A Puzzle by Zebedee
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
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.
Zebedee bounces back with their third crossword. Although there was a lot of promise in the setting of this crossword, it was marred by two clues where the wordplay simply did not work and more than its fair share of repeated wordplay indicators. 6/29 or 20.7%
Across
9a Fondles back after brief dance (9)
QUICKSTEP: Reverse (back) a four-letter word meaning fondles after a five-letter word meaning brief.
10a Unsettling mean procedure at rear (5)
ENEMA: An anagram (unsettling) of MEAN E (procedure at rear).
11a Suffer from exposing fine scoundrel (5)
INCUR: The inner letters (exposing) of fine followed by a three-letter word for a scoundrel.
12a Makes cryptic speech in first-rate organisation (9)
ENCIPHERS: An anagram (organization) of SPEECH IN R (first-rate). Two points here. First, not all editors will accept the use of a noun (organization) as an anagram indicator. Secondly, first-rate does not indicate the first letter of rate.
13a Head bored by sanctimonious judgement (7)
OPINION: A five-letter slang word for a head includes (bored by) a two-letter word meaning sanctimonious.
15a Shortcake only crumbled in old city (7)
BABYLON: A four-letter word for a type of cake with the final letter removed (shortcake) followed by an anagram (crumbled) of ONLY. Some editors will not accept the unindicated requirement to split shortcake to short cake to obtain the wordplay required in the solution.
17a Arrangement to deposit box right inside address (13)
ORCHESTRATION: A five-letter word for a box and the abbreviation for right inside (to deposit … inside) a six-letter word for an address or speech. The structure of the clue definition to wordplay with to as the link word does not work.
21a Democrat moves to right in private, becoming more reliable (7)
SOLIDER: Move the abbreviation for Democrat to the right in a seven-letter word for a private or other serving army person.
22a During appraisal pardon lack of development (7)
APLASIA: The answer is hidden (during) and reversed (unindicated) in the second and third words of the clue. There is no reversal indicator, so the clue does not work.
23a Put forward dog for Conservative to gain upper hand (9)
ADVANTAGE: A seven-letter word meaning put forward with the abbreviation for Conservative replace by a three-letter word to dog or follow.
25a Crow, perhaps, in black rage (5)
BRAVE: The abbreviation for black followed by a four-letter word for rage.
27a Greek character dressed in sleeveless denim causes wearineess (5)
ENNUI: A two-letter letter of the Greek alphabet inside (dressed in) the inner letters (sleeveless) of denim. Watch the spelling of words in your clues. Weariness, not wearineess.
28a In streamlined fashion with a bit of cheating I’m on monster’s back (9)
ERGONOMIC: The first letter (a bit) of cheating followed by the IM and ON from the clue and a four-letter word for a monster all reversed (back). Back was used as a reversal indicator in 9a. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators.
Down
1d No difference between day and night, or short horse and bovine (7)
EQUINOX: A six-letter word for a horse with the final letter removed (short) followed by a two-letter word for a bovine animal. Short has been used previously as an indicator to remove the last letter in 15a. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators.
2d Focus of quizzer in first contest could help make brass (4)
ZINC: The middle letter (focus) of quizzer followed by the IN from the clue and the first letter of contest. Cryptically first X does not mean the first letter of X. Also, first as an initial letter indicator was used in 12a. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators.
3d Fought irregularly, missed Henry with dirk originally (10)
SKIRMISHED: An anagram (irregularly) of MISSED H (Henry) DIRK. The letters to be rearranged include an additional D that is not included in the solution, so the anagram does not work. Should this have been dirk originally missing.
4d Not even set free before heartless watchmen scattered (6)
STREWN: The odd letters (not even) of set free followed by the outer letters (heartless) of watchmen.
5d Special one advocates use of this after words (5,3)
SPACE BAR: The two-letter abbreviation for special followed by a three-letter word for one and a three-letter word for barristers.
6d Magistrate injecting drugs in vehicle (4)
JEEP: The abbreviation for Justice of the Peace includes the abbreviation (twice) for ecstasy.
7d Unfortunately lose bile with uncovered burp tending to rise (10)
REBELLIOUS: An anagram (unfortunately) of LOSE BILE UR (uncovered burp).
8d Analysis of standard peach (7)
PARSING: A three-letter word meaning standard followed by a four-letter word meaning to peach or betray.
14d Train lever breaking is of no consequence (10)
IRRELEVANT: An anagram (breaking) of TRAIN LEVER.
16d Graves here when emptied rely on courage (6,4)
BOTTLE BANK: A four-letter word meaning rely after a six-letter word meaning courage. In a down clue A on B means A above or on top of B, not A after B.
18d Finished in front entering √2 perhaps (8)
SURFACED: A four-letter word meaning front inside (entering) a four-letter word for an irrational number.
19d Key copy made finally for fugitive (7)
ESCAPEE: A six-letter name of a key on a computer keyboard followed by the final letter of made.
20d Rise and fall of French lost in low morals (7)
CADENCE: A nine-letter word for low morals without (lost) the French word for of.
22d Hurt in return; in return for one Russian flower (6)
AVENGE: A reversal (in return) of the abbreviation for “for example” or for one and a four-letter name of a Russian river (flower).
