Posted by nmsindy on 27th March 2008
Slowed up by 7 down which was new to me and had to look for help even when I’d all the crossing letters and knew it was an anagram. Solving time, 25 mins.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 SLATED deta(i)ls<
5 PECK Double definition - an old measure of dry goods
9 PROCRASTINATOR (Air transport co)* Nothing to do with what might happen on Easter Monday as the clue misleadingly suggested.
11 EASTERTIDE (dire estate)*
12 S NAG
14 RE-PROVE
15 M (INAR) ET (rain)*
16 VERBE (N) A (beaver)* N = end (last letter) of green
18 GALL (IV) ANT IV = 4 in Roman numerals
20 TA-TA Territorial Army
21 HE S (I) TATION
23 VLAD THE IMPALER (D - origin i.e. first letter of Dracula lethal vampire)* &lit, I guess
24 IRIS(h)
25 RAT I (O) N O = egg Bizarre surface
DOWN
2 LORDS SPIRITUAL (Pious RRs - it’d all)*
3 TICK E D OVER
4 D (RAF T) EE
5 POTS DAM (mad stop)< In 1945 (end of WWII)
6 C(r)ANE
7 ET IN ARCADIA EGO (eradication age)*
8 F RIGHT
10 (c)LEAR
13 UNPLEASANT (annual pest)*
16 V OT I’VE Old Testament
17 AGELESS Stage less age = st (saint) i.e. ageless stage
18 GRIMMER Glimmer with R (right) for L (left) (one side ousting another). The ‘here’ showed which was correct, I think, as that changed letter was not confirmed by inclusion in an across entry.
19 T(a)INT
22 STAR hidden
Posted in Independent | No Comments »
Posted by neildubya on 27th March 2008
| Across |
| 1 |
(TURN TAIL HOME VIA)* - ITALIAN VERMOUTH, otherwise known as IT as in “Gin and It”. But how can “orbital” be an anagram indicator? |
| 9 |
RY in TON - not difficult given the definition “test clothes” but I didn’t understand why “style” was TON until I looked it up. |
| 10 |
T,W (AFTER [-n]OO[-n])* - TWO FOR TEA. Mostly an &lit, although “no names” only works in the cryptic reading I think. |
| 11 |
EQUUS - Peter Shaffer’s play about a boy who has “issues” with horses. |
| 12 |
RUGBY BALL - the clue refers to 15 but it’s nothing to do with the answer at 15a as there are 15 players in an RU side. |
| 13 |
(THIS GREY E)* - EYES RIGHT. |
| 15 |
BOLUS - which is a “mass” but I don’t understand “heading for the pit”. |
| 18 |
(VOICES DID)* - VIDEO DISC. |
| 24 |
POT OF GOLD - got this from the definition as the wordplay is lost on me: “Rainbow’s end/coq-au-vin/corporation?” (setter’s italics). OR is “gold” but that’s all I can work out. Also, what happened to the idea of the surface reading of a clue making at least some sense? |
| 25 |
BATIK - had to use the Reveal button to get this, another one I don’t get: “Dyed fabric article with which kitbag’s two thirds filled up”. |
| 26 |
TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN - 24(a) is where you’ll find POT OF GOLD and 7(d) is ULTRA (”extremely”). |
| |
| Down |
| 1 |
(I TEMPT NEON LIGHT)* - IN THE MELTING-POT. |
| 3 |
INN IS FREE - a reference to the Yeats poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”. |
| 5 |
(LEG AND TOE)* - ELONGATED. Why could “and” appear in the clue instead of “&”? |
| 7 |
hidden in “adULT RAcy” |
| 16 |
(TOILET VIM)* - LEITMOTIV. |
| 20 |
SETAE - another one where I had to “Reveal” and which I don’t understand: “Stalks top-class babe, just looking at rear!”. |
| 22 |
(HAD US)* - SADHU. |
Posted in Independent | 11 Comments »
Posted by Colin Blackburn on 27th March 2008
A fairly straightforward puzzle with a small amount of word play en clair. There were a couple of tougher clues in here too.
|
| Across |
| 7 |
TURNOVER |
TURN OVER |
…a page as a reader might do.
|
| 12 |
ENCORE |
NCO in ERE |
NCO stands out a little obviously in this clue.
|
| 14 |
OMELETTE |
sOME LETTErs |
nice hidden clue though it’s probably been used before in some form.
|
| 22 |
BACKER |
dd |
the two definitions here seem very much the same. An angel is the backer of a play or other performance.
|
| 23 |
CLOISTERED |
(TREE IS COLD)* |
I’m not keen on ‘like this’ to indicate an anagram. I thought it might somehow use the clue in some semi-&lit way but I can’t see it.
|
| 24 |
MAYO |
MAY+O |
again, MAY is very clear in the clue.
|
| 25 |
BAGNIO |
(A BINGO)* |
a BAGNIO is a house where rooms could be rented with no questions asked.
|
| 26 |
CHINAMAN |
dd |
a CHINAMAN is a type of cricket delivery, ie a bowl.
