Monthly Prize Puzzle No 12 (May 2013) by Alchemi
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A review by crypticsue
Congratulations to Dave Howell, the winner of the May Prize Puzzle competition. This time we not only had to solve the crossword but also read the Nina in rows 3, 13 and 11. These instructed you to look at four down, reverse it and then split the solution 2, 4 thus leaving DE TROP to be submitted as the competition entry to win the choice of a Telegraph Puzzle Book from Hamlyn Books.
Across
9a Men look around and find US resort (7)
ORLANDO – OR (men, Other Ranks, soldiers) followed by LO (look) with AND from the clue inserted (around).
10a Look back at dead boy with unknown grandmother? (3,4)
OLD LADY – A reversal of LO (look ‘back’) followed by D (dead) LAD (boy) and Y (algebraic unknown).
11a Approaching child to be around later on? (7)
TONIGHT – Insert NIGH (approaching) into a TOT (child).
12a Play this card first, then the last spade, in case the ace is needed (7)
CELESTA – ‘Play this’ keyboard instrument which produces bell-like sounds. C (the first letter of card), E ( the final letter of spade), LEST (in case) and A (ace).
13a How to save faces a point agreed with the underworld (9)
EYESHADES – E (the compass point East) YES (agreed) and HADES (the underworld).
15a Fools seen in American quarter when old boy leaves (5)
TWITS – The American quarter coin is also known as TWO BITS. Remove the OB (old boy) to get TWITS.
16a The wealthy act fast when in trouble (3,4)
FAT CATS – An anagram (when in trouble) of ACT FAST.
19a Partners drench protesters’ leader in seconds (7)
SPOUSES – Insert P (protesters’ ‘leader’) into SOUSE (drench) and finish with S (seconds).
20a One to profit a second time (5)
AGAIN – A (one) plus GAIN (profit).
21a Eternal taboo broken by the first of seven angry neurologists (9)
INCESSANT – Insert into INCEST (taboo) the first letters of Seven, Angry and Neurologists.
25a The worst-looking fruit is French (7)
UGLIEST – the UGLI fruit (which isn’t as unattractive as it sounds) followed by EST (is in French).
26a Insect meeting terrible fate in drink (4,3)
BEEF TEA – BEE followed by an anagram (terrible) of FATE.
28a Eavesdrops on queen, eating a syrup sponge at first (7)
EARWIGS – Insert (eating) A (from the clue) into ER (the Queen’s cipher) follow with a WIG (syrup being cockney rhyming slang for wig) and S (sponge at first).
29a Small glass vessel sufficient to contain old uranium (7)
AMPOULE – Insert O (old) and U(uranium) into AMPLE (sufficient).
Down
1d Wimp with very loud neckwear (6)
SOFTIE – SO (very) F (forte, loud in music) TIE (neckwear).
2d British on their own – blocked by Germany, to be fair (6)
BLONDE – B (British) and LONE with D (IVR code for Germany) inserted.
3d Warm and cosy with arms aloft (4)
SNUG – A reversal (aloft) of GUNS (arms)
4d Carried soft alternative to regular tweeds (6)
PORTED – P (piano, soft in music) OR (alternative) and the regular letters of TwEeDs.
5d School accountants finally permit small audio files to be downloaded (8)
PODCASTS – POD (a school of whales) CAS (Chartered Accountants) T (the final letter of permit) and S (small).
6d Heretical vow our last mistake (10)
IDOLATROUS – I DO (an example of a vow) followed by an anagram (mistake) of OUR LAST.
7d Cases where cabinet minister wears formal dress? Quite the opposite! (8)
LAWSUITS – If the Cabinet Minister (David) LAWS was to wear formal dress the SUIT would be outside him, but here LAWS is outside the SUIT.
8d During drowsy naps, essayist makes internal connections (8)
SYNAPSES are hidden in drowSY NAPS ESsayist.
14d In love with her, a distraught monkey might cover his ears to this (4,2,4)
HEAR NO EVIL – One of the three wise monkeys covers his ears to HEAR NO EVIL – a distraught anagram of IN LOVE WITH HER.
16d Highlights achievement sure to fail (8)
FEATURES – FEAT (achievement) followed by an anagram (to fail) of SURE.
17d External regulations underpinning Walter wrecked fishing boats (8)
TRAWLERS – A ‘wrecked’ anagram, of WALTER followed by the outside letters (external) of RegulationS.
18d Opponents provided criterion extremely fast (8)
SWIFTEST – S(outh) and W(est) (two opponents in a game of bridge), IF (provided) TEST (criterion, standard).
22d Business supports poisoners (6)
COBRAS – CO (company, business) and BRAS (supports).
23d East End arrogance of pretentious director (6)
AUTEUR – A film director, specially of a particular genre, sounds like someone from the East End (where people are renowned for leaving off Hs at the beginning of a word) was saying HAUTEUR or arrogance.
24d Exchanged upside-down pictures of French duke (6)
TRADED – A reversal (upside-down) ART (pictures) followed by DE (French word for of)and D (duke).
27d Observe online agent (4)
ESPY – Well we have e-mail and e-trading so why not an E SPY?
Congratulations Dave. Remember this puzzle as giving a lot of fun. It had a beautifully hidden answer, that needed a finished (or nearly so) grid to be able to work it out.
Thanks again Alchemi and CS.
This feels like a long time ago but did manage to dig the crossword out from old toast crumbs, marmalade and cat hair on the kitchen table! What chaos we do live in!! Congratulations to Dave.
I failed to spot what we were after – finished up with three answers that I really couldn’t do but I remember having fun with the puzzle even though it ended up defeating me.
With thanks to Alchemi and thanks and congratulations for untangling it all to CS.
Well done Dave. Thanks to CS for the review and to Alchemi for his part
in a most enjoyable Bank Holiday afternoon.