A Puzzle by Buddy
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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.
A review by Prolixic follows:
Welcome back to Buddy with another well-constructed and challenging crossword. There were still a few repetitions in the wordplay that need to be addressed and a couple of places where I think that the level of knowledge required for the solver was too high. Most of the points are ones required to polish the crossword and there were not fundamental errors in the crossword. 3.5 / 29 or 12%.
Across
6a Popular American sweetheart is engaged (2,3)
IN USE: A two-letter word meaning popular followed by the two letter abbreviation for the United States (American) and the middle letter (heart) of sweet. Some editors will not allow single words such as Maidenhead to indicate M or sweetheart to indicate E.
8a Squares in pursuit of a spouse (9)
COURTSHIP: A six-letter word for squares or plaza followed by a word meaning in or trendy.
10a At heart, uniting with total harmony is a tough task (4,5)
TALL ORDER: The middle letter (at heart) of uniting followed by a three-letter word meaning total and a five-letter word meaning harmony. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators (heart was used in 6a).
11a Old president at a dance (5)
POLKA: The surname of the 11th president of the United States followed by the A from the clue.
12a The defence “They did it!” leaves bailiff confounded (5)
ALIBI: An anagram (confounded) of BAILIFF after removing the two-letter abbreviation for the Latin fecerunt, “they did it”
13a Broadway circle is half of Italy’s square (9)
MEZZANINE: The Italian for half followed by a number that is a square number. It is better to have a cryptic reading of wordplay has definition rather than wordplay is definition. Perhaps “Broadway circle’s…” would be better. Also, requiring a knowledge of Italian words may be a stretch for most solvers.
14a Ripping Yarn: Wounded Lieutenant escapes brutal Stalag (4)
SAGA: An anagram (brutal) of STALAG after removing the abbreviation for lieutenant. Wounded indicates that the letters in the abbreviation for lieutenant are not removed in the order in which they appear in the abbreviation.
16a Old poet with only a hint of Eliot’s breadth (5)
SCOPE: An old Anglo-Saxon word for a poet followed by the first letter (only a hint) of Eliot. The Anglo-Saxon word is something of a stretch for solvers.
18a Film has no ending? Get out of here! (4)
SHOO: A five-letter word meaning to film with the final letter removed (has no ending).
21a Spread grievance about retiring priest using this? (9)
GRAPEVINE: A anagram (spread) of GRIEVANCE P (Priest) after removing the C (about retiring).
23a Evidence for first appearance of oxygen gathered by academic (5)
PROOF: The first letter (first appearance) of Oxygen inside (gathered by) a four-letter abbreviation for an academic.
25a All-time worst section helps make flipping grid a nightmare! (5)
NADIR: The answer is hidden (section) and reversed (flipping) in the final three words of the clue. I think that the hidden reversal indicators become rather mangled in the cryptic reading of the clue.
26a Silly egos spoiled attempt to draw a logical conclusion (9)
SYLLOGISE: An anagram (spoiled) of SILLY EGOS.
27a Back from the front line, key journalist faded away (9)
EVANESCED: The final letter (back from) of the followed by a three-letter word for the front line, a three-letter word for a key on a computer keyboard and the two-letter abbreviation for editor.
28a To live in metroplex is taxing (5)
EXIST: The answer is hidden in the final three words of the clue.
Down
1d Centres of diminutive circling elemental particles? (6)
NUCLEI: The middle letters (centres) of the final five words of the clue.
2d Occasionally dance at dream disco? Not practical (8)
ACADEMIC: The even letters (occasionally) of the second to fifth words of the clue.
3d Measure impedance of mineral (6)
QUARTZ: A five-letter liquid measure followed by the single letter abbreviation for impedance. Some editors will not allow wordplay of definition with of as the link word.
4d Quietly cycling near Utah is romantic (7)
UTOPIAN: The five-letter musical term for quietly after (near) the two-letter abbreviation of the state of Utah.
5d Caught by law in Glasgow without L-plate? That’s silly (8)
CHILDISH: The abbreviation for caught followed by a four-letter Scottish term for law without one of the letters L and a four-letter word for a plate. I think that having a Scottish term that is not in the main dictionaries as part of the wordplay is too much of a stretch for solvers.
6d Within siege, CNN broadcast shows resistance (13)
INTRANSIGENCE: A five-letter prefix meaning within followed by an anagram (broadcast) of SIEGE CNN.
