Eimi spends more time as editor of Independent crosswords during the week than he does as a compiler. He sometimes appears though on special occasions
This crossword has a clear theme with it’s focus on the films of Alan Rickman who died on January 14 this year.
The films I can identify are:
HARRY POTTER series [11 / 27 across] where Rickman played Severus Snape [referenced in the clue to 2 down]
TRULY MADLY DEEPLY [16, 17 and 20 across]
ROBIN HOOD [: Prince of Thieves] [24 across]
DIE HARD [1 down]
GALAXY QUEST [10 down, 25 across] and
LOVE ACTUALLY [23 / 6 down]
There was a fair amount of general knowledge built into the clues.
I liked the surfaces of a number of the clues where misdirection was prevalent. The definition, left’ in 13 a cross was well hidden and the use of axes in 10 down led me astray for a while.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
7
|
Island putting energy into savings scheme(6)
|
CHI (an individual person’s life-force, the free flow of which within the body is believed to ensure physical and spiritual health; energy) contained in (putting … into) ISA (Individual Savings Account) IS (CHI) A |
ISCHIA (Italian island)
|
|
8
|
Obsessive about being included in Greek character’s literary extracts (8)
|
ANAL (obsessive) + (C [circa; about] contained in [included in] ETA [character of the Greek alphabet]) ANAL E (C) TA |
ANALECTA (collected literary fragments; literary extracts)
|
|
11 / 27
|
Ambiguously portray the master ultimately for magical character (5,6)
|
Anagram of (ambiguously) PORTRAY THE and R (last letter of [ultimately] MASTER) HARRY POTTER* |
HARRY POTTER (magical character in the books by J K Rowling)
|
|
12
|
Complete change of opinion concerning performer (5-4)
|
ABOUT (concerning) + TURN (performer)
|
ABOUT-TURN (complete change of opinion)
|
|
13
|
Praise one’s monarch for turning left (8)
|
(LAUD [praise] + I’S [one’s] + ER [Elizabeth Regina; queen; monarch]) all reversed (for turning) (RE SI DUAL)< |
RESIDUAL (that which remains or is left)
|
|
15
|
Why don’t we return and cut a bit of aspirin with ecstasy tablets? (6)
|
(LET’S [let us; why don’t we]) reversed (return) + A (first letter of [a bit of] ASPIRIN] + E (ecstasy tablet) STEL< A E |
STELAE (upright stone tablets)
|
|
16
|
Genuinely attempt to provide cover for middle of July (5)
|
TRY (attempt) containing (to provide cover for) UL (central letters of [middle of] JULY) TR (UL) Y |
TRULY (genuinely)
|
|
17
|
Irrationally taking slices out of Emma’s dolly (5)
|
MADLY (the word that remains when letters 1,3,5,7 and 9 are removed from [taking slices out of] EMMA‘S DOLLY)
|
MADLY (irrationally)
|
|
20
|
Work on river with intensity (6)
|
DEE (the name of a number of rivers in the United Kingdom) + PLY (work)
|
DEEPLY (with intensity)
|
|
21
|
One swan song from Cook? (8)
|
A (one) + LAST AIR (musician’s last work; swan song)
|
ALASTAIR (reference ALASTAIR Cook, current captain of the English Test Cricket team)
|
|
24
|
Bobby in vicinity of outlaw (5,4)
|
ROB (Robert; Bobby) + IN ‘HOOD (in the neighbourhood; in the vicinity of)
|
ROBIN HOOD (outlaw in English folklore)
|
|
25
|
Search for some antique statues (5)
|
QUEST (hidden word in [some] ANTIQUE STATUES)
|
QUEST (search)
|
|
26
|
Carried out beginning of dredging at back of river passage close to Carlisle (8)
|
EXE (another of Britain’s rivers) + CUT (passage) + D (first letter of [beginning of] DREDGING) + E (last letter of [close to] CARLISLE)
|
EXECUTED (performed; carried out)
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
What Alan Rickman initially performed outside being dauntless (7)
|
DID (performed) containing (outside) (EH [what] + AR [initials of [initially] ALAN RICKMAN) DI (EH AR) D |
DIEHARD (dauntless)
|
|
2
|
Severus Snape, initially concealing concern, is frightening (6)
|
SS (initials of [initially] SEVERUS SNAPE) containing (concealing) CARE (concern) S (CARE) S |
SCARES (is frightening)
|
|
3
|
Juliet’s heart’s extremely lovely, a thing of great purity (4)
|
LI (central two letters of [heart ] JULIET) + LY (outermost letters of [extremely] LOVELY)
|
LILY (a thing of great purity)
|
|
4
|
Trite remarks wrongly stipulated (10)
|
Anagram of (wrongly) STIPULATED PLATITUDES* |
PLATITUDES (trite remarks)
|
|
5
|
Bill and Ted originally supported by university friend in fact (8)
|
AC (account; bill) + T (first letter of [originally] TED) + U (university) + ALLY (friend) As this is a down clue, the letters UALLY support the letters ACT
|
ACTUALLY (in fact)
|
|
6
|
A walk in the park, perhaps, to get Austen adaptation, right (7)
|
Anagram of (adaptation) AUSTEN + R (right) SAUNTE* R |
SAUNTER (to walk in a casual or leisurely manner as in a walk in a park)
|
|
9
|
Lack of agreement in recess (4)
|
NO (lack of) + OK (agreement)
|
NOOK (recess)
|
|
10
|
Bingo company axes a splendid gathering (6)
|
GALA (reference GALA Coral Group Ltd , a British betting shop, bingo and casino operator) + XY (reference X and Y co-ordinate axes in mathematics)
|
