Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 083
A Puzzle by Boaz
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***/****
Boaz makes a welcome return with his trademark fair but risqué cluing. It did not find this too difficult to solve and hopefully there will not be much need for the hints. It is a good job Gazza is not reviewing this as the picture opportunities would raise his blood pressure to dangerous levels.
Across
9a Freely mix with a Puerto Rican star (7,8)
{PROXIMA CENTAURI} – The name of the closest star to the Sun comes from an anagram (freely) of mix a Puerto Rican.
10a Second journalist to cover Pulp’s hit (7)
{SMASHED} – A word for hit comes from the abbreviations for second and an editor (journalist) inside which is put a word meaning pulp (the false capitalisation being there only to mislead).
12a Decapitated like this, when the bouncers are let loose? (7)
{TOPLESS} – If you were decapitated you would be like this. In addition, a lady in this state may display a large degree of wobble in the upper region!
13a Real Madrid’s second time in charge, United then are swamped (9)
{AUTHENTIC} – A word for real comes from the second letter of Madrid (Madrid’s second) and abbreviations for time and in charge. Inside this put an abbreviation for United and the word then to find the answer.
14a Some old Um Bongo movie (5)
{DUMBO} – The name of a classic Disney film is hidden (some) in old Um Bongo.
15a Tied up in East African country borders (7)
{CHAINED} – A word meaning tied up comes from putting the name of an African country (four letters) around (borders) the word in from the clue and the abbreviation for East.
18a With drug, injured hen can improve (7)
{ENHANCE} – A word for improve comes from the abbreviation for Ecstasy (drug) followed by an anagram (injured) of hen can.
21a Anyone but Miliband can be famous (5)
{NOTED} – A word meaning famous (if split 3, 2) could mean anyone but Miliband (think of his first name).
23a Rob cares about sports day events (4,5)
{SACK RACES} – This staple race of school sports days comes from a word meaning rob (as in steal) followed by an anagram (about) of cares.
25a Laugh at Nicholas’ chest protector (3,4)
{RIB CAGE} – This chest protector (part of the skeleton) comes from a word meaning laugh at followed by the surname of a famous actor whose first name is Nicholas.
26a Two-star resort in the most awful condition (2,5)
{AT WORST} – A phrase meaning the most awful condition comes from an anagram (resort) of two star.
29a Animal that while quick, is late (12,3)
{SCHRODINGERS CAT} – A cryptic definition of the beleaguered animal used by physicists to describe one of the paradoxes of quantum mechanics. Until observed, this animal is both alive and dead.
Down
1d A saint catches empty plane and takes off (4)
{APES} – A word meaning takes off (as in imitates) comes from the A and the single letter abbreviation for saint inside which is put the word plane with the central letters removed (empty).
2d What follows so near, yet has no right in Chesterfield? (4)
{SOFA} – A Chesterfield is an example of this type of furniture. The two word that follow in the expression so near, ** *** and remove the R (no right) to find the answer.
3d Sandwich contains this many greens (8)
{EIGHTEEN} – A cryptic definition of the number of holes (greens) on a golf course (Sandwich being an example of such a course).
4d Outlaw Belgium and sex (6)
{BANDIT} – A word for an outlaw comes from the abbreviation for Belgium followed by the AND in the clue and a two letter euphemism for sex.
5d One is sacked from trial and left in cold water (8)
{TESTICLE} – This part of the male anatomy in a sac comes from a word for a trial followed by a word describing cold water (the state it is in below freezing) inside which is put the abbreviation for left.
6d 12 Angel Street’s uppermost lunatic (6)
{STUPID} – A word for lunatic comes from the abbreviation for street before (uppermost) a word for a romantic angel from which the first letter has been removed. The answer to 12a gives us the wordplay to remove the first letter.
7d Kent’s lovely island (8)
{SUPERMAN} – The alter ego of Clark Kent comes from a word meaning lovely followed by the name of an island in the North Sea.
