (SEC [dry {of wines} reversed [turning]) C (OK) ES< |
COKES (refreshing drinks, so Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola will tell you)
|
|
32
|
Howf’s closed? Lot close sine die (6)
|
LUCK (fortune; lot) + (END [close] excluding the final letter [sine die; without a day] D)
|
LUCKEN (Scottish word for ‘closed’. Howf is also Scottish word for a Public House)
|
|
33
|
One exposing propositions i.e. hot matters to be solved (12)
|
Anagram of (to be solved) I..E. HOT MATTERS
|
THEOREMATIST (one who propounds a proposition to be proved)
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Bout ref’s disrupted includes part of speech discouraging extremism (12)
|
Anagram of (disrupted) of BOUT REF’S containing (includes) VERB (part of speech) BERUFS (VERB) OT* |
BERUFSVERBOT (in Germany, the policy of excluding political extremists from public service)
|
|
2
|
Bearer’s chest strap, point being to limit lump shifting (8)
|
TINE (point, e.g. of a fork) containing (to limit) (an anagram of [shifting] LUMP) T (UMPL*) INE |
TUMPLINE (a strap across the forehead or chest for carrying burdens or hauling)
|
|
3
|
Tissue left among contents of bag? (4)
|
L (left) contained in (among) TEA (contents [of a TEA bag]) TE (L) A |
TELA (weblike structure or tissue)
|
|
4
|
Moderation in dealing with a child (6)
|
RE (concerning; dealing with) + A + SON (child)
|
REASON (moderation)
|
|
5
|
Since at odds about marriage, refinements will be needed (8)
|
Anagram of (at odds) SINCE containing (about) TIE (marriage) NICE (TIE) S* |
NICETIES (refinements)
|
|
6
|
Bird of prey, catch about dead (5)
|
GLEE (a form of short part-song; catch [a round for three or more voices]) containing (about) D (dead) GLE (D) E |
GLEDE (common kite; bird of prey)
|
|
7
|
Branch of the forces, mostly excellent in purpose (6)
|
(RARE [excellent] excluding the final letter [mostly]) contained in (in) AIM (purpose) AI (R AR) M |
AIR-ARM (the branch of the fighting services that uses aircraft)
|
|
8
|
A limp’s aggravated, bond showing wrong setting (12)
|
Anagram of (aggravated) A LIMP’S + CEMENT (bond)
|
MISPLACEMENT (wrong setting)
|
|
10
|
Melanesian king over area more than half stripped (5)
|
K (king) + A (area) + NAK (3 of 5 letters of [more than half of] NAKED [stripped])
|
KANAK (a Melanesian)
|
|
11
|
Early minstrelsy, a very pleasant thing (5)
|
DREAM (obsolete [early] word for ‘minstrelsy’)
|
DREAM (extremely pleasant thing) double definition
|
|
16
|
Explode with rage, as Mary, the Queen, about mixed dish served up (8, 2 words) |
(BV [Blessed Virgin {Mary}] + ER [Elizabeth Regina; queen]) containing (about) (OLIO [mixed dish] reversed [served up; down clue]) B (OIL O<) V ER |
BOIL OVER (explode with rage)
|
|
17
|
Savoury pastries made from irish pork (recipe not included) (8)
|
Anagram of (made from (IRISH PORK excluding [not included] one of the Rs [recipe])
|
PIROSHKI (small triangular pastries with meat, fish or vegetable fillings.)
|
|
21
|
Rising anger, endless pain – this killer had to pay (6)
|
IRE (anger) reversed (raised; down clue) + (ACHE [pain] excluding the final letter [endless] E) ERI< ACH |
ERIACH (the blood-fine paid by a murderer to his victim’s family in old Irish law)
|
|
22
|
Scribbled lines – such a letter requires little effort (5)
|
Anagram of (scribbled) LINES
|
LENIS (a consonant articulated with relatively little muscular effort and pressure of breath)
|
|
23
|
What’s soothing about the City – still? (6)
|
BALM (anything that heals or soothes pain) containing (about) EC (postcode for the City of London) B (EC) ALM |
BECALM (make still)
|
|
24
|
Rock cavity to treat? Drive over it (5)
|
DR (drive) + USE (treat or behave towards)
|
DRUSE (rock cavity lined with crystals)
|
|
25
|
Topping part of soldier’s uniform has buckled before end of fight? (5)
|
Anagram of (buckled) HAS + KO (knock out; one way of ending a fight) SHA* KO |
SHAKO (a tall, nearly cylindrical military cap with a plume; topping part of soldier’s uniform)
|
|
29
|
Pipe went under water by the sound of it (4)
|
DUCT (sounds like [by the sound of it] DUCKED [went under water])
|
DUCT (pipe)
|
Thanks Azed for the crossword and Duncan for the blog.
17dn: The indicator “recipe not included” does not work for me as an indicator to remove just one of two Rs. However, in this clue, it can be taken as applying only to the “pork”, removing the only R from that word. Thus for me the clue still works, but specifically as an anagram of IRISH PO[r]K. As always, I have no quarrel with those views on this sort of thing differ from mine.
I’m with you re tidiness, but because it’s an anagram it doesn’t matter which one you remove. In lesser offerings we see indication of a similar nature for scissoring letters from a charade sequence for example, which practice can lead solvers to the wrong answer.