A Puzzle by Avid
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
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.
Avid returns with a vengeance. The comments indicate that this was a tough beast. The difficulty came not from technical errors in the clue (except perhaps for 3d) but from their overall complexity. Oddly, some of the longer clues (such as 5a or 14d) were not the most difficult. The risk with longer or verbose clues is that they signpost the wordplay too obviously where some of the shorter ones provide more of a challenge. Overall, the commentometer reads as 3/26 or 11.54%.
Across
5a Rubbish documentary ignoring nature almost bizarrely is something like a mockumentary (6)
COMEDY: An anagram (rubbish) of DOCUMENTARY after removing (ignoring) an anagram (bizarrely) of NATURE after removing the last letter (almost).
6a Looked good on camera in competition (6)
BECAME: A three-letter word for a camera used in a combining form such a video-??? in a three-letter word for a competition, often preceded by spelling.
9a Lost pets extricated from quarterly culling of NYC’s pestiferous alleycats (6)
STRAYS: Every fourth letter (quarterly culling) of the final three words of the clue.
10a Doesn’t catch what’s said due to somewhat gnomish ear shape (8)
MISHEARS: The answer is hidden (somewhat) in the final three words of the clue.
11a The paradigm of holiness not to be exceeded without sacrificing edgy humour (4)
THOU: The “without” from the clue without a three-letter word for humour forming the outer letters (edgy) of the word.
12a All over the place, in a state! (10)
NATIONALLY: Cryptic definition.
13a They’re flogged often, like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield for example (11)
BESTSELLERS: Cryptic definition of popular books.
18a Part resents getting involved in hostility (10)
BITTERNESS: A three-letter word meaning part followed by an anagram (getting involved) of RESENTS.
21a Disco beat (4)
CLUB: Double definition.
22a Put out of kilter, skip a part of the script in audition (8)
MISALIGN: A homophone (in audition) of MISS (skip) A LINE (a part of the script).
23a The first step to reaching green target is constrained by committee of fools (3,3)
TEE OFF: The answer is hidden (constrained by) in the final three word of the clue. The definition suggests a noun as the answer, but the solution is given as a verb only. The noun requires a hyphen as a definition of the place where a golfer makes their first shot.
24a More than half of peer group is family members (6)
GENERA: The first six-letters of a ten-letter word (more than half) meaning peer group.
25a Found reason stadium soil turned into dust (6)
GROUND: Quintuple definition.
Down
1d Adolescent raging at mum consumed by anger (8)
IMMATURE: An anagram (raging) of AT MUM inside (consumed by) a three-letter word for anger.
2d Confused one is finally enlightened – he had a lightbulb moment! (6)
EDISON: An anagram (confused) of ONE IS D (finally enlightened).
3d Excrement left after overflow leaks out of here? (8)
CESSPOOL: A three-letter word for excrement and the abbreviation for left after a word for overflow. The clue seems to lack an instruction to remove the first two letters from the word meaning overflow.
4d Best-loved city in America becoming a slum (6)
FAVELA: A four-letter word meaning best loved followed by the abbreviation for Los Angeles (city in America).
5d Haunting prow of crumbling yacht on the rocks (6)
CATCHY: The first letter (prow) of crumbling followed by an anagram (on the rocks) of YACHT.
7d Criminal loner will ultimately admit (6)
ENROLL: An anagram (criminal) of LONER followed by the final letter (ultimately) of will. The American spelling of the word should have been indicated.
8d Common name English talk contemptuously about in many parts? (11)
SMITHEREENS: A five-letter common English surname followed by the abbreviation for English and a reversal (about) of a five-letter word meaning talk contemptuously.
14d Third remaining after two thirds abscond from remote desert penitentiary blocks (8)
TERTIARY: The final third (two-thirds absconding) of eighth to tenth words of the clue. I am not sure that blocks works here. It looks like padding and does not really work to apply the wordplay to each of the three words where deletions are required.
15d Made a lot of broken glass removing lids (6,2)
RACKED UP: Remove the first letter (removing lids) of CRACKED (broken) CUP (glass). I am not convinced that glass is synonymous with the word required in the solution.
