Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 074
A Puzzle by Radler
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A warm welcome back to Radler with a cheeky little puzzle that will get the pulses racing! Although there is no theme as such, there is a hidden device used in the puzzle. This is that the outer perimeter of the crossword runs through the alphabet from A to Z.
I found this not as tricky as some Radler crosswords but by no means his easiest. Many thanks to him for the challenge. My favourite clue was 24d.
Across
8a Native American taken aback, turn for round down under (4)
{ZUNI} – The name of a native American (a tribe of Pueblo Native Americans in the United States) come from reversing (taken aback) a phrase meaning down under (in the Atipodean sense) replacing the O (in the short name for Australia) with a U (turn for round). Fortunately not all of the clues are as complex as this one!
9a Pneumatic motor broken down by rain in Spain for example (3-6)
{AIR ENGINE} – Another phrase for a pneumatic motor comes from an anagram (broken down by) of rain in and the abbreviations for Spain and for example.
10a Austrian strains back, perhaps Bob’s lacking substance orthopedically (6)
{YODELS} – A word for Austrian strains (sung from the hillsides) comes from reversing (back) an piece of winter sports equipment (perhaps bob) following the outer letters (lacking substance) of orthopedically.
11a Badly slip up, house red initially looking rather like claret (8)
{PURPLISH} – A description of a colour that looks rather like claret comes from an anagram (badly) of slip up and the first letters (initially) of house red.
12a A salt tax, then a redress (8)
{XANTHATE} – A technical term of a salt comes from an anagram (redress) of tax then a.
14a Beast was lacking tail. Mine’s got one (6)
{WAPITI} – This beast (an elk in common parlance) comes from the first two letters of was (lacking tail) another word for a mine and a final I (one).
16a Disguises leader of gang with woman’s clothing (4)
{WIGS} – Something that may be worn as part of a disguise from putting the first letter of gang (leader of) inside an abbreviation for woman and the expansion of the ‘s to is.
17a Clothing range (5)
{ARRAY} – A simple double definition for clothing and range (as in the spread of something).
18a Pilgrim’s journey Jack’s done first (4)
{HADJ} – A word for the Islamic pilgrim’s journey comes from a word meaning done (as in diddled) followed by the abbreviation for Jack.
19a One selling against target requiring gold (6)
{VENDOR} – A word for someone who sells things comes from an abbreviation for against followed by a word meaning target (as in objective) and one of the abbreviations for gold.
21a Casual mention of work let the cat out of the bag (twice) (4,4)
{SHOP TALK} – The kind of conversation about work that takes place in the office or on the factory floor (or over the dinner table when the boss is at the table) comes from two expressions meaning let the cat out of the bag.
23a Thrusts from below – erect and naughty – have sex non-stop (8)
{UPHEAVES} – A word meaning thrusts from below comes from a two letter word meaning erect and an anagram (naughty) of have sex with the final letter removed (non-stop). A clue of almost Elgarian smuttiness.
26a So, a length of palm (6)
{THENAL} – One of the words not in Chambers. A word meaning of a palm (an adjective describing a tree) comes from a word meaning so followed by an A and the abbreviation for Length.
27a Needed fiddle with a big black tool (9)
{OBLIGATO} – A Latin word meaning needed comes from an anagram (fiddle with) of a big, the abbreviation for black, and tool. I think that something must have excited Radler with this crossword as there is lots of innuendo in this weeks puzzle.
28a Shipshape and prepare to sail from dock (4)
{TRIM} – A triple definition of a word meaning shipshape (as in neat0, prepare to sail (as in getting the sails ready) and dock (as in cut).
Down
1d Wheels attached to artist after one of pair went to make a robot (10)
{AUTOMATISE} – A word meaning to make a robot comes from a four letter word for wheels (as in a car) followed by the name of a French artist in which the double S becomes a single S (after one of a pair went).
2d Tops exposing bare tits! (8)
{BIRETTAS} – These tops worn by priests when out and about comes from an anagram (exposing) of bare tits. So it is farewell to the News of the World and hello to Radler’s crosswords. More smut per column inch than you can shake a phone hacker at.
3d Pruned Bonsais, sacrificing climbing tree (6)
{CASSIA} – The name of tree is hidden inside (pruned) and reversed (climbing) bonsais sacrificing.
4d Pussycat died, requires epitaph (4)
{DRIP} – A word for pussycat (as in an wet sort of person) comes from an abbreviation for died followed by the three letters used as an epitaph on a monument such as a tombstone.
5d Drive with burst tyre, anywhere but here (8)
{ENTRYWAY} – The other word not in Chambers. A word for a drive (as in an access road) comes from an anagram (burst) of tyre and anywhere after removing the final four letters (but here).
6d Excite with contraception, although used up (6)
{FILLIP} – A word meaning excite (with all these bare tits and big black tools you may well be by now) comes from reversing (used up) a type of contraception and a word meaning although.
7d Combines leg-over with sexual initiation (4)
{GELS} – A word meaning combines from reversing the word leg (over) and following it with the first letter of sexual (initiation). Radler reliving his youth?
13d Passionately aroused, stripped for money (5)
{EUROS} – The money used on much the continent comes from an anagram (passionately) of the inner letters (stripped) of aroused. Excuse me while I go and have a cold shower before continuing with this review.
15d Island supplied with bait could provide dry dock perhaps (5,5)
{TIDAL BASIN} – A phrase for a dry dock (at least when the tide is at low ebb) comes from an anagram (supplied) of island bait.
17d See you in Monte Carlo (2,6)
{AU REVOIR} – The answer is a phase that an inhabitant of Monte Carlo might say “see you”.
18d Yet has success affected other (8)
{HITHERTO} – A word meaning yet (a form of legalese) comes from a three letter word meaning success and an anagram (affected) of other.
20d Nerds, you and I getting involved with young ladies (6)
{DWEEBS} – A word for nerds from putting the pronoun for you and I inside a word for young ladies (a contraction of debutantes).
22d Blooming work without time to excel (6)
{OUTTOP} – A word meaning to excel comes from a word meaning blooming (as in flower) and a two letter word for work put outside (without) an abbreviation for time.
24d Vessel for tea bags left to brew (4)
{PLOT} – A word meaning to brew (as in conspire) comes from putting a word for a vessel in which tea is brewed outside (bags) an abbreviation for left.
25d Main question for system of exchange (4)
{SEAQ} – A trading exchange comes from a word for main (as in the ocean) and an abbreviation for question.