Independent 12,370/Coot

Sometimes my own egregious stupidity staggers me.

I always look forward to blogging a Coot puzzle: they are invariably well-constructed and entertaining, with just the right amount of challenge (for me, anyway). This one fell steadily until the last clue, 10/24, whose definition – American Idol – was clear enough, but which I just couldn’t see, either from the crossing letters or the wordplay. I’m not ashamed to say that I used a wordsearch, which came up with nothing, and then had to cheat. Even then, NORMA JEANE led me to see that Marilyn Monroe was the ‘idol’ in question, but I made nothing of it other than that. Only when writing up the blog did I realise that three of her most famous films – GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, SOME LIKE IT HOT and THE SEVEN-YEAR ITCH were plastered all over the grid. Muppetry on my part, pure and simple. But don’t let that get in the way of your enjoyment of an excellent puzzle, published this morning because the actress in question was born on 1 June, 1926, a hundred years ago today.

Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

1 He took elitism badly in film
SOME LIKE IT HOT
(HE TOOK ELITISM)* with ‘badly’ as the anagrind. The 1959 film starring Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, which was nominated for six Academy Awards.

8 Peculiar shaved animal carries fruit basket
PUNNET
An insertion of [F]UNN[Y] in PET. The insertion indicator is ‘carries’. A reminder that ‘funny’ can be ambiguous. ‘He’s a funny bloke.’ ‘Funny ha-ha or funny peculiar?’

9 Recover on island seafood tours
RECLAIM
A charade of RE and I inserted into CLAM. The insertion indicator is ‘tours’.

10/24 Cut regular trousers short, back in Nashville for American Idol
NORMA JEANE
My LOI, which I just couldn’t see even with all the crossers. A charade of NORMA[L], JEAN[S] and E for the final letter of ‘Nashville’. It didn’t help matters that I had forgotten, or probably never knew, that JEANE was spelt with a final E. The real first names of Marilyn Monroe, who – it turns out – is the theme of this puzzle. Who knew? Not me.

Goodbye, Norma Jeane, though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself while those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork, and they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill, and they made you change your name

11 Shock old doctor, quietly, during call
BOMBSHELL
An insertion of O, MB and SH in BELL. The insertion indicator is ‘during’. ‘I’ll give you a bell/call.’ Monroe was often referred to as the Blonde Bombshell.

12 Assistance rebuffed, keep record of reported conversation
DIALOGUE
A charade of AID reversed and LOGUE, a soundalike (‘reported’) for LOG.

15 Clip of acrobat or erotic entertainer from Spain
TORERO
Hidden in acrobaT OR EROtic. The clue is sound, but not entirely sure that everyone would agree that bullfighting is entertainment.

17 Secure bats bat no.1
OBTAIN
(BAT NO I)* with ‘bats’ as the anagrind.

20 Look around pile for flyer
AIRCRAFT
A charade of AIR, C for circa and RAFT. ‘We had a pile/raft of applications for the post.’

23 What I’m doing next … taking a lot of medication
COMPILING
An insertion of PIL[L] in COMING. The insertion indicator is ‘taking’.

26 Sheets of paper swallowed by the German illusionist
DREAMER
An insertion of REAM in DER, one of the (many) German words for ‘the’. The insertion indicator is ‘swallowed by’.

27 Choose person who’ll blow whistle in training runs
PREFER
An insertion of REF in PE and R. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.

28 I envy teacher’s wild leaning towards infidelity
SEVEN-YEAR ITCH
(I ENVY TEACHERS)* with ‘wild’ as the anagrind. The 1955 romantic comedy starring Monroe that gave us this iconic picture.

Down

1 Cooking up Simon’s Italian dessert
SPUMONI
(UP SIMON)* with ‘cooking’ as the anagrind. I was pleased to work this out from the fodder and then discover that it does exist. Knowing that Italian words pretty much always end in a vowel was a help.

2 Note creature lacking initial acceleration is smallest
MINIMAL
A charade of MINIM and [A]AL. An AAL is a malevolent demon found in the folklore of Iran, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.

3 Not before time, returning with others
LATE
A reversal of ET AL, et alia or ‘and others’.

4 Where we see Mike in the grip of drunken revellers?
KARAOKE
A cd. I’m going to be picky and say that microphone is always abbreviated as mic and not mike.

5 One new baby, ahead of schedule, turned up here?
INCUBATOR
A charade of I, N, CUB and ROTA reversed, with an extended definition.  Clever clue.

6 Plant needing hot, not primarily wet, external conditions
HEATHER
A charade of H and [W]EATHER.

7 Device for drying vessel that’s found in circus
TUMBLER
A td – triple definition.

13 Laptop boxes fit for purpose
APT
Hidden in lAPTop.

14 Nice guys soften up entering grand spaces
GENTLEMEN
An insertion of MELT reversed in G, EN and EN. The EN is a printer’s ‘space’, half the width of an EM space. The insertion indicator is ‘entering’. Add this to 27ac and 18dn and you have Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the 1953 film starring Monroe and featuring her famous rendition of Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.

16 Beermat used periodically for a number of years
ERA
The even letters of bEeRmAt.

18 People considered fair advised no LBW viewing clip in retrospect
BLONDES
Hidden reversed in adviSED NO LBw.

19 Streaming service application permitted before 5
APPLE TV
A charade of APP, LET and V for the Roman numeral for 5.

20 Course isn’t for the casual – head off without charge
AINTREE
A charade of AINT and [F]REE.

21 Not for the first time, pick short video over therapy
RE-ELECT
A charade of REEL and ECT, Electro Convulsive Therapy.

22 Chieftain wanting AI to develop banking software?
FINTECH
(CHIEFT[AI]N)* with ‘to develop’ as the anagrind.

25 Box in convenience store
SPAR
A dd to finish.

Many thanks to Coot for an excellent start to the crosswording week in the Independent.