A Puzzle by Avid
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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 Avid. There was a lot of inventive and good cluing in this crossword and Avid can be rightly proud of it. There were a few rough edges, mainly from the repetition of wordplay devices which mean that the commentometer is 3/26 or 11.5%.
Across
6a A point that’s relevant (3)
APT: The A from the clue followed by a two-letter abbreviation for point.
7a Performers are spinning about in orbs outdoors (10)
BALLERINAS: A reversal (spinning) of the ARE from the could around (about) the IN from the clue with a five-letter word for orbs around them (outdoors).
10a Artist drinking bit of pint and spilling the rest in study (5)
PAPER: A seven-letter word for an artist who creates pictures includes the first letter (bit) of pint and excludes the remaining three letters (spilling the rest).
11a Addition of (essentially) ten + ten + ten + ten + ten + (finally) ten (9)
EXTENSION: The middle letter (essentially) of ten followed by the Roman numeral for 10, the plural of ten (ten + ten), ten as it would appear in figures and the final letter of ten.
12a Awe inspiring Rolls-Royce – one desirable automobile! (7)
FERRARI: A four-letter word for awe or drear includes (inspiring) the abbreviation for Rolls-Royce followed by the letter representing one.
13a Refusal to serve by GI using a bit of Latino candour (2,3,2)
NO CAN DO: The answer is hidden (using a bit of) in the final two words of the clue.
14a Futility of parsimony, pinching singles putting opener at the wrong end (15)
MEANINGLESSNESS: An eight-letter word meaning parsimony includes (pinching) the singles from the clue with the first letter (opening) moved to the end.
17a Something emerging one thousand years after plea quietly ignored (7)
LEAKAGE: The abbreviation for kilo (one thousand) and a three-letter word for years after the plea from the clue after removing (ignored) the abbreviation for quietly.
19a Old chestnuts from top of compiler’s cryptic shortlist include “revolutionary” (7)
CLICHES: The first letter (top) of compiler, the shortlist from the clue being read cryptically as short list to give LIS into which you include the usual South American revolutionary. Perhaps including rather than includes would give smoother cryptic grammar as the wordplay is otherwise AB include C.
21a Brutal critique of Shakespeare? (2,2,5)
ET TU BRUTE: Cryptic definition of a line in Julius Caesar.
22a Super active kitty (5)
PURSE: An anagram (active) of SUPER.
23a Sexist regularly airing loathsome, nasty rot (10)
MISOGYNIST: An anagram (rot) of the even letters (regularly) in the third to fifth words of the clue.
24a So poorly detailed (3)
SIC: A four-letter word meaning poorly with the final letter removed (detailed).
Down
1d A halfpipe is my freestyle game (5,8)
HAPPY FAMILIES: An anagram (freestyle) of A HALFPIPE IS MY.
2d Republican President of the United States knocked out in coma (6)
STUPOR: An anagram (knocked out) of R POTUS. As the anagram is made up entirely of abbreviations, it is perilously close to being an indirect anagram. Perhaps initially knocked out would have been better.
3d Wet and snowy outside – message boyfriend, “I need Prince Charming!“ (8,6)
SLEEPING BEAUTY: A six-letter word meaning wet and snowy around (outside) a four-letter word meaning message and a four-letter word for a boyfriend. Watch out for stray characters in the clue. There is a rogue HTML code here.
4d Best jail, it’s said, for an easy time (6)
PICNIC: A homophone (it’s said) of PICK (best) NICK (jail).
5d Ability to endure lone pursuit (8)
PATIENCE: Double definition, the second a solo card game.
7d Dish one served up in Scottish town, following starter of broth (7)
BIRYANI: The letter representing one and a reversal (served up) of the IN from the clue and a three-letter name of a Scottish town all after the first letter (starter) of broth. A minor point but one for the letter I was used in 12a. Try to avoid repeating wordplay ideas.
8d Long line after end of film advanced (8,6)
EXTENDED CREDIT: An eight-letter word meaning long followed by a line that may appear at the end of a film to give a mention to an actor or technician involved in the film.
9d Lack of coherence in press about criminal cases of extortion and conspiracy (13)
INCONSISTENCY: A six-letter word meaning press about a three-letter word for a criminal followed by the outer letters (cases) of extortion and conspiracy. A minor point but about was also used as a containment indicator in 7a.
