A Puzzle by Maitresse
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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.
Welcome to Maitresse with their debut in the Rookie corner. With the exception of an indirect anagram, the cluing was precise. The main issue to address is repeating wordplay indicators. There was, perhaps, too much general knowledge, particularly those relying on American culture. Overall, the commentometer reads as 4/29 or 13.8.
Across
6a Express’s “Westminster address”? Empty flat! (5)
SWIFT: The first part of the postcode for Westminster followed by the outer letters (empty) of flat.
7a A Pisces unusually attached to medium, ignoring reality (8)
ESCAPISM: An anagram (unusually) of A PISCES followed by the abbreviation for medium.
10a A very green mutation? The Hulk is one (7)
AVENGER: The A from the clue followed by the abbreviation for very and an anagram (mutation) of GREEN.
11a Reported Shackleton’s grave (7)
EARNEST: A homophone of Ernest (Shackleton).
12a Pictures treat? (7)
POPCORN: Cryptic definition of a cinema snack.
13a “Ready for drink? Getting last of beers in… XXX” (7)
THIRSTY: The number represented by XXX includes (getting) the last letter of beers.
14a Not one grandmother around Split remains neutral! (3-8)
NON-PARTISAN: A two-letter word meaning not one followed by a three letter word for a grandmother around a four-letter word meaning split and a two-letter word meaning remains.
19a Somewhere to land, keeping border in mind (7)
HELIPAD: A three-letter word for a border inside a four-letter word for the mind.
21a Oedipus’ daughter’s lost love flipping at last – it triggers a response (7)
ANTIGEN: The name of Oedipus’ daughter without (lost) the letter representing nothing or love with the final two letters then reversed (flipping at last).
23a Content topped and tailed – poet’s strange habit (7)
APPAREL: The inner letters (topped and and tailed) of a five-letter word meaning content followed by an anagram (strange) of LEAR (poet). Unless there is a better explanation, this breaks a cardinal rule for standard cryptic crosswords. You should not include indirect anagrams where the letters to be rearranged have to be found from a synonym.
25a Wind up, embracing new double entendre’s extremes (7)
ENTWINE: The abbreviation for new and a four-letter word for a double inside (embracing) the outer letters (extremes) of entendre.
26a Blue Period is departure from normal work (8)
DOWNTIME: A four-letter word meaning blue and a four-letter word for a period.
27a Newspaper: “Just over half of planet lacking skills” (5)
INEPT: The single-letter name of a newspaper followed by just over half of one of the planets in our solar system.
Down
1d Agape (noun): all-encompassing love parable’s covering first (4 4)
WIDE OPEN: The abbreviation for noun preceded by (first) a four-letter word meaning all-encompassing, the letter representing love and the outer letters (covering) of parable. Take care not to repeat wordplay indicators. Love for O was used in 21a.
2d Misunderstood Gatsby holding upcoming party for gents (4,2)
STAG DO: The answer is hidden (holding) and reversed (upcoming) in the first two words of the clue.
3d Help for The Listener? Sense tragedy, missing final answer (7,3)
HEARING AID: A seven-letter word for a sense followed by the four-letter name of a tragic opera without the final abbreviation for answer.
4d Stamford ‘ill etc on radio spots (4)
ACNE: A homophone (on the radio) of ‘Ackney.
5d Test ship in stormy seas (6)
ASSESS: The abbreviation for steamship inside an anagram (stormy) of SEAS. Be careful of overusing in as a containment indicator. It has been used in 13 and 19a and will be used again in 13d.
6d Sooty’s cousin: a mischievous puppet in initial series? (6)
SCAMPI: The initial letters of the first six letters of the clue and the whole clue is the definition.
8d Fiction that is initially somewhat inferior to Bacon, say (7)
PORKIES: The abbreviation for that is and the first letter (initially) of somewhat after (inferior to) the four-letter word of the meat of which bacon is an example. It will become a recurring comment, but try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. You had initial in the previous clue for initial letters and then initially in this clue.
9d Guy’s remains (5)
STAYS: Double definition.
13d Four feet stagger in cart? On the contrary! (10)
TETRAMETER: A four-letter word for a cart inside (in – again) a six-letter word meaning stagger. I think that describing a public service vehicle as a cart is a bit of a stretch.
15d American author active in filtering out rubbish? (7)
NEPHRON: The initial of the first name and surname of an American author. This is too unfair for the solver as there is no indication that you need the initial of the first name and the surname. The American author is not that widely known.
