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.
Maitresse has produced her best crossword to date. Apart from using in as an insertion indicator far too many occasions, there were only a couple of clues where the admirably high standard of cluing slipped slightly. The commentometer reads as 2/28 or 7.1%.
Across
1a Easy meal: skipping starter, eats crackers (8)
UNCHASTE: A five-letter word for a midday meal without the first letter (skipping starter) followed by an anagram (crackers) of EATS.
5a Interminable period heading west in outskirts of Swiss ranges (6)
SCOPES: A five-letter word for a period of time without the last letter (interminable) reversed (heading west) inside (in) the outer letters (outskirts) of Swiss.
9a New erotica – new following in response (8)
REACTION: An anagram (new) of EROTICA followed by the abbreviation for new.
10a For US kids, this comes before going potty! (6)
DIAPER: Cryptic definition of the American term for a nappy.
11a It’s cheap nasty imitation (8)
PASTICHE: An anagram (nasty) of ITS CHEAP.
12a Old Kingsley maybe accepting Romeo over another role? (6)
OBERON: The abbreviation for old followed the first name of the actor Kingsley around the letter represented by Romeo in the NATO phonetic alphabet and the abbreviation for over.
14a A temperature for North of Cornwall, say, that produces perspiration (5,5)
SWEAT GLAND: The region of the country (2,7) where Cornwall is located with the A from the clue and the abbreviation for temperature replacing the abbreviation for North.
18a Rookie – kind chased by FT? (10)
TENDERFOOT: A six-letter word meaning kind followed by the length abbreviated as Ft.
22a Corkscrew failing to open shiraz (essentially it’s medicinal) (6)
ELIXIR: A five-letter word for a corkscrew without the first letter (failing to open) followed by the middle letters (essentially) of shiraz.
23a Liking endlessly refined pig’s heart and turkey without stuffing (8)
AFFINITY: A seven-letter French word meaning refined without the outer letters (endlessly) followed by the middle letter (heart) of pig and the outer letters (without stuffing) of turkey. I think that an indication that it is the French word for refined that is required as it does not appear in the main UK dictionaries.
24a Twitter’s successor reportedly going strong? Puff perhaps (6)
EXHALE: A homophone (reportedly) of X (Twitter’s successor) followed by a four-letter word meaning going strong.
25a Curry for one is in exotic pot – I’m hopeful (8)
OPTIMIST: The first name of the actor Curry and the IS from the clue inside (in) an anagram (exotic) of pot. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. In as an insertion indicator was used in 5a and will appear again in 2d, 13d and 20d
26a Component of peculiar restroom stall (6)
ARREST: The answer is hidden (component of) inside the third and fourth words of the clue.
27a Odds of peeling Nancy’s black negligee? (8)
PEIGNOIR: The odd letters of peeling followed by the French word (Nancy’s) for black.
Down
1d Grave message embraced by a French novice (6)
UNRIPE: The abbreviation for rest in peace inside (embraced by) the French feminine singular for A. I am not convinced that novice is a good synonym for the solution.
2d Elegant girl in Coventry on vacation (6)
CLASSY: A four-letter word for a girl inside (in) the outer letters (on vacation) of Coventry.
3d Get at American writer without wife (6)
ATTAIN: The AT from the clue followed by five-letter name of an American author without the abbreviation for wife.
4d Cup trouble for West Ham? This match is a knockout (6,4)
TROPHY WIFE: A six-letter word for a cup followed by the word that in Cockney rhyming slang (for West Ham) is shortened to trouble (from trouble and strife).
6d Big caber tossed in game (8)
CRIBBAGE: An anagram (tossed) of BIG CABER.
7d Primate under pressure runs to catch carrier (5,3)
PAPER BAG: A three-letter word for a primate under the abbreviation for pressure followed by the abbreviation for runs and a three letter word meaning to catch.
8d Strain to make love? (8)
SERENADE: Cryptic definition of a love sone.
13d Tart in bar and Greek character in off-licence (7,3)
BANOFFI PIE: A three-letter word for bar or prohibit followed by a two-letter Greek letter inside (in) a six-letter slang word for an off-licence.