7d 10-0 in second half for Athletic? Quite unusual (6)
EXOTIC: The Roman numeral for 10 and an O inside the final four letters (second half) of Athletic.
9d Setting stirred coffee in empty bucket and feeling better, inexplicably (7,6)
PLACEBO EFFECT: A five-letter word for a setting or location followed by an anagram (stirred) of COFFEE inside the outer letters (empty) of bucket.
15d Curator turned up gold in daring antic (8)
GUARDIAN: A reversal (turned up) of the chemical symbol for gold inside and anagram (antic) of DARING. I don’t think that antic works as an anagram indicator.
17d Rule out having contralto in the overture (8)
PRECLUDE: The abbreviation for contralto inside (in) a seven letter word for an overture. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. There are quite a few uses of IN to indicate the insertion of letters or hidden words.
19d Erudite lecturer brought in (7)
LEARNED: The abbreviation for lecturer followed by a six-letter word meaning brought in (as in wages).
20d Work at front counter (6)
OPPOSE: The two-letter abbreviation for work followed by a four-letter word meaning front. Another minor repetition. At was used as a charade indicator in 11a.
22d Programmer’s beginning to abandon search for bug (6)
INSECT: The first-letter (beginning) of programmer is removed from (to abandon) the middle of a seven letter word meaning search.
24d Root for big win after starters exit (6)
ORIGIN: The second to fourth words of the clue without their initial letters (after starters exit).
Thanks Buddy for an interesting puzzle that was a bit of a head scratcher in places with a number of parsings that are eluding me.
You might get into trouble for using Ray T’s iconic sweetheart that it seems that only he can ‘get away with’
Smiles for 11a, 7d, 9d, and 17d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
We thought this was a very sophisticated tricky puzzle that had us working hard and searching references in places. A few where we haven’t yet got all the elements of the wordplay.
Thanks Buddy.
Welcome back to Rookie Corner, Buddy, with your second accomplished puzzle. Parts of it, particularly a few of the parsings, were difficult – the NW & SE fell into place smoothly but it was a different story in the SW and particularly in the NE. However, there was a lot of inventive clueing on show and the whole thing was a pleasure to solve. I suspected a pangram might be on the cards but a couple of letters failed to materialise.
I learned a couple of new things along the way: the old poet in 16a; and the law in Glasgow in 5d.
I have a handful of minor comments:
23a – I think the clue would work just as well if you were to remove “for first appearance”.
25a – “Helps make” seems to me to be a rather contrived lurker indicator. What about simply “of”?
28a – The American “metroplex” is a strange choice. Why not “annex”?
1d – I’m not sure about the accuracy of your “all-in-one” definition.
7d – “Quite” is unnecessary.
15d – You shouldn’t use a noun after the fodder as an anagram indicator.
I had a lot of ticks with 8a, 13a, 14a, 27a, 3d & 17d my top picks.
Very well done and thank you, Buddy. Please keep them coming. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
Hi Dave, thanks to you (and everyone else) for the feedback. A few reactions:
For 15, “antic” is also an adjective meaning “grotesque”, although Chambers does give it as “archaic”. So I knew that was slightly dicey, but what are envelopes for if not for pushing?
For 28, as an American I did not find the choice strange at all! And having lived in a metroplex (LA), I can assure you it was quite taxing. Living in an annex seems like it would be not so bad.
25, just using “of” would make the surface nonsense (or, even worse nonsense that it already is).
All in all you have shown a remarkable ability to home in on the clues that I was least happy with!
A very enjoyable and accomplished puzzle – many thanks to Buddy.
I needed some research, especially for the old poet and the law in Glasgow.
I ticked several clues including 8a, 27a, 1d, 19d and 24d.
More like this would be exceedingly welcome.
I too would say ‘difficult and accomplished, with some parsings I haven’t quite sorted out
Many thanks to Buddy and, in advance, to Prolixic
Welcome back, Buddy.
It doesn’t always happen, but I was very glad to see that your second puzzle has more than maintained the promise of your first, I thought this one was excellent in so many areas. I tend to concur with all of RD’s points, with the exception of 1d to which I awarded two ticks – it’s tremendous in my opinion. The surface readings were generally very impressive too.
Congratulations on another well-crafted puzzle and thank you for a very enjoyable solve.