|
|
| Down |
| 1 |
AUDIENCE |
dd |
the clue has to be separated into ‘gate’ and ‘house’ to define audiences in stadia and theatres respectively.
|
| 3 |
AVENUE |
A VENUE |
|
| 4 |
INNOCENT |
dd |
there was at least one pope called Pope Innocent.
|
| 5 |
ANTISEPTIC |
SEPT 1 in ANTIC |
|
| 8 |
REASON |
RE A SON(g) |
strain = song!
|
| 16 |
IDIOT BOX |
IDIOT + BOX |
slang for television.
|
| 18 |
EVERYMAN |
MARY* in EVEN |
definition is ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’.
|
| 21 |
I’LL SAY |
(SALLY + I)* |
this got me for a short while as the answer isn’t simply (3,3) as crossword convention would have it.
|
| 22 |
BODKIN |
BOD+KIN |
I’m not sure about ‘in the’ as the connector here. |
Posted in Guardian | 15 Comments »
Posted by diagacht on 27th March 2008
| Across |
| 1 |
LAST WORD: &Lit |
| 5 |
ABIDES: AB (sailor) + IDES (fateful date) |
| 9 |
BUTTER UP: BUTTERcUP without the ‘c’ (top of carpel) |
| 10 |
TISSUE: anagram of SUITES |
| 13 |
DISCARDED: DISC + anagram of DREAD |
| 14 |
MORSEL: MORSE (detective) + L |
| 16 |
OKINAWA: O (duck) + KIN (family) + AWA (nearly away, as in left) |
| 18 |
IN DEPTH: IN (trendy) + DEPT (department) + H (leading Hounslow) |
| 22 |
ASCERTAIN: AS CERTAIN |
| 23 |
TIGER: TIER (row) about G (first of games) |
| 24 |
TURBOT: TURBO (boost) + T (time) |
| 25 |
PALETOTS: PALE (anaemic) + TOTS (little kids) |
| 26 |
RASCAL: hidden |
| 27 |
ATOMISER: anagram of A MOISTER |
|
| Down |
| 1 |
LIBYAN: LIB (politician) + NAY (reversed) |
| 2 |
SETTLE OLD SCORES: which is what one does when looking up Wisden |
| 4 |
ROUNDEL: ROUND (patrol) + EL (the French, reversed) |
| 6 |
BRIGADIER: anagram of BIG + RAIDER |
| 7 |
DISADVANTAGEOUS: anagram of DAVIDS GOT NAUSEA |
| 8 |
SPEEDWAY: &Lit |
| 11 |
OSLO: hidden |
| 15 |
SUPERNOVA: anagram of PROVE A SUN |
| 17 |
PILASTER: PLASTER (screed) about I |
| 20 |
CONTACT: CON (Tory) + TACT (diplomacy) |
| 21 |
ERASER: ERAS (times) + ER (Queen) |
| 23 |
THERM: hidden |
Posted in FT | No Comments »
Posted by Pete Maclean on 27th March 2008
Some snazzy clues here but also one that I could not solve (11D)!
Across
1. SO CALLED - anagram of ALL CODES
5. SHAPES - S[tylis]H + APES (copies)
9. HESPERUS - HES (He’s) + PERU (land) + S[chooner]
10. IGNORE - anagram of REGION
12. ROLLS - double definition
13. DIRECTION - double definition
14. ISOBAR - IS (is) + O (round) + BAR (obstruction)
16. GRANITA - GR (Greek) + ANITA (girl)
18. RUN OVER - double definition
20. PAST IT - PAS (governors) + TIT (bird)
22. MAHARISHI - MA[ta] HARI (thankless spy) + anagram of HIS. Nice one!
23. TENOR - anagram of NOTE + R[ecital]
24. LUANDA - L (Lake) + U (superior) + AND (as well as) + A (a)
25. STYLISED - anagram of TIDY LESS
26. ISRAEL - LEAR + [lo]SI[ng] backwards
27. GRANDSON - GRAND (a lot of money) + [o]S[b]O[r]N[e]
Down
1. SAHARA - A (a) + RA (painter) + HAS (has) all backwards
2. CASTLES IN THE AIR - double definition
3. LEEDS - homophone
4. ECUADOR - anagram of ROAD by ECU (City University). Where does the E come from?
6. HIGH CLASS - HIGH (type of school) + CLASS (form)
7. PROHIBITIONISTS - anagram of BRITISH POSITION
8. STEINWAY - STEIN (Gertrude) + WAY (direction — from 13A)
11. TRUG - R (skipper’s last) in TUG (boat) — See comments below.
15. BEVERIDGE - EVE (female) in BRIDGE (bit of a fiddle — as in violin)
17. GRIMALDI - anagram of A DIM GIRL. Perhaps not the first Prince Albert one thinks of!
19. REST - double definition
20. PAINTER - A (a) in [Harold] PINTER
21. DRYDEN - RYDE (island resort) in D[eadly] N[ightshade]
23. TALON - hidden word
Posted in FT | 4 Comments »