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If you haven't tried a WEB Crossword before, today's might not be the one on which to cut your teeth. It's rated 5/5 in terms of difficulty, seeing as we've reached the end of the month. At least, that's what I think, so as always I'd love to hear how you would rate it. Don't forget that all the answers in a WEB puzzle are relatively common words, so there's nothing obscure out there. Thank you in advance to everyone who has a crack at WEB 032!
And a reminder ... the Sunday slot is still open for anyone who wants to post his or her own, original crossword. Just contact me and I will help you with the mechanics of compiling and posting.
Across
1 Lies about the animal in the drawings (9)
6 Made a low sound (5)
9 Avoided breaking up our plan (9)
10 Before I leave, take the second left and you'll find it to the west (5)
11 The German, standing before a grand lake (4)
12 Create a fuss if sent for something that gets right up your nose (10)
14 Awarded without a new order for the old king (6)
15 A pass, and the first of them ran back to the referees (8)
18 Before you get a cue at the Epicentre (3)
19 Kill-switch grants the French no breather (8)
20 Like something pressing and unexpected? (6)
22 Look at getting the parts back for your wrist (10)
24 A shilling a pin-up? That was a bargain! (4)
26 Used to reproduce gallons right astern (5)
27 If a field's ploughed, it has been tampered with (9)
28 Resolution about a good many things in "Vogue" (5)
29 Gathering outdoors before the 4th of July, the cops are at the northern section (4,5)
Down
1 This is the one French robe she will wash (9)
2 The most important artist? (3-6)
3 See the secret agent on the Internet? (4)
4 It's about the 1st of September ... the French can be found in the water (6)
5 I am certain Susan is outside ... something about a Christmas tree (4-4)
6 Don't hit me! What's charged at the end of January he can convert! (10)
7 Something poetic about this football team? Yeah, like water or sand! (5)
8 For the eye doctor works (5)
13 A mutant born near Switzerland ... it is quite inflammatory (10)
15 Of course it will give a lift! (3)
16 He's got the money to blend in nice and far (9)
17 The field is flooded, and right cold, Pat (4,5)
18 Helping a pal play with her flute (8)
21 The key is to let it unused (6)
22 Grew troubled about a bet (5)
23 The troubled want to note that nasal sound (5)
25 At fifty, I am soft and yielding (4)
Here is each clue alongside its answer, with an explanation of the link between clue and answer. I hope it all makes sense! As always, I welcome feedback via comment and/or email. I’m particularly interested in hearing about clues that were too obvious or easy, and clues that were annoying or perhaps caused frustration. But, I’ll listen to all suggestions on how to make my puzzles more challenging and more fun!
Across
1 Lies about the animal in the drawings (9)
L(OTTER)IES
Lies about (L-IES) the animal in (OTTER) = LOTTERIES: the drawings.
6 Made a low sound (5)
MOOED
When the cattle "lowed" they MOOED.
9 Avoided breaking up our plan (9)
UNPOPULAR
Breaking "up our plan" = UNPOPULAR: avoided.
10 Before I leave, take the second left and you'll find it to the west (5)
S-L-I-GO
Take the second (S) left (L) before I leave (I GO) = SLIGO: and you'll find it to the west.
11 The German, standing before a grand lake (4)
DER-G
The German (DER) standing before a grand (G) = DERG: lake.
12 Create a fuss if sent for something that gets right up your nose (10)
STUFFINESS
Create a "fuss if sent" for = STUFFINESS: something that gets right up your nose (i.e. a stuffy nose).
14 Awarded without a new order for the old king (6)
EDWARD
A-warded without a (WARDED) a new order for = EDWARD: the old king.
15 A pass, and the first of them ran back to the referees (8)
T-RAN-SFER
And the first of t-hem (T) ran (RAN) back to the referees, 'refs' (SFER) = TRANSFER: a pass.
18 Before you get a cue at the Epicentre (3)
PEE
Before you get a Q ("cue") you get a P (PEE), and PEE is at the e(P)i-centre.
19 Kill-switch grants the French no breather (8)
STRANG-LE
Switch "grants" (STRANG) the French (LE) = STRANGLE: kill, leaving "no breather".
