A Puzzle by Teeby
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
As usual, the setter will be delighted to receive feedback from you, the solvers. We do ask that you remember that for most setters this is a new experience, so please only offer constructive criticism.
Welcome to Teeby. Whilst there was some promise and nice innovative touches (I particularly liked 8d and 11d), there were too many rough edges to make this a crossword to savour. If you think of the crossword as a contract between the setter and the solver, the solver has to have confidence in the terms of the contract and that those terms are fair. The terms may be complex but they must be capable of being interpreted rationally. I think in this crossword, there were too many places where the solver could lose confidence in the fairness of the game. Having two solutions that contained three consecutive unchecked letters is not acceptable. Having an indirect anagram and some strained definitions / wordplay also reduces confidence. As a result the commentometer reads as 8 / 32 or 25%
Across
1a Large Goya repainted – a less grotesque figure (8)
GARGOYLE: An anagram (repainted) of LARGE GOYA after removing one of the letters A (a less). Pay attention to how the cryptic reading of the clue works. Here, to remove the letter A, you need “less a” so that the cryptic sense of the clue reads grammatically.
5a Sends out team to play game and makes sure ball is returned (6)
FIELDS: Double definition by reference to a game of cricket.
9a A tommy soldier, seeing Northeast in each direction, hides behind armoured vehicle? (4-6)
TANK-ENGINE: The abbreviation for an American soldier in between (seeing) the abbreviation for NE written both ways with the resulting letters after (behind) a four-letter word for an armoured vehicle. I don’t think that seeing … hides implies that the abbreviation for the soldier is inserted in the wordplay. When creating a definition, be careful not to create too many steps to get to the solution otherwise it becomes too unfair to the solver. To get from a tommy to a Thomas and then to the description of a Thomas in the railway books is to many steps for the solver. Also, the rule with capitalization is that you can capitalise a common noun to mislead but a proper noun, such as a name cannot be put into lower case.
10a Officer, unknown to comply (4)
OBEY: A three-letter abbreviation for a medal whose holder may be termed an officer followed by a letter used in algebra to represent an unknown quantity or number. I think to get from officer to the initials of the medal that they hold is too much of a stretch for the solver.
12a Fail to include someone like Sophie Ecclestone? (4,3)
MISS OUT: Definition and cryptic definition of a female cricketer who may be in the field or dismissed when batting. I am not sure that the cryptic part of the definition quite works.
13a Captive put on number of years (7)
HOSTAGE: A four-letter word meaning put on, as you might do for a party, followed by a three-letter word representing a number of years.
14a One story’s contents might have ruffled feathers? (4)
NEST: The answer is hidden (contents) in the first two words of the clue.
16a Record love device (4)
LOGO: A three-letter word for a record followed by the letter representing zero or love.
17a All liars take three turns with a false name (5)
ALIAS: Take two letters L and the R (three turns) from the first two words of the clue. Perhaps losing would be a better deletion indicator so that the cryptic grammar works.
19a Motor takes inputs from system; executes rotational velocity output (5)
SERVO: The initial letter (inputs from) the final five words of the clue.
20a Long glass oven intermittently seen elsewhere (4)
LEHR: The even letters (intermittently seen) of the final word of the clue.
21a Ceases to even be a nudist (4)
ENDS: The even letters in the final three words of the clue. Even on its own does not indicate the even words of the clue. You need evenly to do this.
24a Concentrate for additonal scan (7)
EXTRACT: A five letter word meaning additional followed by a two-letter abbreviation for a type of medical scan. Run your clues through a spellcheck before submitting a crossword. It would have picked up the typo in additional. The cryptic grammar here does not work as the clue resolves to definition for wordplay. You can have wordplay for definition but not the other way around.
25a Concerned with one’s lazy Susan? It’s a spin on a classic! (7)
REISSUE: A two-letter word meaning concerned with followed by a two-letter contraction meaning one’s and an informal way (lazy) of saying the name Susan.
27a Surround sound (4)
RING: Double definition.
28a The centre of attention is, in fact, polo shot (5,5)
FOCAL POINT: An anagram (shot) of IN FACT POLO. The clue resolves in the cryptic grammar to definition is wordplay. This would be better as definition has wordplay. This could be easily corrected by changing “attention is” to attention’s”
29a Art teacher makes setter follow feeling (6)
SENSEI: A single letter meaning the setter after a five-letter word for feeling. Another clue where the cryptic grammar does not quite work. The clue resolves to Definition makes A follow B. The wordplay makes the definition, not the other way around. Also, you need to follow or following for the cryptic instructions to read correctly.
