Rookie Corner 550 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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Rookie Corner 550

A Puzzle by Moobius

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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 to Moobius, another setter who has also featured on the MyCrossword site.  This was an impressive Rookie Corner debut and I suspect that Moobius will not be long here if he continues this trend.  The commentometer reads as 1/28 or 3.6%.

Across

1a  Psychiatry for one prisoner previously expressing inner voice (10)
CONSCIENCE: A seven-letter word for the field of study of which psychiatry is a branch preceded by (previously) a three-letter word for a prisoner.

6a  Prey runs off pier (4)
QUAY: A six-letter word for prey without (off) the repeated abbreviation for run.

9a  Perhaps wife left bather at sea (6,4)
BETTER HALF: An anagram (at sea) of LEFT BATHER.

10a  Two Israelites discussed fetish for West Africans (2-2)
JU-JU: A repeated (two) homophone (discussed) of Jew (Israelites).

12a  Not packing light for sparring practice! (6-6)
SHADOW-BOXING: Elliptical cryptic definition and definition.  If you are not packing light you might be packing this.

15a  Salt Lake City’s first broadcast on late (4,3)
DEAD SEA: A homophone (broadcast)  of C (city’s first) after (on) a four-letter word meaning late or deceased.

16a  Eventually accepting one rule overturned in second hearing (7)
RETRIAL: A five-letter word meaning eventually includes (accepting) the letter representing one and the abbreviation for rule with all of the letters then reversed (overturned).

17a  Beginning to suggest Indian gold’s not outside (7)
INDOORS: A four-letter suffix suggesting something is of Indian provenance followed by the two-letter heraldic term for gold with the ‘s from the clue preserved in the solution.

19a  Ruin Athos’ rapier striking odd characters at party (7)
TORPEDO: The even characters (striking odd characters) of the second and third words of the clue followed by a two letter word for a party.

20a  Her admission dissipated conflicts (12)
DISHARMONIES: An anagram (dissipated) of HER ADMISSION.

23a  I’ve finished talking a load of balls! (4)
OVER: Double definition.

24a  Go in with gusset modified for proposal (10)
SUGGESTION: An anagram (modified) of GO IN GUSSET.

25a  Without them Morse would be completely dashed (4)
DOTS: Cryptic definition.

26a  Carry On Behind, Dick Whittington and Mother Goose? It takes broad views! (10)
PANTOSCOPE: A four-letter word meaning carry on after (behind) the form of theatre of which Dick Whittington and Mother Goose are examples.

Down

1d  Air supply cutting off southern island (4)
CUBA: A five-letter word for a diver’s air-supply without (cutting off) the abbreviation for southern.

2d  Some abandon a torrid alliance (4)
NATO: The answer is hidden (some) in the second to fourth words of the clue.

3d  Former national Chavez looks agitated about cocaine (12)
CZECHOSLOVAK: An anagram (agitated) of CHAVEZ LOOKS around (about) the abbreviation for cocaine.

4d  Australian native finally moved into East Asian country  (7)
ECHIDNA: The final letter of moved inside (into) the abbreviation for east and a five-letter major Asian country.

5d  Non-violent conflict would be an oxymoron if it was over money (4,3)
COLD WAR: If you were to add an M (money) to the end of the solution, you would have opposing words (an oxymoron).

7d  Head of union I insulted, strangely doing nothing (10)
UNUTILISED: An anagram (strangely) of U (head of union) I INSULTED.

8d  Fresh new personnel or inexperienced clots? (5,5)
YOUNG BLOOD: A five-letter word meaning inexperienced followed by a five-letter word for the substance that solidifies to produce clots.  Perhaps a pedantic point, but clots are the solidified form of the word required in the solution, not the word required in the solution itself.

11d  Topless tiger confused furniture movers (12)
POLTERGEISTS: An anagram (confused) of TOPLESS TIGER.

13d  Cockney’s unhelpful air and exit from the South becomes subject of mystery  (5,5)
EDWIN DROOD: How a Cockney might say headwind (unhelpful air) followed by a reversal (from the south) of a four-letter word of an exit.

14d  Very hot sweets almost start to emit odour (10)
CANDESCENT: A five-letter word for sweets with the final letter removed (almost) followed by the first letter (start) to emit and a five-letter word for an odour.

18d  Dance around posh clubs getting alcohol (7)
SAMBUCA: A five-letter type of Latin-American dance around the abbreviations for posh and clubs.

19d  Working in snug this evening (7)
TONIGHT: A two-letter word meaning working in a five-letter word meaning snug.  Try to avoid repeating wordplay such as in/into as insertion indicators.

21d  Mythical queen achieved nothing (4)
DIDO: Split 3, 1 this might indicate achieved nothing.

