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Wow! What a cracker! I thought this was a classic Crosaire puzzle (which means it defeated me!). I couldn't even make a guess at OLIVES, nor DIVAGATES. Missed NOMADS too (very clever clue). And to top it all off, instead of OUTLINE I had OUTSIDE (a horse not drawn on the inside!) and was pretty sure I was right to boot! Now that, that was a humbling experience.
Today's Crosaire Aria
1A: COMPLETED
Roy Orbison had to be one the sickliest looking performers I've ever seen. He had a very sallow complexion, pock-marked from teenage acne. The yellowy skin tone itself came from a severe bout of jaundice as a child. Perhaps poor nutrition affected he and his siblings, because all of them had very poor eyesight, with Roy almost blind and wearing very thick lenses from a very young age. He was also very ashamed of his head of hair, which was almost a ghostly white, and so he dyed it jet black even when he was young. Despite all this, he was immensely popular in his heyday with teenage girls, particularly in Canada and Ireland for some reason. On a tour of Ireland in 1963, the Gardai had to stop one of his performances in order to pull the Irish girls off poor Mr. Orbison. Here is It's Over, released just a few months after his exposure to the fairer sex in Ireland ...
The Clue of the Day
7D: Go by the green when not driving (9)
M. Crosaire is of the old school, so anagrams don't need to be "signalled". Accepting that fact, then this is a tricky little clue, which uses language designed to distract us, pulling us into the world of golf (a green, and driving). If you can avoid reaching for your five-iron, the clue can be parsed thus ... Go by (PASS) the green (ENGER) = PASSENGER: when not driving.
The Lookup of the Day8D: ADUMBRATE
The Latin word for "shadow" is umbra. From there, we get another Latin word, unbrare, meaning "to cast in a shadow". The prefix ad, for "to", is added to give adumbrare, a verb used in the sense of "overshadowing" or "represented in just an outline". Our contemporary verb ADUMBRATE means the same thing, "to give a sketchy outline of".
Here are my answers. As always, I welcome comments and explanations. Thanks!
Across
1: COMPLETED
That's the fin-i-shed, and done.
9: HER-ALD
For the lady (HER) the lad (ALD) = HERALD: one blows his own trumpet.
10: DI(SRUPT)ED
To have died (DI-ED) around the spurt (SRUPT) = DISRUPTED: was no longer in order.
11: BAL-SAM
It's up to the laboratory (BAL) to make Sam (SAM) = BALSAM: fragrant.
BALSAM is a group of scented products obtained from various plants, such as Canada BALSAM from the BALSAM fir ...
12: RES(OUR-C)ES
The seers (RES-ES) are around "our hundred" (OUR-C) = RESOURCES: in reserve.
13: BANNER
17: PTO
The making of POT, an anagram = PTO: turn please.
19: PI(ME)NTO
The point (PI-NTO) about me (ME) = PIMENTO: is the flavour of this.
The PIMENTO is a red cherry pepper, used for making cheese, and stuffing olives ...
20: COLLECT
It's for one's pray ("prey" by the sound of it) = COLLECT: one may gather.
The COLLECT is a short prayer usually before the lesson or epistle in many Christian services. I always thought it was called the COLLECT because the plate was sent around soon after!
21: TOT
23: R(A-GG)ED
In such a ruddy setting (R-ED) a horse (A GG) is = RAGGED: so untidy.
27: AT LOW TIDE
AT LOW TIDE starts the flow, and at high tide starts the ebb ...
28: TOASTS
29: DIVA-GATES
The prima donna (DIVA) through them (GATES) = DIVAGATES: wanders.
It's just that, I just learned, one DIVAGATES when one wanders ...
30: MET-RIC
Came across (MET) Richard (RIC) = METRIC: but not by foot this way.
31: BED-SITTER
For lying (BED) and seated (SITTER) = BEDSITTER: just enough room for.
Down
2: OLIVES
I have no idea ... anyone?
