Across
1 Line turning with vessel in temple activity (7) WOR<-SHIP
5 Defeat a challenge at an airport ceremony? (3,3) SEE OFF
9 Minimum disposal of slate (5) LEAST*
10 Do run nimbly to find clever architectural feature (5,4) ROUND* ARCH
11 “Here lies….” statement (7) EPITAPH
12 Eccentric fellow features a politician in satire (7) L(A MP)OON
13 Wood spirit (5) DRYAD
14 What you pay for rummaging (6,3) SEARCH FEE
16 Not a “morning person”? (4,5) LATE RISER
19 Revolutionary has one following the principal (5) {CH(I)E} F
21 Two scholars have one learner writing at last for a newspaper column (7) MA (I L) BA G
23 With Leonard, I got rash — “freckles”, actually (7) LEN (TIGO*)
24 One month after artist’s short handbook on mathematician (9) RA MANU(-AL) JAN
25 More frosty — To 500, more chancey (5) (-D)ICIER
26 Scour freshly one-sixth of the forest for explorer (6) (CRUSO*) E
27 Marine colour (3,4) SEA BLUE
Down
1 English poet dismantles Delaware armlet (6,2,2,4) WALTER DE LA MARE*
2 Later I went round to the Yard for truth (7) REAL(I)T Y
3 Worker carrying twisted tab for ribbon in topper (7) HA(TBA)ND
4 Buys up, crashes brutally (9) PURCHASES*
5 Head-covering (5) SKULL
6 Local to finish mice off (7) END (EMIC*)
7 Say rapidly: “Shoot” (4,3) FIRE OFF
8 What students may seek, what rowers may adopt (6,2,6) CHANGE OF COURSE
15 Dismantle Air Nepal’s flying machines (9) AIRPLANES*
17 An excellent thing: what may be found in a hairdresser’s (7) TRIMMER
18 Strips Brand 1’s components (7) R(I)BANDS*
19 Open with a Shavian play (7) CANDID A
20 Character starting to make a name (7) INITIAL
22 Toy soldier (2,3) GI JOE
Posts
2 comments:
Today, was first time I fully cracked the crossword, thanks in no small part to following your blog for the past 2 weeks. But I have to admit I use the internet for most proper nouns and some difficult words. For example,there is no way I would have figured out Walter De La Mare without using Google in spite of getting all but one on the across clues corresponding to 1dn. Similar with words like oriflamme,ocelot and similar animal names,novels, dances,instruments etc. How do you crack these and any idea how it is generally done? Do people know all these weird names?
Congratulations, Nachiketa!
Nothing wrong in using Google or dictionary as no one knows everything. The idea is to remember and build your "crossword vocabulary" and general knowledge as you go along. Many of the clues (such as animal names - Onager, Oribi, Eland etc.) are repeated over time so it gets easier. Same with dances, instruments, novels etc.
As far as Walter De La Mare is concerned - I didn't need a dictionary to begin with but I did confirm it with the dictionary after I got it. The 2,2 in (6,2,2,4) was a give away for DE LA, then WALTER was easy to get for the first name and that only left MARE in the anagram words given.
So, you are doing great - keep it up!
Post a Comment