WEB Crossword No: 036 - 25 Dec 09

Happy Christmas, everyone!

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I hope you are all having a great time with family and friends. Here's a little Christmas Cryptic for the December break, should you find the need to sit down with a cuppa for half-an-hour or so. Seeing as it's the time for gift-giving, there's a fair number of gimmes in this crossword to move things along. I've set the difficulty rating at a festive and friendly 3/5.

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.

"I hear there's going to be rain, dear!"

Across
1 Blitzen is really fast like this (9)
6 Dasher focuses on these, which can be frustrating (5)
9 Ante-order? (2,2,3)
10 There's not a breeze yet the seas are very rough around Ireland (7)
11 1/2 of them ought to be 3/4 full if you're careful (10)
13 Way more are for Dee (4)
15 Donner does this to his clothes (4,2)
17 The similarity of the seamen at sea in the ship (8)
19 I can stand on this to arrange my encore (8)
20 Vixen is always this, I hear, Jen ... duh! (6)
23 This is first-class around New York for anyone (1-3)
24 Blames golf for making the four of them so sheepish (4,2,4)
27 The hut the last two of you found in the street, it's excluded (4,3)
28 They have all the personal details I had to see at a premises in Ballsbridge (2,5)
30 Prancer can extend his neck, but it upsets his insides (5)
31 Use the rig before half-time, adding a way without hesitation (5,4)

Down
1 VU or RI perhaps (5,2)
2 Receive two, I'm told, and you'll arrive (3,2)
3 Dancer does this sometimes back there with the Irish fellow (3)
4 All told there are ten, including both the New and Old Testaments (2,4)
5 Are after the wild, angular and coarse (8)
6 Call ahead, or this might be played (4)
7 It sounds like a peahen with an omen ... one wonders! (9)
8 Some siblings develop stress about one (7)
12 The cast followed down and redesigned my logo (6)
14 Concerning this, her end of the table has nothing strong (6)
16 Agitated at an ultra-venomous creature (9)
18 Break isn't over for the man with the money (8)
19 The lass one finds in a copy of something like Jane Eyre (7)
21 The MBA takes half of the classy brand of cigarettes (7)
22 Since the monarch is demanding this (6)
25 Cupid uses this to show the way (5)
26 Rudolph is famous for his piano set, partly anyway (4)
29 Comet is missing the objective ... I find him napping here (3)


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 Blitzen is really fast like this (9)
LIGHTNING
Really fast is "like LIGHTNING", Blitzen in German.
6 Dasher focuses on these, which can be frustrating (5)
HOPES
Dasher focuses on dashing one's HOPES, which can be frustrating.
9 Ante-order? (2,2,3)
GO TO POT
In poker one might "order" the ANTE to GO TO POT!
10 There's not a breeze yet the seas are very rough around Ireland (7)
A(IRL)ESS
The "seas" are very rough (A-ESS) around Ireland (IRL) = AIRLESS: there's not a breeze.
11 1/2 of them ought to be 3/4 full if you're careful (10)
TH-OUGHT-FUL
1/2 of th-em (TH) ought (OUGHT) to be 3/4 ful-l (FUL) = THOUGHTFUL: if you're careful.
13 Way more are for Dee (4)
MO(D)E
"More" with "are for Dee" (swapping R for D) = MODE: way.
15 Donner does this to his clothes (4,2)
PUTS ON
Donner dons (PUTS ON) his clothes.
17 The similarity of the seamen at sea in the ship (8)
S(AMENES)S
In the ship (S-S) the "seamen" at sea (AMENES) = SAMENESS: the similarity.
19 I can stand on this to arrange my encore (8)
CEREMONY
To arrange "my encore" = CEREMONY: I can "stand on CEREMONY".
20 Vixen is always this, I hear, Jen ... duh! (6)
FEMALE
Vixen is always this gender (as I hear "Jen ... duh!) = FEMALE.
23 This is first-class around New York for anyone (1-3)
A-ONE
This is first-class (A-ONE) around New York (NY) for = ANYONE.
24 Blames golf for making the four of them so sheepish (4,2,4)
LEGS OF LAMB
"Blames golf" for making = LEGS OF LAMB: the four of them so sheepish.
27 The hut the last two of you found in the street, it's excluded (4,3)
S(HUT-OU)T
Found in the street (S-T) [the hut (HUT) the last two of y-ou (OU)] = SHUT OUT: it's excluded.
28 They have all the personal details I had to see at a premises in Ballsbridge (2,5)
I'D C-A-RDS
I had (I'D) to see (C) at a (A) premises in Ballsbridge (RDS) = ID CARDS: they have all the personal details.
30 Prancer can extend his neck, but it upsets his insides (5)
CRANE
The insides of P-rance-r are upset = CRANE: can extend his neck.
31 Use the rig before half-time, adding a way without hesitation (5,4)
RIG-HT AWAY
Use the rig (RIG) before half-time (HT) adding a way (A WAY) = RIGHT AWAY: without hesitation.

