A Puzzle by Osmanthus
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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.
Osmanthus has provided us with a high accomplished debut crossword. There was little to fault technically. Perhaps in a couple of clues, the balance of what is fair to the solver was a little too weighted in favour of the setter but this is a matter of building up experience rather than needing to learn the basics. The commentometer is a commendable 2/32 or 6.3%.
Across
1a Pale, not about to get lustful (6)
WANTON: A three-letter word meaning pale followed by an anagram (about) of NOT.
5a Let oneself down with sailor airing his equipment (6)
ABSEIL: The abbreviation for able seaman (sailor) followed by a homophone (airing) of sail (his equipment).
10a Steal phone, perhaps, discarding case quietly (5)
CREEP: A six-letter word describing a phone (or other electronic displays) without the outer letters (discarding case) followed by the abbreviation for quietly. Perhaps the definition of phone is too far removed from the word required in the solution.
11a Wobbly rear in mag spread (9)
MARGARINE: An anagram (wobbly) of REAR IN MAG.
12a Queen from the East weary and withdrawn (7)
RETIRED: A reversal (from the east) of the regnal cypher of the late queen followed by a five-letter word meaning weary.
13a Term of endearment: Rover? (3,4)
PET NAME: Double definition.
14a Measure of interest shown in street artists’ work with revolutionary students (5,4)
STRAW POLL: The abbreviations for street and for an artist (Royal Academician) followed by a reversal (revolutionary) of the abbreviation for with and a two-letter word for work then the abbreviation for student twice (as students is in the plural).
17a Short of cheese? Fine (5)
BRIEF: A four-letter French cheese followed by the abbreviation for fine. Definition of wordplay is perfectly acceptable.
18a Mafia boss accompanying old Republican benefactor (5)
DONOR: A three-letter word for a mafia boss followed by the abbreviations for old and Republican.
19a What could quieten notorious talker? (4,5)
HUSH MONEY: Cryptic definition of a payment made to persuade someone not to talk about a notorious issue.
21a Hide from European in agitated state (7)
LEATHER: The abbreviation for European in a six-letter word for an agitated state.
23a As regards credit cards, only the first’s maxed out (3-1-3)
VIS-A-VIS: A four-letter name of a credit card provider twice (as credit cards is in the plural) but only the first written out completely (maxed out). I don’t think that saying only the first is maxed out implies that the solver should remove the final letter from the second.
25a Instrument of torture it may be healthier not to run away from (9)
TREADMILL: Definition and cryptic definition.
26a Bird, one known for sniffing without nose (5)
EAGLE: A six-letter name of a scent dog without the first letter (nose).
27a Take off essentially decent jacket (6)
FLEECE: A four-letter word meaning to take off or run away followed by the middle letters (essentially) of decent.
28a Parisienne transfixes occasionally stern banker (6)
TELLER: The French singular feminine pronoun (Parisienne) inside (transfixes) the even letters (occasionally) of stern.
Down
2d Spy some latent negativity returning (5)
AGENT: The answer is hidden (some) and reversed (returning) in the third and fourth words of the clue.
3d Toffs upend tip jar (3,6)
TOP DRAWER: A reversal (upend) of a six-letter word for a tip or monetary payment and a three-letter word for a jar or container.
4d Migrant woman, unclothed, dividing neighbourhood’s fringe elements (5)
NOMAD: The inner letters (unclothed) of woman inside (dividing) the outer letters (fringe elements) of neighbourhood.
5d Cut taken by American shifting oils in tourist attraction (9)
ACROPOLIS: A four-letter word meaning cut inside (taken by) the single-letter abbreviation for American and an anagram (shifting) of oils.
6d Inadequate son is not able (5)
SCANT: The abbreviation for son followed by a four-letter word meaning is not able.
7d This setter’s one rubbish tiro and, every so often, fake (9)
IMITATION: A two-letter word meaning this setter is followed by the letter representing one, a three-letter word meaning rubbish and the even letters (every so often) of tiro and.
8d Ship carrying key legions (6)
SCORES: The abbreviation for steamship includes (carrying) a four-letter word meaning key.
9d Female’s rival turned up in this crossword (6)
HEREOF: A three-letter word meaning female’s followed by a reversal (turned up) of a three-letter word for a rival. Perhaps a question mark at the end would be better to indicate that the definition is a definition by example of the solution?
15d Outsiders might do this to create an impression of familiarity (4,1,4)
RING A BELL: Double definition.
16d Put nothing on top of the tangled wires, or else (9)
OTHERWISE: The letter representing nothing on top of the THE from from the clue and an anagram (tangled) of WIRES.
17d Bardot, for one, attacks other people, according to Sartre (9)
BOMBSHELL: A five-letter word meaning attacks other people followed by a four-letter description of other people by Sartre.
18d Add water to herb mostly on Tuesday with temperature falling (6)
DILUTE: A four-letter name of a herb with the final letter removed (mostly) followed by the abbreviation for Tuesday with the letter T (temperature) moved down (falling).
20d What gets satrap going in Arabian land is sycophants (3-3)
YES-MEN: The initial letter (what gets … going) of satrap inside a five-letter name of an Arabian country.
22d Move gradually following husband into bushes (5)
HEDGE: A four-letter word meaning move gradually after (following) the abbreviation for country.
23d Initially vacillating, anti-chauvanists hire man’s man? (5)
VALET: The initial letters of vacillating anti-chauvanists followed by a three-letter word meaning hire. Watch out for spelling errors. Chauvinist, not chauvanist.
24d Foggy gave up endlessly dithering (5)
VAGUE: An anagram (dithering) of GAVE UP without the final letter (endlessly).
