Math provides our Tuesday wake-up call after the bank holiday.
I hadn’t heard of the definitions at 27a or 23d, but they were guessable from the wordplay and crossers. I liked the slightly contorted definition of 7d and the amusing one in 22a.
Our Tuesday theme is fairly obvious in the clues, although it’s perfectly possible to solve the puzzle without any special knowledge. (They’re not really my era, so I’m grateful to Wikipedia for help in checking my work here.) The clue text of 18a and 21a gives us the name of the band, Arctic Monkeys; the clues at 10a and 18a include the names of two of the founding members; and various phrases in italics are titles of their songs. Thanks Math for a fun puzzle.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MODICUM |
A little bit cut from start of unpleasant film after one PM in India (7)
|
| [s]CUM (an unpleasant film of dirt on water or another surface), without the first letter (a bit cut from the start), after MODI (Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India). The “one” provides some misdirection in the clue surface, but I don’t think it contributes to the wordplay: Modi is the current PM, not just “one of” a number of past prime ministers.
A modicum = a small amount; enough but not lots. |
||
| 5 | MIMETIC |
Math in Cambridge University one’s caught copying (7)
|
| ME (our crossword setter Math, speaking personally) inserted into MIT (abbreviation for Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is in the city of Cambridge, MA, USA) + I (one in Roman numberals) + C (abbreviation for caught, in cricket scoring).
Mimetic = imitative. |
||
| 9 | LEAVE |
Permission to depart for holiday (5)
|
| Triple definition, though I think two of the meanings are related. As in “leave to appeal” = permission to challenge a decision; to go away; or as in “annual leave”, which I think comes from “leave of absence” = permission to be absent. | ||
| 10 | FANTASIES |
Fake Tales of San Francisco echo in song. Alex Turner originally arranged … (9)
|
| Anagram (arranged) of SAN + initial letters (originally) of F[rancisco] E[cho] I[n] S[ong] A[lex] T[urner]. | ||
| 11 | SHORTCAKES |
… Dancing Shoes track and treats … (10)
|
| Anagram (dancing) of SHOES TRACK.
Biscuits, which (diet experts tell us) should be considered an occasional treat rather than an everyday staple. |
||
| 12 | ALTO |
… high part in vocal tonally (4)
|
| Hidden answer (in . . .) from [voc]AL TO[nally].
Extended definition: in vocal music, “alto” originally meant the highest voice (typically in three-part male-voice music), although it now usually refers to a lower female voice (or sometimes high male voice) which is the second highest of four voice parts. |
||
| 14 | THE NOTEBOOK |
A Certain Romance is next to be mixed to get disc right (3,8)
|
| THEN (next, as in “first you, then me”) + anagram (mixed) of TO BE + O (circle = disc) + OK (right = correct).
Title of a 2004 romance film. |
||
| 18 | ANARCHISTIC |
Like a rebel, Andy Nicholson initially has his go in Arctic … (11)
|
| Initial letters of A[ndy] N[icholson], then HIS going into ARCTIC. | ||
| 21 | LOOM |
… Monkeys’ first appearance. Topping the bill, the gents dominate (4)
|
| First letter (first appearance) of M[onkeys], with LOO (the gents = short for gentlemen’s toilet) at the start (topping the bill). | ||
| 22 | WELSH CORGI |
How extremely capable girl’s reconnected small woofer (5,5)
|
| Anagram (reconnected) of HOW + C[apabl]E (extremely = end letters only) + GIRL’S.
No, nothing to do with low-frequency loudspeakers. A small dog, which goes woof. |
||
| 25 | TRADUCING |
Dung cart I upset causing smearing (9)
|
| Anagram (upset) of DUNG CART I.
Traduce = smear = to slander. |
||
| 26 | AWASH |
Norfolk estuary, indefinitely flooded? (5)
|
| The Wash is a large estuary on the border between Norfolk and Lincolnshire; an “indefinite” version of it might be A WASH rather than THE Wash. | ||
| 27 | CHARKAS |
Listen! In case it’s not finished, they’ll produce stuff to feed 21 in India (7)
|
| HARK (listen) inserted into CAS[e] without the last letter (it’s not finished).
Charka (or charkha) = Indian word for a spinning-wheel, which produces thread that could be used on a LOOM (21a). |
||
| 28 | MYRIADS |
Is Mardy Bum to make tens of thousands? (7)
|
| Anagram (bum, as in “bum note” = faulty) of IS MARDY.
