Fifteensquared

Crossword bloggery

Archive for March, 2008

« Previous Entries

Independent Crossword No 6694 by Hypnos

Posted by NealH on 31st March 2008

NealH.

* = anag, < = reversed, () = dropped

A moderately difficult puzzle with a couple of excellent clues in 3 and 22 dn. There was one I didn’t quite follow (12 down).

Across
1 Stuccoed: cuts< + co-ed.
6 Cusack: Cu(p) + sack. You can take your pick on which actress it is - it could be Sinead, Niamh or Sorcha.
9 Away from it all: (warm foal it lay)*
10 Staler: S + taler (taler was a European coin from which the word dollar was derived).
11 Launcher: Launch + re<
13 Crimewatch: Crew around i m + (chat)*
15 Note: Not(t)e. I don’t speak any Italian, so had to take a guess that notte is Italian for night.
16 Scag: Sag around c. This puzzled me for a long time as the only meaning of the word scag I know is as slang for heroin rather than an equine. However, eventually I recalled from somewhere that “horse” is also slang for heroin.
18 Restaurant: (near a trust)*.
21 Somerset: homophone of summer + set.
22 Entomb: M + (bet no)*. Top class clue with a good football-related surface reading.
23 Dustin Hoffman: Dust + in ho + (naff)< around m. Never heard of dust as meaning fuss before but it’s in the dictionary.
25 Crunch: Crutch with t swapped for n.
26 Landseer: Land + (rees)<
Down
2 Traitor: Trait + or. Refers to Anthony Blunt.
3 Charlemagne: magne(t) after charle(y). An excellent and very deceptive clue which had me convinced for a long time that it was a synonym for “frank” rather than a reference to the Frank people.
4 Offer: Soundalike of “offa”.
5 Droplet: Drop + let (let being a rule on a tennis court).
6 Chihuahua: Cryptic def.
7 Spa: Spa(des).
8 Culvert: rev< in cult. I’m not convinced about cult as a synonym for fashionable. A cult movie is one which a small group of people like rather than one which is universally popular.
12 Contretemps: Didn’t really get this one. “Cameron’s lot set about opening of this network - causing spat”. Cameron’s lot = con, spat = contretemps, but I don’t get the wordplay in the middle.
14 Wordsmith: Cryptic def. I might have missed the point, but I didn’t like this clue much. It was quite difficult to get unless you had a lot of letters in it and I’m not sure I’d describe a wordsmith as someone with an “automatic” communications facility. A “natural” communications facility perhaps, but not automatic.
17 Chowder: Chow + red<.
19 Satchel: Hidden word.
20 Nominee: mine in (eon)*.
22 Elfin: F in nile<.
24 Sun: nus< (NUS = National Union of Students).

Posted in Independent | 6 Comments »

Guardian 24,350 - Brendan

Posted by manehi on 31st March 2008

manehi.

Mostly straightforward from Brendan today, some easy anagrams and a couple of hidden words - I was racing towards one of my quicker times until I ran into 2 down.

Edit: missed the theme first time round: “Internal Relations”, present at the head of the printed crossword but not online, points to LEGEND, YARN, ROMANCES, TALE, EPIC and ACCOUNT hidden in the across rows.

Across
6 GENDER - cryptic def, and one of the nicer clues.
9 MAGYAR - (army)* around A and [Hun]G[ary]. Magyars are Hungarians, for the most part.
10 NAUTICAL - (a lunatic)*
11 PROM - PeRfOrMs
13 INSIDE STORY - “Basis for scoop”, and INSIDES TORY. Not sure what “as seen in other rows” is doing, unless it’s a reference to 21a and Alec Douglas Home. Quite a stretch, if it is. It isn’t. See above.
18 BREADFRUIT - bread = money, of course, and I take it that breadfruit grow in the Pacific. I suppose this is a cryptic def.
21 ALEC - ALE, C[reamy]. Nice.
22 OF COURSE - OF[f] COURSE
23 PICK-UP - a vehicle, and an improvement, which can be economic.
25 BARSAC - BARS, A = top mark, C = clubs. Barsac is a french white.
25 COUNTY - COUNT, [da]Y
Down
2 GLORIA - guessed in the end. Clue (online) is “Female’s contribution to mass production (6)”. A quick Google doesn’t reveal any obvious links between Glorias and mass production, but I’m sure one could be found. Once I post this I’ll go and buy the paper on the off chance that they’ve printed a nicer clue. Edit, thanks to Nabokov1 - the Gloria is a part of the Catholic Mass.
3 GET UPSET - “get up set” suggests something like getting a set up on someone on a tennis court.
4 EDGIER - E[xpedition] + (ridge)*
7 READER - double def.
8 UNSCHEDULED - (dud clues he n)*, n = new
14 INFORMAL - I + NORMAL around F
15 RE,A,SCENT
16 PR,E,FAB - PR being proportional representation, E = key
17 PENURY - PEN = writer, “y r u” sounds like “why are you”, then jumble them
19 A,BOARD
20 TIP-TOP - TOP = spinner following TIP = “gratuitous advice”.