15d Scene of carnage as violence arises following a strike (8)
ABATTOIR: A four-letter for violence reversed (arises) after (following) the A from the clue and a three-letter word meaning to strike. A minor point but following was used as a positional indicator in 7d.
16d Steal someone’s dog for a bit (7)
SNIPPET: A four-letter word meaning steal (as in a good price) followed by a three-letter word for someone’s dog.
18d A pound: something charged in Britain (6)
ALBION: The A from the clue followed by the two-letter abbreviation for pound avoirdupois and a three-letter for a charged particle.
20d Dissent in this place is ultimately deadly (6)
HERESY: A four-letter word meaning in this place followed by the contraction of is in words such as it’s and the final letter (ultimately) of deadly.
With a few wild guesses we have ended up with a completed grid but there are still several where we have some parsing to get sorted.
Thanks Avid.
Welcome back to Rookie Corner, Avid, with another accomplished puzzled. I found this pretty challenging but I did enjoy the battle.
I am never sure about the use of adjectives and nouns as anagram indicators and will await the judgement of Prolixic on these. I will also look forward to his opinion on 2d, which seems to me to be straying perilously close to an indirect anagram.
It was good to see the inclusion of both an American indicator in 13a and a “lift and separate” indicator in 19a.
For 8d, I don’t think I have ever come across credit in the singular being used to describe acknowledgements at the end of a film.
I spent some time trying to decide if I liked 11a or not, but eventually settled for it as my favourite in recognition of the ingenuity.
Many thanks and well done, Avid. I look forward to your next submission.
P.S. A spurious HTML code has appeared in 3d in the pdf version of the puzzle.
I agree that 11a ingenious!
I think ‘credit’ in the singular is fine for a single line of the credits. “Did you get a credit in that film?”
Smylers, I’m probably wrong but your example doesn’t feel quite right to me. (Even Tom’s favourite reference work agrees with me that credits in this sense needs to be plural! Light the blue touch paper and stand clear …)
Quite tough but very enjoyable with some cracking clues – thanks to Avid.
I agree with RD that 2d is verging on an indirect anagram.
Among other clues I ticked 10a, 12a, 3d, 7d and 9d.
Exactly what Gazza said
Some clever clues – 10a, 11a and 12a in particular. I did feel it was quite a rich mix in toto, what with 19a’s lift and separate, 21a’s “Brutal” and 2d’s quasi-fodder, etc.
And there were a few “bits” – but used differently, so ‘twas fine really. Very good indeed. Ta lots Avid.
That was something of a stiff challenge, Avid, but think I’ve conquered it barring one pesky piece of parsing. Plenty of smiles generated and think my top three were 5,9&16d.
I look forward to reading the analysis from Prolixic and also to tackling your next puzzle.
Thoroughly enjoyed the solve. A good number of the whys travelled on a much later bus (23a yet to board) but having seen Gazza’s ‘quite tough’ assessment I feared it might be a 13a impenetrability so pleased to complete without a letter reveal. 3d was my favourite.
Many thanks Avid
Funnily enough that’s exactly my ‘pesky bit of parsing’ do let me know if it turns up on that later bus!
It’s an anagram (rot) of regular letters from three words in the clue.
Thank you Gazza, the late bus is now safely back at the depot!
D’oh.🤔
Hi all.
Thanks for your kind comments. I’m glad you enjoyed the puzzle (at least in the main) and I’m gratified by your specific likes.
The main other themes I’m picking up are “tough solve” and “got the answer but not the parsing”.
I think it’s fair to say I have a tendency to prefer tough-solve-better-surface over easier-solve-ropier-surface, but is there a point where the solve becomes too tough to justify this?
Thanks all (and thanks in advance to Prolixic for his comments).
I was told it’s all about the surface, and what I’m going for, but having only just started on my foray I can see how hard it is to make them actually solvable.
Less is more I suppose – the art of subtlety.
I would push for surface. What did Shakespeare say again? Yes, that! 6a was a dream to read – I don’t care if I can’t do the rest.. I’ve settled and am happy to be a consumer of art. In that way I may/am hoping to slowly consume the rest.
Quietly at (my) leisure, ay!
Many thanks for your analysis, Prolixic, and thanks again to Avid. In answer to your question yes, there’s a very fine line to be drawn where the ‘toughness’ is concerned, overstep it at your peril!
Merry Christmas to everyone and continuing best wishes for the New Year.
I liked 6a and 11a gives me hope, i.e. ideas.