UPDATE: Thank to Tracy (below) we now know that the online version of the puzzle had the wrong clue here. We online solvers could see that it was a repeat of 31A, but without the real clue, it was tough to get to OLIVES!
3: PARDON
4: EXPIRE
5: ELEMENT
One may be glowing (ELEMENT) if one is in one's ELEMENT.
6: DEB-A-TABLE
Turn the bed over (DEB) a table (A TABLE) = DEBATABLE: for the sake of argument.
7: PASS-ENGER
Go by (PASS) the green (ENGER) = PASSENGER: when not driving.
Clever enough ...
8: A-DUMB-RATE
A silent (A DUMB) speed (RATE) = ADUMBRATE: to OUTLINE.
To ADUMBRATE is to outline, to sketch, apparently. Lovely word ...
14: SPARE TI-ME
So don't kill (SPARE) "'em" with "it", up there (TI-ME) = SPARE TIME: it's all for free.
15: EM-I-GRANT
With me back (EM) I gives permission (I GRANT) for = EMIGRANT: them to go away.
16: UNCERTAIN
17: POT
Fire, as in "take a POT-shot" = POT: what's over the fire.
18: O-C-T
Oh (O) see (C) tea (T) = OCT: comes at the beginning of the month, of OCT-ober.
22: OUTLINE
24: NO-MADS
They're all so sane (NO MADS) = NOMADS: being always on the go.
Good one ...
25: STRAIT ... anagram of "I start".
26: AD-HERE
Father, 'Da', up (AD) at this point (HERE) = ADHERE: stick.
Reveal-An-Answer
Need just one answer to get things moving? Here is my solution to today's puzzle, in a hidden format. To reveal any particular answer, highlight the whole line containing the relevant clue number.
Across
1: COMPLETED
9: HER-ALD
10: DI(SRUPT)ED
11: BAL-SAM
12: RES(OUR-C)ES
13: BANNER
17: PTO
19: PI(ME)NTO
20: COLLECT
21: TOT
23: R(A-GG)ED
27: AT LOW TIDE
28: TOASTS
29: DIVA-GATES
30: MET-RIC
31: BED-SITTER
Down
2: OLIVES
3: PARDON
4: EXPIRE
5: ELEMENT
6: DEB-A-TABLE
7: PASS-ENGER
8: A-DUMB-RATE
14: SPARE TI-ME
15: EM-I-GRANT
16: UNCERTAIN
17: POT
18: O-C-T
22: OUTLINE
24: NO-MADS
25: STRAIT
26: AD-HERE
9 comments:
Hi, I have only started doing these a few weeks ago and am really enjoying your blog. I did get olives though! Oil from the start of them - the first 3 letters are from oil - OLI and then you get oil from the whole of them - OLIVES give us oil.
T
Hi Bill,Tracy
Welcome to the blog Tracy. Thanks for filling us in on OLIVES. There was a misprint in the on-line version as the clue for 31ac was repeated as the clue for 2 down so us on-line solvers hadn't a hope. Sometimes the same clue is used for 2 different answers but as the number of letters specified was also wrong I didn't try to solve it. Just as a matter of interest, the first word to come to my mind to fit O-I-E- was OPINED.What other guesses did people make? I failed to get DIVAGATES today and can say that it's a completely new word to me - and possibly ADUMBRATE is too, but the clue and the letters led me to that one. I went for DIVARAVES (wanders/raves - my own mind at times!!!) BEDSITTER was a long time coming and after reminiscing about boarding school last week, this set me off thinking of my first bedsit in Clontarf back in '81. How proud i was of my own little room - but the shared bathroom - EUCH!!! NOMADS my favourite once I eventually got it.
Martina
Hi Tracy,
Welcome to our little Crosaire community! It's great to hear from a solver new to the Crosaire crossword.
Many thanks for sorting us out on the OLIVES question. As Martina points out, those of us doing the online version were faced with a "printing" error and had the wrong clue. I will make a note in the commentary.
