A Puzzle by Dabrite
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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.
Even the theme did not rescue this crossword. As Dabrite seems to have no interest in reading comments, improving or even after nine previous crosswords even acknowledging the time spent by solvers in providing feedback, reviewing their crosswords is becoming an exercise in futility. The commentometer reads as 6/30 or 25%. If Dabrite could concentrate on producing clues like 9a, 17a and 18a things would improve measurably. Looking back over the crossword 11 clues (over a third) are double or multiple definitions which is far too many.
Across
7a See 17 (7)
8a Irrational number entertained by silly games for chatterbox and hoarder (7)
MAGPIES: The irrational number 3.14159 inside (entertained by) an anagram (silly) of GAMES.
9a American queen’s a drug addict (4)
USER: A two-letter abbreviation for American followed by the regnal cipher of the former queen of England.
10a Old-fashioned sex on the beach with Margarita & Tom Collins (9)
COCKTAILS: Quadruple definition though really more of four quick clues linked together.
12a Joy and Felicity know what ignorance is? (5)
BLISS: Double definition. I am not sure that the “know” really works here.
13a Kane, Burgess & Freeman (8)
CITIZENS: Triple definition that collectively gives the plural answer. This is more of a quick crossword clue than anything cryptic.
15a Sun god writing for Smash Hits? (4)
RAMS: The two-letter name of the Egyptian sun god followed by the abbreviation for manuscript. There are too many clues using two singular definitions to define a plural solution.
16a Wedge mashie niblick in boxing ring after run on Sunday (5)
IRONS: The IN from the clue around (boxing) the letter that looks like a ring after the abbreviation for run, all followed by the abbreviation for sabbath or Sunday.
17a &1. Sort of silent macho one-armed bandit (4)
SLOT MACHINE: An anagram (sort) of SILENT MACHO.
18a Musical state! (8)
OKLAHOMA: Double definition.
20a Cancel times to take ecstasy (5)
ERASE: A four-letter word for long periods of time followed by the abbreviation for ecstasy.
21a English Marx Brothers / Wild Bunch? (5,4)
CRAZY GANG: A five-letter word meaning wild followed by a four-letter word for a bunch of people.
22a Well-informed regarding coppers working behind youth centre (2,2)
UP ON: The abbreviation for pence (coppers) and a two-letter word meaning working after (behind) the middle letter (centre) of youth. Youth centre does not strictly indicate the the centre of youth. It would need to be youth’s centre. However, some editors will allow this type of construction.
24a Candy picked up charges for member of upper class (7)
TOFFEES: A homophone (picked up) of TOFF (members of upper class) FEES (charges).
25a Convert into cash swapping island for gangster’s genuine liquid bread? (4,3)
REAL ALE: A seven-letter word meaning convert into cash with the abbreviation for island replaced by (swapped for) the first name of the gangster Mr Capone.
Down
1d See 12 (4)
2d German gentleman that’s after Charlie and Bob’s virginities, possibly (8)
CHERRIES: The four-letter title give to a German gentleman and the abbreviated form of that is after the letter represented by Charlie in the NATO phonetic alphabet and all followed by the abbreviation for shilling (bob). Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. After was used as a positional indicator in 16a.
3d Slings and arrows in batsman’s innings (6)
KNOCKS: Double definition.
4d Ground tit amiss? (8)
MASTITIS: An anagram (ground) of TIT AMISS. I don’t think that there is really anything to define the solution. The whole clue does not act as the definition for an &Lit clue.
5d Starting price at luxury hotel for fizzy drink (6)
SPRITZ: The abbreviation for starting price followed by the four-letter name of a luxury hotel.
6d Carpenter and worker gathering fancy barrels together (4)
BEES: Multiple definitions, the last one being the abbreviation for barrels spelled out as a letter For my liking there are too many of this type of the clue in the crossword, particularly where lots of singular examples are being used to define plurals. Also, getting from barrels to Bs to BEES is too many steps.
11d Godless current affairs programme follows endless series of events in building affording 360° view (9)
CYCLORAMA: The eight-letter name of a current affairs programme without the three-letter name of a god at the beginning after (follows) a five-letter word for a series of events without the final letter (endless).
12d &1. Witch’s familiar with fisher and Royal Navy’s helicopter display team (5)
BLACK CATS: Another multiple definition clue.
14d Home Counties ultimately having no love for hempen cravat (5)
NOOSE: The region of England where the Home Counties are situated after (ultimately) the No from the clue and the letter representing love.
16d Islamic State order to grade Supreme Leader’s antibody classes (8)
ISOTYPES: Abbreviations for Islamic State and Order followed by a four-letter word meaning grade and the first letter (leader) of supreme. Whilst I can see the abbreviation for Islamic State in the Oxford Dictionary, O for order only appears in longer abbreviations such as OBE. As with 22a, some editors will not accept Supreme leader to indicate the first letter of supreme.
17d All guess wrong flying rats? (8)
SEAGULLS: An anagram (wrong) of ALL GUESS.
19d Buddhist priest retiring provided upset for historical maritime republic (6)
AMALFI: A reversal (retiring) of a four-letter word for a Buddhist priest followed by a reversal (upset) of a two-letter word meaning providing.
20d Eddie Edwards and subpar performance go together? (6)
EAGLES: Double definition.
21d Humble pie‘s murder in the making? (4)
CROW: Double definition. Neither quite hit the mark for me.
23d Parliament‘s solemn people who sit up at night? (4)
OWLS: Double definition.
Thanks Dabrite. Quite a challenge to end my weekend of cruciverbalism. Some e-help needed to cross the finishing line and a number of parsings for which I will await the wisdom of Prolixic.
The second clue in 17a should be 7 and I am more used to seeing the complete enumeration in connected clues so 17 & 7 would be (4,7).
Smiles for 21a, 21d, and 23d but a Hmm for 4d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Dabrite, when reviewing your previous RC submission, I committed to one last attempt. I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy the struggle of completing this puzzle. My page is full of scribbles and question marks and, once again, I needed to reveal some letters and I still had some answers not fully parsed. Even spotting the theme didn’t help me much. You would be better off concentrating on making your puzzles more solver friendly without being constrained by themes, but I, for one, won’t be finding out.
Sorry, Dabrite, my patience has run out.
After re-reading my comment and reading RD’s comment I am reminded of the comment that Jose made on last Thursday’s Ray T back pager (DT 31233):
‘*Would-be Rookie Corner compilers should study this crossword (DT 31233) and try to emulate the concise clueing, accessible parsing and user-friendliness of this puzzle.’
I wouldn’t expect a Rookie to be an ‘instant clone’ of Ray T, or any other of the DT setters, but the sentiment expressed by Jose is very valid.
Full marks on including so many themed answers, but once again the old flaws evident in the previous nine Dabrite puzzles resurfaced.
I can’t see any cryptic element to either 10a or 13a (just a list of examples of the answer), “know” in 12a seems padding masquerading as a link word, and 4d’s attempt to be an “all-in-one” doesn’t really pass muster.. Having two avian collective nouns in successive clues (21d and 23d) was probably one too many. “After” was repeated as a positional indicator. I had several other question marks on my printed page but I won’t steal Prolixic’s thunder ahead of his review.
As I said in March, I think it’s so disappointing not to detect any noticeable progress or improvement over so many Rookie puzzles now and I’m left to assume that, for some unaccountable reason, the setter chooses not to pay heed to the errors made previously with a view to eliminating/reducing them going forward.