Rookie Corner 588

A Puzzle by Ferret

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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.

Apologies for the late review.  I ran out of steam yesterday evening.   Thanks to Ferret for the crossword.  Although there were a lot of excellent clues, too many of them were let down by the cryptic grammar and some loose synonyms.  The commentometer reads as 3.5/26 or 13.5%.

Across

7a  Fellow, really oddly scented (6)
FLORAL: The odd letters in the first two words of the clue.

8a  Stand in for mum transformed wee runts (3-5)
WET-NURSE: An anagram (transformed) of WEE RUNTS.

9a  Most expanded mid afternoon nap after smoke (8)
PUFFIEST: The middle letters (mid) of a six-letter word for an afternoon nap after a four-letter word for smoke.  I am not convinced that mid means the middle letters, it means the mid-point of something.

10a  “Gas Holder” of Lowry is admiral? (6)
NELSON: A four-letter name of an inert gas includes (holder of) the initials of the painter Lowry.

11a  Infringed by Mr Bishop, for example (8)
MINISTER: The IN fringed by (inside) by the MISTER from the clue.  Not all editors will accept an unindicated lift and separate where you have to split a word in two.

12a  Dim-witted sorts must obey after taking sides (6)
OBTUSE: An anagram sorts of UST OBE (must and obey without the initial letters – taking sides).  The cryptic grammar here does not work very well.  Sorts does not work as an imperative anagram indicator.  Also, taking sides appears to apply only to the obey.  I think something more is indicated to remove the first and last letters of two words.

13a  Youngsters, one of each gender, covering song from the ’80s (5,2,4)
GIRLS ON FILM: A four-letter word for a young female and a three-letter word for a young boy followed by a four-letter word for a covering.

18a  He makes one speak highly? (6)
HELIUM: Definition of another inert gas that changes the pitch of a person’s voice if inhaled.

20a  Run slowly, finished behind second (4,4)
TICK OVER: A four-letter word meaning finished (behind) a four-letter word meaning second.

22a  War Horse? (6)
TROJAN: Double definition.  This is somewhat one-sided as the horse and the battle are closely linked.

23a  Mate who has recently seen the band (8)
NEWLYWED: Cryptic definition of a person who has recently received a wedding band or ring.

24a  Unwelcome visitor hacked tinder.ru (8)
INTRUDER: An anagram (hacked) of TINDER RU.

25a  Dried fruit is in shower (6)
RAISIN: The IS from the clue in a four-letter word for a shower.

Down

1d  Quietly act superior as one heard acclaim (7)
PLAUDIT: The musical abbreviation for quietly followed by a homophone (as one heard) of LORD IT (act superior).

2d  Joe accepts transport tariff written on the wall? (8)
GRAFFITI: The abbreviation for an American soldier (Joe) includes an anagram (transport) of TARIFF.  The cryptic grammar here is a little stilted.  The accepts as a containment indicator does not work very well when followed by an imperative anagram indicator.  Perhaps accepts new tariff would work better.  Also be careful of using verbal phrases to define a noun.  They do not always work well.

3d  Though Einstein lost right to island (6)
ALBEIT: The first name of Einstein with the R (right) replaced by an I (island).

4d  Deadlock! Workers crushing new Party (8)
STANDOFF: A five-letter word for workers includes (crushing) the abbreviation for new and a two-letter word for a party.  I don’t think that crushing works well as a containment indicator in a down clue as it implies coming down on something rather than going around it.

5d  Trim fish (6)
MULLET: Double definition.  I don’t think that trim is a good synonym for the solution.

6d  Promote psychic powers…zero benefit! (7)
ESPOUSE: A three-letter abbreviation for psychic powers followed by the letter representing zero and a three-letter word for benefit.

8d  Unsteadily, a forester went and scaled down with this? (5,8)
WATER SOFTENER: An anagram (unsteadily) of A FORESTER WENT.

14d  Pop released from problem on a debt (8)
LEMONADE: The answer is hidden (released from) in the final four words of the clue.

15d  Gents state can unkindly be Bedlam (5,3)
LOONY BIN: A three-letter word for toilets (gents) followed by the abbreviation for the state of New York and a three-letter word for a can.

16d  Manner and direction of travel (7)
BEARING: Double definition.

17d  Originally he essentially rejected every theology including Christianity (7)
HERETIC: The initial letters (originally) of the final seven words of the clue.

19d  Process juniper, remove top of plant crop (6)
INJURE: An anagram (process) of JUNIPER after removing the first letter (top) of plant.  I think that crop indicates more than one, so the singular solution does not work very well.

21d  Officer fights first duel, he doesn’t dare (6)
COWARD: The abbreviation for commanding officer followed by a three-letter word meaning fights and the first letter of duel.  First on its own does not indicate the first letter of the word.  Also, is fights a valid synonym.  It would more naturally leads to the plural wars.

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