Ringoe has provided our midweek cruciverbal workout this week. This is another compiler whose work I have had relatively little experience of, having previously blogged only one puzzle by him earlier this year.
I found this to be of medium difficulty on the Indy spectrum, so pitched just right for a day when time is of the essence. It has a mini-theme to it around Don Quixote, although the solver’s attention is not drawn to it directly by the compiler. Incidentally, having studied Spanish at university, I felt almost ashamed not to know the writer’s full name, but I suppose we live and learn 😉
As for my favourite clues today, I particularly liked the cryptic definition at 8; 9, for the misdirection around the capital letter; 16, for smoothness of surface; and 26, for having “West Country” straddle the split between definition and wordplay.
I am already looking forward to my third outing as a blogger with this setter.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are underlined; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | RIPE |
Grouse without starter arrived at perfection (4)
|
| <g>RIPE (=grouse, moan); “without starter” means first letter is dropped | ||
| 3 | DON QUIXOTE |
Assume ten love joining rather ingenious gentleman (3,7)
|
| DON (=assume, put on, e.g. clothes) + {[X (=ten) + O (=love, i.e. zero score in tennis)] in QUITE (=rather)}; the “ingenious gentleman” of the definition is accompanied on his adventures by 21/24A in a novel by 20/27/14A! | ||
| 10 | BUTTERFAT |
Dairy product perfect female fed to vampire? (9)
|
| [UTTER (=perfect, sheer) + F (=female)] in BAT (=vampire?, i.e. species of bat) | ||
| 11 | PLEAD |
Soft, soft metal to make a case (5)
|
| P (=soft, i.e. piano, in music) + LEAD (=soft metal) | ||
| 12 | TANGO |
Dance function with Grand Ball (5)
|
| TAN (=function, i.e. tangent, in trigonometry) + G (=grand, i.e. $1000) + O (=ball, i.e. pictorially) | ||
| 13 | HARPOONER |
Whaleman expert on dumb Marx brother (9)
|
| HARPO (=dumb Marx brother, i.e. the one that did not speak) + ONER (=expert, ace) | ||
| 14 |
See 20
|
|
| 16 | SPRAIN |
Ligament damage from run in country (6)
|
| R (=run, on cricket scorecard) in SPAIN (=country) | ||
| 19 | ALEPPO |
Drink fizzy pop in Syrian city (6)
|
| ALE (=drink) + *(POP); “fizzy” is anagram indicator | ||
| 20/27/14 | MIGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAVEDRA |
Writer of the absurd gave us a damned clever satire (6,2,9,8)
|
| *(GAVE US A DAMNED CLEVER SATIRE); “the absurd” is anagram indicator; the reference is to the Spanish writer (1547-1616) of e.g. 3 | ||
| 22 | ASSAILANT |
Attacker in trouble separating two creatures (9)
|
| AIL (=trouble, bother) in [ASS (=creature) + ANT (=creature)] | ||
| 24 |
See 21 Down
|
|
| 26 | INDIA |
Home help sent to the West Country (5)
|
| IN (=(at) home) + DIA (AID=help; “sent to the West” indicates reversal) | ||
| 27 |
See 20
|
|
| 28 | MONTEGO BAY |
Bogeyman to corrupt Jamaican resort (7,3)
|
| *(BOGEYMAN TO); “corrupt”, bent, is anagram indicator | ||
| 29 | SNIP |
Bargain vasectomy (4)
|
| Double definition: to get something for a “snip” is to get a bargain AND to have the “snip” is to have a vasectomy | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | ROBOT |
Base installing British machine (5)
|
| B (=British) in ROOT (=base, foundation) | ||
| 2 | POTENTATE |
Spread includes old Spanish wine for ruler (9)
|
| [O (=old) + TENT (=Spanish wine)] in PATE (=(e.g. meat) spread) | ||
| 4 | OFFSHORE |
Fresh food endlessly cooked in the main (8)
|
| *(FRESH FOO<d>); “endlessly” means last letter is dropped from anagram, indicated by “cooked”; an offshore rig, say, is out at sea, hence “in the main”! | ||
| 5 | QATARI |
Asian nation about to receive cheers (6)
|
| TA (=cheers, i.e. thanks) in QARI (IRAQ=nation; “about” indicates reversal) | ||
| 6 | IMPROMPTU |
Spontaneous Ringoe is ready to meet you (9)
|
| I’M (=Ringoe is, i.e. the setter) + PROMPT (=ready, quick, of e.g. reply) + U (=you, in textspeak) | ||
| 7 | OCEAN |
Drink and drug in round tin (5)
|
| E (=drug, i.e. Ecstasy) in [O (=round, i.e. pictorially) + CAN (=tin)]; the drink is the sea, hence “ocean” | ||
| 8 | ENDURANCE |
Last to be first in such a test? (9)
|
| Cryptic definition: “last” is to be read as a verb, meaning (to) endure, withstand | ||
| 9 | DEMO |
Devil shown minus tail in March? (4)
|
| DEMO<n> (=devil); “shown minus tail” means last letter is dropped; a march is a protest, demo | ||
| 14 | SHAMANISM |
Fellow is probing bogus religion (9)
|
| [MAN (=fellow) + IS] in SHAM (=bogus, unauthentic); Shamanism is a religion of N Asia, based on magic and sorcery | ||
| 15 | EXPLICATE |
Develop epic tale modelled around cross (9)
|
| X (=cross, i.e. pictorially) in *(EPIC TALE); “modelled” is anagram indicator; to explicate is to unfold or develop, e.g. a theory | ||
