Solving Time: We won’t talk about that, since this is the third and final qualifying puzzle for this year’s Times Crossword Championship.. suffice it to say that like the other two, this was not a difficult puzzle. However it did take me some time to solve certain clues that seem very easy in retrospect. Perhaps for that reason, I thought this the most enjoyable of the three qualifiers. It contains an unusually high number of puns, mostly rather dreadful ones, just as a good pun should be.
cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(–).
ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | consider – a footballing reference, m’lud: councillor = CR containing ONSIDE, where one presumably is, if one is not offside.. |
| 5 | bishop – dd, the second one an oblique (ha ha) reference to the chess piece. Given the amount of chess I’ve played over the years this took an embarrassingly long time to spot |
| 10 | imperial measure – dd, a reminder that the UK has stranded itself pathetically in a semi-metricated no mans land, where you can buy 2×4″ timber in 3m lengths, or 8ft wide carpet at £10 per sq. m. Or fill a car that does 40mpg with fuel at £1.40/l. Or buy a pint of beer and a 175ml glass of wine. Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot. I mean 30.48cm… |
| 11 | short story – SHORTS + TORY, only a tiny novel. Or perhaps it should just be length-challenged, in this oh-so-sensitive age we now inhabit.. |
| 13 | this one is only hidden |
| 15 | and this one is just too easy.. |
| 17 | violist – girl = VI + *(TOILS). A violist plays the viol, just as a violinist plays the violin. I seldom have cause to use this word.. |
| 18 | villain – VAIN containing ILL. You know, ill in vain.. geddit? |
| 19 |
demotic – DEMO + TIC( |
| 21 |
nose – boy’s return = NOS + ( |
| 22 | staff nurse – pole = STAFF + look after = NURSE, a more lowly being than a ward sister |
| 25 | green woodpecker – *(POWDER KEG ONCE) + ER = “sappers returned.” Though they do very little sapping these days, I believe. |
| 27 |
rotate – eggs = ROE containing T( |
| 28 |
hydrogen – this took me a moment or two to parse.. it is just ( |
| Down | |
| 1 | crimson – clubs = C + *(MINORS) |
| 2 | nip – attractive girl, ie a PIN up…. |
| 3 | irrational – *(LIAR) containing RATION = share |
| 4 | exalt – ALT. being the key in question |
| 6 | omitted.. the answer’s terrible! |
| 7 | house-sitter – put up = HOUSE + SITTER = easy catch. |
| 8 | pretext – P + RETEXT |
| 9 | improved – well, I + MD containing “make certain” = PROVE, but this clue doesn’t seem to quite work, since technically it should be “gets one doctor round” rather than “one gets…” – just a typo, maybe |
| 12 | obsolescent – OB + SOLE + SCENT |
| 14 | commandeer – = “COMMON DEER,” a homophone that works for me |
| 16 | sanction – S + ACTION containing N = new |
| 18 | vinegar – *(GAVE IN) + R = resistance |
| 20 | chevron – encourage = CHEER ON, with the second E changed to V. The exactly centre letter, note, The Times is very careful about such things |
| 23 |
faddy – F + ADD + Y( |
| 24 | knot – dd. A knot is a shore bird, a rather good looking type of sandpiper |
| 26 |
keg – ( |
At 17 the reference has to be to viola player as viols don’t tend to come in orchestras – it’s an Americanism.
I have to be in London for a family wedding in October and alas will be obliged to prance around in a silly hat instead of sharpening my pencils for the puzzle contest. Memo to self: remind husband (who’s liable to slope off to the nearest pub given a chance) that an imperial pint is 4oz more than an American one.
Thanks for the blog Jerry.
Edited at 2012-05-24 01:42 pm (UTC)