A Puzzle by duncanjwitham
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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:
Duncanjwitham continues to impress with his crosswords. There were a few minor points so the commentometer is a commendable 1.5/30 or 5%.
Across
1a Naive but feeling competent (14)
IMPRESSIONABLE: A ten-letter word for a feeling followed by a four-letter word meaning competent. I am not keen on but as a link between the definition and wordplay.
10a Vehicles that don’t start working – bad ignition? (5)
ARSON: A four-letter word for vehicles without the first letter (that don’t start) followed by a two-letter word meaning working.
11a Lacking will in country after winter without clothes (9)
INTESTATE: A five-letter word for a country after the middle letters (without clothes) of winter.
12a Storm encountered, flipping nuisance (7)
TEMPEST: A three-letter word meaning encountered reversed (flipping) followed by a four-letter word for a nuisance.
13a Rehabilitated, deny taking pills regularly (7)
REBUILT: A five-letter word meaning deny includes (taking) the even-letters (regularly) of pills. Taking is a rather weak containment indicator.
14a US car seat in raised position for travelling? (5)
SEDAN: Double definition.
16a One finding meaning from watching Jaws? (3-6)
LIP-READER: Cryptic definition of a person who understands what is being said by watching a person’s mouth moving.
19a Pauses during work task, a beer is drunk (3, 6)
TEA BREAKS: An anagram (drunk) of TASK A BEER.
20a Criticise idea, not extremely keen (5)
DECRY: The inner letters (not extremely) of idea followed by a three-letter word meaning keen or weep.
22a They chart French seas, employing software program (7)
MAPPERS: The four-letter French word for seas includes (employing) a three-letter word for a software program.
25a Brutes from Italy: boring jerks (7)
HEAVIES: The IVR code for Italy inside (boring) a six-letter word meaning jerks.
27a Insinuate restructured pensions (9)
ANNUITIES: An anagram (restructured) of INSINUATE.
28a Search but it’s a long shot? (5)
RIFLE: Double definition, the second part defined cryptically.
29a Sizeable home, previously worth little (14)
INCONSIDERABLE: A twelve-letter word meaning sizeable preceded by a two-letter word meaning home. Perhaps the synonym for sizeable is too closely related to the solution, which is the reverse of sizeable.
Down
2d Sad? Me? As I’m turning to TV for one (4, 5)
MASS MEDIA: An anagram (turning) of SAD ME AS IM.
3d Scrambled, e.g. climbing the Alps perhaps (5)
RANGE: A three-letter word meaning scrambled followed by a reversal (climbing) of the EG from the clue.
4d Hiding poorly, antics aroused suspicion (9)
SCINTILLA: A three-letter word meaning poorly inside (hiding) an anagram (aroused) of ANTICS.
5d Bury weaker when footballers transferred out (5)
INTER: A seven-letter word meaning weaker without (transferred out) the abbreviation for Football Association.
6d Weep following bill for nasal spray? (9)
NOSEBLEED: A five-letter word meaning weep after (following) a four-letter word for a bill.
7d I box up hot filling Indian food (5)
BHAJI: The I from the clue and a three-letter word meaning box are reversed and include (filling) the abbreviation for hot.
8d Voter – one who puts up with the right becoming left (7)
ELECTOR: A seven-letter word for a person who puts up things with the R (right) becoming L (left).
9d Plant cocaine ourselves, law involved (6)
CACTUS: The abbreviation for cocaine and a two-letter word meaning ourselves include (involved) a three-letter word for a law passed by parliament.
15d New starter for Orient – flying winger with a European nationality (9)
NORWEGIAN: The abbreviation for new and the first letter (starter for) of Orient followed by an anagram (flying) of WINGER A.
17d Spooner’s flock spread very quickly (9)
POSTHASTE: A Spoonerism of host (flock) paste (spread).
18d Tricky Dicky cited! Gripping conclusion to Watergate detailed in depth (9)
DECEITFUL: An anagram (dicky) of CITED includes (gripping) the last letter (conclusion) of Watergate and is followed by a four-letter word meaning in depth with the final letter removed (detailed).
19d Naughty child caked in brown substance from oil drums (7)
TIMPANI: A three-letter word for a naughty child inside (caked in) a three-letter word meaning brown followed by the middle letter (substance) of oil.
21d Arab country imprisons head of state’s lackeys (3-3)
YES-MEN: A five-letter Arab country includes (imprisons) the first letter (head) of state.
23d Lifted cover, sheltering in alarm (5)
PANIC: A three-letter word for a type of hat (cover) includes (sheltering) the IN from the clue with all the letter reversed (lifted).
24d Recalled some specific song genre (3-2)
SCI-FI: The answer is hidden (some) and reversed (recalled) in specific song.
26d Maori rejecting outsiders on former army vessel (5)
AORTA: The middle letters (rejecting outsiders) of Maori followed by the abbreviation for Territorial Army.
