A Puzzle by Faz
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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.
I am pleased to see that Faz has avoided the repetitions in wordplay ideas that have been a feature of previous crosswords. The commentometer reads as 4.5/32 or 14.1%. This is still relatively high. In the most part, I think this is because Faz starts with a good idea for a clue but does not quite bring it to a conclusion.
Across
1a Computer program, to conclude, needs time to get addition (9)
APPENDAGE: A three-letter word for a computer program followed by a three-letter word meaning to conclude and a three-letter word for a period of time.
9a Dad grasps nonsense about artist is in proportion (3,4)
PRO RATA: A two-letter word for a dad around a three-letter word for nonsense, itself around the abbreviation for an artist.
10a Condiment made from French wine with unusual gear (7)
VINEGAR: The three-letter French word for wine followed by an anagram (unusual) of GEAR.
11a Misbehave on stage? (3,2)
ACT UP: Double definition or possibly a cryptic definition. I am not sure that the final word of the solution is properly identified by the definition in either case.
12a Too-clever one alters Mac, disastrously (5,4)
SMART ALEC: An anagram (disastrously) of ALTERS MAC.
13a Possessed by lover, runaround gives a common presentation problem (7)
OVERRUN: The answer is hidden (possessed by) in the third and fourth words of the clue.
15a Go over retirement of star caught in publicity machine (5)
RECAP: A three-letter word for a star inside a two-letter word for publicity all reversed (retirement).
17a Lapse in goodness, get a bit drunk (5)
MERRY: A three-letter word meaning to lapse inside a two-letter word meaning goodness.
18a Creepy soprano is Brit, Americans say (5)
SLIMY: The abbreviation for soprano followed by a homophone (say) of the American term for British people. I think that the say is doing double duty here as identifying what Americans call British people and as a homophone indicator.
19a Reportedly a great deal to dole out (5)
ALLOT: A homophone (reportedly) of a lot (a great deal).
20a Denying one’s female sibling, as Scot might say, brings retribution (7)
NEMESIS: A highly dubious homophone (as Scot may say) of nay my sis (denying one’s female sibling).
23a Old stuffing has heroin and speed, I hear (9)
HORSEHAIR: A five-letter slang word for heroin followed by a homophone (I hear) of hare (speed). Four homophone clues in a row is three too many!
25a Store almost has distinction (5)
CACHE: A six-letter word for distinction without the final letter (almost).
27a The least ungenerous (7)
MEANEST: Double definition.
28a Grandma enthusiastic for buff cotton (7)
NANKEEN: A three-letter word for a grandma followed by a four-letter word meaning enthusiastic.
29a Eschewing alcohol and spice in arid spell (3,6)
DRY SEASON: A three-letter word meaning eschewing alcohol followed by a six-letter word meaning to spice.
Down
1d I’d save fraud for Counsel (6)
ADVISE: An anagram (fraud) of IDSAVE. Avoid using nouns as anagram indicators. Although occasionally used with words such as organisation, that imply rearrangement, I think fraud fall short of this test.
2d Pompous official upsets Japan, nationalist returns to slaughter without hesitation (10)
PANJANDRUM: An anagram (upsets) of JAPAN followed by the abbreviation for nationalist and a reversal (returns) of a six-letter word meaning to slaughter without a two-letter word expressing hesitation. I don’t think that upsets works in the cryptic reading of the clue. Upset as an imperative instruction would work better.
3d Useless politician holding up a weapon the wrong way round (8)
NUGATORY: A four-letter word for conservative (politician) below (holding up) a reversal (the wrong way round) of the A from the clue and a three-letter word for a weapon.
4d On hearing dinosaur alert, seek a hiding place (5)
AURAL: The answer is hidden (seek a hiding place) in the third and fourth words of the clue. I don’t think that seek a hiding place quite words as a hidden word indicator here.
5d Saint captivated by majestic gem of bishops (9)
EPISCOPAL: The single letter abbreviation for saint inside (captivated by) a four-letter word meaning majestic and a four-letter name of a milky gem-stone.
6d Brit in Oz, a chemical engineer, is crushed to make cider (6)
POMACE: A three-letter word for a British person in Australia followed by the A from the clue and the abbreviation for chemical engineer. I think that the solution is the result of crushing, not what is crushed.
7d Fish food is tempting (4)
BAIT: Double definition. Perhaps the two sides of the definition are too much the same.
8d Disreputable type makes regular appearance (3,5)
BAD PENNY: Cryptic definition. A disreputable person may turn up like this.
14d High achievers may be wet? (10)
RAINMAKERS: Cryptic definition.
16d Come down hard as peace protesters surround unguarded US city (5-4)
CRASH-LAND: The abbreviation for Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament around (surround) a four-letter word for unguarded and the abbreviation for Los Angeles (US city)
17d Hostile chaps succeeding? (8)
MENACING: A three-letter word for chaps followed by a six-letter word meaning succeeding.
18d Cheapest ship travel ever held by platform (8)
STEERAGE: A three-letter word meaning every inside (held by) a five-letter word for a platform.
21d Savage king caught in filthy place (6)
SKEWER: The chess abbreviation for king inside a five-letter word for a dirty place.
22d Half-man, half-fish? That’s torn it badly (6)
TRITON: An anagram (badly) of TORN IT.
24d Odd drinking game? (5)
RUMMY: Double definition. I would have omitted drinking here.
26d Seemingly incapable of humbug (4)
CANT: Double definition.
Plenty for us to enjoy in this one. Our top choice, made after considerable discussion, goes to 16d.
Thanks Faz.
Thanks Faz for another entertaining puzzle to close out my weekend of cruciverbalism.
One comment – my interpretation of the entry in the BRB is that 6d is the result of crushing not what is crushed.
Smiles for 11a, 18a, 2d, and 21d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Prolixic,
Welcome back to Rookie Corner, Faz. I thought this puzzle showed very good progress compared with your previous submission. I did enjoy the solve but have a few comments:
25a – “cachet” is a noun. It would need to be a verb for the wordplay to work.
27a – I am assuming your aim is for this be to a double definition, but I don’t think either definition works.
1d – “fraud” doesn’t work as an anagram indicator. “Fraudulently” would work.
4d – I don’t think either the definition “on hearing” works, nor does the lurker indicator.
6d – I agree with Senf.
21d – For me, the definition “savage” is too much of a stretch.
My top picks are 11a, 18a & 16d.
Keep on improving, Faz. You are moving in the right direction.
Thanks to Faz for another enjoyable puzzle.
I found the bottom a bit trickier than the top.
I particularly liked 29a, 8d and 16d.
What Gazza said @4
Hi Faz,
I tend to concur with previous comments, quite a few clues were “nearly but not quite there”. I also think that the surfaces could improve, several seemed unconvincing to me. An enjoyable puzzle to solve nevertheless.
Many thanks.
Many thanks to Prolixic for the review.
I expect I am missing something, but I remain puzzled by 27a as I can’t see how either “the least” or “ungenerous” are synonyms of the answer. The latter means “mean” not “meanest“; and can anyone supply a sentence where “the least” and “meanest” are interchangeable?
Many thanks indeed to Prolixic for a very thorough dissection, and to all commentators – I really appreciate your time and helpful comments, particularly also Rabbit Dave for the detailed listing. And with apologies I must agree about 27a in one part, in that ‘ungenerous’ = ‘mean’, not ‘meanest’ – although ‘the least’ can be ‘meanest’ in the sense of ‘the littlest/ smallest’…