An enjoyable puzzle from Howzat (with, ironically, not a cricket reference in sight) featuring a nice variety of clue types. Not too tricky, but not a pushover either – “just about right”, I suspect.
Thanks very much to our setter.
Definitions underlined: DD = double definition: anagrams indicated by *(–): omitted letters indicated by {-}.
Across | |
4 |
Irregular dates happily in the end becoming a regular one? (6) |
STEADY – Cryptic clue, with the wordplay being *(DATES) – with “irregular” indicating the anagram – + Y (final letter – ‘in the end’ – of happilY) | |
7 | Portrait of Somalian vandalised (4,4) |
MONA LISA – *(SOMALIAN) with “vandalised” signposting the anagram | |
8 | Countless millions taken by milk producer rejected (6) |
MYRIAD – M (millions) is added to (taken by) DAIRY reversed (milk producer rejected) | |
9 | Intimate change and say nothing (5,3) |
ALTER EGO – ALTER (change) + EG (say) + O (nothing) | |
10 | Mean singing voice heard (4) |
BASE – Sounds like BASS (singing voice heard) | |
12 | Pork cut in box served with processed brie (5,3) |
SPARE RIB – SPAR (box) + *(BRIE) with “processed” pointing to the anagram | |
15 | Quiet craftsman is prejudiced (8) |
PARTISAN – P (quiet) + ARTISAN (craftsman) | |
18 | Quits flat (4) |
EVEN – DD, with the first maybe less obvious as in “we’re quits” / “we’re even” | |
20 | Sergeant in mess put out of favour (8) |
ESTRANGE – *(SERGEANT) with “in mess” signalling the anagram | |
22 | Sounding cold, it’s hot (6) |
CHILLI – Sounds like “chilly” (sounding cold) | |
23 | Good on imposing French city! (8) |
GRENOBLE – G (good) + RE (on) + NOBLE (imposing) | |
24 | Cockney wife having lost capital is after credit support (6) |
CRUTCH – {D}UTCH (cockney wife – as in “my old Dutch”) minus its first letter (having lost capital) comes after CR (credit) |
Down | |
1 | Dimwit who is also sweet (4) |
FOOL – Straightforward DD | |
2 | Sort of artist in a way associated with flags (8) |
PAVEMENT – The supporting cryptic wordplay is based on a “flags” (or flagstones) being the component parts of pavements. My LOI as, despite all the checkers, it took me an age for the penny to drop here. Nice clue with cunning misdirection. | |
3 | US soldier hires out padded jackets (6) |
GILETS – GI (US soldier) + LETS (hires out). The garment in question was unknown to me, but the wordplay was sufficiently generous that the answer really couldn’t have been anything else. | |
4 | Greek island associated with a savoury snack (6) |
SAMOSA – SAMOS (Greek island) + A (associated with A) | |
5 | Rehearsals in part for organs (4) |
EARS – Hidden in (in part) rehEARSals | |
6 | Due date that’s not welcomed by caller? (8) |
DEADLINE – DD, the second being mildly cryptic and referring us back to the days when calls generally went over physical phone lines… | |
11 | Secure a time with TV presenter (2,6) |
AT ANCHOR – A T (a time) with ANCHOR (TV presenter) | |
13 | Highest point almost for pulse (3) |
PEA – PEA{K} – ‘highest point almost’ | |
14 | One way of getting to the top in say, Washington (8) |
ELEVATOR – Cryptic based on the American habit of referring to lifts as ‘elevators’ | |
16 | Seasonal transport is murder, one’s heard (6) |
SLEIGH – Sounds like SLAY (murder, one’s heard) | |
17 | Madman from northern state (6) |
NUTTER – N (northern) + UTTER (state) | |
19 | Scheduled time for opening (4) |
SLOT – Straightforward DD | |
21 | Misses prodigal son? Not entirely (4) |
GALS – Hidden in (not entirely) prodiGAL Son |
Also CRUTCH might not be a write-in for those that haven’t seen “cockney wife = dutch” in previous crosswords. Then again, I’m hopeless at judging these things, so we’ll see.
Amazing coincidence(?) between one of the clues and a clue in today’s 15×15. Won’t say which one, but it’ll be obvious to anyone who attempts both puzzles.
Anyway, thanks ‘ZAT!!!, and nice blog Nick.
WOD – I wore my (sleeveless) 3dn GILET(S)this morning so no trouble there. No need now as Shanghai becomes scorchio – but then June can be a very wet month indeed.
COD 24ac CRUTCH.
I also noticed Lord Galspray’s Coincidence.
Nick you used the word ‘signposting’ as per David Astle – excellent choice.
Didn’t twig box for spar, wife for dutch or misses for gals.
Dnk Fool = sweet/dessert.
I also thought 4d was a DD, the greek island Samosa!
Isn’t the coincidence caused by it being the same setter?
COD Mona Lisa.
Edited at 2017-05-31 08:39 am (UTC)
Some interesting stuff about my old Dutch here http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/my-old-dutch.html
A good puzzle but definitely towards the harder end of the QC spectrum. Thanks to setter and blogger.
And I meant Nick, not pip (sorry!)
Templar
Re: 2d – Luckily my meagre attempts, and learning from those I don’t get, in the 15×15 pay off sometimes so the link between artist and flags(tones)/ pavement was still fresh in my mind. Don’t think I’d have got it otherwise.
LOI CRUTCH. I always thought that the Cockney for wife was ‘trouble and strife’ but couldn’t find a way of making that work. Finally got it from checkers and def.
A new setter for me today I think, so thank you Howzat and Nick.
DR31
I used to work with an old cockney guy who always referred to his “old Dutch” – although he would sometimes refer to her (particularly if she was annoying him!) as “the ball and chain” – her name was Jane…
Do have a go at the 15×15 today if you are looking to step up. It is much more Mondayish than Wednesdayish.
I thought 2d Pavement was tricky but my big mistake was putting a lazy Sledge at 16d. I was also trying to fit Strife into 24a.
The break helped as I quickly saw Chilli on the resumption and then it was quickly completed – so about 30 minutes in all. COD to 9a. David
I thought this was on the more difficult side. FOI was 7ac and COD 12ac for me.
As noted above, I biffed Crutch for 24ac but couldn’t figure out the wordplay for the life of me. Obviously dutch = wife is one of those crossword things that you just need to know!
Thanks as usual.
DR31
Even without those three I found this tough going and I’d only completed half of it in a 20 minute first sitting.
Oh well better luck tomorrow.