A Puzzle by Rahmat Ali
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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 think that this was Rahmat Ali’s best crossword to date. There were only a handful of minor comments so the commentometer read as 2/32 or 6.3%
Across
1a Musician changing suit in apartment (8)
FLAUTIST: An anagram (changing) of SUIT inside a four-letter word for an apartment.
5a Confess to a narrow escape (6)
SQUEAK: Double definition.
9a Senseless remark surrounding son is madness (8)
INSANITY: A seven-letter word for a senseless remark around (surrounding) the abbreviation for son.
10a Catlike carnivores requiring a hundred and one animal surgeons! (6)
CIVETS: The Roman numerals for 101 followed by a four-letter word for animal surgeons.
12a Hit me (6,3)
NUMBER ONE: Double definition.
13a Some forestry task holding back Greek god (5)
SATYR: The answer is hidden (some) and reversed (holding back) in the second and third words of the clue.
14a Flyer which rejoices eating nuts, primarily (4)
WREN: The initial letters (primarily) of the second to fifth words of the clue.
16a Role fit, perhaps, for clover-like plant (7)
TREFOIL: An anagram (perhaps) of ROLE FIT.
19a Somewhat return thanks with weapon (1,6)
A TRIFLE: A reversal (return) of a two-letter word for thanks followed by a five-letter word for a weapon. I am not sure that the definition and the solution are directly synonymous.
21a Abhor hotel at end of lane (4)
HATE: The abbreviation for hotel followed by the AT from the clue and the final letter (end) of lane.
24a Watch Frenchman engaged in row (5)
TIMER: The abbreviation for monsieur inside (engaged in) a four-letter word for a row or line. Try to avoid variations of in as a containment indicator. You have engaged in in this clue, in on its own in 1a.
25a Start in street with single entrance (9)
INSTIGATE: The IN from the clue followed by the abbreviation for street, the letter representing one (single) and a four-letter word for an entrance.
27a Coarse fraction? (6)
VULGAR: Double definition.
28a Possessed sole globe and enjoyed immensely (3,1,4)
HAD A BALL: A three-letter word meaning possessed followed by a single letter meaning sole and a four-letter word for a globe.
29a One barely seen lying on certain beaches? (6)
NUDIST: Cryptic definition.
30a Soldiers accommodated inside principle substandard dwelling (8)
TENEMENT: A three-letter word for soldiers inside a five letter word meaning principle. Although required for the wordplay, principle in the surface reading does not work – it would need to be principal.
Down
1d Devotee accepting tip of rose bud (6)
FRIEND: A five-letter word for a devotee around (accepting) the first letter (tip) of rose.
2d Pretend it could be same with us (6)
ASSUME: An anagram (it could be) of SAME US.
3d Strained time in grammar (5)
TENSE: Double definition.
4d Don’t stand for strikers resorting to this! (3-4)
SIT-DOWN: Semi-cryptic definition of a type of strike.
6d Out of place? Quit scene and become inactive (9)
QUIESCENT: An anagram (out of place) of QUIT SCENE. Perhaps becoming inactive would be better in the cryptic reading of the clue.
7d Changing sides building vote (8)
ELECTION: An eight-letter word for a building with the R changed to an L (changing sides).
8d Falcons skelter flying south (8)
KESTRELS: An anagram (flying) of SKELTER followed by the abbreviation for south.
11d Joke from Nice setter, nice person (4)
JEST: The French (Nice) for I (setter) followed by the abbreviation for saint (nice person). I think nice person for saint is very weak. The problem with most saints is that they are hell on earth to live with!
15d Reports official mistakes about goal in second half (9)
REFERRALS: The three-letter abbreviation for referee (official) followed by a four-letter word for mistakes around (about) the final two letters (in second half) of goal.
17d Veteran settled over wine’s essence in cup? (8)
TASTEVIN: A three-letter abbreviation for veteran and a three-letter word meaning settled all reversed (over) and followed by the middle-letters (essence) of wine.
18d Leading giants thundered and groused (8)
GRUMBLED: The first letter (leading) of giants followed by a seven-letter word meaning thundered. Some editors will not allow constructions such as leading X to indicate the first letter of X.
20d Leave Jinping say in custody of alien? (4)
EXIT: The first name of the Chinese politico Jinping inside (in custody) of the abbreviation for Extraterrestrial (alien).
21d Prisoner criminal shot given time (7)
HOSTAGE: An anagram (criminal) of SHOT followed by a three-letter word for time.