[Can someone give me the exact wording of missing clue for OLIVES?]
If you haven't solved a Crosaire yet, please be sure to tell us when you do manage to finish one, as we'd love to honor the occasion by placing your name at the top of our Honor Roll (on the left of the page).
Thanks again, Tracy, and welcome.
Hi Martina,
It was a tough puzzle, wasn't it?And of course impossible for us online solvers with that OLIVES gaff. I suspected the repetition error, but was giving the benefit of the doubt. Of course, I wasn't observant enough to notice that the number of letters in the answer didn't match the clue (well done, you!). And with regard to what word I was thinking of, I am embarrassed to say, OLIVER ...
My first (and only) bedsit was in Sheffield, back in 1981. I thought it was great, to be honest, my own "pad" ... but as you say, the shared bathroom ... not a good idea.
Welcome to the r0ow bench again, Martina. There's always tomorrow.
Hi Bill, Tracy and Martina,
Welcome Tracy and glad to see you know your OLIVES!
Having printed off the on-line version, like Martina I realised it had to be a printing error...my guesses were both OLIVES and OPINES Martina! Not that it mattered, because I was wandering through the DIVALANES! DIVAGATES a completely new word to me too...and ADUMBRATE was a lucky guess!
'Just enough room for lying and seated'...perfect description of the one and only BEDSITTER I ever inhabited...it was a short-lived stay!
Well Bill, a nicely chosen Aria...It's Over....love the song...and it can double as a lament to the state of my wee run...shunted as I was through the DIVAGATES and back to r0ow!!
...and Mike, try as I might, I can't make a word from today's word verification anagram...SUBMJPZC...try that one!
Liz
Me again!
Forgot to mention that I had to go to YouTube to listen to today's Aria...when I tried playing it via the link on the blog, instead of playing it popped the following message...this video contains content from Vevo, who had decided to block it in your country?...a new one on me!
Liz
Hi Bill & All
Welcome Tracey. I guess this means I'm no longer the new boy around here!
You'll find the welcome is pure Irish and the beer isn't bad either.
Well of course my run has come to a shuddering halt compounded by those unstuffed OLIVES.
I hadn't heard of DIVAGATES before and also didnt get ADUMBRATE. I'm cross over that one because it was eminently gettable from the
2nd half of the clue. Also I knew that Umbra or Penumbra were words used in connection with lunar eclipses so I should have got it. Ah well!
We beat on, boats against the current.
Liz, Those 'Croatian' letters stumped me but I did see 2 three letter words, PUB & SUP. Think I'll go to one to have the other.
Mike
Hi Liz,
Thanks for the note about the Aria. I've changed the clip so that it should now get through the protective firewall around Ireland!
I'm afraid the number of errors in the online puzzle seems to be creeping up again, which is a shame. I though the IT did a good job correcting things about nine months ago, but maybe someone is just having a bad few days. let's hope so anyway!
Sorry that your run has come to and end, Liz. I think you were starting to rack up a few victories there again. You run of 14 last year is looking pretty incredible right now :)
Glad to see you're all having fun with the word verification program. Sorry about the inconvenience, but it does seem to be holding back the spammers from regaling us with opportunities to get rich quick, and buy Viagra!
The r0ow bench is filling up today ...
Hi Mike,
Yes, I hope Tracy feels comfortable enough to drop in and comment. You comments, Mike, as a relatively new Crosaire puzzler, are a a valuable addition to the mix.
When I saw today's puzzle, I was afraid that your great run would come to an end. Still, 5-in-a-row is a wonderful achievement. And now you get to enjoy the moment of Zen , as we start all over again :)
I agree, ADUMBRATE was "gettable", much more so than DIVAGATES. I quite like getting "educated" if there is a way to get at the answer some other way from the clue.
The problem with all this chat about sups in the pub, is that I am 8 hours behind you all, and I really don't want to go down the path of sups in the pub for breakfast! (Like I've never done that before!)
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