GALAXY (splendid gathering)
|
|
14
|
Bending over and coupling (8,2)
|
DOUBLING UP (bending over)
|
DOUBLING UP (coupling) double definition
|
|
16
|
Shook with fear and ran after first of Trump’s Republican election messages (8) |
TREM (first letters of each of TRUMP’S REPUBLICAN ELECTION MESSAGES) + BLED (ran)
|
TREMBLED (shook with fear)
|
|
17
|
Complaint from highly-qualified female (6)
|
MA (Master of Arts; University level qualification) + LADY (female)
|
MALADY (medical complaint)
|
|
18
|
Decorated composer died outside party (7)
|
(ARNE [reference Thomas ARNE, composer of Rule Britannia] + D [died]) containing (outside) DO (party) A (DO) RNE D |
ADORNED (decorated)
|
|
19
|
X Factor judge undermined by right-wing rhetoric (7)
|
ORA (reference Rita ORA, X Factor judge) + TORY (right wing) – down entry so we can talk about ‘undermined’
|
ORATORY (rhetoric)
|
|
22
|
Possibly those of actors might be one convenience (6)
|
A (one) + GENTS (public convenience)
|
AGENTS (many performers and sportspeople have AGENTS to undertake difficult negotiations or their behalf. They provide a convenient service) )
|
|
23
|
Paolo Veronese’s Adoration (4)
|
LOVE (hidden word in [indicated by the possessive apostrophe in Veronese’s] PAOLO VERONESE)
|
LOVE (adoration)
|
|
25
|
Familiar old rockers finally discovered in jail (4)
|
[Status] QUO (rock band with members past their first flush of youth; old rockers) + D (last letter of [finally] DISCOVERED)
|
QUOD (jail)
|
Thanks, Duncan.
Even I spotted this one. I was wondering whether the Indy would do a tribute puzzle to Alan Rickman (we had Bowie recently, and they died within a few days of each other, if I remember well). My kids only really know him as Severus Snape, but he was a fine actor in many other roles. The only one I didn’t spot was GALAXY QUEST.
Nicely constructed puzzle. Often something heavily themed like this can be a chore, because stuff is shoe-horned in; but not here (well, maybe ORA from X-Factor was a bit of an ask …)
I try not to big up setters too much, but I will just point out that in 23dn, Paolo Veronese did in fact produce a painting called Adoration (of the Magi), so the clue is concise and clever.
Thanks to eimi for changing chairs.
A labour of love, this one, (er actually). I came here to see if there were any films I had missed, but you have got them all Duncan. Felicitations.
For anyone who hasn’t seen it, Galaxy Quest is well worth a look. I especially love the out-take, where Rickman’s character is shown the sanitary arrangements, specially constructed to meet what the Aliens believe to be his anatomical needs.
Thanks Eimi.
great puzzle; Rowling, Trump,the England cricket skipper, Arne, Veronese, Austen and Rita Ora!
Unforgettable voice and stage presence; a great loss.
Thanks Eimi and Duncan
Very enjoyable puzzle and nicely done. Thanks to Eimi and Duncan.
And I completely endorse Conrad’s comment on Galaxy Quest – a little gem of a film that deserved far more recognition than it got.
Enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to both!
The thematic material certainly made this easier to solve. As soon as I got truly, I was off looking for madly and deeply in the grid. A nice tribute to one of my favourite actors.
Thanks Eimi for a fitting tribute. Yes, the solve was made easier having seen TRULY very early on but it certainly didn’t spoil the solve.
Bert remembered Galaxy Quest but only after the puzzle was complete and we came to 225.
Thanks Duncan for the blog.
Thank you Duncan and thanks to Eimi for this tribute to a favourite actor.
Great clues with good surface readings. I didn’t know the word analecta nor do I watch X-Factor, but the solutions were gettable from the clues.
I, too, missed Galaxy Quest although I have it in my collection of favourite films – should have looked harder!
(I have 4 of the other films as well – sad.)
Great tribute to a great actor.
I did not know a damn thing about Galaxy Quest when I saw it for the first time, so that was an ace moment to go along with the first time, in similar ignorance, I saw From Dusk Till Dawn.
Cheers Eimi and Duncan
I saw from 1, 2 and 11/27 that the puzzle was themed around Alan Rickman, but must own up to not seeing all the thematic material – not that that prevented me completing it. STELAE was perhaps a bit obscure but easily got from the wordplay. No particular CoD; it was all good.
Thanks, eimi and Duncan.
There maybe even more in this… Lily was Harry Potter’s mother, and Alistair the spider in the cupboard under the stairs at privet drive !
Great stuff. really enjoyed this.
Thanks to Duncan and all for comments
It was indeed a labour of love (actually). A great actor and by all accounts a great man, exceptionally generous with his money (sending a cheque to an unknown acting student who needed money to finish his course) and his time (as many fellow actors have testified).
I agree with what has been said about Galaxy Quest – one of the funniest films ever. By Grabthar’s hammer, what a great actor!