15d Naked veteran following alien about and so on (2,6)
ET CETERA: The inner letters (naked) of veteran after (following) the well-known film alien and the single-letter abbreviation for about. Â Following was used as a positional indicator in 9a.
16d Turn to Morse, perhaps – Endeavour’s lead on active pincher (8)
ENCIPHER: The first letter (lead) of Endeavour followed by an anagram (active) of PINCHER.
17d Old General Petraeus deriding recycled speeches in successive quarters (8)
PERICLES: Take the first, second, third and fourth pairs of letters (in successive quarters) of the third to sixth words of the clue.
19d Chopping last of salad and decorating cake (6)
DICING: The final letter (last) of salad followed by a five-letter word meaning decorating a cake.
20d Offer to get covered in lubricant boosted sex drive (6)
LIBIDO: A three-letter word for an offer inside a reversal (boosted) of a three-letter word for a lubricant.
21d Shellfish eaten by schoolboy’s terrapin (6)
OYSTER: The answer is hidden (eaten by) in the final two words of the clue.
We thoroughly enjoyed solving this delightful puzzle. There are many ticks on our pages but the star for us was the very clever wordplay used in 17d.
Thanks Maitresse.
Hi Maitresse.
We have been pondering about who you might be.
Is there any chance that you are someone we met in Oxford several years ago?
Hi 2Kiwis – hmm, I think it’s unlikely. I’ve been to Oxford a few times over the years but never spent any significant amount of time there (sadly!). I’ve only started attending crossword-related events in the last year or so – like the Times Championship and the Gruntlings lunches.
Thanks for the reply. We obviously have made an assumption that is way off the mark.
We really appreciate your puzzles Maitresse and look forward to each one.
Cheers from Downunder.
An excellent and very enjoyable puzzle – thanks to Maitresse.
Lots of clues to like including 14a, 25a, 27a, 17d (very clever) and 4d (my favourite).
Thank you, Maitresse, very enjoyable. We also liked 17d, once we twigged it. We look forward to your next puzzle. Thanks in advance to Prolixic as there are a couple of clues for which we need more clarification to fully parse.
Hello again, Maitresse. I really enjoyed this and thought it was your best puzzle to date.
The answer to 13d looks like a spelling mistake to me. I’ve only ever come across Banoffee Pie, and that is the only spelling given in the BRB.
Parsing 17d was a real head-scratcher, but it became my favourite when the penny finally dropped.
Many thanks and very well done, Maitresse. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
Have to agree about 13d. It’s a portmanteau word combining banana/toffee.
The required alternative spelling for the 13d filling is given in Collins.
Welcome back, Maitresse.
As others have said this was of a very high standard indeed and a puzzle of which you can feel justifiably proud. I did notice that “in” was used five times as an insertion indicator though, something to watch out for in future puzzles.
17d was very clever and not a device I’ve seen before so it definitely deserves a podium place, along with 14a and 13d.
Many thanks and congratulations, Maitresse.
Hello again, Maitresse. Fine puzzle without a doubt and it must have taken you quite a while to construct the likes of 17d! My particular favourites were 1&18a but you certainly gave us plenty to choose from.
I can’t see that the commentometer will find much to complain about – maybe just that pesky insertion indicator that was mentioned by Silvanus.
I thought this an excellent puzzle. Found it pretty chewy in both the NE & SW but got there in the end though still shy of parsing 17d satisfactorily. Hailing from the city all of the lasses I knew as a teenager were 2d & sadly not 1a. Plenty of ticks on my page – 1,18,22&27a + 2,4,13&20d particular likes.
Thanks Maitresse – will watch out for your next puzzle.
Thank you everyone for your lovely comments – and of course to Prolixic for the review. I’m so pleased to hear that this puzzle went down well, and I’m grateful for the reminders about repetition. Feeling very encouraged.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. The girl seems to be definitely heading in the right direction!
A superb crossword. Found 17d and 22a particularly challenging! My favourite clue was 4d. Well done.