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Huh 13

Crosswords don’t just make you see old words newly, but have you meet new words full-stop. In one crossword recently I learnt POOTERISH (self-important) and GREBO (a Heavy Metal fan). Is it possible I wonder to meet a pooterish grebo? Personally, I like your chances. 

In the meantime, see if you can detect the evasive melodies in these clues culled from recent weeks. As a possible warning, the first derives from a 1978 anthology I found in a junk shop, so perhaps a nuance has been lost. The other five stem from more recent UK stuff.

Coming up to a turn, somewhere in NZ = OTAGO  [Jude]

Economist to get by smoothly talking up Scottish football team = GALBRAITH  [Times 8522]

Such revenue once from the seaside = INLAND  [as above]

Vital phase of a child’s education = KEY STAGE [Hamilton]

Mammal has to work at milk production = LACTATION [Crux]

Former Tory leader (one expelled by university) not a Protestant  =  HUGUENOT  [Bonxie]

Be responsible for a particular class = PERPETRATE  [Times 8528]

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 1:26 pm and is filed under Huh. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

10 Responses to “Huh 13”

  1. Mr X Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Otago: “to” reversed (coming up) “a go” = a turn (as in, say, a boardgame)

    Economist : Blag = smoothly talking, reversed (up) becomes Galb + Raith = Scottish soccer team (Raith Rovers)

    Inland : “Inland Revenue” (tax)/ (away) from the seashore = definition of “inland”

  2. Mr X Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 2:14 pm

    Lactation : Lion = mammal surrounds (has) “Act at” = Work at
    L-ACTAT-ION defined by “milk production”

  3. Mr X Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 2:17 pm

    Huguenot : Former Tory leader = William HAGUE. The a is replaced by u (one expelled by university) leading to Hugue + not. Definition is “a Protestant”

  4. Mr X Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

    This one I’m a bit dubious about:

    Perpetrate – Per = for pet = “a particular” (as in a pet peeve) rate = class. “Be responsible for” is the definition for perpetrate which means that the “for” is doing double duty.

  5. AS Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    I think the LACTATION one goes like this:

    Mammal has to work at = lion has act at = lactaction = milk production.

  6. AS Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    Oops, that should be lactation, not lactaction.

  7. DA Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

    Too quick you two. Amazing what fresh eyes can bring.

    Are we all happy with ‘has’ as a container signpost, as seen in LACTATION? It’s an elegant clue, but that command can be treacherous.

    Think you’re right on PERPETRATE, which makes me realise why I never used ink for that answer…

    Just KEY STAGE to go. [And rah the Raith Rovers!]

  8. marmaloid Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_Stage
    (I assume that’s the part you’re missing…)

  9. AS Says:
    November 12th, 2009 at 7:33 pm

    You’ve used has as a containment indicator, and I think it’s alright.

    Have a look at 6 acros here:

    http://datrippers.com/2009/11/04/the-gold-from-the-30th31st-of-october/

  10. DA Says:
    November 13th, 2009 at 7:30 am

    Thanks to marmaloid for throwing light on KEY STAGE, which I hereby nominate as early Meh.

    Why? Surely Key stage [in education] is NAMED for being a ‘vital phase’, or does the student get a key to the art cupboard? Or does stage refer to the theatre? If you opt for a double meaning clue then make sure the meanings are removed from the answer’s definition.

    [Or am I being harsh?]

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