30a Dead cute, possibly also well schooled (8)
EDUCATED: An anagram (possibly) of DEAD CUTE.
Down
1d Porter reads nametag backwards (7)
GATEMAN: A reversal (backwards) of the third word of the clue. Once again for the cryptic grammar to work, reads would be better as reading.
2d Mum and dad can be stern (5)
RENTS: An anagram (can be) of STERN. Apparently, the solution is a 1960’s contraction of parents according to the Oxford Dictionary.
3d Furious lion, caged in October, is a wild cat (6)
OCELOT: An anagram (furious) of LEO (lion) inside (caged in) the abbreviation for October. A big no-no when setting a clue is an indirect anagram. There are only very limited circumstances where they are permitted and should be avoided like the plague by setters.
4d Tootling uphill drunkenly makes the night sky appear brighter (5,9)
LIGHT POLLUTION: An anagram (drunkenly) of TOOTLING UPHILL
6d Knowledgeable on spines but likes to keep quiet about it (9)
LIBRARIAN: Cryptic definition of a person who works in a facility for the loaning of books.
7d Diffident Scot hiding in Loch is feeling fearful around people (7)
SHYNESS: Split 3,4 this may indicate a timid monster in a Scottish loch.
8d Still where minutes can be found 22 times a day (2,3,5,4)
ON THE OTHER HAND: Defined by the number of time the minute hand covers the hour hand during the day.
11d Leading on stage, Chris Rock gets slapped in a film award (5)
OSCAR: The initial letters (leading) of the second to fifth words of the clue include (gets slapped in) the A from the clue.
15d Without frequency modulation, new tension from neurotransmitter (9)
SEROTONIN: An anagram (new) of TENSION FROM after removing the abbreviation for Frequency Modulation.
18d Write off toll-bridges – quick thanks and take the second left (5)
TOTAL: The toll from the clue goes around (bridges) a two-letter for saying thank you quickly from which the second letter L is remove (take the second left).
19d Phonetic letters? (7)
SIERRAS: Cryptic definition of one of the phonetic letters used in the NATO alphabet.
22d Incensed teen’s CD scratched (7)
SCENTED: An anagram (scratched) of TEENS CD.
23d Crisp movie by alternative director, reflected the life of a celebrity in film (6)
BIOPIC: The even letters (alternative) reversed (reflective) of the first three words of the clue. Alternative does not work as an indicator for every other letter. The word “director” in the clue appears to be padding added for the surface reading alone. This should be avoided.
26d Holy person is a New Testament fan (5)
SAINT: An anagram (fan) of IS A NT (New Testament).
Welcome to Rookie Corner Teeby, a good first effort but there seem to be some basic errors. Firstly a comment on the grid – triple unchecked letters, at 5a and 29a, are not generally acceptable.
The indirect anagram in 3d, ‘converting’ lion to leo for (my personal bête-noire of) a three letter anagram is also not generally acceptable
I consider that some of your definitions are ‘loose’ and non-specific – officer in 10a and art teacher in 29a for example.
But I did have smiles for 13a, 19a, and 18d.
I recommend that you study the wisdom of Prolixic carefully. Thanks and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Welcome to Rookie Corner, Teeby, with a promising debut. I thought it was quite tricky in parts but I did mostly enjoy the solve and there were some clever ideas to be found.
There were several “nearly but not quite” clues for me, for example: 12a, 21a, 25a, 7d & 11d. Perhaps I am missing something with those and so will be very interested to learn Prolixic’s thoughts.
Some specific comments:
– 9a seemed over-complex and I am not entirely convinced by what is effectively a two-step definition needing to go from “a tommy” to “Thomas”.
– 20a was a new word for me. I think you need “seen in” rather than just “seen” as the link phrase to the fodder (but this would, of course, have ruined the surface reading).
– 2d doesn’t appear to have a definition and in any event I can’t see that the wordplay quite leads to the answer.
– 3d. No, no, no! See Senf’s comment @1.
– 6d. I assume this is supposed to be a cryptic definition but it doesn’t quite work for me.
– 18d. I don’t like “total” as a verb meaning “to write off”. It sounds suspiciously American to me.
My top picks were 13a, 17a, 24a, 27a, 8d (when the penny finally dropped) & 23d.
Many thanks, Teeby, and well done. Please pay heed to Prolixic’s wise words and come back soon with another puzzle.
