Window Coverings by Delta
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
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.
Welcome to Delta with their first foray into the Rookie corner. The basic components were present, but not necessarily always built in the correct order. To create a good clue, you need both precision in the cryptic instructions that the clue conveys and also a clue that reads well as a sentence in its own right. In too many cases, either or both were missing. You need an almost mathematical precision in putting together the clues. 8/29 or 27.6%
Across
9a Police officers, say, communicate arresting higher education provider (2,7)
IN UNIFORM: A six-letter word meaning communicate includes (arresting) the abbreviation for university (higher education provider). Take care about how well the definition in the clue matches the solution. Perhaps “How some police officers appear to communicate …”.
10a ;-) perhaps record label acquiring breakfast drink (5)
EMOJI: A three-letter name of a record company includes the abbreviation for orange juice.
11a It’s a struggle to hold back massive cart army (3,4)
RAT RACE: The answer is hidden and reversed (to hold back) in the final three words of the clue. The cryptic grammar (the set of instructions to build the solution) does not quite work here. The clue resolves to definition to hold back wordplay. However, it is the wordplay that holds back the solution.
12a Doctor eliminated TB from trembling problem (7)
GREMLIN: An anagram (doctor) of TREMBLING after removing (eliminated) the TB from the clue. Another clue where the cryptic grammar does not quite work. Perhaps “Problem of doctor trembling without TB” would be better
13a Unsighted, tie around hand! (5)
BLIND: A four-letter word meaning tie around the abbreviation for left (hand).
14a Special advisers absorbing rain is setback for nationals (9)
SPANIARDS: The plural of the abbreviation for special political advisors includes (absorbing) a reversal (is setback) of the rain from the clue. The phrase “is setback” grates slightly in the cryptic reading. It reads as though you add the rain to the abbreviation and then reverse the whole. Perhaps to smooth the cryptic reading and to improve the surface reading, “Special advisers describing rain from the East for nationals”.
16a They systematically delay holy hero replacing zero in oboists containing commotion (15)
OBSTRUCTIONISTS: Take the second O (zero) in oboists and replace it with the abbreviation for saint (holy hero) and add in (containing) a seven-letter word for a commotion. When reviewing crosswords, I am generally lenient when the surface reading of a clue (how it reads as a sentence in its own right) does not make much sense. However, there are limits. As a sentence, this is meaningless. I think it is a classic case of the setter pursuing an idea to the bitter end and ending up with a clue that is an “otter” (over the top).
19a Finish informing your ants’ staying power (9)
ENDURANCE: A three-letter word meaning end followed by a homophone (informing) of your ants. The homophone does not quite works as the T in ant’s is silent in the solution.
21a Norwegian island first of all to lose an underwater engine room (5)
LAUER: The initial letters (first of all to) in the final five words of the solution.
22a “Bridge Six” kidnap: head boy released (7)
VIADUCT: The Roman numerals for six followed by a six-letter word meaning kidnap without the letter B (head boy). To indicate the first letter, you strictly need head of boy. Some editors would not allow head boy to indicate the B.
23a No joke when mini-stroke follows cactus (7)
OPUNTIA: A phrase 1,3 meaning “no joke” followed by the abbreviation for transient ischaemic attack (mini-stroke).
24a Goddess‘ anger gripping in French (5)
IRENE: A three-letter word for anger around (gripping) the French word for in.
25a A repeater shot up Christmas bird’s place (1,4,4)
A PEAR TREE: The A from the clue followed by an anagram (shot up) of REPEATER.
Down
1d Community of the very small mice concealing broom Delta broke (10)
MICROBIOME: The mice from the clue includes (concealing) an anagram (broke) of BROOM I (the I being the single letter representing the setter (Delta).
2d Short: Arsenic injected with Indium. It’s the end! (8)
CURTAINS: A four-letter word meaning short followed by the chemical symbol for Arsenic around (injected with) the chemical symbol for indium.
