Snap! by Wilman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
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.
This is Wilman’s second crossword. I wonder if the constraints of trying to get a Nina into the crossword contributed to the increase in the technical errors and obscure entries in the grid and the consequent increase in difficulty. When commentators all refer to the solve being a struggle and having to reveal letters, this is a bad sign! Also, the grid itself was not ideal having two large islands of black squares at the top and bottom. Overall the commentometer has increased to 7/37 or 20.6%
Across
1a Diamonds pocketed by those involved in a murder of many people (6)
CROWDS: The abbreviation for diamonds inside the birds that collectively are referred to as a murder. Some editors will not allow wordplay of definition with of as the link word.
4a Overcoat’s one flag, and that’s French (6)
JACKET: A four-letter word for a flag followed by the French for and.
9a Unacceptable suggestion to dismiss me (3,2)
NOT ON: A seven-letter word for a suggestion without (to dismiss) a single letter that means me. It would be better to use something other than “me” – perhaps the setter.
10a Bottoms up in “Resort of Resorts” (8)
TROUSERS: The abbreviation for up in an anagram (resort) of RESORTS. The main dictionaries do not support the use of U as an abbreviation for up.
12a Lay out the plan for introduction of ditty established with four sharps (7)
DESTINE: The first letter (introduction) of ditty followed by the abbreviation for established and a phrase (2,1) representing the musical key for having four sharps. The key required for four sharps is E major, not E on its own.
14a Easter egg disguised as a flower (3,4)
TEA ROSE: An anagram (disguised) of EASTER O. This borders on an indirect anagram. Where you use indirect letters in an anagram, it is better to restrict it to direct abbreviations where the same letter is use (such as Old for O).
16a Trump’s bottom is endlessly gassy (3)
ASS: The inner letters (endlessly) of the final word of the clue.
18a Tip‘s penetrating, not swinging both ways (5)
PRONG: A seven-letter word meaning penetrating without (not) a two-letter word meaning swinging both ways sexually.
19a Enlarges As into double Ds? Quite the opposite! (4)
ADDS: Two letters D inside the As from the clue.
21a Glory! Hark a salutation! Lo! (4)
HALO: A two-letter word response to a salutation followed by the LO from the clue.
22a Humanity against silverback in comic (5)
MANGA: A three-letter word meaning humanity followed by a reversal (back) of the chemical symbol for silver. Not all editors will accept unindicated lift and separate clues where one word needs to be split into two to form the wordplay.
23a Sift through abridged clarinet piece (3)
REE: A four-letter word for part of a clarinet with the final letter removed. The solution is not in the main UK dictionaries. On-line it is shown as an Americanism or (taking your pick) Scottish or Northern dialect.
25a Mule, perhaps, avoiding being late to doctor to get ointment (7)
UNGUENT: An eight-letter word describing four-footed hooved animals such as a mule with the LATE followed by a three-letter word for a doctor. I think the being in the clue is padding. Also, the three-letter word is the doctor’s field of specialism, not a term for a doctor.
26a Lasted 3 sleeps in retreat (7)
SPANNED: The answer to 3d and a four-letter word meaning sleeps all reversed (in retreat).
28a Stood about around 10/10 muscular type (8)
EXTENSOR: A reversal (about) of a four-letter word meaning stood around the Roman numeral for 10 and the word 10.
30a Life ring forms one vermillion landmark (5)
TORII: A four-letter word for annular forms of growth followed by the letter representing one. The definition refers to the traditional colour of the gateway to a Shinto temple. Perhaps as the solution is a less well known one, using a relatively obscure description of the solution was not ideal.
31a Entryway concerned with stuff to pass (2-4)
ON-RAMP: A two letter word meaning concerned with followed by a three letter word meaning stuff and an abbreviation for pass. The abbreviation for pass is not supported by the main dictionaries. The solution is not given in the main UK dictionaries. I suspect it may be an American term. If so, this should be indicated.
32a Exocrine glands mean mums are regularly withholding? (6)
MAMMAE: The odd letters in the third to fifth words of the clue.
Down
1d Di’s occupying The Promised Land for someone on the other side of the world (8)
CANADIAN: The DI from the clue inside (occupying) the six-letter name of the Promised Land.
2d Expletives said evoked by cereal before school (5)
OATHS: A three-letter type of cereal followed by the abbreviation for high school.
3d Nest turned back halfway (3)
DEN: One half of turned reversed (back). Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. Back was used in 22a.
5d Immortal one edges away from another deity (3)
ANU: The inner letters (edges away) from the name of the two-faced Roman god (another deity).
6d Maintain control of castle’s brotherhood? (4,5)
KEEP ORDER: A four-letter word for a castle followed by a five-letter word for a brotherhood.
7d Detailed how to make baked bat? (6)
TASKED: Split 1,2,3 the solution suggests how to make the letters in baked make the letters in bat. I think the solution indicated how to make bat baked, not the other way around.
8d Potato rings prepared for champion (11)
PROTAGONIST: An anagram (prepared) of POTATO RINGS.
11d Overhaul ordered “Companion of Literature” to delete unpoetical elements (11)
REFORMATION: An anagram (ordered) of COMPANION OF LITERATURE after removing (to delete) the letters in UNPOETICAL.
13d Brat leads veiny mother to collapse (7)
IMPLODE: A three-letter word for a brat followed by a four-letter word for a seam of rock that contains a vein of ore.
