Azed No 2157
‘Carte Blanche’ (6 Oct 2013)
reviewed by Dr Watson
for & lit. – The Azed Slip Archive
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hen starting a ‘Carte Blanche’ barred
puzzle the solver has certain knowledge that the first Across solution will be
placed in the top row. It is not certain that it will be placed towards that
row’s left hand side – the solver needs to be sure that the second solution at
least will fit into the same row. Even then, it is by no means certain that
both should be placed within it. For these reasons, it is better to begin with
a session of cold-solving, and in this one is reliant on the experience and
judgment of the setter. In that regard none could be more reliable than Azed. Dr Watson
found a greater transparency in the clues than he would expect in a normal plain
puzzle. When, in the event, he found that solutions filled the edges of the
puzzle completely, he was even more appreciative. For Watson, the chance
alignment of the ‘M’ in PICK-ME-UP with the opening ‘C’ of CORNETCY gave rise
to suspicion of a long light ending in ‘..IC’, and thus MELODRAMATIC was found.
The skeleton of the puzzle was established.
As an aid to those reading through the
notes below Dr Watson has attached images of the numbered grid and the solution.
Notes to the clues:
ACROSS
1. Chance
acquaintance embraces this writer, a tonic.
PICK-ME-UP (me in pick-up) The beauty of
this clue lies in its astonishing simplicity, and the amusing correspondence of
its parsing. Solvers starting at this clue may have taken another chance that the remaining four spaces of the top row would
contain the whole solution to the next across clue.Those
who did not realise that they were risking a spoiled grid were lucky in the
event.
13. One
in skiing venue botched test – in appropriate gear? SALOPETTES (a in
slope, anag.)
Watson was taken on quite a trek around those ski resorts having a shortish name before arriving at our ‘slope’.The
definition caused more anxiety until he was able to accept ‘in’ as a link word
to a noun, and not as an integral part of an adverbial solution.
16. Plunge
into lake, e.g. Windermere? ——, getting tangled wit
grim reed. ENEW (composite anagram) This
clue caused yet more bother on account of ‘wit’, eventually being taken as a
misspelt ‘with’.The composite is then understood as
‘e.g. Windermere’ being an anagram of ‘ENEW, grim reed’.The
solution is defined as ‘to plunge into water’ which may mean, amongst many
definitions (of ‘water’), a lake. The typo is a most unfortunate error in one
of this puzzle’s trickier clues, especially for inexperienced solvers.
18. Fancy!
Prisoner’s fed with such bivalves. CYPRIS (hidden) Our
solution must be taken as referring to the genus, mentioned at the entry for ‘cypris’.
19. Possibly
impenetrable lock securing one wrongfully. TRAILLESS (a, ill, all in tress) Watson tried ‘tress’ with an anagram of ‘one’ at an
early stage.How apt the solution appeared when it was
eventually found.A very fine clue.
21. Less
than half tobacco crumbled with e.g. naan − it
flavours snuff. TONGA-BEAN (anag. inc.
tob(acco); s.v. tonka-bean) A straightforward and transparent anagram.Quickly solved.
29. A
divine, I translated Latin including nothing extra. ADDITIONAL (a, DD, I, anag. inc 0) This
is perhaps the most complex of the clues and defied solution until much of the
grid was settled.
31. Gathering
in essence led by bishop. BOIL (B, oil; s.v. gather) Here is an example of a clue in which the connection between
the solution: ‘boil’ and the given definition: ‘gathering’ is is found at the entry for the latter, greatly assisting the
solver if that entry is checked.
DOWN
1. Wherein
you might see pharaoh’s head, height swathed in perfume?
PSCHENT (p, h in scent &lit.) Without a distinct definition, this clue
must be regarded in its entirety as both a definition and a cryptic indication.‘Height’ serves both to
indicate its abbreviation: ‘h’ and, in the definition, the sense of highness or
majesty. Few will have been allowed close enough to attest to the perfume, but
it seems highly likely.
2. Antidepressant
I lug around outside. IPRINDOLE (rind in I, pole2; s.v. lug5) The
conundrum here concerns whether ‘around’ encircles ‘I lug’ or whether ‘I lug’
encircles ‘outside’. Many possible combinations of cryptic elements ensured
that this clue remained stubborn of solution.
3. Pet
you can get from Tesco’s. COSSET (anag.) Azed shows here that
a dedicated anagram indication is not always necessary. Immediately
apparent.
6. Nanny
he treated with a pill: protein constituent. PHENYLALANIN (anag.) Poor Nanny – her pill appears to be yet
another antidepressant.
8. I’m
flagging around end of marathon, in one piece but antiquated. INTIRE (n in ‘I
tire’) An entire horse,
the mighty Yeats, perhaps,
four-time winner of the Gold
Cup is brilliantly described
here.
9. Striving
exists in what represents Japan? NISUS (i.e. ‘is’ in Rising Sun)
This is a more unusual example of the type of clue,
more typically exemplified in this puzzle by that for CLASP, where the solver
needs the solution before an explanation
of its cryptic part is apparent.Here, the possible
meanings of ‘what represents Japan’ are limited, and so the clue cannot be
criticised as unfair, even by those who regard such clues with distaste. Dr
Watson is not of their number, far
from it, but has sympathy for inexperienced solvers who may be unused to
recognising them.
15. Prudent,
skirting small island of crude rock. PISOLITIC (Is. in politic) Solvers may
take a brief diversion here.
17. Endless
hell? Girl coming round to give young parents a break.
BABYSIT (abys(s) in bit1) A clue with a tellingly apt surface, hinting at the anxiety
of the relieved parents being transformed into another kind whilst they are
away from home.
20. Muscle
put into excursion in a way that should attract punters. SALABLY (ab in sally) This,
by comparison, could have many different readings, with possible settings at
the riverbank, the gym, the January sales and many more.
24. Bar
(of a kind) that converts club into pub. CLASP (i.e. with ‘CL’ as ‘P’) This is the second clue in which the explanation is
grasped by scanning its solution. It could not have been set out in a more
transparent manner. A small degree of mental agility is required, not too much to expect of those aspiring to
become expert solvers of advanced cryptic crosswords.
Other solutions:
Across:
7. KILN (l in kin) 10. SPOD (S, pod2) 12. HANGI (ng in hai(l))
14. HISTONE (his, tone) 24. CLAMMY (m,m
all in clay) 25. Y’ALL (L, lay, all rev.) 27. SCAGLIA (anag.) 30. SHOGI (shog, i) 32. PROG (i.e. pro G) 33.
CORNETCY (etc in corny; s.v.
cornet2)
Down:
4. MELODRAMATIC (The Competition Word) 5. EXON (hidden
(rev.)) 7. KATI
(inits; s.v. catty1)
11. SPECIES (EC in spies) 22. NARDOO (anag. in no) 23. BALLOT (olla (rev.) in Bt.) 26. BIGG (big,
g) 28. COIR (choir less h)