Posted in Guardian | 6 Comments »

Azed 1869 / Plain - Stiff Challenge

Posted by tilsit on 30th March 2008

tilsit.

Solving Time: 55 minutes (with assistance on two clues from the wonderful Eric)

Whether it’s because I am off solving barred puzzles at the moment, I can’t say, but this certainly took me a fair amount of time and was definitely a puzzle of two halves, top and bottom!

One or two explanations might be a little shady, but I am happy to be corrected.

ACROSS   (*) = Anagram   (R) = Reversal

1  VOAR   A inside  VO (Abbreviation for  “verso” - the left page of a book) + R.

9 BACH   BA (Scottish for ball - as in ‘fitba’) + CH (Centre Half).  The def, I think, refers to what a Welsh team-mate would shout, hence “Gareth”.  Not impressed with this clue.

13  AURUM POTABILE  U (Universal/fully) + RUM inside AP (printer’s abbreviation for before) + BOIL TEA*.  Aurum Potabile was a  medicine which allegedly contained a small amount of gold.

14 STOMPER   Hidden answer

15  INTRON  NT (’not’ contracted) inside IRON (one robust)

17  WASTEFUL  WAS + T = FUEL*  Liked this clue.

18  LOUVRE  V (number forming quintet) inside LOURE (an old Scots dance tune).

19  NUCLIDE  N +  EUCLID with first letter moved to end.

22  PETROLAGE  PET (Cherished) + ROLAG (ball of wool) + E  - Petrolge was a method of treating sheep with the fuel to get rid of mosquitoes.

24  CEASING  CE + A + SING

26  OTELLO  The first clue I solved.  O  +  TELL + O  Again a nice clue.

29  ACCENTOR  ACCENT + OR  

32  COATEE    OAT in CEE (Spring)  In Chambers under COAT

33  MAHONIA   MANIA around HO (House)

34  INSENSATENESS  Although this came to e fairly quickly, I had trouble parsing the clue, so here goes  SIN* + ENSATE (Sword-like, hence allusion to Damocles) + NESS (Head).

35  ADES  John Milton’s name for the Underworld.  (SH)ADES

36  AGHA  hidden answer

DOWN

1  VASAL  Not sure about this one.

2  OUTDO  OU =  Dark Blues (Oxford University) + TDO  (Taking degree??)  Help!

3  RUME   RUM (Bizarre)  + E .  Rume is a Shakesperian form of ‘rheum’  - poetic tears.

4  IMPERTINENT  I think what Azed is saying is that one who is an IMP, when added to an anagram of TENNER and IT is IMPERTINENT.

5.  SPEWER   P inside SEWER  A cloaca was, I think, a Roman sewer.

6 TORAN    TO (Tax Officer)  + RAN (as in bootleg)

7  UTIS     (FL)UT(E) [Member of wind section not flat at fringes]

8  WANT CATCHER   In Chambers, a want is a mole.  Perhaps I’m wrong but I wonder if Azed clued this as ANT (Chap) inside NEW CHART*

10  AIRFIELD  Definition is  Maybe strip,   RIFLE* inside AID.

11  CLOUDY   LOUD (obtrusive) replacing RANK in CRANKY (Eccentric)

12  HENLEY  HEN + YEL(L) [r]

16  PUPACASE  Not sure how this works out.

20  ACACIA   AC + A + CIA

21 SECOND   Double def

23  LORATE  “Strap-hanger” = commuter.  OR inside LATE

25  GO MAD   MA inside GOD

27  LEISH    Hidden answer

28 OMASA  Compound anagram  OMASA + AT STENCH =  A NEAT’S STOMACH

30  TEST   Double def

31  ZONA   What Azed is asking you to do is “reverse part of a LB, that would give you  AN OZ - however here it shows alb therefore the answer should be similarly unsplit  to give ZONA.