20 Like something pressing and unexpected? (6)
IRON-IC
Something pressing (IRON) like (-IC) = IRONIC: unexpected.
22 Look at getting the parts back for your wrist (10)
WATCH-STRAP
Look at (WATCH) getting the "parts" back (STRAP) = WATCHSTRAP: for your wrist.
24 A shilling a pin-up? That was a bargain! (4)
S-NIP
A shilling (S) a pin-up (NIP) = SNIP: that was a bargain.
26 Used to reproduce gallons right astern (5)
G-R-AFT
Gallons (G) right (R) astern (AFT) = GRAFT: used to reproduce (some plants, for example).
27 If a field's ploughed, it has been tampered with (9)
FALSIFIED
"If a field's" ploughed = FALSIFIED: it has been tampered with.
28 Resolution about a good many things in "Vogue" (5)
R(A-G)ES
Resolution (R-ES) about a good (A G) = RAGES: many things in vogue (e.g. "all the rage").
29 Gathering outdoors before the 4th of July, the cops are at the northern section (4,5)
LAW-N PART-Y
The cops (LAW) are at the northern (N) section (PART) before the 4th of July (Y) = LAWN PARTY: gathering outdoors.
Down
1 This is the one French robe she will wash (9)
LA-UN-DRESS
This is "the" "one" French (LA UN) robe (DRESS) = LAUNDRESS: she will wash.
2 The most important artist? (3-6)
TOP-DRAWER
3 See the secret agent on the Internet? (4)
E-SPY
On the Internet (e-) the secret agent (SPY) = ESPY: see.
4 It's about the 1st of September ... the French can be found in the water (6)
I(S-LE)T'S
It's about (I-T'S) [the 1st of September (S) the French (LE)] = ISLETS: can be found in the water.
5 I am certain Susan is outside ... something about a Christmas tree (4-4)
SU(RE-FIR)E
Susan is outside (SU-E) something about a Christmas tree (RE FIR) = SURE-FIRE: I am certain.
6 Don't hit me! What's charged at the end of January he can convert! (10)
MISS-ION-ARY
Don't hit me! (MISS) what's charged (ION) at the end of January (ARY) = MISSIONARY: he can convert.
7 Something poetic about this football team? Yeah, like water or sand! (5)
O(XI)DE
Something poetic (O-DE) about this football team (XI) = OXIDE: like water (H₂O) or sand (SiO₂).
8 For the eye doctor works (5)
DR-OPS
Doctor (DR) works (OPS) = DROPS: for the eye.
13 A mutant born near Switzerland ... it is quite inflammatory (10)
BRON-CH-IT-IS
A mutant "born" (BRON) near Switzerland (CH) it is (IT IS) = BRONCHITIS: quite inflammatory.
15 Of course it will give a lift! (3)
TEE
On a golf "course" a TEE will give your ball "a lift".
16 He's got the money to blend in nice and far (9)
FINANCIER
To blend "in nice" and "far" = FINANCIER: he's got the money.
17 The field is flooded, and right cold, Pat (4,5)
R-ICE PADDY
And right (R) cold (ICE) Pat (PADDY) = RICE PADDY: the field is flooded.
18 Helping a pal play with her flute (8)
A "pal" play with her "flute" = PLATEFUL: helping.
21 The key is to let it unused (6)
F-ALLOW
The key (F) is to let (ALLOW) = FALLOW: unused.
22 Grew troubled about a bet (5)
W(A)GER
"Grew" troubled (W-GER) about a (A) = WAGER: a bet.
23 The troubled want to note that nasal sound (5)
TWAN-G
The troubled "want" (TWAN) to note (G) = TWANG: that nasal sound.
25 At fifty, I am soft and yielding (4)
L-I'M-P
At fifty (L) I am (I'M) soft (P) = LIMP: and yielding.
4 comments:
Hi Bill,
Fantastic puzzle, and I am very surprised to be reporting a tantara. It was a battle of wits all the way, and most enjoyable. I was just at the point of reporting an ‘all but two’ result, and would have been quite pleased with that on a level 5. I took one last look and BRONCHITIS hit me (fully recovered now, thank you), then GRAFT followed (never good at the nautical terms).
