Posted by nmsindy on 6th February 2008
Not too difficult today. Solving time, 16 mins
* = anagram
ACROSS
10 BUTTONED UP Double definition
11 AN (G) ORA (k)
17 BEST OWER
21 CIVIL (I) TIES I = electric current
22 CORK Double definition
23 IS OLD (getting on) E
DOWN
2 RAVEN Double definition
3 CON (against = not giving support) SON ANT
4 IN BLACK AND WHITE Entered it immediately from the definition “Clearly stated” and the enumeration but I do not understand the wordplay “how women have appeared in West End productions” (Thanks, rightback, for explaining this in comment 3 below - that’s quite good)
5 Gloria EST (is in French) E FAN
6 AROMATHERAPISTS (Paris star at home)*
7 ODE ON(e) Typical cinema ode = episode (Not so - Thanks, Conrad, for explaining that this is a hidden: EpisODE ONe (abridged) so you deserve to appear in the crossword - 22 ac)
8 Penelope CRUZ E(I)ROS
16 FOR MING
20 TUR(n) IN Collins confirms turn = walk (noun)
Posted in Independent | 3 Comments »
Posted by Colin Blackburn on 6th February 2008
For me this is a mixed bag from Gordius. There are some fine clues in here an a few I’m not so convinced about. There was a slightly fatty feel to the puzzle.
|
| Across |
| 4 |
BEDLAM |
double def |
if I’m reading this right the first part of the clue is an allusion to someone suffering a stroke going into a mental institution. I’m sure in the days of Bedlam that’s where someone having had a stroke would have ended up but I find it a little disturbing that the clue is not in the past tense.
|
| 9 |
TEAGLE |
T+EAGLE |
a TEAGLE is a line for catching birds, “a big one” here refers to a big bird. The first of a couple of clues where Gordius uses one part of the clue to complete the definition of another part. See 1d.
|
| 10 |
BEETROOT |
(BETTER+OO) |
OO = (a pair of) spectacles, a term from cricket for a batsman getting a duck in both innings of a match.
|
| 11 |
ELBOW GREASE |
BOWEL* + AGREES* |
my favourite clue. Two simple anagrams put together superbly to create a great mental image.
|
| 15 |
DECIBEL |
DEC+I+BEL(l) |
I’m guessing here. DEC is the last month (though had the puzzle been published a few days ago it could have been interpreted two ways) BEL(l) is a ringer short. However, I’m not sure how the I gets in there, maybe “starts with” explains that somehow. The full clue is, “Last month starts with ringer short of volume (7)”
|
| 17 |
EASTERN |
E+ASTERN |
when sailing west E is ASTERN. I guess the “paradox” is that the answer is EASTERN?
|
| 18 |
WAX ELOQUENT |
cryptic def? |
I’ve never heard this term before and it isn’t in Chambers, COED or Collins. However, if the answer had been WAX LYRICAL I wouldn’t have given it a second thought and yet that term too is in none of the three dictionaries.
|
| 23 |
PATRON |
PARTON with RT< |
ref Dolly Parton.
|
|
| Down |
| 1 |
TALLOW |
TAL(l) + LOW |
|
| 3 |
BOOTLESS |
BOOTLE+SS |
Bootle is on Merseyside, it is home to what was called the National Girobank. Anyone having spent time on the dole will know Bootle’s name well. The answer here, though, was a new one on me. BOOTLESS means ‘of no use’ but it’s not related to footwear but rather the word ‘boot’ meaning ‘to give profit to’. The term ‘to boot’ is derived from the same word.
|
| 5 |
DRAWBACK |
WARD< |
nice little reverse cryptic.
|
| 7 |
IRON |
double def. |
now, I bet this one’s been seen before.
|
| 12 |
RELAXATION |
(N AXLE RATIO)* |
I saw this instantly but I initially read ‘New’ as the anagram indicator then when I realised there was an N missing I wasn’t happy with ‘enables’ as the indicator.
|
| 13 |
CEREBRAL |
BR in CEREAL |
|
| 14 |
INSTANCE |
STAN in NICE* |
ref STAN Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Excellent clue which rather gives the game away with its surface almost crying out “another fine mess”.
|
| 21 |
ESSE |
palindrome |
simple but very effective clue. C’est la vie. |
Posted in Guardian | 21 Comments »