3d Often blue content of Quatari; ban deserved (6)
RIBAND: The answer is hidden (content of) in the final three words of the clue.
4d 21d casts light on traditional beliefs (4)
LORE: The answer to 21d without (cast) the abbreviation for ultra violet (light). The use of on as a link word does not work as the clue resolves to wordplay on definition.
5d And gamely I cook poison from almonds (10)
AMYGDALINE: An anagram (cook) of AND GAMELY I. Quite a number of points on this clue, I am afraid. First, the solution (as given in UK dictionaries) does not have an E at the end. Secondly, in terms of fairness, creating an anagram of an obscure word, is not the best way to endear yourself to solvers. Finally, as an imperative command, cook, needs to come before the letters to be rearranged.
6d 13a type, such as Tintoretto (8)
VENETIAN: Double definition, the first being a type of 13d and the second being the description of the city from which a person such as Tintoretto hails.
7d 13a say, posh vehicle (6)
ROLLER: Double definition of a type of 13a and the informal term for a Rolls Royce (posh car).
8d Right result of last of intimidation following fake news (4)
LIEN: The last letter of intimidation followed by a three-letter word for fake news.
14d Subordinate met up tackling Arsenal’s first aspiring players (6,4)
SECOND TEAM: A six-letter word meaning subordinate followed by a reversal (up) of the met from the clue around the first letter of Arsenal. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. First was used as an initial letter indicator in 21a.
15d Delta missing “True Russia’s” insane whispers (10)
SUSURRATES: An anagram (insane) of TRUE RUSSIAS after removing the I (represented as the single letter for the setter, Delta. As the I = Delta device was used in 1d, a different way of describing the I should have been used.
17d Secret revealed after Paris train line went a different way (8)
REROUTED: A five-letter word meaning having revealed a secret after the name of a Paris train line. I think that requiring UK solvers (let alone those solving overseas other than in France) to know the names of train lines in Paris is a step too far.
18d Speaks after quiet closes (8)
SHUTTERS: A six-letter word meaning speaks after a two-letter word meaning be quiet. Try to avoid repeating devices in clues such as A after B which was used in the previous clue.
20d Suspends officer covering serious sexual assault (6)
DRAPES: The abbreviation for Detective Sergeant around (covering) a four-letter serious sexual assault. In a down clue A covering B means A is on top or over B, not around it. More particularly, I would loath to use this type of clue given the sensitivity of those who have been subject to such assaults.
21d Gallery opening (6)
LOUVRE: Double definition of a French museum / gallery and a shuttered opening.
22d Evil disrupted part of bridal outfit (4)
VEIL: An anagram (disrupted) of evil.
23d Higher revolt partially overturned (4)
OVER: A reversal (overturned) of the first four letters of revolt. When using hidden word clues, it is better to split the solution between two words or to be within one word, not forming the beginning of end of a word.
Welcome to Rookie Corner, Delta. I am sorry to say that I didn’t warm to the solve mainly as a result of several obscure answers coupled with a lot of bizarre surface readings.
Some specific comments:
– 21a. “Losing” rather than “to lose” might be preferable.
– 22a. I don’t think “head” works as a first letter indicator. It needs to be “head of”.
– 5d. The answer is an adjective. The poison doesn’t have an E at the end.
– 20d. The clue is fine, but I don’t think it is a suitable subject for a crossword.
– 23d. You should avoid having a lurker at the beginning or at the end of the fodder.
I liked several clues, particularly 2d, 4d & 21d.
Well done, and thank you, Delta. Compiling a cryptic crossword is no mean feat, and this was a creditable debut. Take heed of the comments on here and the wise words of Prolixic, and do come back with another submission soon.
Welcome to Rookie Corner Delta with what is surely not your first crossword
Because I went straight to print pdf, I didn’t notice the title of the crossword and was extremely proud of myself for spotting a theme!