Posted in Azed, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

Private Eye/Cyclops 361 - 3 Queens

Posted by beermagnet on 30th March 2008

beermagnet.
Across
1 OFFBEAT OFF-BEAT I liked “copper back in the station”
5 ODD FISH Perch is a FISH, and 3 is an ODD number, and John Redwood is …
10 BLOOD MONEY M-ONE (chief of Manchester United) inside BLOODY (bleeding)
11 NAVY V[ery] inside NAY - I think. Originally I was thinking vaguely of an old warmonger who gained a reputation for use of the cat, but there was no Admiral Nay that I can find - I must’ve been conflating Marshal Ney. So how does this work? Full clue:
Sailors strapping chap, very taken (4)
Dan points out that the “strapping chap” is a NAVVY and the V[ery] has been taken away.
12 EMINENCE EMINE[m] N[elly] C (hundred) E(uros)
13 REEFER REEF (spit) ER (Brenda)
14 BOSS DD
16 CRUMPET RUMP inside (ETC)*
18 ISTHMUS (SHIT)* (SUM)<
21 ROWS Homophone “Woes” when Jonathan Ross says it
23 WALLOP WA (Washington state abbr.) (POLL)< Here we go again equating decent ale with piss. The many pints of wallop I’ve had have been brilliant!
24 THE QUEEN T[ickle] HE (male) QUEEN (homosexual) HRH getting a name-check that isn’t Brenda for a change
26 SHOE O (ball) inside SHE (female) I’m not sure if the final question mark is necessary.
27 CHECK DIGIT Couple of good offbeat definitions. Full clue:
Examine member - it might get stuck into a PC (5,5)
28 SMUGGLE MUG (dick) inside (LEGS)*
29 CRUNCHY C (about) R[a]UNCHY
 
Down
2 FULL MOON DD
4 ALMANAC AL (Gore) M[onica] AN (one) AC (Bill)
6 DAY TRIP (Robin) DAY TRIP (error)
7 FAN LETTER A[ct] N[ervously] L[egs] inside FETTER This was a close second for the favourite clue:
Starts to act nervously, legs in shackle, enveloped by admirer? (3,6)
8 SOVIET VIE (compete) inside SOT (drunk). This was the last I put in. I was misled by “drunk” to try anagrams of “old Russian” etc. but it’s a solid answer once you know it. As a result I’ll give it the favourite clue award. Full clue:
Compete - but hemmed in by drunk old Russian (6)
9/3 KNEES UP MOTHER BROWN KNEES UP (party) MOTHER (mum) BROWN (PM) On first sight of this crossword I went straight to this long answer and it was apparent immediately. The “mum” = “mother” part was a complete give-away for me.
15 SPIELBERG SPIEL (pitch) (B[UG]GER)* UG = “what caveman said”. I wonder if Spielberg will ever do a caveman pic? It’d be much better than the latest offering, 10,000 B.C., whose release was timed to coincide with this clue. The clue is far better than the movie.
17 SWEETISH S[ulphur] WEE (SHIT)* Two anagrams of shit in one crossy and neither making “this” - that’s OK by me
19 TOPICAL TOP (bust) [mon]ICA [bil]L Yet another ref. to Clinton+Lewinsky - I think this one’s getting long in the tooth now
20 SPEAKER S (second) PEAK (climax) ER (Brenda)
22 MAYHEM (Dr Brian) MAY HEM (”bit of skirt”) Ref. the well-known astrophysicist, OBE and Chancellor of Liverpool Uni. who plays a bit of guitar as well
25 UNION CD

Posted in Private Eye/Cyclops | 2 Comments »

Guardian 24,343 (Sat 22 Mar)/Araucaria - Lies, Damned Lies and Counterchecks Quarrelsome

Posted by rightback on 30th March 2008

rightback.

Solving time: About 40 minutes (interrupted); two wrong (30ac and 44dn), one missing (42dn)

If you’ve read or seen As You Like It (specifically Act V, Scene IV), you probably found this easier than I did. After finishing the grid, ODQ came to my rescue: the theme was ‘the degrees of a lie’, which are the retort courteous, the quip modest, the reply churlish, the reproof valiant, the countercheck quarrelsome, the lie circumstantial and the lie direct.

I have no idea what the answer to 42dn is, nor can I explain 20ac or 44dn. I also can’t satisfactorily explain the ‘partial’ clueing of some of the thematic words; was there some method to the letters omitted in the wordplay (e.g. T in 37dn, HUR in 45ac)? [All now explained in the comments.]