‘Total’ as a verb for ‘totally destroy’ seemed fine to me, but I see Chambers has it as “N Amer slang” and OED as “Chiefly North American” — maybe that “chiefly” is enough to justify it?
:negative: – not in this hutch!
Welcome to Rookie Corner, Teeby.
I can’t fully parse a couple of my answers but I enjoyed solving the puzzle and thought that there was some inventive thinking on display.
I liked the clever 11d as well as 5a, 13a and 25a.
I look forward to your next puzzle after you’ve benefited from Prolixic’s wise words of advice.
Welcome to the Corner, Teeby, and well done for sticking your head above the parapet. There were certainly some basic errors to be found, as other commenters have already detailed, but it seems to me that you have good ideas and now need to concentrate on formulating them into viable clues. The wisdom of Prolixic will greatly assist you and I would also recommend that you study the publication from the Telegraph Puzzles Editor, Chris Lancaster.
My favourites from this debut puzzle are 5,24&27a plus 8d which really had the old grey matter ticking over!
Hope to see some more compilations from you in the near future.
Well, I enjoyed it. Bravo for raising your head and showing some great invention. Yes, triple unches and indirect anagrams will be clocked. And some of the definitions were perhaps a tad loose or lacking. But I certainly didn’t mind Tommy or total and 8d was clever enough to make my head hurt for quite a while. I thought 28a was beautifully misleading. Prolixic and Silvanus, too, will be hugely helpful.
First of all, Teeby, thanks for a really enjoyable solve. Amongst some great clues were 9A, 24A, 28A, 6D, & 18D (quite happy with the answer!) but my COTD has to be the very clever 22D. I have total respect for anyone who can put together a full grid but, to be able to combine that with the pleasure I enjoyed in solving it, is a brilliant result. Thanks again and I look forward to the next offering.
Welcome to Rookie Corner, Teeby.
I thought there was some admirable invention on display, but I have to say that several clues were a little over-ambitious and didn’t quite work. It is not uncommon with debut puzzles, but indirect anagrams (those without a suitable indicator) are absolutely taboo and grids with triple unches (three successive unchecked letters) are to be avoided at all costs. It’s much better to use a grid that you have seen in a previously published puzzle than create a “home-made” one, believe me. You cannot use “even” before a word or series of words meaning “take the even letters”(21a), it needs to be “evenly”, or something similar.
As others have said, Prolixic will give you excellent advice regarding the clues that didn’t make the grade. I thought that, for a debut puzzle, most of the surface readings passed muster but, once you have reduced and eventually eliminated the sort of errors seen today, your next puzzle should be much, much better.
Thank you very much for an entertaining crossword, Teeby.
Hi all,
Firstly, thank you ever so much for the warm welcome and the invaluable feedback everyone has provided, particularly Prolixic. I have taken note of the comments and aim to produce something more rigorous next time – at least I now know what unches and ‘Chambers’ mean! I’ve picked up solving relatively recently by doing the free cryptic puzzle on the Tube but I am keen to improve and this has been highly useful for me as I don’t know m(any) people who are interested in them.
It has been fascinating to see which clues solvers enjoyed and interestingly, my favourites (25A, 6D) were overshadowed by 8D which I never felt entirely satisfied with!
A lot to take away – I may try and put something together before the end of the week as I’m then off on a roadtrip for a couple of weeks in a very old Volvo.
Anyway, until next time!
TB
Welcome to the blog, Teeby.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. I’m sure you’ve given Teeby plenty to consider before he submits another puzzle.
Thanks and welcome, Teeby.
I rather enjoyed this, some good ideas here and with the necessary experience coming through practice it will be great to see your style develop. The review will be very helpful for you (don’t feel bad if it’s a lot to take in on your first go, we’ve all been there!) as will Prolixic’s PDF guide you can find on the site, this is gold dust to a new setter.
My ticks went to 16a, 25a, 4d, 8d, 11d.
6d I think has a great clue in there somewhere with some polishing, a bit “nearly but not quite”.
Wasn’t keen on 2d because you’ll never get away with obscure slang either on here or a back page 😅
Enjoy your road trip and looking forward to to your next effort 👍
To find the PDF if you haven’t already, navigate from the menu at the top:
Home/cryptic crosswords/puzzles/rookie corner/then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and you’ll see it with a red download button
Ah I hadn’t seen this, how convenient! Thanks for your feedback and advice AgentB :)
Late to complete but enjoyed nevertheless. Loved 8d. We look forward to your next puzzle. Enjoy your road trip. Thanks also to Prolixic.