24d Brad put Angelina first in nothing (4)
NAIL: The initial letter (first) of Angelina inside a three-letter word meaning nothing. As noted previously, A first does not indicate the first letter of A and this is the third use of first as an initial letter indicator. On the subject of repeating indicators, there have been a number of clue using A in B, A inside B and A dressed in B. Perhaps finding less similar insertion indicators would be better.
26d Member unknown to host (4)
ARMY: A three-letter body member followed by a letter representing an unknown quantity in algebra.
Although technically this was (mostly) an accomplished pangram, it was far too hard for me to enjoy. Only several cups of coffee and sheer bloody-mindedness carried me over the line.
There were two booboos: a typo in 27a (use a spellchecker!) and a D surplus to requirements in the anagram fodder for 3d.
My only other comment relates to 2d, where I think you need “first of contest(s)”.
Well done but please lighten up a little with your next submission. Thanks.
RD, 3d. I’m wondering if the setter has accidentally omitted a word from the clue. If “deficient” was added to the end of the clue it would be OK.: an anagram (irregularly) of MISSED,Henry with (and) dIRK (originally deficient). Or is “missed” doing double duty as anagram fodder and as a trigger to used dirk with its original letter missed?
I solved three quarters of this pangram in a reasonable time but then got completely stuck in the SE corner, where because I have quite a lot to do this morning, i revealed letters to finish (and I’m not sure I would have finished at all without doing so)
Thank you Zebedee – I would echo RD’s request to lighten up a bit next time. Thanks in advance to Prolixic
Pretty tricky in places I thought.
The square root sign in 18a put me off and I had to look up the word that was needed.
In addition to RD’s points there seems to be a reversal indicator missing in 22a and the wordplay in 16d puts the bits in the wrong order.
Thanks to Zebedee – please be a bit more lenient in your next puzzle.
Gazza, I had the same thought as you about 16d but, as the BRB cites “just after” as one on the many meanings of “on”, I guess it is OK even though it seems counter-intuitive,
I missed the missing reversal indicator in 22a. It was my last one in after a huge struggle in the SE and I was so relieved to have finished that I didn’t look any further into it.
I call Anax in defence of my point:
On the subject of link words, there has been some confusion over the use of “on”.
In a down clue, “on” can only mean “on top of” – i.e. it links one component to the next one (as is therefore optional).
In an across clue, “on” tags one component to the end of another
QED! Thanks for that explanation, Gazza.
Sorry Zebedee, not for me and I ‘retired hurt’ with less than half completed. I thought that I might be ‘having a bad day’ but, based on the comments of the ‘experts’ above, this does not appear to be the case.
Thanks anyway.
Pleased to see that the “experts” found it difficult.
But no one has mentioned 10a … I find it a bit unsettling that I seem to be the only one who cannot parse this clue. Where does the extra “E” come from?
The rear letter of procedurE.
Thanks, Gazza.
I presume that 10a is an “all-in-one” or &lit clue.
I reckon it must be an &lit (I always have trouble with these) because the clue is all cryptic word-play with no distinct definition but the whole clue is also (just about) a cryptic definition of the answer. Don’t tell me I’m wrong again …..
Found this too tough to be enjoyable and used the same technique as RD to get to the end – plus a couple of referrals to the BRB. I’m sure it’s satisfying for a setter to construct a pangram but the cost of doing so doesn’t always make it a worthwhile exercise.
Sorry, Zebedee, but I don’t think this was your finest hour!
My solving experience mirrored CS’s exactly. The SE corner was definitely harder than the rest of the puzzle by a huge margin.
In addition to the points raised already I did notice that “first” was used three times as an initial letter indicator, I wasn’t happy with any of the three uses unfortunately. Technically, “first contest” (2d) does not mean the letter “c”, “start of contest” would have been a suitable alternative. “Back” was repeated as a reversal indicator and “In/inside” was also repeated as an insertion indicator. The setter is clearly very partial to removing the outside letters of words, as I counted four examples of that particular wordplay device.
Having said all that, I thought the surface readings were generally very sound indeed and I think the setter has an eye for a good clue. My joint-favourite clues were 9a and 14d.
Many thanks and very well done, Zebedee. If you can eliminate the repetitions next time and even out the standard of difficulty across the puzzle (and I don’t mean making every corner like the SE one!), then I think it will produce an even better product.
We started well, then slowed down, then came to a stop and had to reveal letters. 22a a new word and we didn’t know the meaning of peach in 8d. Comforting to know that others far better than us struggled also! Thanks to Zebedee and to Prolixic for explanations.
Thanks to everyone (especially Prolific) for your helpful comments, and apologies for the annoying errors that somehow crept in again! Getting the level of difficulty correct is the hardest thing to learn, but I should be able to avoid the typos and repetitions, and will endeavour to do so for the next submission.
Sorry, spellcheck corrected Prolixic. Irony no deliberate.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. Zebedee taught me two new things with a Surd and his definition of peach so it’s obviously not just him who’s a Rookie! Hope he manages to eliminate the issues mentioned by you and also that he learns to judge the level of difficulty rather better in future.