22d  Former leaders of opposition now claim expenses (4)
ONCE: The initial letters (leaders) of the fourth to seventh words of the clue.


25 comments on “Rookie Corner 550
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  1. We enjoyed that. A very skillfully put together pangram with lots of ticks on our sheets. 26a was a new word for us that we got from the wordplay so we’ll make that our favourite.
    Thanks Moobius.

    1. Thank you for solving, and for your kind words, 26a was recently a new word to me too, it seemed to offer some fun surface potential.

  2. As the 2Ks say, a very skillfully put together crossword where my only slight hold up was in the SW. For the second day running, I am glad Rabbit Dave is on holiday as he would have something to say about the sweets in 14d

    Thanks Moobius – hope to see you here again soon – and in advance to Prolixic

    1. Thank you CrypticSue, as a newbie here I’m intrigued (and a little apprehensive) about Rabbit Dave’s attitude to 14d? Your comment caused me to double-check the BRB and things seem in order.

      1. Hi Moobius – firstly, I’d just like to say what a lovely and enjoyable puzzle that was, thank you. I had little of my own to note other than 8d’s blood/clots. I really look forward to your next crossword. Thanks also to Prolixic for his review.

        Re Rabbit Dave – he is well-known for picking-up on unindicated Americanisms, possibly his biggest bugbear, and had he not been on holiday would surely have remarked on your use of ‘candy’. So you “got away with it”!

        1. Aha thank you for clarifying. I originally wrote the clue as “US sweets” but after consulting the BRB I decided it was unnecessary. It seems I got away with it this time, and I know what to do in future!

  3. An accomplished and enjoyable pangram – thanks Moobius.
    The clues I liked best were 15a, 23a and 5d.
    More like this please.

  4. At first glance, I thought this was going to be far more difficult to complete than it actually turned out to be although it did remind me yet again of what a different proposition it is to spell correctly when words are written vertically!
    25a made me smile, one for Kath I think, and 19d put me in mind of the gaggle of elderly ladies setting the world to rights over a drink in the Rovers Return.
    Thanks for bringing us this one Moobius, hope to see you again ere long.

  5. Thanks for the puzzle Moobius, very accomplished indeed.

    I liked 13d, 19d and 22d, but there were plenty of others I could pick.

    One minor query with 17d – unless I’m missing something, there’s nothing to tell you to put the S at the end, so it’s actually clueing SINDOOR?

    Thanks again, and in advance to Prolixic.

    1. Thank you very much Duncan. As Gazza said the S is from “gold’s”. “Beginning to suggest Indian” is all one thing. I hadn’t considered that it could also give SINDO, i understand your confusion, perhaps the cryptic grammar could have been clearer.

  6. As others have said, a very good puzzle indeed.

    Being hyper-critical, I did notice a repetition of “in/into” as insertion indicators and “off” as a deletion device. A few of the surfaces did seem a little strained – can tigers be topless? My favourite clue was the very topical 22d.

    Many thanks Moobius, and congratulations on a fine submission. A low Commentometer score is assured, methinks.

    1. Thanks Silvanus, it’s a fair cop regarding repetition. Regarding topless tiger it was intended to conjure an image of a porcelain tiger with the top missing causing confusion for removal men, but without “porcelain” I can certainly see why I may have failed to bring you along on that mental journey!

  7. Good puzzle. I think this might not be your first (or possibly your first this week :-) ).
    I look forward to your next.

    1. Thank you Tater.

      Indeed, I have been setting for a little while over at mycrossword.co.uk however I’m afraid I’m nowhere near as prolific as you suggest!

  8. Very enjoyable and a pangram …. thank you, Moobius. 26a and 4d were new words to us. Favourites were 25a and 6a. We look forward to your next one. Thanks in advance to Prolixic.

  9. Thank you very much Prolixic. Regarding “clots” I thought the question mark indicating DBE would be sufficient but I see it’s perhaps not quite right.

    I really appreciate your thorough review and also would like to take a moment to thank you for the brilliant PDF “A Brief Guide to the Construction of Cryptic Crossword Clues”. I’ve read several good books and countless Web articles on the subject but found your document strikes the perfect balance between concision and thoroughness. I’ve read it (virtual) cover-to-cover a few times and would urge my fellow rookies to do the same. Without it my commentmeter score would have undoubtedly been a lot higher.

  10. Many thanks for the review, Prolixic, and I must add that it’s very nice to see a ‘newbie’ to the site acknowledging your expertise and advice. He deserves to do well and, on this showing, certainly should do so.

    1. Absolutely, Jane – it’s a phenomenally useful guide and so kind of Prolixic to have written and made it available to budding setters.

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