Myriad = originally from the Greek for ten thousand, but now generally used to mean an unspecified very large number. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MULISH |
It’s difficult having Scottish island seafood filleted (6)
|
| MUL[l] (a Scottish island) + [f]ISH (seafood), with the two central letters removed (filleted).
Mulish = stubborn = difficult. |
||
| 2 | DEAD-ON |
Narcos got head of family of 4. That’s absolutely right! (4-2)
|
| DEA (abbreviation for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, or colloquially “narcos”) + DON (the head of a family in the 4d MAFIA). | ||
| 3 | CLEFT STICK |
How did Cane make ane mickle pickle? (5,5)
|
| Cane (a stick) would become “ane” (Scottish word for one) if C LEFT STICK.
Cleft stick = expression meaning a very difficult situation with no good options available. Pickle also means a difficult situation, and “mickle” (Scottish word for “much”) makes it a very difficult one. |
||
| 4 | MAFIA |
Mob. 1-1-0-1000 dialled up (5)
|
| A (one = the indefinite article) + I (one in Roman numerals) + FA (slang for nothing = zero = O) + M (1000 in Roman numerals), all reversed (dialled up = upwards in a down clue).
The Mob = slang for the Mafia or similar organised crime groups. |
||
| 5 | MANGETOUT |
Dude! Please leave some vegetables! (9)
|
| MAN (dude = US slang for a man) + GET OUT (please leave = a command to go away). There was a similar clue for this word in a puzzle last week; I think it’s on the way to being an old chestnut. | ||
| 6 | MOAN |
Seemingly hungry chap gives a whimper! (4)
|
| MAN (chap) with O (nothing) inside, hence “hungry”. | ||
| 7 | TRILLION |
One having a dozen donuts? That’s a lot, even for Brits these days! (8)
|
| Cryptic definition. In modern usage, “trillion” generally means 1 followed by twelve zeros (donuts) = a million million, and “billion” is 1 followed by nine zeros (a thousand million). But in the past, especially in British usage, “billion” meant a million million and “trillion” meant a million million million. Either way it’s a very large number. | ||
| 8 | CASSOCKS |
Long robes from C&A worn over short stockings (8)
|
| C + A (presumably the surface refers to C&A, the multinational clothing retailer, no longer a feature of UK high streets), before (over, in a down clue) S (abbreviation for short) + SOCKS (stockings).
Robes worn by members of the clergy or by church choir singers. |
||
| 13 | BEACH CHAIR |
Carry cold and hot tea inside something handy for a seaside picnic (5,5)
|
| BEAR (as a verb = carry), with C + H (abbreviations for cold and hot water taps) + CHAI (Indian spiced tea) inside it. | ||
| 15 | EPIDEMICS |
They may require medicines essentially injected into the skin right away (9)
|
| Middle letter (essentially) of [medi]C[ines], inserted (injected) into EPIDE[r]MIS (the outer layer of the skin) with the R (abbreviation for right) taken away.
Extended definition: an epidemic disease may require prompt injections of vaccines, antibiotics etc. |
||
| 16 | BALLETIC |
Drunkenly call “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” like this (8)
|
| Anagram (drunkenly) of CALL I BET.
Balletic = able to dance gracefully. |
||
| 17 | PANORAMA |
The View from the Afternoon, one’s grabbing coat, leaving at the end (8)
|
| PM (afternoon) + A (one = the indefinite article), containing (grabbing) ANORA[k] (short raincoat) leaving off the end letter. | ||
| 19 | ARMADA |
To supply a department requires a lot of shipping (6)
|
| ARM (as a verb = provide weapons to = supply) + A + D (abbreviation for department) + another A.
Armada = a fleet of warships. |
||
| 20 | LIGHTS |
Matches at night need them (6)
|
| Not quite a double definition because the meanings are clearly related. As in “have you got a light?” = a request for a match to light a cigarette; or generally an artificial light that you might need at night. | ||
| 23 | SAGUM |
What centurion used to cover face when wrapped up (5)
|
| MUG (slang for face) + AS (when), all reversed (up, in a down clue). “Wrapped” doesn’t really seem necessary, but perhaps it means that we put MUG + AS together and then reverse the whole.
A wool cloak worn by Roman soldiers. |
||
| 24 | DUSK |
When the Sun Goes Down single’s number 1 in this country (4)
|
| D (abbreviation for down, especially in crosswords), then the first (number 1) letter of S[ingle] inserted into UK (United Kingdom = this country).