Welcome to Rookie Corner Osmanthus but I am reasonably certain that this is not your first puzzle.
An enjoyable finish to my weekend of cruciverbalism with smiles for 13a, 17a, 19a, 27a, 15d, and 22d.
I am not sure of the parsing of a few of the clues but I will leave that to the experts.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Thanks Senf. It’s not my first puzzle, but it is the first anyone other than me has laid eyes on. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Welcome to the blog, Osmanthus and thanks for the enjoyable puzzle.
Lots to enjoy in this competently put together puzzle. Our favourite is 17d.
Thanks Osmanthus.
Welcome to Rookie Corner, Osmanthus. This was an accomplished debut although surely not your first ever cryptic crossword. Parts of it were quite challenging and I really enjoyed the solve.
Apart from the spelling error in 23d, my comments are mostly personal preferences:
10a – I don’t like “screen” as a synonym for phone. Is this now current jargon?
17a – I never know if and when “of” is OK as a link word between definition and wordplay. Prolixic will doubtless advise on this.
25a – I assume this is a cryptic definition. For me, it is a bit clunky.
26a – I am not keen on “nose” as a first letter indicator. Another one for Prolixic.
9d – “Crossword” looks like surface padding to me.
24d – I’m not keen on “dithering” as an anagram indicator (but I have seen a lot worse!)
I had a lot of ticks with 17d my favourite.
Many thanks and well done, Osmanthus. I look forward to your next offering. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
Thanks Rabbit Dave. Kicking myself about that spelling error! I’ll need a bit of time to think about some of your comments, but re 9d I think you’re right. The clue reads better without ‘crossword’. Wish I’d seen that. As for 10a, I think it is now current jargon, especially in educational circles, but I just checked the BRB and that usage doesn’t seem to be listed.
Welcome to Osmanthus who’s given us a really enjoyable puzzle (much more entertaining than today’s back-pager in my opinion).
I particularly liked 5a, 19a, 21a, 23a, 27a, 15d and 17d.
More like this would be very welcome.
Welcome Osmanthus
My thoughts agree with those of Gazza
Very enjoyable, thank you, Osmanthus. We couldn’t parse 10a so thank you in advance to Prolixic. Favourites are 23a and 16d. More like this, please, Osmanthus.
Welcome to the Corner, Osmanthus, with quite an accomplished offering. I would doubt that this is your first foray into the dark art of setting, perhaps its just the first time you’ve braved public scrutiny? Plenty of clues that I enjoyed and my favourite was 19a. Like RD, I dislike ‘screen’ for phone but I suppose it depends on what one uses a phone for these days – I just use mine to ring people!
I doubt that Prolixic will find many faults with your compilation and look forward to seeing more of your work.
Welcome from me too, Osmanthus.
I can do no better than echo the consensus of those commenting earlier by saying that the puzzle was a delight to solve, it was very competently compiled with pretty smooth surfaces and, for a debutant in Rookie Corner, it was one of the best I’ve seen for quite a while. Just a word of caution regarding “returning” and “turned up” being used as reversal indicators, to me they come close to being a repetition (as both include “turn”), so I would suggest avoiding using them together in the same puzzle. My podium consists of 21a, 27a and 2d.
Congratulations on a fine puzzle, Osmanthus. I hope we’ll see your second submission in the near future.
Hi everyone, and thanks for the warm welcomes. Thanks also, of course, for doing the puzzle and taking the time to leave comments. They’ve been very useful. Some of you have been kind enough to suggest this is not my first go at setting. That pleases me no end! But the truth is I’ve only set a handful of puzzles, of which this is, in my opinion, by far the best and the only one I’ve felt comfortable sharing. I fully expect a return to the mean on my next attempt. It’s rather late here – I’m more than a few time zones east of Greenwich – so I’ll say goodnight for now. Thank you all again.
Many thanks for a very entertaining puzzle. I’m not that keen on screen for phone either but that aside nowt to quibble about & I’m with Gazza in finding this one every bit as entertaining as the DT back page offering today.
Look forward to your next offering
Thank you, Prolixic. Notes have been taken and will be studied!
Just thinking, after your comment – do you live somewhere that has Osmanthus growing? If so, that might put you in China, Japan or Sumatra – am I close?
You’re closer than close, Jane. The largest of those places you mentioned.
A very accomplished debut indeed!
It was also an enjoyable solve with plenty of smiles.
My ticks are for 1a, 19a, 21a, 23a, 28a, 2d, 3d, 8d, 15d, 17d, 20d and 22d. That is a very long list!
I am looking forward to your next offering already, although I suspect your appearance in Rookie Corner will be a short one. Promotion surely beckons before long.
Thank you Osmanthus and Prolixic.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. Looks as though Osmanthus is off to a flying start, let’s hope he can keep up the standard for next time!
Excellent debut, Osmanthus!
I’m not sure I can add very much to what has already been said. Nonetheless, I’d like to say how very much I enjoyed it. Standout clues for me are 13a, 19a, 21a and 25d; 3d, 5d and 15d.
I do have one query, and it relates to 14a. The answer requires ‘an artist (Royal Academician)’, i.e. singular. Your clue reads ‘street artists’ work’. I think you should have used the singular possessive, ‘artist’s’ not the plural ‘artists’ ‘.
Very well done, Osmanthus. And many thanks for plenty of enjoyment in solving this. Follow Proixic’s advice to build up your experience and come back here soon.
Many appreciative thanks to Prolixic for the review. Osmanthus must be delighted to receive words like this from you:’ Osmanthus has provided us with a high accomplished debut crossword. There was little to fault technically.’ Praise indeed!