15d State of Albania’s two degrees after start of autumn (7)
ALABAMA: The IVR code for Albania followed by two university degrees after the initial letter (start) of autumn.
17d Butcher is finally chuckling (9)
SLAUGHTER: The final letter of is followed by an eight-letter word meaning chuckling.
20d Limit epitaph? (8)
DEADLINE: Split 4,4 the solution might describe a short epitaph on a tombstone.
24d Eveningwear: half a skirt to party that’s wrapped up late (6)
TUXEDO: One half of the name of a ballerina’s skirt followed by a two-letter word for a party all of which includes (wrapped`) a reversal (up) of a two-letter word that means late. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. Halfway used in 3d and half are too similar.
27d Voicing ramblings surrounding sequence of jargon (1-4)
N-GRAM: The answer is hidden (surrounding) in the first two words of the clue. Although the solution is in the Oxford dictionary, its entry does not support the definition given in the clue.
29d I’m beginning to nudge into the lead in game (3)
NIM: The IM from the clue preceded by (into the lead) by the first letter (beginning to) of nudge.
30d Supper time announced (3)
TEA: A homophone of the abbreviation for time. To avoid the two-steps required to get the abbreviation and then the homophone, maybe “time initially announced” would be better.
It’s been a year since your debut Rookie Corner offering, Wilman, and I am sorry to say that you appear to have gone backwards. The solve got progressively harder as I worked my way down the grid and I was unable to finish without revealing letters for three clues. I have six answers unparsed. I suspect the quality of your puzzle has been sacrificed in part by the need to comply with the message in your preamble (which, by the time I had struggled to the end, I had no inclination to unravel).
Several of your surface readings made little or no sense, and I had various niggles along the way:
4a – “One” is surface padding.
9a – “Me” is not interchangeable with “I”. You could have used “Wilman” instead.
10a – If I am parsing this correctly, you are using “up” to clue “u”, for which I can’t find any justification.
12a – “Four sharps” is E Major not E.
23a – The answer is not in Chambers.
31a – The answer is an Americanism, and you appear to be using “pass” to clue “p”, for which I can’t find any justification.
27d – The answer is not in Chambers.
30d – If I am parsing this correctly, it is a step too far to use a homophone of an abbreviation.
You have some good ideas, Wilman, but you need to get the basics right first.
Thanks in advance to Prolixic.
My experience with the puzzle pretty much matches that of RD’s first paragraph. Even after revealing several letters to complete the grid there are several answers that I can’t parse at all.
I did like 1a, 6d, 13d (‘veiny mother’ made me chuckle) and 17d.
Thanks Wilman. Do please come back with a more accessible puzzle.
Sorry Wilman a long way short of your first Rookie, retired hurt with 75% complete.
Like Gazza, I liked 1a, 6d, 13d, and 17d but the rest fell short by quite a margin.
Thanks Wilman and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
The fact this RC puzzle had a title enticed me toward it, but I have to agree with others that the struggle I faced in solving rather detracted from the fun of the challenge. I have answers throughout the grid, but (assuming I am correct) I don’t have clarity on the wordplay for 2d, 12a, 25a or 30a. I needed to check my answers to 23a, 32a, one of the gods in 5d and the 27d jargon, which were all novelties for me, but the wordplay lead me to answers that I did find in Collins Online. RD has already remarked on the question marks I had annotated alongside 10a, 12a and 31a. To strike a more positive note, I particularly liked the clever 11d and gave further ticks to 1a, 19a, 26a, 28a, 8d, 20d and 24d. So, overall, the puzzle was the proverbial Curate’s Egg for me! Going back to the title and preamble, I did see some links between 4a & 24d or perhaps 4a & 10a and maybe 18a appears in a part of 12a, but other than that I am stumped!
Thanks for putting forward your puzzle, Wilman, there was much to like about it and I hope you are motivated to return with, as Gazza noted, something slightly more accessible. I shall now look forward to reading Prolixic’s expert assessment.
My thanks to Prolixic for explaining the intended workings of the clues I had most struggled with, and pointing out some of the limitations that I had either not noticed or simply accepted. It is always an education to read his astute assessments.
I’m still stumped by the Nina content implied by the title and the preamble. Perhaps Wilman, or another more canny commenter, can satisfy my/our curiosity on this aspect of the puzzle…? Thanks in advance!
The “2 other times” refers to the first letters in the first 6 Across and 5 Down clues, and in the last 3 Across and 5 Down clues.
The first column reading down is one representation. 4a and 10a together is another. The column reading down from 3d is the third, and the one that was probably the root cause of all the obscurities was the SE corner with aDDs, rEE, spaNNed, torII, maMMae.
Hope this helps!
Well, at least I did note a potential link between 4a and 10a in my initial comment
Can’t say I have heard of the column 1 ‘suit’, though – I have just looked it up. If I’d been more eagle-eyed (and realised what I was looking for!) I night have seen the column 3 matching pair, but I would never have spotted the linked double letters, or the acrostics in subsets of the clue starting letters – phew!
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity!
Thanks so much to all who gave this a crack and shared your wisdom. Comments from both sides of the spectrum are really appreciated, and I’m sorry the puzzle was so inaccessible!
A particular thank you to Prolixic for the thorough dissection and excellent parsing – I’ll bear all this in mind for the future.
Clearly I bit off more than I could chew with this one but don’t worry (or maybe do), I’ll be back with another, back to basics, puzzle hopefully in the near future.
Thanks again all!