A very good puzzle set at a level that is quite challenging but solvable with a bit of lateral thought. Lots of ticks but 19d gets our vote for best clue.
Thanks Duncan.
Thanks Duncan for another enjoyable puzzle which, for me, was more challenging than your first two puzzles.
Smiles for 10a, 16a, 28a, 9d, and 26d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Welcome back to Rookie Corner, DJW, with another very enjoyable and accomplished puzzle.
Only a small number of very minor comments from me:
28a – even with the question mark, I don’t think the answer can be described as a shot.
2d – the definition is singular and the answer is plural. In any event, I don’t know if wordplay to definition is acceptable cryptic grammar. The judgement of Prolixic will decide!
5d – strictly speaking the FA are a governing body rather than just footballers.
I had a lot of ticks with special mentions for 1a, 10a, 14a, & 19d.
Well done and many thanks, Duncan. I feel sure another low commentometer score awaits you.
28a I think it works if you expand it’s to ‘it has’.
It does indeed, Gazza. Thanks for that. It’s one I often miss. 🥺
Thanks for the feedback.
28a – The intended parsing is as Gazza described, so I think it works.
2d – As far as I know wordplay to definition is fine, in the sense of wordplay leads to definition. Alberich gives the example “Settler resorted to snail mail (7)” as a valid use of “to” as a link word on his blog, and there was a use of it in Saturday’s NTSPP too (15d). And I think the plural/singular issue is okay because it’s a definition by example? The answer is a collection of things, but I’ve defined it by picking out one single element of it.
5d – That’s just one of those accepted cryptic crossword things – it’s listed in the usual suspects page on this blog, and was used in a Telegraph crossword in the last week or so. I must admit, it’s not one I’m massively keen on either though.
Very enjoyable indeed and pitched at just the right level for Rookie Corner – thanks Duncan.
Top clues for me were 10a, 16a, 6d and 18d.
Welcome back, Duncan.
I thought this was excellent and my printed page contains many ticks. Definitely your best puzzle yet, in my opinion. Having three reversal constructions in succession to conclude the puzzle is best avoided though. Like “having” in your last appearance, I’m not a great fan of “taking” as a containment indicator, but I much prefer it to “having”! I don’t think “genre” in 24d is sufficient as a definition and “but” in 1a jars somewhat for me as a link word. Those quibbles aside, I thought just about everything else passed muster and you can feel rightly proud of creating a great puzzle. I’ve narrowed my podium down to 10a, 16a and 15d, with several others running them close.
Congratulations and many thanks, Duncan.
Thanks for the feedback.
The “rejecting” in the final clue is a deletion indicator (rejecting outsiders), so there aren’t 3 reversals to end the puzzle, just 2 back-to-back ones. Possibly still not ideal, but at least they’re slightly different constructions (a reverse hidden vs a normal reversed word).
I’ll add “taking” to the naughty list as well – I actually had “swallowing pills…” there for a while, I should probably have stuck with it.
I figured I could get away with “genre” as a definition there, since it’s a hidden answer clue, and once you’ve parsed the wordplay there’s no scope for getting the answer wrong.
I did wonder about “but” as a link word. I’ve also used it in 28a as a separator between the 2 ends of a double definition and it does feel a lot more natural there. Maybe it’s best left for those kind of clues.
Thanks again.
Yes, two reversals not three at the end. Apologies!
Another excellent submission, Duncan, which shouldn’t unduly ruffle the commentometer.
Personal favourites here were 10&16a plus 15&19d.
Please keep them coming!
A super puzzle to brighten a very dreary day here in the south east. Thank you, duncanjwitham.
We still are unsure of how 17d works although we are sure we have the correct answer. Favourites are 11a, 10a and 18d. Thanks in advance to Prolixic
Cracking puzzle, Duncan, thank you so much. I should have been quite happy to have been faced with it on the metaphorical back page. I thought you had a good range of clue types and generally excellent surfaces. Only the most minor of comments from me amid a sea of ticks:
11a / 5d – two good clues but it was a pity you had INTER crossing INTES
8d – I’m not entirely certain as to the “rules”, but given there are two Rs in erector do you need to specify you are only changing one R to an L? Maybe “… with one swapping sides”? I don’t know.
Highlights among many: 10a, 16a, 29a, 18d, 24d (I’m sure I saw Sci-Fi clued in the DT or TT very recently, and think I prefer your version) & 26d
Thank you again, and in advance also to Prolixic
Can only agree with all of the plaudits above. My picks were the same as Jane but I had plenty of ticks elsewhere – I particularly liked substance from in the wordplay for the last letter in 19d.
Many thanks & well done Duncan.
Thanks everyone for the lovely comments, glad you all enjoyed it.
And thanks to Prolixic for the review.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic, Duncan’s certainly making a great job of his submissions.