Down
1 VU or RI perhaps (5,2)
LIGHT UP
Each of VU and RI is a LIGHT UP (UV LIGHT, IR LIGHT).
2 Receive two, I'm told, and you'll arrive (3,2)
GET TO
Receive (GET) "two", I'm told (TO) = GET TO: and you'll arrive.
3 Dancer does this sometimes back there with the Irish fellow (3)
TAP
The Irish fellow (PAT) back there = TAP: dancer does this sometimes.
4 All told there are ten, including both the New and Old Testaments (2,4)
I(N T-OT)O
There are ten (I-O) including both the New and Old Testaments (NT OT) = IN TOTO: all told.
5 Are after the wild, angular and coarse (8)
GRANULA-R
The wild "angular" (GRANULA) are after (R) = GRANULAR: and coarse.
6 Call ahead, or this might be played (4)
HARP
Call a head or a HARP (when tossing a coin) or = HARP: this might be played.
7 It sounds like a peahen with an omen ... one wonders! (9)
P-HEN-OMEN-A
It sounds like a pea (P) hen (HEN) with an omen (OMEN) one (A) = PHENOMENA: wonders.
8 Some siblings develop stress about one (7)
S(I)STERS
Develop "stress" (S-STERS) about one (I) = SISTERS: some siblings.
12 The cast followed down and redesigned my logo (6)
GLOOMY
Redesigned "my logo" = GLOOMY: downcast (the "cast" followed "down").
14 Concerning this, her end of the table has nothing strong (6)
HER-E O-F
Her (HER) end of the tabl-e (E) has nothing (O) strong (F) = HEREOF: concerning this.
16 Agitated at an ultra-venomous creature (9)
TARANTULA
Agitated "at an ultra" = TARANTULA: venomous creature.
18 Break isn't over for the man with the money (8)
INVESTOR
Break "isn't over" for = INVESTOR: the man with the money.
19 The lass one finds in a copy of something like Jane Eyre (7)
C(LASS-I)C
Finds in a copy (C-C) the lass one (LASS I) = CLASSIC: something like Jane Eyre
21 The MBA takes half of the classy brand of cigarettes (7)
EM-BA-SSY
The M (EM) BA (BA) takes half the cla-ssy (SSY) = EMBASSY: brand of cigarettes.
22 Since the monarch is demanding this (6)
AS-KING
Since (AS) the monarch (KING) is = ASKING: demanding this.
25 Cupid uses this to show the way (5)
ARROW
26 Rudolph is famous for his piano set, partly anyway (4)
NOSE
"... pia-NO SE-t ..." partly anyway = NOSE: Rudolph is famous for his.
29 Comet is missing the objective ... I find him napping here (3)
COT
CO(ME)T is missing the "objective I" (ME) = COT: find him napping here.

Reveal-An-Answer
Need just one answer to get things moving? Here is the solution to today's puzzle, in a hidden format. To reveal any particular answer, highlight the line under the relevant clue.

Across
1 Blitzen is really fast like this (9)

LIGHTNING

6 Dasher focuses on these, which can be frustrating (5)

HOPES

9 Ante-order? (2,2,3)

GO TO POT

10 There's not a breeze yet the seas are very rough around Ireland (7)

A(IRL)ESS

11 1/2 of them ought to be 3/4 full if you're careful (10)

TH-OUGHT-FUL

13 Way more are for Dee (4)

MO(D)E

15 Donner does this to his clothes (4,2)

PUTS ON

17 The similarity of the seamen at sea in the ship (8)

S(AMENES)S

19 I can stand on this to arrange my encore (8)

CEREMONY

20 Vixen is always this, I hear, Jen ... duh! (6)

FEMALE

23 This is first-class around New York for anyone (1-3)

A-ONE

24 Blames golf for making the four of them so sheepish (4,2,4)

LEGS OF LAMB

27 The hut the last two of you found in the street, it's excluded (4,3)

S(HUT-OU)T

28 They have all the personal details I had to see at a premises in Ballsbridge (2,5)

I'D C-A-RDS

30 Prancer can extend his neck, but it upsets his insides (5)

CRANE

31 Use the rig before half-time, adding a way without hesitation (5,4)

RIG-HT AWAY

Down
1 VU or RI perhaps (5,2)

LIGHT UP

2 Receive two, I'm told, and you'll arrive (3,2)

GET TO

3 Dancer does this sometimes back there with the Irish fellow (3)

TAP

4 All told there are ten, including both the New and Old Testaments (2,4)

I(N T-OT)O

5 Are after the wild, angular and coarse (8)

GRANULA-R

6 Call ahead, or this might be played (4)

HARP

7 It sounds like a peahen with an omen ... one wonders! (9)

P-HEN-OMEN-A

8 Some siblings develop stress about one (7)

S(I)STERS

12 The cast followed down and redesigned my logo (6)

GLOOMY

14 Concerning this, her end of the table has nothing strong (6)

HER-E O-F

16 Agitated at an ultra-venomous creature (9)

TARANTULA

18 Break isn't over for the man with the money (8)

INVESTOR

19 The lass one finds in a copy of something like Jane Eyre (7)

C(LASS-I)C

21 The MBA takes half of the classy brand of cigarettes (7)

EM-BA-SSY

22 Since the monarch is demanding this (6)

AS-KING

25 Cupid uses this to show the way (5)

ARROW

26 Rudolph is famous for his piano set, partly anyway (4)
NOSE

29 Comet is missing the objective ... I find him napping here (3)

COT