A Puzzle by Munkleton
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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 back to Munkleton with their second crossword. As Munkleton has admitted “I spent a lot of time working and reworking the clues which possibly introduced some convolution.” There is a risk, particularly with new setters, to create the first draft of the crossword and then revisit the clues with the mindset that the clues are too easy and make them more complicated to compensate. However, in many cases, the clue is only too easy when you know what the solution is. The solver, who is not privy to the setter’s knowledge may well find that the “easy clue” is far from easy. Apart from the complexity, there were a handful of technical errors. Having the first of these in the first clue of the crossword was not a good start! The commentometer reads as 4.5 / 32 or 14.1%.
Across
1a Raised complaint loudly, discontented and poorly (6)
FEEBLY: A reversal (raised) of a four-letter word for a complaint followed by the outer letters (disconcerted) of loudly. A reversal indicator such as raised should be used in down clues, not in across clues.
4a Stalemate when axe is transfixed by pistol (8)
GRIDLOCK: A three-letter word meaning to axe or remove inside (transfixed by) a five-letter tradename of a semi-automatic pistol.
9a Change central to broad justification (6)
ADJUST: The answer is hidden (central to) in the final two words of the clue. If you are using a construction such as central to or in the middle of, the hidden word should be in the centre / middle not off-centre in the words.
10a Robust result of infusing lead with aluminium and tungsten (8)
STALWART: A five-letter word meaning lead or begin includes (infusing) the chemical symbols for aluminium and tungsten.
12a Essential committee provides means for input (8)
KEYBOARD: A three-letter word meaning essential followed by a five-letter word for a board.
13a Put on trial when copper cracks crooked case (6)
ACCUSE: The chemical symbol for copper inside (cracks) an anagram (crooked) of CASE.
15a Number of new enterprises opening? Nil! (4)
NONE: The single letter abbreviations for number, of and new followed by the initial letter (opening) of enterprises. You need the possessive enterprises’ or enterprise’s opening for the cryptic grammar to indicate the first letter.
16a King Charles and his ilk switching sides? Not in this state! (7)
LOYALTY: A seven-letter word used to describe, kings, etc with the R changed to an L (switching sides).
20a Central Sparta instigated assault, left leaders limited (7)
PARTIAL: The middle letters (central) of Sparta followed by the initial letters (leaders) of the third to fifth words of the clue. As central has been used to indicate the inner letters in 9a, perhaps a different indicator should have been used here.
21a Every second schoolbag contains a fizzy drink (4)
COLA: The even letters (every second) in the third and fourth words of the clue.
25a Immersed in Medusa complex (6)
AMUSED: An anagram (complex) of MEDUSA.
26a Feller trains rats (8)
CHAINSAW: A six-letter word meaning trains or links together followed by a two-letter word meaning rats as an expletive.
28a In nice conclusion, writers’ heart is immense (8)
INFINITE: The IN from the clue followed by the French three-letter word for conclusion and the middle three letters (heart) of writers. The convention is that you can capitalise a common noun to mislead but you should not put a proper noun (such as Nice) into lower case to do so. Also, if you are using a variable number of inner letters, heart does not really work. It indicates the letter T or (some would allow) RITER.
29a Extremist draws breath, promotes second commander of strike to the top (6)
SEXIST: A six-letter word meaning draws breath or is alive with the second S (commander or leader) of strike moved to the beginning.
30a Break in: mail theft abruptly disturbed (4-4)
HALF-TIME: An anagram (disturbed) of MAIL THEF (theft abruptly).
31a English learner starts the endless term (6)
LENGTH: The three-letter abbreviation for English preceded by (starts) the abbreviation for learner all followed by the first two letters (endless) of the.
Down
1d Following head of kickboxers in fast high pressure exercise (8)
FRACKING: The abbreviation for following followed by the initial letter (head) of kickboxers inside (in) a six-letter word meaning fast.
2d Delighting in opponents’ meet being interrupted by unknown girl (8)
ENJOYING: The abbreviation for two opposing players in bridge followed by a four-letter word meaning meet that includes a letter representing an algebraic unknown all followed by the abbreviation for girl. The main dictionaries (Chambers, Collins and OED) do not give g as an abbreviation for girl.
3d Crumpled insole causes running sore (6)
LESION: An anagram (crumpled) of INSOLE.
5d Ready and in the zone, the beginnings of something iconic (4)
RITZ: The initial letters (beginnings) the first, third, fourth and fifth letters of the clue.
6d Soft European dialect garbled (8)
DELICATE: An anagram (garbled) of E (European) DIALECT.
7d Dim old secretary gets that in French (6)
OPAQUE: The abbreviation for old followed by the two-letter abbreviation for a secretary and the French three-letter word for that.
8d Family gathering starts to test the eminence of young queen perhaps (6)
KITTEN: A three-letter word for family includes (gathering) the initial letters (starts to) of test the eminence. Some editors will not allow wordplay OF definition where the of functions as the link word.