16d Starting to work? Not after this! (6)
FIRING: Definition and cryptic definition.
17d Blew up over US cop arresting female (6)
PUFFED: A reversal (over) of the UP from the clue followed by a three-letter word for a US cop around (arresting) the abbreviation for female.
19d Coaches track runners (6)
TRAINS: Double definition.
20d Holding up a mirror to the truth, classically, taking lead from Voltaire in Candide? (6)
SATIRE: A reversal (holding up a mirror to) VERITAS (truth classically) after removing the V (lead from Voltaire).
I have only a few specific comments:
3d – if I am parsing this correctly, I can’t see how “overflow” leads to the first four letters of the answer.
7d – the answer is the American spelling!
8d – is the question mark necessary?
15d – I don’t think “glass” is synonymous with “cup”.
I rather liked 23a, but top prize has to go to the excellent quintuple definition in 25a.
Many thanks, Avid, for the challenge. I look forward to your next submission but please rein in the difficulty level somewhat. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
Thanks for the solve and feedback Dave.
In 3d, “overflow” = EXCESS and “leaks out of” = delete EX. You’ll no doubt object that the cryptic grammar is faulty and “leaks”should be “leaking”, and you’d be absolutely right but by I only saw the error after publishing (and I expect Prolixic will tick me off for it).
Re 7d, I’ll admit to not realising that that’s the American spelling.
In 8d, I thought the def was a bit oblique (as although I think it’s accurate enough, I don’t think it’s freely interchangeable with the solution in its usual context) so I added the QM to cover myself.
I’ll back myself on 25d, but let’s see what Prolixic says!
All other positive and critical feedback noted and appreciated!
A very tough crossword, not helped by so many of the clues being so long and wordy that the solver needs a little lie down before going back to read the clue again to see if you can work out what is required. Perhaps spreading the friendlier clues around the grid rather than having them at the bottom of the grid might have helped provide some checking letters
As RD says, please return with another crossword but one where the solver doesn’t start their morning with a furrowed brow
Thanks for putting in the time and effort, Sue. I do aim to entertain so I’m sorry this one had the opposite effect. Hopefully your brow’s unfurrowed by now!
Tough stuff which I did enjoy battling through. Thanks to Avid.
There are some very clever clues here but as CS says the wordiness is rather off-putting.
I don’t understand the need for ‘in Candide’ in 20d.
I ticked 9a, 22a, 23a, 25a and 8d.
Please return with another puzzle (but make it a bit gentler!).
Gazza, I took “Candide?” to be the definition (by example).
So it is – thanks. I’d taken the whole clue as the definition in a semi-all-in-one.
I did think about whether the clue could work as an &lit, but concluded that it was lacking the nounal definition required which is why I added Candide.
Thanks for the feedback, which has been noted and hopefully assimilated this time!
Having read the above comments I understand why I ‘threw in the towel’ quite early.
Thanks Avid but just not for me.
Thanks for the try Senf. I think it’s clear enough that it’s not you but me!
Quite a lot to admire here, but I also found it too tough to be enjoyable, unfortunately. As has been said, 7d needs an American indicator and the solution to 23a is clued as a noun, whereas Chambers and Collins both suggest it is solely a verb. Like others, 25a was top of my personal podium.
When a setter is inventive and has an eye for a good clue, it is regrettable to see him or her trying to be too clever and devious on occasions, and I think several clues fall into that category. I do hope that the calls to make the next submission more solver-friendly are heeded.
Thank you, Avid.
Thanks Silvanus for the kind feedback. I missed your feedback on my last puzzle so glad you’ve done this one.
On reflection, I think you may be right about 23a, but it passed muster with others so let’s see what Prolixic says.
Thanks all. I think it’s clear from the feedback that I’ve failed to take the advice that I sought in the comments to my last crossword. Having a go at self-diagnosis, I’d say my vice is a love of nice surfaces which blinds me to the problems of excessive length and complex wordplay. However, I’m gratified by the positive feedback and the constructive criticism will hopefully help focus my mind next time!
We had a good crack at it but we did have to reveal some starter letters in the SE corner to complete the puzzle. Please be gentler with your next puzzle.