I have played around with crosswordlabs and was hoping I might be able to set a crossword on here, next year, sometime. How would I go about that? The crosswordlabs doesn’t give you a permanent grid but still lets you play with words and clues and send them to people to check if they read well atleast.
I can give answers and clues in another reply/post if you like it – some are easy but I think some are a little wayward. This is of course what I need help with: the very nature of this forum of course.
HelloBigDave44World!
What I’m saying is I don’t know how to present all that properly.. I suppose I’ll just copy and paste the answers rather than post the answer key password as it allows the whole thing to be edited including the title which would make it impossible to find if it were changed.. it can’t be perfect as it’s just a free internet thing – you can sign up for ten bucks for a lifetime but I take my time doing that sort of thing – but it works as far as having fun and spreading mirth goes.
Anyway just saying I wouldn’t mind having a go and fully appreciate, or atleast I am starting to learn, the difficulty of writing them.
Hooroo!
But, 2 answers for the Christmas Spirit being as ’tis the season of giving: 2a is, “Composure”, and 4d is probably not workable at all but I wish to ask the pros here if it is or not so thank you all for your honest feedback if I would be so lucky as to receive any.
4d really needs a few other clues going through it to give extra letters – but the nature of this crosswordlabs is the grid changes every time you add clues.. even giving you multiple options for each set of clues you have at any one time. But the answer for 4d is, “Present”.
A little far fetched I think you would all agree.. but what the hey, I am just attempting to get something down and see where that fine line actually is.. I have changed many in the last day or so to get what I have so far.
Mum laughed at a few so – I’m hooked already lol!
There’s a couple there for Dad (heads up, read: another clue – he’s a microbiologist who hangs out with ministers and stuff!) of course.. And I so loved 6a for the puzzle by Avid for by chance I used some of it in mine. But the one by Avid was just so much more direct.(Another clue: mums a maths teacher. She found the rest of my particular clue a bit?/! dicey however.)
He must have more pearlers like this I suspect.
* Also I’m roughly thinking you need 28ish sort of clues and answers for a more professional looking standard grid?
__>> I will post all the answers with my semi-logical thoughts behind it in this very thread, ..probably before New Year. I would dearly love any comment as I have asked others how I might be allowed to make a crossword for this blog if I’m up to scratch.
Obviously I would never wish to impose, I would just like to have a go at setting a higher quality crossword that others can see and take me to task on for better or for worse.
Prolixic has written a wonderful guide to setting cryptic crosswords that will tell you almost everything that you need to know:
Click to access Cryptic-Crossword-Clues_v1-2.1.pdf
Instructions for submitting a puzzle to Rookie Corner can be found at https://crypticcrosswords.net/puzzles/rookie-corner/
Another popular venue for sharing crosswords is https://mycrossword.co.uk/
Thankyou, I will be sure to check all of these out.
This site is so helpful.
Answering to my crossword title: “Comping!”
Comping!
2a Composure, Seeing core I tried to find a container and contents clue, that being Sump with an o.
8a Enteric, A grid that gave this clue extra letters let me use the famous crete for the guts of it.
9a Cruel, This is where I get stuck. Sound-a-like clue for c in the context of the word and so for ruel.
10a Persist, I changed some of it but tried to keep ti for pitch. Does commentary work for press?
11a Enact, I love the word. Net and ac seemed to be perfect wordplay and proved too much fun!
** Not knowing all of Ximenes laws I am somewhat familiar with the idea of fairness as it’s M.O. **
1d Scar, We all like maths and we all need a few clues to get us into our scones and cream.
3d Surface, 6 anagrams meant fur case simply had to be worked on. Maybe over cereal? Why not!
4d Present, I tried to make pre synonymous with affore. Too complicated. I offer this for critique.
5d Mouth, I changed this several times. Insect made you smile!, is perhaps best but that is hindsight.
6d Except, I so wanted this to work, just because. Given intervening letters I hoped it would be let fly.
7d Primal, I worked hard on several versions of this. Rim and alp simply had to go together, and fairly.
8d Elixir, Enamoured to clue this. Spanish is common so if the clue read easily I thought it fair as is.
** My first crossword. Crossword labs changes the grids every time you add words so I worked with it so to speak and basically tried to think of cool words and see if I could clue them and maybe work it so they had intervening letters. Difficult with a changing grid, of which variations are presented to choose from but a choice had to be made. So some clues were too difficult but others I think maybe I got away with because intervening letters hopefully aided the solver so much if found first. How did I do?
