MPP 098 – Review

Monthly Prize Puzzle 098 – Review

July 2020

Century – A Puzzle by Phibs

 

Congratulations to our July winner – David Whisstock – who wins his choice of a Telegraph Crossword Puzzles Book to add to his collection (this is his third MPP win)

Phibs said:

I wanted the numbers contained in the solutions, read either forwards or backwards (eg ONE, ENO, TWO, OWT etc), to add up to exactly 100. I’ve managed to include sixteen numbers, but the total still falls a bit short. By changing two consecutive letters in one entry (thus producing two new words, and eighteen numbers in total), I believe the century can be reached. What is the pair of letters that must be replaced, and what is the replacement pair?

I am always happy when Phibs sets the MPP as, not only am I in for a good time as a solver and blogger, but this is one of the fairly rare times when, as I haven’t seen the crossword before the rest of you, I can actually enter the competition. Apart from having instructions requiring the reader to have a little lie down once they’d read them, this was an enjoyable crossword to solve, although I will say that my mathematical skills were severely challenged as I found I found that you could change two letters in 32a to get a new number but this didn’t add up to the required century. I looked at the solved grid on and off for more than a week until I finally noticed the obvious – changing the AT in 31d to an ON produces both a one and a ten, thus producing the required century, and so in went my entry – sadly I’m not as lucky as David, but I’ll keep trying every times Phibs sets the MPP and one day…. who knows?  

Across

7     Reassurance given to trapeze artist involved arrangements for communicating (8)
NETWORKS -A trapeze artist would be reassured to learn that his [safety] NET WORKS  (10 2)

9     Thrash gatecrashed by current setter? (6)
CANINE – CANE (thrash) ‘gatecrashed’ by IN (current)  (9)

11     Skin treatment’s not confined to chest (3)
BOX – Remove the TO from BOTOX (skin treatment)

12     Exactly how tenant addresses complaint about property? (2,3,6)
TO THE LETTER – A tenant would address his complaint to his letter or landlord

13     Smashed set as gripping tie swung back to Orient (9)
EASTWARDS – An anagram (smashed) of SET AS ‘gripping’ a reversal (back) of DRAW (tie)

18     Empty tittle-tattle boring nurse rigid (5)
STERN – The outside (empty) letters of Tittle-tattlE ‘boring’ or going inside SRN (State Registered Nurse)

22     Fudge etc on front of counter in foyer? (13)
CONFECTIONERY – An anagram (fudge) of ETC ON C (the front or first letter of counter) IN FOYER  (1)

23     Make up Keith Richards, maybe concealing ultimate in wrinkles (5)
ATONE- Keith Richards is A STONE – conceal or hide the ultimate letter of wrinkleS (1)

26     Hardy girl in running shoes entertaining ladies (9)
HOSTESSES – TESS (Thomas Hardy female character) inserted into an anagram (running) of SHOES

31     Adding to the double gin he prepared (11)
HEIGHTENING – An anagram (prepared) of THE GIN GIN (double ‘gin’) HE  (8, 10, 9)

32     It’s said to unnerve follower of Yogi when repeated (3)
BOO – Adding another BOO (when repeated) produces a friend of Yogi Bear My favourite Across clue

33     Secure the anaesthetic mentioned by Yorkshire doctor? (6)
TETHER – T’ETHER (as a Yorkshire doctor might say)

34     Wilder, say, about first woman saint from Swiss city (8)
GENEVESE – GENE (Wilder, say) goes ‘about’ EVE (first woman) and S (saint)  (7)

Down

1     Authorize travel ban – employees going over limits (6)
ENABLE – Hidden in reverse (going over limits) in travEL BAN Employees

2     Pay court fine, coming up with large part of settlement (6)
KOWTOW – A reversal (coming up in a Down clue) of OK (fine)  W (with) with most (large part) of TOWn (settlement)  (2)

3     Dean is famous one Will’s spouse introduced to sister (6)
SKATER – KATE (Mrs Prince William) ‘introduced’ to SR (sister)

4     Clergyman’s wife not against one cuddle (6)
CARESS – I’ve never heard of a clergyman’s wife being called a VICARESS? V (versus, against) and I (one) need to be removed from the word

5     Honour female’s lost to furtive fumbling (6)
VIRTUE – An anagram (fumbling) of fURTIVE without the F (female’s lost)

6     It’s long – not finished by November (4)
YEAR – YEARn (long) without the N (November in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet)

8     Occupants of stand demand I start to score (5)
TAXIS – TAX (demand) I (from the clue) S (the ‘start’ to Score) (6)

10     Botch communications, wasting ages (4)
MESS – Simply ‘waste’ or remove the AGES from MESSages

14     A boozer that has framed college tie (5)
ASCOT – A (from the clue) SOT (boozer) has ‘framed’ C (college)

15     Scribbled note: “Clinton finally inhaled part of joint” (5)
TENON – An anagram (scribbled) of NOTE plus the final letter of ClintoN  (10, 1)

16     Egg on toast’s heart risk (4)
ABET – The ‘heart’ of toAst and BET (risk)

17     Those leading Italy towards turmoil brought in to achieve same here (5)
DITTO – The letters ‘leading’ Italy Towards Turmoil ‘brought in’ to DO (achieve)

19     Gather round – small son is crawling! (5)
TEEMS – A reversal (round) of MEET (gather) and the ‘small’ abbreviation for Son

20     Her bust’s received well when boosted size-wise, perhaps (5)
RHYME – An anagram (bust) of HER receives a reversal (when boosted) of MY (well.. I never)

21     Some know true love (4)
NOWT – Hidden in some kNOW True  (2)

24     Surgical procedure I view positively after getting shot of right narcotic (6)
OPIATE – OP (surgical procedure) I (from the clue) rATE (view positively without the R for right)

25     English mostly decided to accept European repercussions (6)
ECHOES – E (English) and most of CHOSe (decided) to ‘accept’ E (European)

26     Notice that man had boxes in back of vehicle (4)
HEED – HE’D (that man had) ‘boxes in’ the back of vehiclE

27     I sent out piano parts for harpsichord-like instrument (6)
SPINET – P (piano, musical instruction) ‘parts’ an anagram (out) of I SENT  (10)

28     Birdie? One wants something better when standing on tee (6)
EAGLET – In golf scoring an EAGLE is better than a BIRDIE. Stand your EAGLE on T (tee)

29     One might get rattled while upset about embracing bishop (5)
SABRE – A reversal (upset) of AS (while) followed by RE (about) ’embracing’ B (Bishop in chess notation)

30     Tea-time treats, special things you associate with jam? (6)
SCONES – S (special) CONES (things you associate with [traffic] jams!) My favourite Down clue  (1)

31     Feel revulsion at the merest suggestion of ants in the pants (4)
HATE – the first letter (merest suggestion) of Ants inserted into an anagram (pants) of THE

Thanks to Phibs and the BDs for playing their parts in this month’s competition process