* = anagram, “X” = sounds like ‘X’.

Across
1 HACKING + COUGH (= ‘Inform’) - not a phrase I knew, but it’s in the Compact OED.
12 CRITIQUE; CUE (= ‘invitation to speak’) around RIT[artando] + I.Q. - my last solve (42dn apart), once I’d finally sorted 8dn, and a very hard wordplay which I took a while to see.
13 ATRO[city] + PINE (= ‘deal’)
16 VESTED + INTEREST (IN + STREET*)
18 RETORT (double definition) - I didn’t know that this could mean a flask used in distillation.
20 SHAVINGS - why is this ‘intoxicated investors’? It could be VIN in SHAGS, but I can’t find any support for ‘investor’ = SHAG. [See comments.]
23 SKIPPING ROPE; “RIPPING SCOPE”
25 POLYCHROME; “POLLY” + CHROME [Actually "POLLY" + "CROME" - see comments.]
27 CABIN BOY; (BABY IN CO)* - excellent clue.
29 GRANULAR; (RA + RA + LUNG)* - awkward indirect anagram; I spotted this answer from the definition (’Particulate’).
30 DREAD LOCKS - not ‘breaklocks’, obviously, but I stupidly wrote this in and forgot to come back to it. I’ve really got to stop doing that.
33 INSTITUTIONS; INST + TUITIONS (with T and U swapped) [Actually the 'I' moves - see comments.]
34 AM(MON + IF)Y - hartshorn is a solution of ammonia.
36 BEAMER (double definition) - a beamer is a ball bowled at head height in cricket, so ‘Highball’ is a bit naughty, despite the question mark, as it’s the first word in the clue. Why not ‘Big smile produced by highball?’ instead?
38 CIRCUMSTANTIAL
41 S + PUD
43 H(A + LB)ERD
45 CHURLISH; LIS in CH, with ‘HUR’ unclued [No - see comments.]
46 MASS + ACRE
47 UN + CHAP + ER + ONE + D
Down
1 BATTLESHIP; (THIS TABLE)* + P - ‘provide initiation’ is typical of why Araucaria isn’t my favourite compiler.
2 EKE + OUT - I only vaguely knew the archaic ‘eke’ = ‘in addition’.
3 UNBIDDEN; U (= ‘turn’) + N.B. (= ‘note’) + I.D. (= ‘who you are’) + DEN (= ‘retreat’)
4 SCREEN (double definition)
5 QUARRELS + [h]OME
6 W(HIP + PER[il])IN - ‘an assistant to a huntsman, who controls the hounds’, apparently.
8 DIFFERENTIAL, with IF for E in DEFERENTIAL - though the wordplay really asks for the opposite (i.e. E for IF). I struggled to justify ‘preferential’ for a good while.
10 [e]QUIP
17 TO + Pb (= ‘lead’) + A NANA (the dog in ‘Peter Pan’) - really good clue, probably the best of the puzzle.
18 REPL[a]Y - though sadly these days ‘penlty shootout’ would be a better fit for the wordplay.
21 VALI[um] + ANT
22 S(ARC + ASTI)C - another good clue. SC stands for Special Constable.
24 RUB + ICON - as in ‘crossing the Rubicon’, with a hackneyed pun on ‘flower’.
26 COUNTER + CHECK - a pun on ‘check’ =’square’, I think.
28 IRIS + MU(R + DO)CH - ‘do’ is short for ‘ditto’, as if that wasn’t short enough!
29 GEN(I)E - I had no idea what a thaumaturge was, but the wordplay was fairly obvious.
31 SO(FT + ANS)WER
32 COURTEOUS; (TRUE)* in COO, + U.S.
35 MEA(SURE)D
37 MODES (= ‘ways’) + T (unclued) [No - see comments.]
39 SOCIAL [Democrats]
40 TALL + OW
42 P?A? - the clue here is ‘The thing before the game’. PLAN or PLAY look most likely, but I can’t justify either (and this isn’t a thematic ‘partial’ clue). [It's PLAY - see comments.]
44 LIES - I actually thought this was ‘lees’, which can mean the dregs (i.e. the ‘rest’), and thought Lee Fitzgerald sounded plausible, but no. Obviously ‘rests’ = LIES but why ‘Fitzgerald’s rest’? [See comments.]

Posted in Guardian | 7 Comments »

« Previous Entries