It would be easy to include “down” in the definition, but we need it for the wordplay. I think we have to take “goes” in the sense of “fades away”. |
An impressive tribute to Sheffield’s finest. I admire the amount of work that Math must have put into it. I especially liked FANTASIES and BALLETIC. SAGUM was new to me but guessable.
There’s a first time for everything…I disagree with Ms.Q, that this was fun.
More like a Math exam, I was glad to get it over with. The theme is completely off my radar, so some clues are tedious. A shame, because many clues are excellent. For example, TRILLION and MAFIA.
Even, I admit, BALLETIC 16(d), and a song I actually know, though nobody has ever applied it to me!
Nice to see 5(d) MANGETOUT again, with , possibly, a better clue than its previous appearance? Now: 14(ac), THE NOTEBOOK.
How, what, when, why ?
Having convinced myself that “a certain romance” must be THE LOVE, I gave up on the answer.
Which I never do.
OK, yer man whatisname had his notebook of lyrics nicked. The film may have nicked something or other from the Chilly Monkeys. But I don’t see the definition.
CASSOCKS, I’m afraid, but worth it for the blog, from Ms.Q
I struggled to get on Math’s wavelength today, in spite of some good clues. MANGETOUT and WELSH CORGI among them.
re 23 d. I suppose that the centurion could wrap his sagum over his face to keep dry. They were waterproof and conveniently pinned to the shoulder.
I really struggled with this, especially CLEFT STICK which still makes no sense to me after reading the answer!
A quibble re LOOM, if an act tops the bill then they are last, not first.
Thanks Quirister and, I guess, Math.
In 1ac, presumably ‘after one PM’ is meant to read like ‘after one o’clock’. If so, there was a choice between writing one pm and having the capitalisation wrong for MODI, and one PM and having the capitalisation wrong for the time. Rather an odd choice to give yourself gratuitously.
Sorry if this turned out to be everyone’s least Favourite Worst Nightmare.
Thanks to Quirister for the blog.
This one was prompted when I heard earlier this year that it had been 20 years since their debut album. It doesn’t seem that long ago that they were asking us not to believe the ‘ype!
Regarding “wrapped” in 23D, I agree it’s not strictly required for the cryptic reading, but I justified it on the grounds that it helped with the surface and that it certainly did no harm to the cryptic reading.
E.N.Boll& @1, in 14A the definition is “a certain romance”, The Notebook being, in particular, and as Quirister mentioned, a 2004 “romance” movie which was based on a very successful 1996 novel, so I had assumed that it would have been pretty well known to many, in one form or another. Sorry that neither the band nor the story ever made it onto your radar and I would encourage you to at least try giving the band a go, if not the film.
LobsterDarts @5, an act which tops the bill may very well be the last to appear on stage but they would definitely be the first name listed in any advertising (hence literally topping the bill).
James @6, I wouldn’t say that the capitalisation of PM for the time abbreviation was necessarily wrong. Check out any article on any US news website (where the use of a 12-hour clock is generally the norm) and I think you will find AM/PM preferred over am/pm.
Now I’m off to listen to AM this PM.
I found this a challenge but I very much appreciated the numerous references to Arctic Monkeys and some of the songs from their debut album (one of my faves), though I will say I much prefer the theme to be in the answers rather than in the clues
NHO MIMETIC, CHARKAS, CLEFT STICK and SAGUM
Thanks Q and Math
Math@7
Good man , I will give all of them a go.
Film, Novel, and the Chilly Monkeys too.
Sorry if my post was negative. I loved 96.34% of the setting. Which is survival level.
It’s a great puzzle, in retrospect, but outside my ken.
Thanks both. This had me very lost for longer than I’d welcome, and I’ll echo thoughts above that the thematic clueing is impressive and must have taken great effort, however I expect a theme to assist the answers. On review, CLEFT STICK is clever but wasted on me, as the Scottishness of ‘mickle’ and ‘ane’ didn’t register, to the extent I had semi-assumed ‘ane’ must be a mis-prunt.
I have to say that this was really hard work and I felt the theme necessitated a lot of very clunky non sensical surfaces.
However there were also some gems.
Mangetout, balletic, Welsh corgi topping the bill for me.
I am always pleased to see the setter joining the blog and I am sorry it has perhaps not been the best response Math would have hoped for but huge thanks to him for the puzzle and all others from our blogger to all commenters.
I actually searched “Math” for other aliases, thinking This setter is good, if a bit gnarly like, eg, Vlad or Boatman can be. But no, congrats Math on being you, and thanks for coming by and pitching in.
Another one here who found this difficult – got less than half done.