Yet another example of why Virgilius really is the undisputed master of the themed daily. In puzzles such as this, you’ll often find that there are one or two obscure words in the down answers to allow for the thematic across entries (in this case, hidden fish). Not here though, it all fits together quite, ahem, BRILLiantly. Oh, and the clueing’s rather good too, though when is it ever not?!
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | DEFIBRILLATION – Cryptic def. | |
| 9 | CRAYONED – (ANY DECOR)* | |
| 10 | CRUDDY – C + RUDDY | |
| 11 | REELED – REEL + ED(ition) | |
| 14 | HIDDEN CATCHES – Double def. – Our theme. I got it after only 3 across entries, yet it took me most of the rest of the solve to get the CATCHES part of this answer! | |
| 18 | BOGART – (GARBO)* + T | |
| 21 | SPIKELET – (PETS LIKE)* | |
| 23 | CLINGY – Hidden in cyCLING Yes | |
| 24 | HOLDABLE – L + DAB in HOLE | |
| 25 | SHAKESPEAREANS – (KANSAS ARE + SHEEP)* Ref. Charles and Mary Lamb, the bro and sis combo who wrote essays on WS | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | RETRENCH – RE: TRENCH | |
| 2 | LILY POND – LILY (girl) + POND (mere) | |
| 3 | FRINGE – RING in FE | |
| 4 | GLAD – GLAD(ioli) | |
| 5 | BACCARAT – CAB rev. + CAR + AT | |
| 6 | MINUTE – Double def. | |
| 7 | ON EDGE – Think this is just a variation on ‘the edge is on’, i.e. there’s a chance, but a bit unsure | |
| 12 | TACKS – “Tax” | |
| 15 | ENTRY FEE – Cryptic def. | |
| 16 | HEEHAWED – HEED about H and AWE | |
| 19 | SPELLING – Ref. WRITING, the middle of the 3 Rs! | |
| 20 | OWLISH – (L WHO IS)* | |
| 22 | I’LL SAY – ILL + SAY | |
| 24 | HOPI – HOP + I (India in the phonetic alphabet) | |
I think ON EDGE may refer to a cricket shot – an ‘edge’ to the on (leg) side.
Absolutely wonderful puzzle from the master yet again.
It seems you’ve got to break the odd rule to get the comments flowing. (They’re still at their exploits this afternoon over in Indyland.)
This was indeed a wonderful puzzle, though I didn’t get ‘spelling’ or ‘Shakespeareans’ until I saw the decoding (sorry) here.
That’s more like it!
Beautifully constructed puzzled now I see the theme (thanks, Ali). Couldn’t get SHAKESPEAREANS and struggled with the SE corner, but very enjoyable. And nms is right: an on side edge in cricket would be caught at leg slip. How do overseas solvers ever get that kind of stuff? By playing cricket, I suppose.
No carping about this – I floundered for a bit, but once I’d decoded 1ac it was a piece of hake!
Very enjoyable though I didn’t manage to finish this.
You’ve missed 11A INSOLENT (In Solent), REELED was 13A
I d”id” this even”tuna”lly, and thought it was, as usual, excellent.
Unlike today’s “Gar”dian, which gave me a haddock…
…sorry.
IanN14, we’re having our village pantomime shortly. With talent like that, I’m going to engage you to write some rubbish jokes for it. There’s no plaice for comments like the one you’ve just contributed…
Kathryn’s Dad,
…I’m here all week,
Try the v”eel”…
An incom’parr’able puzzle, say I, without fear of rep’roach’.
Song of the day? How about Sole Man, by Salmon Dave?
… and the comments on this part of fifteensquared don’t appear as fishy as elsewhere
Has the Indie ever haddock compiler more talented?
Just as an as”ide”, Eimi, I was recording the bass guitar line for Soul Man last night!
There’s no plaice for this sort of thing on FifteenSquared
Indeed a tour de force. Brave Virgilius ! You perch high and should be brisling with pike
Thank you Ali for an equally delightful blog
Singular 14 in 8!