Huh 15
Must be a record – four Huh clues in one crossword. The puzzle was Times 8570, hoarded from a few weeks back, and solved at leisure these holidays. Fine challenge too, but then I began glancing at some of my pencil-work, wondering how I managed to weasel the answers.
Maybe you bright lot can tell me, unpicking the four in question, or explaining the mechanics of the next four from assorted Guardian puzzles. Be much obliged if you could.
1) Channel does prize for this fight, often = RUT
2) Explorer bitter when stopping just short = RALEIGH
3) All things considered with or without Mary = IN SUM
4) Crown discovered in my old bag = CORONET
5) She was a Scarlet Maid = BARBARA [Fidelio]
6) As we speak, but against = ANTI [Paul]
7) Novel site for cricket = HEARTH [Rufus]
8) Between you and me she’s helping the cook = TWEENY [Bunthorne]
January 28th, 2010 at 10:06 am
2 Raleigh = Explorer Bitter = Ale inside(stopping) “Just short” = Righ (Right -final t)
January 28th, 2010 at 10:08 am
7 Refers to the Dickens novel (novella really) “The Cricket on the Hearth”
January 28th, 2010 at 11:05 am
1. (Quite a good one) Channel = rut A rut is also a fight between male deers, the winner getting a doe.
January 28th, 2010 at 11:43 am
3. All things considered can be “In summary” (with Mary) or “in sum” (without)
January 28th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Had to Google these two, they’re a bit obscure.
5. Refers to a folk song named Barbara Allen:
“In Scarlet Town, where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin’
Made every youth cry well-a-day
Her name was Barbara Allen”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Allen_(song)
8. Apparently a tweeny is a maid who assists both cook and housemaid
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tweeny
It’s located inside (’helping’) Be(TWEEN Y)ou …
January 28th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
6. Could the clue have meant to have been “As we speak, bet against” ? “As we speak” indicating the homophone “Ante” which = “Bet” ?
January 28th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Ingenious X. You wiped the floor. And yes, odds on, the word was BET not BUT, as the clue suddenly makes sense. (Even though I’ve trashed the paper since, so cannot confirm the typo.)
That’s what staggers me – not just your cryptic cunning, the surgical research, but the ability to see through a faulty keystroke. Scarily good.
January 28th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Shucks. Here’s my final effort:
4. Crown = Coronet
My ! = Cor ! old = o bag = net