22d Solomon for example confining a very uncivilised fellow (6)
SAVAGE: A four-letter word for a wise person (Solomon, for example) around (confining) the A from the clue and the abbreviation for very.
23d Enthusiast emerging out of zone’s outskirts frequently (6)
ZEALOT: The outer letters (outskirts) of zone followed by a phrase (1,3) meaning frequently.
26d Silly article pioneer regularly protects (5)
INANE: The two-letter indefinite article inside (protects) the even-letters (regularly) of pioneer.
I really enjoyed this puzzle, Rahmat Ali, but you led me a merry dance at the death. I had found different 25 letters when I had only a couple of answers missing and, knowing your penchant for pangrams, I spent far too long trying to fit in a P. I am very surprised you didn’t convert this to a pangram. 10a, for example, could easily have been changed to “biceps” or “vipers”.
I am not convinced that your definition for 19a is accurate. For me, “somewhat” implies rather more than the answer.
One other very minor point is that a different part of speech to the answer to 26d appears in wordplay for 9a.
I had plenty of ticks, with 12a, 24a, 7d & 11d being my top picks.
Well done and thank you, Rahmat. I anticipate a low commentomteter score!
Thank you so much once again, Rabbit Dave, for enjoying this puzzle. Since some solvers had expressed their desire for looking forward to a non-pangram puzzle also, I thought of a no-P, no-pangram puzzle this time. In fact, I had already sent this puzzle even before the publication of my last one, where I later observed that silvanus had liked to see a non-pangram puzzle from me one of these days, just for a change. I concur with your view about 19a. However, your overall comments have come to me as encouragement.
I thought this was one of your best puzzles so far, RA. However the surface for 30a doesn’t make much sense unless you meant “principle” to be “principal”, but then the wordplay is flawed. I also didn’t like “leading giants” to indicate “G” and maybe “good person” is more accurate than “nice person” in 11d, but I appreciate that ruins the two uses of “nice”. 27a was rather weak, but overall it was a puzzle that was pretty sound technically, I felt. My favourite clue was 21d.
Many thanks again for submitting puzzles frequently to keep Rookie Corner going.
Thank you so much once again, silvanus, for your kind comments and meticulous observations. I take note of your comment regarding 30a. I had also felt the same way as ‘good person’ to be more accurate that ‘nice person’ in 11d, but that ruins the two uses of ‘nice’. I will wait for what Prolixic has to say about 27a.
You seem to be keeping Rookie Corner going almost single-handedly these days, Rahmat, it’s good that we have you on board! I think there’s still some work to do on surface reads and I doubt that ‘leading giants’ will pass Prolixic’s scrutiny, but there were some good entries in this one. Top clues for me were 1&21a plus 22d.
Thank you for bringing us another puzzle.
Thank you so much, jane, for your very encouraging comments and I agree that there is still some work to do on surface reads. Hope to send another puzzle soon.
I really enjoyed your puzzle, Rahmat, and ‘almost’ finished unaided! Thank you.
Thank you so much, jan, for really enjoying my puzzle and almost finishing unaided. Looking forward to sending one soon.
The review will be up a little later than usual.
With gratitude in advance, Prolixic, I await your review — a cascade of cruciverbalistic wisdom that ever leaves me enriched.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. Interesting comment on 11d – have you lived with many saints or did your wife write that one?!
Just enjoyed this puzzle immensely whilst awaiting our flight home in Vancouver airport. Many thanks, Rahmat Ali. We also learnt the word for the chain sommeliers wear round their neck. Thanks also to Prolixic.
Thank you so much once again, Hilton, for enjoying the puzzle immensely. Hope you both have enjoyed your flight, too. At first glance, one may be compelled to conclude that the word ‘tastevin’ of a sommelier may have come from English ‘taste’ and French ‘vin’, but it actually isn’t. The first component ‘taste’ is derived from Old French ‘taster’ meaning ‘to taste’ and the second component ‘vin’ of course is ‘wine’ for the French. Tastevin literally means ‘wine taster’ or more precisely, a small, shallow cup used by the wine stewards or sommeliers to taste and evaluate wine, especially in dimly lit wine cellars where the reflective metal helped in assessing the wine’s clarity and colour.
Thank you for that explanation, Rahmat Ali. Our sommeliers on the cruise ship proudly wore a tastevin though I’m not sure they ever used them!
My pleasure, Hilton!