2009 Finals – Second Preliminary Session – Puzzle 1

Author   sghansonPosted on Categories Announcement
Well, here goes for my first crossword blogging entry – putting my head above the parapet! Grateful for any comments, and thanks for reading!

I was not aware until I read Peter’s blog entries how many of the “heavyweights” were competing in the First Session, but in 2008 I qualified 2nd in the Second Session with a total time of 24 minutes-ish, so I knew what to expect. I was pleased to come through in the same position this time, although in a slower time – just under 35 minutes I think.

My solving method is not particularly systematic – when solving against the clock I just look through the clues for one I can answer and then try to expand out into the other ones with checking letters. I don’t recall the order of solving on this one, although I think it was the easiest of the 3 puzzles. I know some entries were made without full understanding, but cannot recall all the details. However, for what they are worth, here are my comments. I think this was the easiest of the 3 puzzles in this session.

Across
1 GEN,U.S. – a gentle start
4 S(TRIP,CL)UB – SUB is BUS reversed from coach
9 VERY LIGHT – a distress flare, common in crosswords
10 NOB,(id)LE – count
11 THELMA = (Hamlet)*
12 LAME DUCK – Spooner’s Dame Luck. The more I think about this one, the more confusing it becomes between the Spooner version and the solution, particularly without checking letters. Clearly Dame Luck was on my side, and I guessed right
14 EA,TIN,G OUT
16 ERIC (Morecambe),A – the final A was my first checking letter so I was wondering whether there was a plant AMBEA
17 AD(AM)S
19 PHOTOSTAT – HOT in POST followed by A (packe)T
21 EX,TENDED – one of my earlier entries
22 S,TABLE
25 WORSE – odd letters in WhOs RiSkEd
26 IN A,D(V)ANCE
27 YE,(d)ARLINGS – I solved this from the checking letters only
28 ST,OOL – OOL=LOO reversed
 
Down
1 GIVE THE GAME AWAY – a double definition with a smooth surface
2 NO(R)SE
3 SOLO,MON – Solomon, Grundy, Born on a Monday, Married on Tuesday etc.
4 SAG,A
5 RE,TRACTION
6 PIN((mon)KEY)E – one of my last ones in
7 LABOURIST – L(iberal),ABOU(RIS(e))T
8 BREAKFAST CEREAL = (bra(n) flakes, create)*. I didn’t check the anagram as the answer seemed clear
13 COMPLETION = (M,police not)*. Another fairly friendly anagram
15 TRATTORIA = A1, ROT, TART all reversed
18 S(AND)EE,L – the AND for “with” usually misleads me
20 OCTAVES – (vote,as,C)*
23 BAN,JO(anna) – Joanna is (rhyming) slang for piano
24 BASS – initial letters of B(attered) A(nd) S(ubsequently) S(erved)

4 comments on “2009 Finals – Second Preliminary Session – Puzzle 1”

  1. Middle difficulty of the 3 for me, at 11:49. Initial dally with Dame Fate and FAME DATE at 12A, though put in 9Aly, so to speak. Quite a few old favourite answers – PINK-EYE and BANJO as well as VERY LIGHT, I think, and cerainly ERICA, though all well-clued.
  2. Is the definition “you can bet they’ll run” correct as a standalone? Flat races are for 2yr olds and older, as yearlings are considered too immature.

    I appreciate that it makes for a better overall surface, however.

    1. I think you may be onto something here, but it’s tricky – the standard def seems to be “a racehorse in the calendar year after its year of foaling” – so a yearling must be less than 2 yrs old as you say, but is already known to be a racehorse, and “will run” seems hard to argue with!
  3. So I had a rare day off and decided to set a challenge. Could all nine crosswords be done in one pub sitting with constant drinking. The blogs for the first preliminaries are not up yet, so I have to start here.

    Actually this one came pretty easily, as two friends came in and wanted to know what I was doing, so there was a touch of the show off. It took about as long to finish as it did to explain wordplay. At the end of this, I was alone for the next solving session.

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