Friday, April 16, 2010

Daily Nation Complex Crossword Of Friday, April 16, 2010.Solution 5.By

Edwin Korir. Eldoret, Kenya.

A really cryptic complex crossword! But 21a is the bomb.

Across

4a Vehicle sliding towards marsh has knocked over horse (8 ) TOBOGGAN
A charade of TO(towards), BOG(marsh) and GAN(horse) NAG-reversed(knocked over) defines a sliding Vehicle.

8a Fine list of items except for a final worthless thing (3,3) FAG END
F(ine) and AGENDA (the list of items to be covered at a formal meeting) without the second A (except for a final) to get the worthless remnants of something.

9a Looking very thin, I arrived back and had a meal (8 ) EMACIATE
First reverse (back) I CAME (an alternative way of saying “I arrived” )and ATE (add the past tense of a verb meaning to consume (had a meal) defines looking very thin.

10a Put at risk? Calm down! (8 ) ENDANGER
A cryptic clue meaning put at risk can also be END ANGER(calm down).

11a Served on ship sounding vulgar (6) CREWED
A homophone CRUDE of vulgar sounds like a verb meaning served as a member of a ship’s complement.

12a Infection no longer a secret? Relax! (5,3) CHILL OUT
Put together CHILL a feverish cold and OUT a word meaning in the public domain (no longer a secret) to get an informal phrasal verb meaning to wind down and relax.

13a Most primitive eastern paintings maybe conveying stories (8 ) EARLIEST
Arrived at by E(astern) and ART (a synonym for paintings) around (conveying, i.e. carrying) LIES (stories which are not true) to define most primitive.

16a Manage call from football field? (5,3) BRING OFF
A double definition of a phrasal verb meaning to manage a difficult task successfully is also used in a sporting sense to mean remove (call) a player from the field.

19a Friend’s returning by public transport maybe from course of study (8 ) SYLLABUS
SYLLA (allys-friends revesed(returning)) and BUS a method of public transport defines a course of study.

21a On holiday the Queen’s getting presents (6) OFFERS
OFF an adverb meaning away (on holiday) and ER(elizabeth regina)the Queen’s usual initials (plus the apostrophe S) defines presents.

23a I’m leader desperately trying to bring improvements (8 ) REMEDIAL
An anagram (desperately) of I’M LEADER defines improvements.

24a PM’s line put into diaries inaccurately (8 ) DISRAELI
An anagram (inaccurately) of DIARIES with L(ine) inside gives the name of a fomer pime ninister.

25a Twin’s position, one of twenty-one on the board (6) DOUBLE
A top class double defenition of twins and the double on the darts board. There are 21 doubles on the board!

26a Little guy working for rotten fellow (8 ) UNDERDOG
Little guy is the defenition and is obtained by UNDER(working for) ad DOG(rotten fellow).

Down

1d Fat adult, forceful going round (7) PAUNCHY
A charade of PUNCHY (forcefull e.g writer) around (round) A(dult) to define fat.

2d Daughter tucking into lunch possibly with a bit of pride — chunk of lamb? (9) MEDALLION
A small, flat, circular cut of meat (chunk of lamb, for example) is formed by putting D(aughter) inside (tucking into) MEAL (an opportunity to eat (lunch, possibly)) and adding a member L(ion) (bit) of a pride.

3d Girl and American soldier approaching love slowly (6) ADAGIO
A charade of ADA a girl’s name, GI an American soldier and O (love, as in tennis) to get a musical instruction to play slowly.

4d Preston fighter, I retrained for ballet (3,4,2,6) THE RITE OF SPRING
An anagram (retrained) of PRESTON FIGHTER I produces the name of a ballet and musical composition.

5d Food article bad dog found in cot? (4,4) BEAN CURD
Counstructed from A (indefinite article) and CUR (a badly-behaved dog) inside BED (a synonym for cot) to get a soft paste.

6d Report of fellows making an appearance (5) GUISE
A homophone of GUYS an informal word for fellows.

7d It sounds like Cockney’s cruel, naive (7) ARTLESS
Arrived at by dropping the first two letters(cockney) from HEARTLESS(cruel) to define naive.

14d Here in Paris American receives praise for historical novel (1,8 ) CLAUDIUS
A compplex chaade of “here” in French (in Paris) is ICI, Inside this (receives) put LAUD a verb or noun meaning praise, and finish up with US (American) to get the novel by Robert Graves detailing the intrigues and treacheries at the court of the Roman Empire.

15d Monopolises the principal, providing a lot of booze (8 ) HOGSHEAD
A charade of HOGS (an informal verb meaning takes or uses selfishly (monopolises)) and HEAD (a principal or leader) gives us a large cask for holding alcohol.

17d What looks pretty on choirboy, lad being a lout (7) RUFFIAN
RUFF(what choir boys wear) plus IAN (a lads name) to define a lout.

18d How anyone will get listened to in a university gathering! (7) AURALLY
Counstructed from A, U(niversity) and RALLY a gathering or mass.

20d Brazilian dance ousting a Greek character (6) LAMBDA
The Brazilian dance is the lambada obtained from removing (ousting) the second A to leave a Greek letter.
2
2d High nest — end of the year and that is to come down (5) EYRIE
A charade of (th)E (end of the), YR an abbreviation for year and IE (id. est., that is) to get the high nest of a bird of prey.