QPP 125 (Review)

Quarterly Prize Puzzle No 125– Review

January 2024

Mixed Doubles – A Puzzle by Prolixic

A review by crypticsue follows:

Each pair of across and down clues have had their clues combined. In each case, the clue for the first word may come before or after the clue for the second word. How many clues have the first word word clued after the second word?

This was a particularly tricky crossword to solve and then I thought working out the answer to the question was equally difficult

Congratulations to Rabbit Dave who, having worked out that nine clues had the first word word clued after the second, wins his choice of a Telegraph Crossword Puzzles book

Across

9a    Leader and a boy installing bezel around / food and drink bar (7)
TEACAKE A drink and a bar of something such as soap

10     See 9A (7)
ADMIRAL A (from the clue) and a reversal (around) of a boy into which is inserted (installed) a bezel

11a    Quote by Express director geed-up / those turning out computer equipment (7)
EXCITED An abbreviation for express, a verb meaning to quote and the abbreviation for director

12     See 11A (7)
ROUTERS Double definition

13a     Power storage device group from Norway work with Sweden on, say, Cruise Missiles
(9)
TOMAHAWKS A man with the same name as Mr Cruise the actor, a Norwegian pop group (3), an abbreviation for work and the IVR Code for Sweden

15a`     See 13A (5)
DRIVE Double definition – synonyms for transport and pressure

16a    University’s leading lecturer employed by Henry’s wife in room / to teach old railway workers’ trade union theological studies… (7)
PARLOUR The leading letter of lecturer and an abbreviated university inserted into (employed by) one of Henry the Eighth’s Queens

19a     See 16A (7)
NURTURE The abbreviation for an old railway workers’ union, the abbreviation for trade union and some abbreviated religious studies

20a    …magnificent translation of organised / language of Xhosa gentlemen (5)
OSAGE – Hidden in XhOSA GEntlemen

21a     See 20A (9)
GRANDIOSE An anagram (translation) of ORGANISED

25a    Wartime entertainers, including navy hands, capture / violent soldier following swindle (7)
ENSNARL Include the abbreviation for navy into the acronym for the association that provided entertainment for troops in the Second World War, and then follow with abbreviations for each hand

26a     See 25A (7)
RAMPANT Follow a swindle with one of crosswordland’s soldiers

28a    Go off with old officer, English peer, graduate and retired singer (7)
BARONET A university graduate and a reversal (retired) of a singer

29a     See 28A (7)
EXPLODE The usual two-letter old, a slang name for a policeman and the abbreviation for English

Down

1d    Strong support over way / doctor bolsters one who verifies precepts (6)
STREET The abbreviation for strong and a reversal of a support used in golf

2d    Arsenal members regularly queue up to declare again, / “World Cup team used this powder” (6)
TALCUM It took me a very long time to see that this is one of Prolixic’s favourite compound anagrams – rearrange (used) WORLD CUP TEAM and you’ll get the word POWDER and the solution

3d    Vehicle returning from Ascot races, / one Anthony arranged for Biden’s party (4)
CART Hidden in reverse in ascoT RACes

4d    Poor great-uncle leaving North Carolina to supervise / a party held by married partners in paddock (6)
MEADOW A (from the clue) and a party inserted between (held by) the abbreviation for married and some bridge partners

5d    Confirmed great desire to follow / a child after Lineker on the radio station
(8)
GARRISON A homophone of the Christian name of Mr Lineker followed by a male child

6d    Rude models posed and smoked / a bit of medicinal pot Dior originally dropped off for depressed person (10)
SMOULDERED An anagram (posed) of RUDE MODELS

7d    Lecturer in laboratory / curiously looked over Indo-European’s posh chapel fixture
(4-4)
PRIE-DIEU Part of a verb meaning looked curiously goes over the abbreviation for Indo-European and the letter used to indicate that something is posh

8d    In review, Hunt starts to say expressively, “With respect, / one cannot see this feature in Madame Tussauds”
(5,3)
GLASS EYE This feature of Madame Tussauds models is something that represents the organ of vision but doesn’t see anything at all

14a     See 3D (10)
HOOTENANNY An anagram (arranged) of ONE ANTHONY – Biden’s party referring to the fact that this party’s name originated in America

16a     See 1D (8)
PROVERBS An abbreviated Bachelor of Surgery (doctor) follows someone who verifies something

17a     See 2D (8)
REASSERT The even letters of aRsEnAl and a piece of hair such as a pigtail (queue)

18a     See 4D (8)
REGULATE An anagram (poor) of GREAT UncLE without (leaving) the abbreviation for the State of North Carolina

22a     See 5D (6)
AGREED A (from the clue) followed by a great desire

23a     See 7D (6)
ORATOR Hidden in labORATORy

24a     See 8D (6)
ESTEEM A reversal (in review) of a gathering of a pack of hounds (hunt) and the ‘starts’ of Say and Expressively

27a     See 6D (4)
MOPE The first letter (bit) of medicinal and a drug (pot) without (dropped off) the original letter of Dior