Quite a tricky crossword and I took quite a while to get going. Because of the way I solve, I don’t take a lot of notice of surface readings, but even I thought 16a was bizarre
Thanks to you and, in advance to Prolixic. Take notice of the comments you will receive here and Prolixic’s wise words and come back soon with another crossword
Welcome to the Corner, Delta. Unlike CS, apparently, the surface read of a clue matters a great deal to me so by the time I reached 16a on my first read-through I’m sorry to say that I’d had enough and threw in the towel. Having now read through the solutions, I would also agree with RD that the obscurities did nothing to make for an enjoyable solve.
My apologies for walking away from this, I hope to have a better experience with your next submission.
I meant it had more to do with how I deal with each clue when
solving than that I don’t appreciate good surface readings
Welcome, Delta.
I found this very tough indeed and needed electronic assistance to complete the grid. As has been mentioned, some of the surfaces set my teeth on edge, with perhaps 16a, 19a, 23a and 1d being the sourest cream of the crop. “Cook” in 5d doesn’t work as an imperative anagram indicator if following the letters to be rearranged, it would need to be “cooked”. Possibly the theme contributed to their inclusion, but 21a, 23a and 5d all struck me as extremely obscure solutions (I suspect nothing else would fit). Technically, I’ve seen many less proficient puzzles in Rookie Corner, but I found it hard to warm to this particular one.
I hope that you’ll take due heed of Prolixic’s review and return with something much better next time, Delta. Many thanks for the submission.
Welcome, Delta, and thank you for your puzzle. I got to the end but cannot say it was the smoothest of experiences. I hadn’t clocked until the end your name, and so found 1d and 15d quite mystifying to parse, let alone with the repetition of Delta in two of the first ten down clues. With many papers not publishing such details, the use of setter name to indicate ‘I’ or ‘me’ is not a device I welcome as a solver or would encourage.
With so many near-nonsense surface reads, crossword-grammar that doesn’t quite work, and several obscurities, as has all been noted above, it detracted from some good and fresh ideas, so there may be plenty of polishing to consider in future – do you have a test solver by whom you can run your drafts? As Silvanus suggests, Prolixic’s advice will be worth taking on board.
I do look forward to your next puzzle, and thank you for putting your head above the parapet. Thank you also in advance to Prolixic.
Well done Delta for taking on the task of compiling. I also found this difficult for the reasons others have pointed out. i think you’ve shown some good ideas but your clue writing does still need some polishing. 6d and 7d get ticks from me and I liked 21d. I looked in My Crossword to see if you had tried there and I have to say that you seem to have carried over some of the issues commenters there raised. When starting I did learn from this forum that there are three key things a compiler needs to master
:using correct cryptic grammar, ie the word play should accurately lead to the solution;
:producing a crossword that is an enjoyable exercise for solvers – so minimal use of obscurities and hopefully producing a smile or two along the way;
:finally and not least in importance, creating clues (the surface reading) that make some sense as standalone phrases or sentences.
I’m sure with practice you’ll get better at all these. I look forward to trying your next one.
Thanks to Prolixic in advance for his review.
Well done Delta. We struggled with some of the clues but with Google help we managed all but 3 of the answers – which then needed the reveal button! The heading of ‘Window Coverings’ did help with some of the answers. We look forward to your next offering.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic, plenty there for our setter to think about.
Can someone explain to me what the example given in 10a is meant to represent as I haven’t got the foggiest idea.
A wink with a smile 😉
Really? Hmm – I suppose if I look at it sideways on – but it’s a bit of a stretch. Thanks, Sue.
So, a somewhat chastening experience for me. Thank-you all for the time taken to review and comment on my crossword. I think all the criticism is fair, and I need to go back to square one, and (as has been pointed out) pay attention to previous feedback (on the crosswords I have posted on myCrossword). I think I rushed this a bit, having had the nod for a spot in Rookie’s Corner – but that is no excuse. Anyway I intend to be back for another go, but it might be a little longer as I try to get it right next time.
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