A fun and quite quick puzzle to start the week. 12d and 25a were the troublesome ones for me.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | COMPASS | CO = “firm” + M = “a thousand” + PASS = “spend” |
| 5. | BIG-HEAD | Cryptic definition |
| 9. | RADII | A nice cryptic definition |
| 10. | RECONVENE | (ONCE NEVER)* |
| 11. | WITHOUT STRINGS | Double definition |
| 13. | ECHO | Cryptic definition |
| 14. | BASTILLE | TILL = “Safe” in BASE = “sordid” |
| 17. | KEEP IT UP | Double definition |
| 18. | KRIS | (RISK)* |
| 21. | UNPROFESSIONAL | (PLAINNESS OF OUR)* |
| 23. | INELEGANT | (GET IN LANE)* |
| 24. | LEGAL | EG = “for example” in (ALL)* |
| 25. | SESAMES | SEES = “Understands” around MA’S reversed |
| 26. | EMPRESS | EM = “Printer’s measure” + PRESS = “newspapers” |
| Down | ||
| 1. | CARD | Double definition |
| 2. | MIDNIGHT EXPRESS | MIDNIGHT = “An everyday conclusion” + EXPRESS = “say” |
| 3. | ALIGHT | A LIGHT |
| 4. | SPROUT | Double definition |
| 5. | BACK SEAT | Cryptic definition |
| 6. | GENERATE | (TEENAGER)* |
| 7. | ETERNAL TRIANGLE | Cryptic definition? I can guess at the allusion, but it’s not a familiar expression to me |
| 8. | DRESS SENSE | Cryptic definition |
| 12. | DECK QUOITS | DECK = “Pack” + O = “no score” in QUITS = “even” (as in “call it quits / call it even”) |
| 15. | LINOLEUM | (LION MULE)* |
| 16. | FUNERALS | (NUR ASLEF)* |
| 19. | TSETSE | TEST = “trial” reversed + SE = “bearing” |
| 20. | DOLLOP | DOLL = “something with which one may play” + OP = “work” |
| 22. | ALPS | L = “Lake” in SPA = “resort” reversed |
Mhl – The eternal triangle is when, as Lady Di famously said, “there are three people in this marriage”
Very easy today, but enjoyable (14 mins). 12d I got but couldn’t quite see the explanation, so thanks mhl.
I quite liked 9a
Many thanks, mhl, at first glance I thought that I would zip through this in record time but then I visualised DECK TENNIS for 12d. This and 25a SESAMES threw me for a while but I got there after 19 minutes.
This experience confirms my belief that Rufus is getting trickier. Maybe he’s been talking to Paul?
Also found this pleasantly easy apart from 12d and 25a; gave up on the latter thinking it must be an obscure shrub (SUSSMAS, anyone ?).
Can’t agree about 9a being cryptic – if you substitute ‘circle’ for ‘ring’ in the clue, it becomes a dictionary definition of RADII.
PS – I’d have thought ‘eternal triangle’ = man + wife + mistress (or other permutations) was a fairly common expression ?
Thought I’d finished, looked at blog and realised I just hadn’t seen 18!!!! Not only is that a crazy oversight, it is seriously ironic in that the pet name of my third whippet was KRIS. Like I wasn’t going to get that one! Sigh.
Cool puzzle Rufus.
A joy to solve. (Now I’m well acquainted with the style) – Nice one !
Thank-you.
Jake.
PS – I’d have thought ‘eternal triangle’ = man + wife + mistress (or other permutations) was a fairly common expression?
Many Indian films are based on this theme and the reviewers would invariably use the expresion ‘eternal triangle’.
Reminds me of Tom Lehrer’s Lobachevsky song where Metro-Goldwyn-Moskva buy the movie rights for his book, rename it “The Eternal Triangle”, and have Ingrid Bergman playing the part of the hypotenuse.
The phrase “Eternal Triangle” seems to be in most disctionaries – Chambers and Collins both have it.
Thanks Jake for your post!
To Mr. Beaver, “they meet in the centre of the ring” surface has connotations of boxing / wrestling, no?
I didn’t get 21A – what’s the anagram indicator, if any?
Also, could someone kindly explain 8D for me?
Finally, in 20D, work = OP because? Operate?
Rufus: I’m sure it is – I’m afraid I’ve been travelling and had to do the last couple of posts without any of my dictionaries. 🙁 Thanks for the excellent puzzle, as ever.
Andrew: in 21 across, the anagram indicator is “production”. In 8d, the surface reading is meant to make you think of someone changing gear in a car, whereas in the cryptic reading, “gear” means clothes. “work” = OP from “opus”, a commonly used abbreviation for referring to musical works.
@the other Andrew:
21a:
amateur: definition
(plainness of our): anagrammed letters
production: the anagram indicator
8d:
cryptic definition; the surface reading first had me thinking about SHIFT SPEED
20d:
Yes, OP = operate/operation = work
A nice crossword; thanks, Rufus.
Was writing while mhl posted; OP for opus is a better explanation than mine…
Andrew and Andrew: there’s also an Andrew who blogs here, so it would be helpful if you could add some disambiguation to your names when commenting! 🙂
Will now be andi – “the newbie”. Thanks for the help.
25ac: is SESAME really a shrub?