11d Athletic tests attempt to expose last of stragglers (7)
TRYOUTS: A three-letter word for attempt followed by a three-letter word meaning to expose and the final letter (last) of stragglers.
14d Dash from savage burn (7)
PANACHE: A three-letter word meaning to savage or criticise followed by a four-letter word meaning to long or burn for something.
17d Spooner’s whiny shanty in key to Fr Angelico (8)
HAZELNUT: A Spoonerism of NASEL (whiny) HUT (shanty). The requirement to remove the space between Fr and Angelico should be indicated and even then, you have a clue that resolves to wordplay to wordplay of definition which it too complex. Also, the effect is somewhat spoiled as the relevant person is Fra Angelico whereas the liqueur is Frangelico.
18d Italian capital on fraud: “Millions stolen, leading to verbal assault” (8)
ROASTING: The Italian name for its capital followed by a five-letter word for a fraud with the M removed from the resulting word (millions stolen).
19d Lifeguards show routine blunder according to Spooner (8)
BAYWATCH: A Spoonerism of WAY (routine) BOTCH (blunder). Two Spoonerisms in a crossword is over-egging it.
22d Withdraw from massacre, having lost queen (6)
VANISH: An eight-letter word meaning massacre without (having lost) the two-letter abbreviation for queen. I don’t think that massacre is a good synonym for the word required in the solution. It is qualitatively different in meaning.
23d Girlfriend fills Juul with as much liquid as will fit in container (6)
JUGFUL: The abbreviation for girlfriend inside (fills) the Juul from the clue.
24d In conversation, I make fun of first choice of steakhouse (6)
RIBEYE: A homophone (in conversation) of I preceded by (first) a three-letter word meaning make fun of.
27d Control subject group (4)
STEM: Double definition.
Sorry, Munkleton, this was way too tough for me and I have thrown in the towel with about half of the puzzle completed as I haven’t got time to keep working on it.
A lot of the clues that I have solved were very good and I suspect this will end up as a pangram when completed.
A few comments from me:
– Two Spoonerisms is one too many!
– 1a. I don’t think you should use “raised” in an across clue to indicate reversal.
– 5d. “The” seems unnecessary.
– 17d. This is clever but all the citations I can find to the painter refer to him as Fra Angelico.
Well done, Munkleton, and thank you. Please dial back on the difficulty for your next submission. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
PS. Not sure that G = girl is a valid abbreviation in 2d.
Young people use GF to mean girlfriend
Sue, GF is fine (and relevant to 23d!) but that doesn’t mean that G (or F) can be used separately.
Sorry. I’m finding this crossword so difficult and brain-mangling that I didn’t look carefully enough to see which clue you meant
Like RD, I found this crossword extremely difficult and in order to finish the ‘middle’ part of the crossword and the SE corner, I ended up revealing a total of 24 letters which is a lot more than I have ever revealed before!
The solver does have to think quite hard to find some of the synonyms required to solve quite a lot of the clues. I had heard of the liqueur in 17d which did help solve that one.
Thank you Munkleton – do come back with another crossword in due course, but preferably one a lot more solver-friendly. Take notice of the wise words of Prolixic, to whom thanks in advance, and of the other commenters today
I found this really tough; I did get a full grid eventually but only after revealing two answers in the SE corner.
I can only parse 28a by changing ‘nice’ to ‘Nice’ and the hidden word in 9a isn’t centralised in the fodder.
There are some good ideas on show here and I particularly liked 8d, 22d and 24d.
Obviously a lot of work went into this – many thanks to Munkleton but please ease down on the difficulty next time.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to solve the puzzle. Apologies – I was not intentionally trying to make it difficult, but I spent a lot of time working and reworking the clues which possibly introduced some convolution. Your comments and input are appreciated.
Like others, I found this very tough too and needed some reveals to complete the grid.
I think one of the reasons it was a hard puzzle to solve was that several conventions were contravened such as “raised” for a reversal in an Across clue instead of a Down clue, “heart” being used to mean letters 3-5 of a seven-letter word rather than its middle letter, plus unconvincing definitions (e.g. 25a, 5d). I thought that quite a few surfaces left a lot be desired (what is a “whiny shanty”, for example?), but overall, I feel that the setter was trying to be too ambitious/convoluted with several clues.
As has been mentioned, having two Spoonerisms in one puzzle is one too many , but having two in the space of three clues is compounding the felony.
Thank you, Munkleton, but I couldn’t warm to the puzzle unfortunately as it was too difficult.
We filled what we could but then had to reveal letters. Thank you , Munkleton, but please come back with a less difficult puzzle next time. Thanks in advance to Prolixic for explanations.
Thanks very much Prolixic for your input. Much appreciated and some great pointers to keep in mind.