Monthly Prize Puzzle No 13 (June 2013) by Radler
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A review by Prolixic
Radler’s prize crossword required solvers to identify which of the first 25 chemical elements was missing from the central letters of the answers in the grid. The completed grid at the end of the review shows the answers and the chemical symbols highlighted. The missing element was Sodium with the chemical symbol Na.
This month’s winner was KiwiColin. As a non-UK resident, he entered for the HAG – she is on her way (honour and glory, that is). However, I understand that arrangements are being put in hand for an alternative prize to be delivered locally.
Across
1a Patricia meets Claudia to embrace revolutionary form of poetry (6)
ALCAIC – The answer is hidden and reversed in PATRICIA CLAUDIA
5a Happened over a month before key name appears (8)
BEFALLEN – Reverse (over) the abbreviation for February (a month) and follow this with the name of a type of key used to undo screws or bolts.
9a Given it’s wrong, arrested Charlie for giving the boot (8)
EVICTING – An anagram (wrong) of GIVEN IT with the letter represent by Charlie in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
10a Views TV retrospectively over web (6)
TENETS – Reverse (retrospectively) SET (TV) and put this around (over in an across clue) another word for the web.
11a Indicator of pressure when a game unexpectedly stopped by worried guest (5,5)
STEAM GAUGE – An anagram (unexpectedly) of GAME goes inside an anagram (worried) of GUEST.
12a Customer picked up two notes (4)
FARE – … by a taxi driver perhaps. A word sum of the two musical notes FA and RE.
13a International assistance for hot and bothered (3,5)
RED CROSS – Another word for hot followed by another word for bothered.
16a Cut off end of toes and padded around, about to replace tip of knuckle (6)
DECLAW- Reverse WALKED (padded around) and replace the K (tip of knuckle) with a C (about or circa).
17 Lost demand, subject to revision (6)
DAMNED – An anagram (subject to revision) of DEMAND.
19 Force provides cover for papers at possible crime scene (8)
ACCIDENT – ACCENT (force) goes around (provides cover for) ID (papers).
21 Potpourri from fine-cut leaf (4)
OLIO – Remove the F (fine-cut) from FOLIO (leaf).
22 Broach temp about something for night time reception? (7,3)
CHAMBER POT – An anagram (about) of BROACH TEMP.
25 Eight initially, followed by the same number (6)
ETHENE – … an anaesthetic. The first letter (initially) of Eight with THEN (followed by) and another E (the same).
26 Camp youth with sailor’s hat glides away from Spooner (3,5)
SEA SCOUT – Swap the initial word sounds (from Spooner) of SKI/S OUT (glides away).
27 European paper featured in series by Marx Brothers? (8)
LEFTISTS – … comrades who embrace Marx’s ideals. E (European) and FT (paper) goes inside (features in) LISTS (series).
28 Not as demanding of energy as that is, right? (6)
EASIER – E (the abbreviation for Energy) + AS (from the clue) + IE (the abbreviation for that is) + R (right).
Down
2 ____ __ first sight without drug, a muted green colour (5)
LOVAT – Remove an E (without drug) from LOVE AT (as in love at first sight).
3 Capital idea finally caught on – mostly rubbish! (5)
ACCRA – … of Ghana. A (the final letter of idea) + C (the abbreviation) + CRAP with the final letter removed (mostly rubbish).
4 Hold tight and firm with wicked glint in the eye (5,2)
CLING TO – CO (firm or company) with an anagram (wicked) of GLINT inside (in the eye).
5 Half of gastro-pubs struggled to provide toy for Emily (7)
BAGPUSS – … in the TV series. An anagram (struggled) of GAS (half of gastro) PUBS.
6 F for fool? (7)
FATHEAD – The first letter (head) of Fat give the letter F for another word for fool.
7 Down to thirst, brewed decaf (4-5)
LONG-FACED – … as in depressed. Another word for thirst or desire followed by an anagram (brewed) of DECAF.
8 Please consider (9)
ENTERTAIN – A double definition.
14 Shoulder pad: start of eighties’ uniform in range of colours (9)
EPAULETTE – E (first letter (start of) Eighties) followed by PALETTE (range of colours) with a U (uniform in the NATO phonetic alphabet) inside.
15 Cheat twice advanced, showing sympathy (9)
CONDOLENT – CON (cheat) + DO (cheat) + LENT (advanced).
18 Daughter’s trousers not bearing top labels (7)
DOCKETS – POCKETS (trousers, as in steals) with the first letter removed (not bearing top) inside D (abbreviation for daughter) S (the ‘S from the clue).
19 A crowd gathers (7)
AMASSES – A (from the clue) + MASSES (crowds).
20 Cole, Cheryl and Ashley being both originally together a while (7)
CABBAGE – The first letters (originally) of Cheryl, Ashley, Being and Both followed by AGE (a while).
23 Runs to get winners (5)
RACES – An all in one clue. R (runs) + ACES (winners).
24 You reportedly admitted to perverted love for immature female part (5)
OVULE – U (a homophone of you – reportedly) inside an anagram (perverted) of LOVE.
The solution showing the chemical elements at the heart of each clue:
The elements in the across clues are shown in yellow and those in the down clues in grey.
What a delightful surprise greeted me when I turned on the computer this morning. Fame at last! It was a really fun puzzle to work through. To get the answer, I had to solve the puzzle completely and then work through the list of elements to find the right one. One factor that did help was working out that the two character symbols had to be in words with an even number of letters, and the one character symbols in those answers with an odd number of letters. This helped the elimination process.
In regard to the prize. I am touched and very grateful that Dave has made his generous offer for me to pick up a prize locally. However, we are regular watchers of old “EGGHEADS” programmes on TV and really like the line that says, “The Eggheads are playing for something that money can’t buy”. This is what I was playing for and it is truly enough. I am cashing in on the bragging rights though and sending a link to this site to friends and family.
Many many thanks to Radler, Prolixic, and Big Dave and Pam (Mrs BD).
Belated congratulations from me too and I really agree about the kudos being the most important thing. Having said that, I love my crossword books that I got from having won in October or November – last autumn anyway – it was a gazza puzzle. On a rainy day if there isn’t a Toughie to make a feeble attempt at (ie a Monday) I hunt them out and they keep me happy, occupied, and out of mischief for ages.
. . . or even September!
You are on the Roll of Honour!
Ooooh – so I am – fame at last! :smile:
I’d like to congratulate Colin – he’s been plugging away without success until now.
I would also like to add that, although the instructions asked for “the name of the missing element”, I accepted Sodium and/or Na.
Very many congratulations to the Kiwi Colin. ( No the help from the boss ? ).
I kept this puzzle for my holiday and only submitted yesterday. I was glad of my choice.
The misdirection on some of the clues were brilliant. 20a forced me to
have a second pub lunch ( Shame on you Radler ).
Many thanks to Radler for an excellent crossword and to Proloxic for the superb review.
Cross my heart. This was a genuine “You’re on your own with Radler” puzzle.
Thanks and cheers.
Congratulations to Colin from me too. I thought this was a very nice Radler puzzle (at the easier end of the Radler spectrum – what took the time was finding all the elements). Thanks to him and Prolixic too.
I have added a “Roll of Honour” to the Monthly Prize Crossword Index page.
Congratulations to Colin and many thanks to Prolixic.
Coincidentally, I nearly mailed BD last week to suggest a Role (or should it be Roll?) of Honour.
Yes it should have been Roll (now changed)