16d Wrap Anne’s gulping at regular intervals, with last bits of chipotle sauce (8)
NEGLIGEE: The even letters (at regular intervals) of the second and third words of the clue followed by the last letters (last bits of) chipotle sauce. Last was used as a final letter indicator in 13a.
17d Cut off small hard organ (5)
SHEAR: The abbreviations for small and hard followed by a three-letter organ.
18d Binges television, catching Bolt? (6)
INGEST: The answer is hidden (catching) in the first two words of the clue.
20d Bosch’s colleagues go the other way for stooge (6)
LAPDOG: The name of the police department in which Bosch featured followed by a reversal (the other way) of go.
22d Game sitter changing positions (6)
TETRIS: An anagram (changing) of SITTER.
24d Rebel leader Old Elijah eliminating every other character
LEIA: The even letters (eliminating every other character) in the third and fourth words of the clue.
We had to use references in several places where our GK was not up to it, and there are still a few (23a for example) where we still haven’t sorted all the parsing. Lot’s of clues we did enjoy and there is a “freshness” to the style that we appreciated. 21a held us up for a long time and then very satisfying when we got it so that’s our favourite.
Thanks Maitresse.
I thought this was an accomplished debut in Rookie Corner, Maitresse, although presumably it is not your first ever cryptic puzzle.
I enjoyed three quarters of it but got bogged down in the SW corner. I’ve never heard of the American author in 15d nor the American TV series in 20d, and I can’t parse the final four letters of 23a. It makes it much more difficult when all the unknowns appear in crossing clues.
My repetition radar bleeped with initial(ly) appearing in consecutive clues.
My top picks were 14a, 21a, 5d & 9d.
Well done, Maitresse, and thank you. I look forward to your next offering. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
Might the last four letters of 23a be an [indirect] anagram (strange) of the surname of a poet ?
That was my thought but, if so, it’s surprising that such a basic error crops up in such an accomplished puzzle.
The top was nice and friendly but the bottom half made me think quite hard in places
I did have the required general knowledge but have a couple of clues for Prolixic to explain. Thanks in advance to him.
Thanks Maitresse – keep up the good work
Welcome to Rookie Corner, Maitresse. This is a very accomplished puzzle which I enjoyed a lot. Thanks for the challenge.
There is perhaps a bit too much GK in the SW corner. I knew the American author but not Bosch.
As mentioned above the last 4 letters of 23a look like an indirect anagram.
My ticks went to 14a, 19a, 25a, 1d and 8d.
Thanks for the puzzle Maitresse, very enjoyable. I also got stuck in the SW corner due to lack of general knowledge (15d and 20d), and the last four letters of 23a. Ticks for me went to 19a, 3d and 8d.
Thanks again, and in advance to Prolixic.
Welcome, Maitresse.
I found the bottom half of the puzzle much more tricky than the top half, and it seems others did too. There was lots to like in the puzzle but I did think having three clues using quotation marks was overdoing it. There was probably a little too much GK as well, I used to watch Sooty keenly as a child but never knew he had a cousin that I’ve eaten on many occasions! I felt the definition in 7a was closer to “escapist” (adjective) than the actual solution (noun) and 11a ought really to have a “definition by example” indicator. My favourite clue was 19a.
Certainly a great deal of promise on display, which bodes well. Many thanks, Maitresse.
Thank you, Maitresse. We really enjoyed the top half but we found most of the bottom half quite challenging and we need Prolixic to explain some answers. We look forward to your next puzzle and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
A hugely enjoyable and very impressive debut, thank you Maitresse.
Even though I have a half-dozen or so that I can’t parse, and some of the GK was beyond me (esp. Sooty’s cousin and Bosch), and there was a little repetition, I thought this very accomplished and look forward to your next crossword.
Highlights for me – 19a, 25a, 26a, 2d, 3d, 13d & 16d (great surface).
Thank you, and also in advance to Prolixic.
Huge thanks to all of you for the warm welcome, the encouraging feedback, and the constructive criticism! And many thanks to Prolixic for the detailed review.
As Rabbit Dave surmised, this isn’t my first cryptic, but it’s the first one that I’ve set or shared in a few years, and seeing your comments has definitely boosted my confidence and made me want to keep working at this. It’s so helpful to have some pointers and things to focus on improving for my next puzzle…
Much appreciated.
Welcome to the blog, Maitresse