The petticoated.com Cryptic Crossword Solution

The petticoated.com Cryptic Crossword Solution

We have three winners, all of whom solved the entire crossword. It just goes to show, never underestimate your readership - especially at 'Petticoat Discipline Monthly'!

Polly writes,

"I doubt if anyone will manage the full solution."

Dear Susan,

You have entertained me, instructed me, informed me and even amused me. One or two subjects may have titillated me, but mostly you have given me many hours of pleasure, enjoyment and inspiration, but, and this is the crunch, today you challenged me with the
above statement!

Never will it be the case that we, your respectful readers, will not toil long and hard in order to prove ourselves worthy of a little
praise. That is all we ask.

(However if there was to be a small prize, we should of course be very gratefull too!)

Yours in respect and affection,

Polly

And Julie Anne writes,

Dear Susan,

I think you will receive many correct answers as, really, it was not that difficult for bygone addicts, especially British ones. You had better make it one prize and a draw - we don't want the magazine to go into receivership. I am surprised you are not good at cryptic clues - I did go through a phase of only buying the 'Torygraph' for the crossword but I seldom spend much time at it now.

I am managing to read a little bit of the magazine at a time although can't spend too long at the computer. There are quite a few things I would like to comment on - I loved the kilt letters, and the Victorian photographs, and will write a longer letter in due course.

Julie Anne

Perhaps I should explain to American readers that the 'Torygraph' is an affectionate local cognomen for the 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper: its nickname reflects its strongly conservative leanings. I am myself a devoted reader. The British equivilant of the 'New York Times' (or 'Pravda' for that matter) is my bete noir, the 'Guardian', with its constant carping criticism of petticoated.com's wage rates and business practices.

And from Elaine...

What a superb crossword. I am full of admiration for the compiler. I have created crosswords and word puzzles in my time so I know how hard it can be.

Anyhow, on to my solution.

Well that's what I think. Thanks for all the effort put into the Christmas Annual. It is appreciated very much.
Respectfully,

Elaine

Elaine, the respect should be entirely on my part. Even though I love words and literature, even simple crosswords defeat me completely. The two things must involve different parts of the brain. I would like to thank Charles very, very much for the work he put in creating this challenging masterpiece. And now here is the solution...

Unmask the Compiler

MCP = MALE CLAD in PANTIES
Christmas Greeting

HOLIDAY HUGS TO NANNY SUSAN AND ALL AT PETTICOATED DOT COM
Clues Across

6. ‘Love’=0 (in sport – e.g. tennis): ‘sailors perhaps’ = navy i.e RN: ‘consumed’ = ATE: ‘fancy’ = ORNATE
7. ‘tanga’ at first = TA: ‘magically’ at first = MA: ‘raunchy at first’ = RA: Russian girl = TAMARA
9. a bit of ‘talc is symbolic’ hides big baby i.e CISSY
10. ‘away' indicates anagram, melt rash gives THERMALS i.e warm dressing
13. mixed gin = IGN: in DEED gives DEIGNED i.e acted graciously etc
14. 'all aflutter' indicates anagram, a step in gives PANTIES from mummy’s lingerie (1 down) drawer
17. 'sounds like thieves' i.e nickers (those who nick) , might be french i.e french KNICKERS
19 ‘started crying again mumpsykins' = CAM: is = IS giving CAMIS i.e teddy
21. ‘A’ = A: ‘quiet’ = SH: ‘vessel’ = PAN giving ASH-PAN. A person emptying this may attract the derisory term, ‘Pansy’.
22. ‘Assortments’ indicates anagram. rob bin gives RIBBON. Ribbon = band
Clues Down

1. ‘Love’ = NIL (again in sport etc): ‘for example’ = EG: ‘end of their’ = EIR: take back (i.e. reverse) these, giving LINGERIE = frillies perhaps
2. ‘Dummy at first’ = DUM: ‘teat at last’ = AT: ‘at’ in ‘dum’ gives DATUM – a basis to work from
3. 'alternatively' means every other (letter) in, i.e., b U r P z A p S i.e. UPAS (tree)
4. ‘various’ indicates anagram ‘ways’ gives SWAY. ‘Hold it’ gives ‘Hold sway’ like a strict nanny e.g. Nanny Stern
7. ‘near’ = nigh: ‘note’ = not e: Nighties without ‘nigh’ and ‘e’ leaves TIS – a poetical way to render ‘it is’.
8. ‘I’ deducted (leave) from ‘miss’ gives MSS (manuscripts ‘shortly’) – ‘autographs’ (according to Chambers)
9. Final letters of ‘Exoti c lad’ (‘at last’) give CLAD, literally ‘dressed’ although clue implies more ‘exotic’ meaning.
12. ‘uncomfortably’ indicates anagram as well as literal meaning. ‘war bride’ gives WIRED BRA = uplift.
14. and 11. ‘shatter’ indicates anagram. 'none' gives NEON – light.
15. Straightforwardly nannies should have pins, also used for picking winners. ‘certainty’ = snip which ‘returns’ PINS. Susan MacDonald has an interest in “the turf” (Ok, not necessarily in gambling I know!)
16. ‘baby’ should have (regular) NAP – a term used in the racing pages for ‘hot tip’
17. 17 (across) = knickers which starts kni. 'Confused' indicates anagram of kni, which gives KIN (‘relatively connected’)
18. ’unwell’ = ill: ‘church' = ch (on maps etc) ‘ill’ ‘after ‘ch’ = CHILL, might be prevented by 10 (across) i.e. thermals
19. ‘bill’ = CHIT also ‘girl’ = CHIT
20. ‘letters’ = mail which ‘sounds’ like MALE – ‘masculine enough’
Clues Clockwise

5. ‘Goat’ = NANNY: ‘discover’ = sus (i.e. sus it out) article (indefinite) = ‘an’ giving SUSAN. ‘Flower of Scotland’ is the emotional scottish dirge sung at football matches, but it just might conceivably refer to Susan MacDonald!
23. Did the Blairs really visit PDM??? Anyway Miss Susan does not trouble to disguise her rightward leanings, and is unlikely to support ‘this’ government. To get back to the clue, ‘spin’ indicates anagram and ‘apt to cite’ gives PETTICOAT. I expect that Susan MacDonald does support ‘this’ i.e. petticoat government. Oh well, please yourself!

[Mops brow] Phew...this was the most popular of the Christmas Annual competitions, and it is quite a compliment to the petticoated.com readership. Now, Charles, about the 2002 Christmas Annual...
Susan

Return to Table of...'A Greek who takes down campers by overpricing shoddy shelters' = CON i.e. to swindle or dupe (also a common Greek name), and TENTS = shelters for campers, hence CONTENTS