8d Part of Heartbeat’s support turned up – it’s a wrap (8)
{DIASTOLE} – This part of the heart’s pattern of beating comes from a word meaning support which is reversed (turned up) followed by (it’s meaning it has) a word for a wrap (as in a type of scarf or shawl).
11d March, possibly with university for new opening (5)
{MOUTH} – A word for an opening comes from taking the division of the year of which March is an example and replacing the N with a U (university for new).
15d Meeting some relations (8)
{CONGRESS} – A word for a meeting is also a word used to describe sexual relations.
16d It’s the German way – with no ceiling
{AUTOBAHN} – A cryptic definition of the name for a German motorway on which there is no speed limit (no ceiling).
17d Kinky sex, daily may result in certain characters becoming confused (8)
{DYSLEXIA} – This medical condition in which sufferers get characters confused when reading comes from an anagram (kinky) of sex daily.
19d Tough women are producing military artillery (8)
{HARDWARE} – A word used to describe military hardware comes from a word meaning tough, an abbreviation for women and the ARE from the clue.
20d Revolutionary and extremely sensuous mating activity (5)
{CHESS} – A game in which mating is the objective (no not a Sloggers and Betters gathering) comes from the name of a well known South American revolutionary followed by the outer letters (extremely) of sensuous.
22d Clothes worn by Eddie Izzard, on Duncan Bannatyne? (6)
{DRAGON} – Duncan Bannatyne is an example of one of these financial backers in the BBC series in which people put forward business proposals in their Den. It comes from the clothes warn by Eddie Izzard (a man wearing women’s clothing would be in ****) followed by the ON from the clue.
24d Cleaner – finally washing Katie Price (6)
{CHARGE} – A word meaning price comes from a four letter word for a cleaner followed by the last letters (finally) of washing Katie.
27d Career people (4)
{RACE} – A double definition to finish. A word describing an ethnic group of people means the same an career (as in run).
Top clue for me today was 5d although I enjoyed 21a, 29a, 15d and 22d. Let us know your favourite clues and any other comments on today’s NTSPP below.
Thank you for the excellent explanations – great illustrations too, especially for 5d – not a word one often finds in a cryptic
Hey Boaz, what a splendid puzzle! I enjoyed it immensly so many thanks!
Threw in the towel on 15d because of mental ineptitude but otherwise a very enjoyable solve.
More of the same please and thanks to Prolixic for explaining said 15d.
Thanks Prolixic, but any chance of an explanation for 28d? It’s the only one I don’t understand and it’s not there!!
And thanks to Boaz for a most diverting puzzle. Several chuckles in there, but especially 29a for me.
droolie,
I had to resort to Google to find out that ATAT (All-Terrain Armored Transport), which is something to do with Star Wars, is also known, apparently, as the Imperial Walker. Reverse it to get a familiar way of saying goodbye.
I got the answer and guessed what it was, but still had to look it up to make sure.
Very reassuring that both gazza & BD didn’t know the answer to 28d. Didn’t like to ask Prolixic for the missing hint – assumed that it must have been too obvious. Nice puzzle from Boaz – naughty but nice! (Apart from 29a)
Me too!
Hi Droolie,
Glad you enjoyed it. 28d was:
Imperial walker returned a familiar call on departure (2-2)
Those not familiar with Star Wars lore my struggle with this one! In The Empire Strikes Back, the Empire led their assault on the rebel stronghold on Hoth with large, four legged walkers called ‘AT-AT’s (All Terrain Armoured Transports). They were one of several ‘imperial walker’ vehicles familiar to most children of the late 70s and early 80s! ‘Return’ AT-AT to get a familiar call on departure. Hope this helps!
Apologies all, I must have left the last clue off when I cut and pasted the review into WordPress. and yes, I had to Google AT-AT too
When I am at a desktop PC I will add this in.