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 comes back with a technically cracking crossword. With a commentometer reading of 1/32 or 3.1%, the threshold for promotion to the NTSPP slot.
Across
1a I ask about writer (4)
SAKI: An anagram (about) of I ASK.
3a One imploring tailless cat to come back deployed catnip around lake (10)
SUPPLICANT: A four-letter word for a cat without the first letter (to come back) followed by an anagram (deployed) of CATNIP around the abbreviation for lake.
10a Nothing wrong with unit’s lightsource (3,4)
OIL LAMP: The letter represented by nothing followed by a three-letter word meaning wrong or poorly and the electrical unit for current. Light source is two words, not one.
11a Painter of herald almost caught in trap (7)
GAUGUIN: A five-letter word for a herald or prophet with the final letter removed (almost) inside (caught in) a three-letter word for a trap.
12a Japanese martial art that’s blocking magic power (7)
JUJITSU: A shorter version of that’s inside (blocking) a four-letter word for magical power.
13a Impressionist in US gambling hub I run (6)
RENOIR: The four-letter name of a US city noted as a gambling centre followed by the I from the clue and the abbreviation for run.
15a PM cut off queen? Perhaps (5)
MAYBE: The three-letter surname of a female PM followed a three-letter word for an insect that has a queen with the final letter removed (cut off).
16a Second present behind the scenes (9)
BACKSTAGE: A four-letter word meaning second or support followed by a five-letter word meaning present or put on a production.
18a I’m bored silly by Eastern king’s ornament (9)
EMBROIDER: An anagram (silly) of IM BORED followed by the abbreviation for Eastern and for a king.
21a With half missing, reauthorises historical artefact (5)
RELIC: A 10-letter word meaning grants a new permit to with half of the letters removed (missing).
23a Returning calls again but lacking a volume control? (6)
SLIDER: A reversal of a seven-letter word meaning calls again on a phone without (lacking) the letter A.
25a Not changing gear (7)
UNIFORM: Double definition.
27a Taking tips from Inception and Vertigo and Tarantino’s Kill Bill (7)
INVOICE: The first and last letters of inception and vertigo (tips from) followed by an American term (Tarantino’s) meaning kill.
28a Announcer holding adze at intervals becoming more deranged (7)
CRAZIER: A five-letter word for an announcer holds the odd letters (at intervals) of adze.
29a Banks possibly in awful endless Telegraph jokes (10)
GOALKEEPER: An anagram (awful) of TELEGRAPH JOKES after removing the first and last letters (endless) of each word.
30a Wise man cycling for years (4)
AGES: Rotate the letters in a four-letter word for a wise man.
Down
1d Hack facing penalties for making contact with fence? (10)
SHOWJUMPER: Cryptic definition of an equestrian.
2d Put an end to woman’s misery (7)
KILLJOY: A four-letter word meaning put an end to followed by a three-letter woman’s name.
4d A French fruit patch not fully explored (9)
UNPLUMBED: The French masculine singular for A followed by a four-letter name of a purple fruit and a three-letter word for a garden patch.
5d Blackberry or crushed grape (5)
PAGER: An anagram (crushed) of GRAPE. It’s been a long time since BlackBerry (note the spelling) produced the solution and, even then, it is a definition by example that should have been indicated.
6d Animals using AA, bizarrely (7)
IGUANAS: An anagram (bizarrely) of USING AA.
7d Graduate conserving last of cacti found in rocks? (7)
ALUMINA: A six-letter Latin name for a graduate includes (conserving) the final letter (last) of cacti.
8d Taste fish (4)
TANG: Double definition.
9d Keep location of livestock principally secret for a time (6)
CASTLE: A six-letter word for cows (livestock) with the first T (a time) replace by the first letter (principally) of secret.
14d Settle on pre-Euro notes as points of reference (10)
BENCHMARKS: A five-letter word for a settle or seat above (on) the name of the German currency before the Euro.
17d Boil pasta, say, with relative’s support (9)
CARBUNCLE: A four-letter word describing the food group to which pasta belongs followed by a five-letter word for a male relative.
19d Bottle out finally after I throw over country (7)
BOLIVIA: A four-letter word for a bottle with the final letter removed (out finally) after a reversal (over) of the I from the clue and a three-letter word meaning throw.
20d The devil’s scar? (3,4)
OLD NICK: Cryptic definition.
21d Now and then archaic article turns up with line that’s on the nose? (6)
RHINAL: The even letters (now and then) of archaic followed by a reversal (turns up) of a two-letter indefinite article and the abbreviation for line.
22d Freeing lions, go mad (7)
LOOSING: An anagram (mad) of LIONS GO.
24d Note first female magistrate (5)
REEVE: A two-letter musical note followed by the name of the first woman in the bible.
26d Side arm (4)
WING: Double definition.
A few tricky bits for us in this one. Quite a search in our references to eventually find the 8d fish, and the Banks in 29a was unknown to us and still can’t see the wordplay for the answer. However there were lots that we did enjoy like 1d.
Thanks Maitresse.
Some tricky bits for me as well. I did know the Banks in 29a, I’m that old, but like the 2 Kiwis I will have to await the wisdom of Prolixic to understand the word play. I’m not sure that you would find any 5ds from that manufacturer any more.
Smiles for 15a, 21a, 9d, 20d, and 22d.
Thanks Maitresse and in advance to Prolixic.
Senf, 29a is an anagram but the fodder is brilliantly disguised.
Thanks RD – as you said, brilliantly disguised.
Welcome back to Rookie Corner, Maitresse with another superb puzzle. This was nicely challenging and a real pleasure to solve.
My only very minor concern relates to 5d. As Senf correctly points out, the days of a BlackBerry being a 5d are long gone so perhaps this clue needs a qualifier such as “once”? Also, strictly speaking, the company name needs a capital B in the middle.
I’ll let you off including a vague woman, one of my bugbears, in 2d as you have used a wonderfully inventive American indicator in 27a.
I had ticks aplenty, with 11a, 23a, 25a, 27a, 29a 1d & 20d my top picks.
Very well and thank you, Maitresse. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
What RD said in his first paragraph
Thanks Maitresse for a great start to my Monday morning solving and, in advance, to Prolixic
I really enjoyed this very entertaining puzzle – thanks Maitresse.
I particularly liked 10a, 15a, 27a, 1d, 14d and 17d among many clues I ticked.
Your next puzzle is eagerly awaited.
Welcome back, Maitresse.
I was looking forward to solving this when I saw who the setter was, but I’ll have to buck the trend by saying that I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as your last one (or the one before that). I think 1a put me off at the start, it’s a very weak opening clue in my opinion, and I felt the surfaces of 6d, 19d and 21d were pretty unconvincing. 26d seems very “same sidey” to me and I thought it was odd to include the names of two artists in a puzzle that wasn’t themed. Having said all that, the crossword was once again very sound technically, and my podium picks are 25a, 30a and 20d.
Sorry that I didn’t warm to this one as much as your previous submissions. Thanks, Maitresse.
Thank you Maitresse, a very enjoyable puzzle – although quite tricky for us in places! We couldn’t understand how to parse 29a and 19d until we read Prolixic’s review. We look forward to your next offering.
Thank you everyone for the comments and Prolific for the review, as always. Really happy to see a nice low score for this puzzle, especially as it’s one from October that somehow slipped through the net!