| 17 | ARLINGTON |
Angel leaving first century cemetery (9)
|
| <d>ARLING (=angel, treasure; “leaving first” means first letter is dropped) + TON (=century, hundred); the famous Arlington National Cemetery is located in the US state of Virginia | ||
| 18 | VICTORIA |
Six Langley staffers guarding rocky hill station (8)
|
| VI (=six, in Roman numerals) + [TOR (=rocky hill) in CIA (=Langley staffers, i.e. at the Virginia headquarters of the CIA)] | ||
| 21/24A | SANCHO PANZA |
Spanish squire in timeless verse grasping an axe (6,5)
|
| [AN + CHOP (=axe, cut, as verb)] in S<t>ANZA (=verse; “time (=T) -less” means letter “t” is dropped); Sancho Panza is 3’s companion in the novel by 20/27/14A | ||
| 23 | SEDAN |
Irishman throttling duke in chair (5)
|
| D (=duke) in SEAN (=Irishman, i.e. popular Irish male forename) | ||
| 24 | PEAT |
Pressure to consume carbon-rich fuel (4)
|
| P (=pressure, in physics) + EAT (=to consume) | ||
| 25 | AESOP |
Answer having put question raised for writer (5)
|
| A (=answer, as in Q&A) + ESOP (POSE=put question; “raised” indicates vertical reversal); the reference is to Aesop, the famous Greek writer of fables |
Our setter must have been very pleased to work out such a clever apt phrase for the full name of Cervantes . Like our blogger I was also unaware of the Saavedra part of his name.
My favourite though today was “Qatari”because it almost defeated me.
I entered it because it couldn’t be anything else but it took a while to see the way it parsed. Very simple but very clever.
Thanks all.
An ambitious challenge, that Ringoe set himself here, but he has pulled it off, and my cap is off, too.
The big one, MIGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, is a bit of a classic in its own right. Bravo, and Ole.
The final part, gave me some trouble, and if I may steal from Cervantes, “a place whose name I do not care to remember”.
I confess, too, that “ONER”, in 13(ac), didn’t click with “expert”, but damn me, it’s in the book.
I enjoyed this puzzle, immensely, and even more, when I went back over the devices, and the surfaces. If there’s a duff clue, I can’t find it.
Magnifico, Ringoe! and Riku , too
Myfaves: BUTTERFAT, MCS (A CAD. Isn’t it?), POTENTATE, OFFSHORE and
SANCHO PANZA.
Thanks Ringoe and RR!
Like RR and Gsolphotog @1 I also didn’t know the last part of Cervantes’ name – in fact I also couldn’t remember the first part of his name, but I guessed it from the checking letters
I also didn’t know 21D/24A but I worked it out from the wordplay
17D got the better of me as I couldn’t think of another word for a cemetery other than graveyard – I guess the lower case C got me thinking down that route rather than the name of a specific cemetery
NHO 2D and it took me a while to get but I eventually thought of pate for spread and then I guessed the middle. I’ve never heard of the Spanish wine ‘tent’ – I guess I’ll have to add that to Rioja and Cava!
Thanks RR and Ringoe
Thanks both. Enjoyable enough, and I was pleased only to need help with SAAVADERA which I guess was beyond most as he is rarely referenced in this full format; additionally, pity those perhaps too young or otherwise unaware of the writer or his characters; surely a 25-letter anagram too far.
I was enjoying this until I got stuck with about two thirds or so solved and was annoyed with myself for being unable to work out the writer anagram so I came here looking for a nudge to get me going again.
This came with the mini-theme. I had already got Sancho Panza so the rest fell fairly quickly except that I could see it had to be M. de Cervantes, but what could the fourth word be – too many ‘a’s to make it work. I had to Google that and was amazed I’ve never heard it before.
Good fun all round. Thanks Ringoe and thanks RR for the assistance.
I share the enthusiasm expressed before me for the fantastic anagram @lit for Cervantes, and admit complete ignorance that he even had a final name.
Jamie@4 I did a quick search for “tent Spanish wine” and Jancis Robinson tells me it’s “a medieval term for strong wine from Iberia, mainly Spain…”, so worth storing, but I don’t think you’ll see it too often.
Another one here ignorant of the final part of the author’s name, but feeling happier that I’m not alone. My knowledge only extends to the few characters in the ballet usually known as Donkey Shot and the name of the horse which gets a mention in Cygnus X-1 by Rush. Now I’m wondering if I should be pronouncing the other part Therbantes. Maybe a student of Spanish could let me know. I only live here.
Thanks Ringoe and RR.
“Tent” for wine used to be quite a common sight in crosswords, but it seems to have lost its popularity. It’s basically the sane word as seen in the Spanish for red wine, vino tinto, where tinto means coloured or “tinted”.