Silvanus, I too think that 1d is a very clever clue but, with my scientist’s hat on, electrons are now deemed to exist in areas around the nucleus but are not “circling” it as used to be envisaged.
Hi RD, I think the use of the question mark at the end of the clue may get the setter off the hook, even with scientists
I do have a layman’s understanding of quantum mechanics, but I could not find a way to work “wave function” into the clue in a concise way.
Well done, Buddy, although I think you could perhaps afford to scale back on the level of difficulty without compromising the puzzle.
Special mentions here for 6&8a plus 17d.
I look forward to reading what Prolixic has to say about you pinching Mr T’s trademark sweetheart!
I thought this was quite tough after a few straightforward clues to get stuck in (always nice), and needed a couple of reveals in the NE sector, also about five I couldn’t parse. You can also put me in the accomplished camp as it was an enjoyable tussle. My standout fave is 7d, very clever. Liked 1d and 25a as well. For me, the old US president in 11a is a bit too obscure for this side of the pond but indeed why not get revenge for all the British towns and lakes etc we put in to our puzzles 😄 For 24a if you’d used ‘openers’ rather than ‘starters’ you’d have had a great cricketing clue.
Thank you, and good work Buddy 👍
A pleasure to complete. Two new words for us, old poet and the answer to 26a. We struggled to parse 5d but sure we have the correct answer. Several favourites – 24d, 6d, 6a and 21a. More like this, please, Buddy. Thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Thanks for the review Prolixic.
Now that I understand 5d, I have found that the third definition of Law in the BRB (Revised 13th Edition) is Hill (in Scotland, as in a natural feature).
Thanks Prolixic for the review and to Senf for finding “law” in Chambers. If anyone is still paying attention to this thread, I have a question. My understanding of the Rules Of The Game are that words in Chambers are fair game, and SCOP and LAW are in there. If not, the setter is in the rather impossible position of guessing what most people know (and what’s “most” – just half plus one?). For example, I knew SCOP but not LAW=HILL, but when I went looking for a synonym for hill, I found LAW and thought that might be something useful.
I am not aspiring to be Azed (where I learn at least 5 new words every time I work one of his puzzles), but a puzzle that sends some people to the dictionary once or twice seems OK to me. (Fair warning – I have a puzzle ready to go that uses the 7th headword in Chambers for one definition.) Thoughts?
First rule of crosswords is you can never please everybody 😉 I also felt there was an obscurity or two too far here but nothing that impeded the challenge or enjoyment – and I’m a dictionary refusenik solver! A “bung & Google” is sometimes the way of things, but aim to keep them to a minimum. A good bit advice from Prolixic in his guide is that the more obscure the answer, the fairer the wordplay needs to be. Having said that, some of his puzzles are impenetrably difficult and obscure in my experience. So, horses and courses.
I’d recommend keep going, take on board everything but not at the expense of the personal style you wish to develop. Gradually you’ll get a “feeling” for the bigger picture; occasionally of course that feeling will be accompanied by choice language 🤬🤣
Well said, AgentB. We agree with what you have written above. Good to learn new words, just wish we could remember them and their meaning for a future puzzle!
I second AgentB’s comments. I did start to solve your crossword but found it tough going and abandoned the effort part way through and resorted to a number of reveals. I can see that all the cluing was technically sound so it’s my solving skills rather than your setting skills that are to blame! I did discover from my experiences as a Rookie setter that one received a warmer reception from the commentators when the puzzles were less demanding and so could appeal to a wider set of solvers. However, as AgentB says, everyone has their own personal styles so do whatever you feel works best for you.
Hi Buddy. It may be a bit late to comment, but in case it’s of use I will anyway. In his interesting book, Chris Lancaster says that the general rule for DT crossword compilers is that all entries other than proper nouns should be in Chambers Dictionary. However, he goes on to say that this doesn’t mean that any word in Chambers Dictionary is fair game for all puzzles as it contains thousands of obscure, archaic and obsolete words that are known to very few people. He says that the Telegraph Crossword contains almost (my emphasis) entirely words the editorial team would expect (again, my emphasis) solvers to know and to perhaps come across in normal life. Whereas the Enigmatic Variations puzzles draw entries from all corners of Chambers Dictionary, nothing is out of bounds.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic, I do hope Buddy takes on board your comments about inclusions that were a bit of stretch for many of us.