Posted by nmsindy on 6th September 2007
An excellent puzzle from this very talented setter. Getting some of the longer phrases quickly made it a faster solve than usual for me in the case of the occasional Indy setters.
Solving time: 20 mins
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 SIDE DISH Good misdirection.
5 AB LO OM (Order of Merit) The divide between wordplay and definition is in the middle of the quote “look / out”. Some setters might not take such liberties with punctuation. ‘Look’ often gives lo (as here) or la.
13 STORE DETECTIVE (Deceiver + to test)* The aisle in the supermarket, not to the altar for a wedding.
16 WE AR (E NO T AM) USED (mat one)< This being the crossword world, my first thought on seing Victorian was ‘Australian’ but it’s from the original lady herself ( or ourselves perhaps).
20 H (AND SOME) R time = hour = hr
23 PUTS ONES FOOT IN IT Mule is a type of shoe or slipper.
24 NUDIST “Kicking one’s habit one’s habit!” Top drawer.
DOWN
1 SLAP DASH The - (dash) in the clue is part of the wordplay.
2 DRIVE HOME Superb double definition.
3 DEHISCE Hidden with the indication “cases”. A botanical term for ‘burst open’
6 BOW KNOT main = sea main pace = knot
7 OCTAL (t = time coal)*
8 M URINE Mouselike.
9 FOUR-LETTER WORD Oath has four letters.
14 VI (6 in Roman numerals) SIT (model) ANTS Misleading context of spirits.
15 I DO LA (La = Louisiana) TRY
17 (p)RESENTS Top = take the first letter off (in a down clue).
19 C (HOP IN !)
21 NOTED i.e. famous and consisting of musical notes.
Posted in Independent | 2 Comments »
Posted by jetdoc on 6th September 2007
I’m struggling with computer problems (a dead monitor), so was relieved that this one was pretty straightforward.
| Across |
| 1 |
RUGBY FOOTBALL — *(golf brutal boy) |
| 10 |
TOP BANANA — The star entertainer (see also 15d) in a line-up. A bunch of bananas is called a ‘hand’. |
| 12 |
ABOUT — A bout. |
| 13 |
CHICKADEE — CHIC = smart; KA = spirit (ancient Egypt); DEE = river |
| 14 |
BOLSHIE — Bolshevic, also used to mean stroppy (supposedly associated with being left-wing). |
| 16 |
GLOTTIS — G = good; LOT = fortune; ‘sit’ reversed. |
| 18 |
RED TAPE — Two meanings. |
| 20 |
WHEREBY — WHY= a question; *(beer). |
| 21 |
YODELLERS — ’do’ reversed in YELLERS |
| 25 |
INTRODUCE — *(reduction). |
| 26 |
CHARLIE BUCKET — The title character in the Roald Dahl children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. ‘Charlie’ is a term for cocaine, and a bucket of it is more than a can. |
|
| Down |
| 2 |
UNPEOPLED — I’m not sure how this one works. |
| 4 |
FIANCEE — 1 ANC in FEE. |
| 5 |
ORATING — ‘With no classification’. |
| 6 |
BLOCK VOTE — *(to be), around LOCK = secure, V = victory. |
| 7 |
LUTED — ‘Fluted’ minus F. Lute is clay or cement used as a protective seal, and the word can be also used as a verb. |
| 8 |
STRAWBERRY JAM — A straw is something you suck on; ref. Chuck Berry; ‘jam’ and ‘pickle’ can both be used to mean an awkward situation. |
| 9, 24 |
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN — An ‘unofficial’ remake of Thunderball. Ian Paisley used to say ‘Never!’ rather a lot. |
| 15 |
HEADLINER — HE = male; ADLER = psychiatrist; IN = popular. |
| 17, 11, 3 |
THE NATURE OF THE BEAST — ‘The Beast’ indicates the Antichrist, as in Revelation 13. |
| 19 |
EMERITI — ‘I tire me’ reversed. |
| 20 |
WASHTUB — WAS; T = time; in HUB. |
| 22 |
DEATH — Hidden word. |
| 23 |
STOIC — 1 in ‘cots’ reversed. |
Posted in Guardian | 8 Comments »
Posted by nmsindy on 6th September 2007
I found this fairly straightforward. Solving time: 16 mins.
In line with recent practice, will note a fairly small number of what may have been the trickier clues, but happy to explain others if asked.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 AA C (about) HEN
11 SEPTA (tapes)* Plural of septum
14 ILL E GAL
16 SAMISEN hidden - a Japanese guitar
25 AV (Authorised Version - King James Bible) OUCH (That hurts!) You sometime see ‘ow’ for that too
DOWN
5 (l)ARCH Pollarded = take the top off
13 PIL (lip<) CHARD
21 UTAH Hidden reversal indicated by ‘up’
Posted in Independent | 1 Comment »
Posted by Pete Maclean on 6th September 2007
Yet another beauty from Cincinnus. This one had several words/terms that I did not know but they all proved fairly easy to figure out. My favourite clues are 12A, 24A and 25A.
Across
1. LACROSSE - anagram of SCALES and OR
5. STALAG - S[tric]T + A (key) + LAG (prisoner)
9. BRAINIER - B (bishop) + RAINIER (prince)
10. CRABBY - R (edge of road) in CABBY (driver)
12. AISLE - IS in ALE (beer)
13. DAY RETURN - anagram of READY + TURN (go)
14. HOLDER - double definition. Refers to Noddy Holder, an actor and musician who was a member of the group Slade.
16. STORIES - S (bearing) + TORIES (politicians)
18. ANTIBES - anagram of BEST IN A
20. DAKOTA - KO (decisive blow) in DATA (facts and figures)
22. ATHEISTIC - HE IS in ATTIC (room at the top)
23. CONGO - CON (prisoner) + GO (leave)
24. AMUSED - A MUSE (one of nine goddesses) + D (died after). Great surface!
25. SAPPHIRE - anagram of HIS PAPER
26. AT EASE - A TEASE (a quiz)
27. LEATHERY - LEA (pasture) + THE + RY (railway)
Down
1. LIBYAN - LIB (party) + NAY (no revolutionary)
2. CHATSWORTH HOUSE - a fine estate in Derbyshire while there is a Chatsworth in Devon
3. OUNCE - hidden word
4. SPENDER - double definition. Being not well up on poets, this was a tough one for me. Wanted it to be Spenser but that did not fit with prodigal. I finally figured out that this clue refers to Sir Stephen Harold Spender CBE, (February 28, 1909, London – July 16, 1995).
6. TURKEY OAK - TURKEY (bird) + OK (up to scratch) around A. Another tough one as I had never heard of this kind of oak. Fortunately, my dictionary had!
7. LABOUR INTENSIVE - anagram of URBAN TELEVISION
8. GUYANESE - GUY (chap) + A (one) + anagram of SEEN
11. DYES - hidden word
15. DUBLINERS - double definition
17. LAVA LAVA - LAVA (hot stuff) + LAVA (doubling)
19. SETT - double definition. (Sett can mean a small block of hard stone, such as granite, used for paving.)
20. DECLARE - DANTE with ANT (worker) removed + CLARE (another poet)
21. COMEDY - anagram of MY CODE
23. COP IT - PI (a couple of pillows) in COT (bed). Took me a while to remember that “a couple of…” can refer to the letters of a word.
Posted in FT | 4 Comments »