After last week’s puzzle that hardly required one to consult Chambers this one is rather harder and needed a reference for most of the clues. This is not my favourite grid because of all those tricky little four letter words that generate more four letter words when solving. I have one query. The definition of DEBT SWAP at 30A seems wrong to me.
For new solvers (C) = Chambers used to verify part of a clue (S) = starter clue (see memories/solving tips at the top of the page). Pay particular attention to 8D where the key to understanding the clue lies in a Chambers entry three entries above the solution. Also to 11D where the answer is in Chambers but is found by reference to the second half of a compound word.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SALOON,PISTOL – (so all options)*; shot=anagrind; a pistol used in a shooting gallery; (c); |
| 10 | TENACULUM – T-(launce)*-UM; a surgeon’s hook; (c); |
| 12 | ECHT – ECH-T; ECH=eche=to eek out; T=time; genuine, authentic; (C); |
| 13 | WAITE – WAITE(r); obsolete word for to watch out for someone; reference Arthur Waite 1857-1942 American mystic who wrote “The Bells of Faerie” and designed the Rider-Waite Tarot cards; (S) (C); |
| 15 | LANGLAUF – LANG-(Laud with D=day changed to F=France); LANG=language; cross-country skiing; (C); |
| 16 | LANGUET – L(A-N-GUE)T; LT=Lithuania; AGUE=fit; N=number; a tongue-like object; (C); |
| 18 | EDAM – (media with “i” removed)*; Dutch city which today is part of Edam-Volendam where they make soapy cheese; (S); |
| 20 | SOHO – three meanings; 1=call; 2=acronym for Small Office Home Office, a large market for software; 3=a square mile of London near Leicester Square suitable for the broad minded; (C); |
| 21 | HOLS – “homelands” with the letters of “ad men” removed; (S); |
| 22 | REKE – RE-KE(f); RE=about; kef=a dreamy state; REKE=obsolute word for reck=to care; (C); |
| 23 | AMYL – A-MY-L(l); MY=wow; an alcohol radical (chemistry); (S); |
| 25 | AGEE – A(G(ory)-E(laboration))E; AE=one in Ayr; AGEE=ajee=Scots for not straight; (C); |
| 27 | ASYLUMS – AS-Y-(slum with “s” moved to the end); when=AS; yard=Y; slum-2=component of crude oil; nuts=slang for mad people; (C); |
| 30 | DEBT,SWAP – (swept bad)*; plastic=pliant=anagrind; I’m not happy with PM’s use of “scam”. Here is the technical definition of a debt swap also known as a debt-equity swap, which is not a scam but a legitimate financial device. PM may have been influenced by Argentina’s Debt Swap which left something to be desired. Chambers makes no mention of scam but hints at arbitrage, which is also not a scam; to me a DEBT SWAP is a balance sheet rearrangement; |
| 32 | ABIES – AB-IE-S(uffocate); tar=sailor=AB; IE=that is; true fir trees; (S); |
| 33 | RACA – hidden word (senio)R-ACA(demia); worthless; (C) (S); |
| 34 | EPIGRAPHY – (hyperopia with “o”=ball changed to “g”=good)*; inscription on a building; (C); |
| 35 | PEEP-O-DAY,BOYS – PEE(P-(a body)*)OYS; P=phosphorous; PEEOYS=homemade Gorbals fireworks; a band of thugs active at the end of the 18th century who ransacked catholic, quaker and other premises at dawn (the peep of day). Thought by many to be the founding fathers of The Orange Order; (C); |
| Down | |
| 1 | STELLERIDAN – (islander let)*; old name for starfish; (C); |
| 2 | AECIA – A-(ICE reversed)-A; before=ante=A; chill=ICE; afternoon=A; fructification in rust fungi (see aecidium in (C)) |
| 3 | OATH – (wr)OATH; W=with; R=Romeo (phonetic alphabet); wroath=Waggledagger for misfortune; (C); |
| 4 | OCCLUSAL – (callous)* surrounds c=canine; the bite of the teeth; (S); |
| 5 | NUGAE – NU-G(et)-AE; Greek character=NU; AE=aged; trifles is the definition; (C); |
| 6 | PLINTH – PLIN(y)-TH(e); Gaius Plinius 23-79 who got too close to the erupting Vesuvius; (S); |
| 7 | SMALT – SM-ALT; SM=Sergeant Major; ALT-1=in a high flown mood; the deep blue colour of cobalt oxide; (C); |
| 8 | TRIALOGUE – two meanings; 1=a three-way conversation; TRIAL=a comic tenor after Antoine Trial 1736-95 so 2=a comic tenor’s talk (geddit?); good example of looking at entries in Chambers that are near the one you’re interested in; |
| 9 | OCTUPLE – (couple + t=time)*; busy=anagrind; (S); |
| 11 | REFUSE,STAYS – REFUSE-STAYS; flock-2=REFUSE; waits=STAYS; failing to tack whilst sailing. See STAY-3 in Chambers. A classic example of looking up the second half of a compound word when using Chambers; (C); |
| 14 | SNAKEBITE – SNAKE-BITE; a disgusting mixture of lager and cider; (S); |
| 17 | POLYPARY – POLY-PAR-Y(oung); old college=POLY; swimmer=fish=PAR=parr; the supporting structure of a colony of polyps. See polyp in Chambers; |
| 19 | DELEBLE – DEL-EB(bw)-(Va)LE; DEL=delineavit (Latin)=he or she drew it; something not written by the moving finger. See dele in Chambers; |
| 24 | MAWLID – M(AWL)ID; Muslim festival celebrating the birth of The Prophet; (C); |
| 26 | STEEP – S-TEE(n)-P; SP=Starting Price; Teen-2=grief; (C); |
| 28 | SAIGA – SAI-(standin)G-A; capuchin=SAI; an antelope with a swollen nose; luckily Durante didn’t fit; (C); |
| 29 | MOCHY – remove “a”=one from May and substitute “och”; fousty; (C); |
| 31 | CRAB – three meanings; 1=CRAB-2=sourpuss; 2=CRAB-3=wreck; 3=CRAB-1=a winch; (C); |
I have done quite a bit of ski-ing so LANGLAUF was first in, and I was pleased to remember ECHT, PEEOY and RACA from recent puzzles and which are starting to become old friends!
I had exactly the same comment to make on debt swap, which to me is a perfectly legitimate financial arrangement.
PMcK
I have just tried setting a crossword (conventional, not barred) not because I have any pretensions in that direction but as a exercise to try to understand what is involved. I found it a very tough exercise!
As a result I have nothing but admiration for the setters who regularly turn out such high-quality work, undiminished by the occasional error, and the Mephisto is the highlight of the week.