MPP 073 (Review)

Monthly Prize Puzzle 073 – Review

June 2018

A Puzzle by Prolixic

 

How many solutions cryptically describe a bad hair day?

Congratulations to  LetterboxRoy who submitted a correct answer, had his name drawn from the electronic hat by Mrs BD, and can now choose a Telegraph Puzzle Book as his prize.

There were eight solutions where ENDS were ‘split’ – 5a, 10a, 11a, 14a, 22a, 26a, 27a and 20d – I’m still of the view that split ends are more of a permanent problem than a bad hair day (unless of course you are the current POTUS) which is probably why, when test solving this puzzle, I couldn’t see what I was supposed to be looking for to answer the question.

 

Across

1a    Part of chest in which Charlie has permission to store silver? (8)
CLEAVAGE – C (NATO Phonetic Alphabet Charlie) with LEAVE (permission) to ‘store’ AG (the chemical symbol for silver)

5a    Drug to catch small animals (6)
ELANDS – E (Ecstasy, drug) LAND (catch) S (small)

10a     Jockey fondles and embraces (7)
ENFOLDS – An anagram (jockey) of FONDLES

11a     Offers extra objectives (7)
EXTENDS – EXT (extra) ENDS (objectives)

12a     Revolutionary American character comes back with girl (5)
MARIA – Two reversals (revolutionary) firstly of AM (American) followed by another of AIR (character)

13a     Picts maybe head off what slave traders did (3,6)
OLD PEOPLE – Slave traders [S]OLD PEOPLE

14a     Fasteners made from twisted satin cable by surgeon (7,5)
ELASTIC BANDS – An anagram (twisted) of SATIN CABLE followed by DS (Dental Surgeon)

19a     Notice secret air defence (10,2)
CLASSIFIED AD – CLASSIFIED (secret) AD (Air Defence)

22a     Ken should be running around with dogs (9)
ELKHOUNDS – AN anagram (running around) of KEN SHOULD

25a     Wheat held by Moslem merchant (5)
EMMER – Lurking in (held by) MoslEM MERchant

26a     Grows old with Penny and Bob (7)
EXPANDS – EX (old) P (penny) AND (from the clue) S (bob being the way we used to refer to a shilling)

27a     Makes a mistake describing joiner’s tasks (7)
ERRANDS – ERRS (makes a mistake) ‘describing’ or going round that most useful of joining words AND

28a     Native’s final poem (6)
SONNET – SON (native) NET (final)

29a     Guarantees for El Salvador blocked by security service as one might see it (8)
PROMISES – PRO (for) MIS (because you might see MI5 as MIS) ES (El Salvador)

Down

1d     Beats and laughs head off (6)
CREAMS – Remove the ‘head’ from SCREAMS (laughs)

2d     Swear with troopers over start of the trouble (6)
EFFORT – EFF (swear) OR (Ordinary Ranks, troopers) go over (in a Down clue) the T at the start of The

3d     See uniform in potentially salable assets (9)
VALUABLES – V (vide, see) plus U (Uniform) inserted into an anagram (potentially) of SALABLE

4d     Rush over with enthusiasm (5)
GUSTO – GUST (rush) O (over)

6d     Gas filling new machine (5)
LATHE – H (Hydrogen gas) ‘filling’ LATE (new)

7d     Square holds game (8)
NINEPINS – NINE (a square number) PINS (holds)

8d     South American author’s bearing doubt (8)
SUSPENSE – S (South) US (American) PENS (authors0 E (compass bearing East)

9d     Description of fringe part of newspaper! (8)
HEADLINE – Double definition

15d     Liking smooth head (8)
SOFTNESS – SOFT (smooth) NESS (head)

16d     Car part inclined to be found in Birmingham (5,4)
BRAKE DRUM – RAKED (inclined) to be found inserted in BRUM (Birmingham)

 

17d     Those who plan chess moves to include modern opening with queen (8)
SCHEMERS – An anagram (moves) of CHESS to include M (the ‘opening’ of Modern) with ER (the regnal cipher of our current Queen)

18d     Rugby player’s leg and ball movement (8)
BACKSPIN – BACKS (rugby player’s) PIN (leg)

20d     Changes send me bonkers (6)
EMENDS – An anagram (bonkers) of SEND ME

21d     Tops of beetroot finally cut into salad leaves (6)
CRESTS – T (beetrooT ‘finally’) cut into or inserted into CRESS (salad leaves)

23d     University exhibition centre dropping European measure (5)
OUNCE – OU (Open University) NEC (National Exhibition Centre) dropping the E in the middle to the end

24d     Drive a young ox (5)
STEER – Another double definition to finish

Thanks to all the people who played a part in this month’s Prize Puzzle production