Apart from the two just mentioned, RAGES caused me a lot of difficulty. Some of my favourites were
RICE PADDY, TOP-DRAWER, SLIGO, LOTTERIES, EDWARD, WATCHSTRAP, TRANSFER, IRONIC, LAWNPARTY, SUREFIRE, MISSIONARY, OXIDE, DROPS, BRONCHITIS
Thanks for a TOP-DRAWER puzzle
Eleanor
Hi Eleanor,
It's good to hear from you. You've been very quiet lately :) It's especially good to hear a tantara on a WEB puzzle, my favorite sound.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. It sounds like the 5/5 rating wasn't too far off, seeing as you almost threw in the towel.
Re BRON-CH-IT-IS
I am obsessed with the need to signal any anagrams that I use (even partial ones) to be fair to the solver, so I go through a lot of words that indicate some sort of a jumble of letters. I was a tad worried that "mutant" was a bit out there, but it seems to have served its purpose.
Re G-R-AFT
I do have to be careful with my nautical references, to make sure they are acceptable in "normal" usage. I went with AFT and ASTERN given that M. Crosaire always has us at sea!
Re R(A-G)ES
I originally had wording here that involved "changing gears", but I reckoned that was a 1/5 rating clue so had to get more inventive for a 5/5 puzzle. Admittedly, RAGES as "things in vogue" is a little more obscure than I would normally like to use.
A big thanks to you, Eleanor, for sticking with today's puzzle, and a special thanks for taking the time to give the great feedback. It makes all the difference to me as I try to get the hang of this crossword construction conundrum ...
Hi Bill,
That was a great challenge...and you beat me! A respectable effort enough though...I threw in the towel short two....TWANG and RAGES...was kicking myself for not getting TWANG...I don't know where the old head was but I didn't register the anagram...despite the 'troubled' anagram indicator which I had used to full advantage for the WAGER clue right before it!! Ah well!
I thought this crossword was FULL of really good clues...would agree with Eleanor's list of favourites...and a few more to add...
SNIP...very clever play on 'pin-up'...lovely clue!
GRAFT...nice and literal
ESPY...you got me with 'SEE'...led me astray for ages, trying to combine 'C' with some form of SECRET AGENT to arrive at an 'Internet' solution!
PLATEFUL...clue read very nicely for this anagram
FALLOW...nice clue
PEE...I glanced at the clue and moved on...and when I went back to it...it was done, all by itself...well, by the down clues! Good clue though!
The 'iffy' ones for me were UNPOPULAR...don't really see it as a synonym for AVOIDED?...what am I missing?!
...similarly found IRONIC was an UNEXPECTED solution?!
...just had to have a small whinge...to alleviate my RAGE over not having a TWANG!
The 5/5 rating...despite not finishing, I got as far as I did reasonably quickly...probably a few more 'gimmes' than I'd expected after last week's 4/5 which challenged me all the way...but then I did finish that one!
Thanks again Bill
Liz
Hi Liz,
I get no joy out "beating you" because I love to hear that tantara sound out. But, two off isn't that bad :) I guess the 5/5 rating wasn't too far off!
Re TWANG
I wouldn't feel too bad. In the more tricky puzzles I tend to use partial anagrams, which are way more difficult to spot, even with the signal word. You can't really tell how many letters are needed for the anagram, at least not easily.
Re RAGES
A common enough word, but not a common usage i.e. RAGES: things in vogue.
Glad you liked E-SPY ... that was one of my favorites :)
Re UNPOPULAR
The usage again is less common, but I think the synonym is right enough. Something UNPOPULAR is something that is avoided, but can also be described by the adjective "avoided". e.g an avoided class at college, an UNPOPULAR class.
Re IRONIC
An example might be, that's an IRONIC outcome of the discussion, that's an UNEXPECTED outcome.
Yes, you're right about the gimmes. I did find it hard to avoid them even though I was trying to do so. Maybe next time :)
There are only 4 Sundays in December, so we won't hit 5/5 next month, although I suppose a Xmas puzzle is in order. Can you tell me if the Irish Times is published on Christmas Day? I know it used not to be, but am not sure anymore.
Thanks again for the feedback, Liz!
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