BOBCAT kicks off the week…
Greetings from Philadelphia… I’m here for the football, and I can only apologise for some of the parsings as I’m a bit jet-lagged. I don’t get 25ac at the moment, though I’m certain one of you fine folk will clarify… I’ve done my best. Otherwise a rather tricky but fun puzzle, and, as one hopes for, a feline Nina.
Thanks BOBCAT!
CO (company) + OR (men) + (IN boring DATE (meeting))
FI (motor racing) + L[e] M[ans] (starts in)
“boss crones” = CROSSBONES (to control coven “spooners”)
“loo” = LIEU (john “in profession”)
I’m not really sure about this one
20 x 3 (three full scores) and 18 (90pc of another 20 (score))
(EC TR[a]DE ( without reference to A (America) IN E (energy))* (*developing)
LUR[e] (enticement, brief) to be enthralled by B B (books) &lit
(LAS VE[gas] (short of GAS (fuel))* (*going around)
Double definition
(RICHTER [w]A[s] (essentially) TOPS)* (*in performance) &lit
T[riumvirate] (beginning) + [m]ASK (cover up, to oust leader)
IN (at home) + GOOD (G) & TIME (T) maybe (sorry, I’m really not sure about this)
RU (game, Rugby Union) + D[ebacl]E (ends in)
BELLE (beauty) ties up (Y (Yankee) + DAN (dude who’s desperate, Desperate Dan) + C[raving] (initially))
C (caught) + [l]OCA[l] (pub, L L (students) leaving)
BO (hum) being inspired by [n]O[t]E[S] (regularly selected)
(AND THE DESIRE)* (*to be stimulated)
O (nothing) picked up by NOSE (informer)
(EAT (upset) + M (maiden)) found in TRENT (river)
I’m not sure about this
ICING (freezing) + (RAGUS)< (Italian sauces, <tipped over)
MOUNT (horse) underwritten by E BANK (online fund)
(DIM B[oozers] (primarily) FEEL NEED)* (*to get drunk)
Double (cryptic) definition
(IDEALISTIC)* (*novel)
[set]TENCE (reduced by almost half) after [s]EXIS[m] (discrimination, exposed)
A TOLL (what one may pay)
L[ampter] (first) cracking KIN (family)
FEE (charge) includes “tea” = T (“for the audience”)
LIEU
Parsed it as in the blog.
In LIEU of=in place of. The def seems all right.
LOO in profession (when professed) —The blog says the same thing, I think.
TREATMENT
Parsed it as in the blog.
upset/worry=EAT —I can’t see any problem with this.
IN GOOD TIME
IN (at home)
G is GOOD and T is Time, but how does ‘in order’ clue G&T as GOOD TIME
is not clear so far.
I find that GT is an internet slang for GOOD TIME
G&T in order—->GT, I guess (G followed by T)
Not sure tho
Teacow, and KVa. 25A IN GOOD TIME The meaning of G&T in the surface reading is “gin and tonic”. For the cryptic reading, ignore the dash to get “at home G and T” in [that] order, where, as you say, “at home” = IN, G = “good” and T = “time”.
KVa@1&2… I think I just pronounce LIEU sufficiently differently to LOO that it made me feel uneasy… and I’m not normally a stickler for homophones. Similarly, the EAT slightly bothered me, but maybe it was because I was tired. G = GOOD & T = TIME is kind of ok but as you say, the “in order” doesn’t mean a great deal to me… but I might have missed something.
Parsed SALVE as LAS< + VE(gas).
I thought this was pretty approachable. I best liked COORDINATE, ITALICISED (a clever spot), IN THE MAIN, and ATOLL.
For once, the nina helped me, by unlocking 13. I could not parse NOOSE (nose was new to me) or IN GOOD TIME (in order does not mean much). I am afraid I do not view BLURB as & lit. It just seems to be a clue without a a definition.
Thanks Bobcat and Teacow
The C boss says
LIEU can be pronounced in two ways
loo or lyoo
SALVE
Agree with Hovis
BLURB
I saw it as an &lit as the blogger did. Maybe the cryptic reading has a number mismatch
(BLURB and books). Or there should be a better explanation for this.
I think 13d is a triple definition. Six plus shooter( photographer) film of the same name and a deadly weapon.
Lovely anagram in 20ac. There are at least two famous Richter conductors.
Thanks Bobcat and Teacow
KVa@7 A publisher’s blurb need not be about just one book. It could, for example, be about a set of books issued in a special edition. For the surface reading of 17A that possibility is catered for by the QM.
Bagpuss@9
BLURB
Thanks.
Thanks Bobcat for the Monday entertainment. My top picks included CO-ORDINATE, COCA, EXISTENCE, ATOLL, and the Nina, SIAMESE. Thanks Teacow for the blog.
Bobcat is often a bit too subtle for my modest abilities but I got most of this one, maybe I’m tuning in to B’s wavelength at last, not easy for someone who is Autistic.
Thanks to BOBCAT and Teacow
Not too tricky, we thought, and a satisfying solve. Our LOI was 3dn where we couldn’t unscramble the anagram till we spotted the nina which gave us the A and led to the answer. Favourites were SEVENTY-EIGHT and ORCHESTRA PIT.
Thanks, Bobcat and Teacow.
I found this quite tricky but then I was watching Cape Verde. I agree with the conclusions reached, including BLURB being &Lit. I hadn’t parsed TREATMENT fully. RUDE was last one in.
I liked CROSSBONES, ITALICISED and ATOLL.
Thanks Bobcat, have fun Teacow.
Thanks Both – very enjoyable.
Liked the Spoonerism, seventy eight and belly dance.
Not sure about G&T…
Nice one, Bobcat, and well done Pete under the circumstances.
I ticked three in a row, 12, 15 and 17, each for a different reason.
12, SEVENTY-EIGHT reminded me of Qaos’ trademark numerical clues, but this time in reverse.
15, INTERCEDE had a very topical surface, especially for us Canadians, as we have just concluded a big energy deal with Germany as part of our strategy of increasing EC trade and reducing our reliance on America.
And 17, BLURB is a clever construction with a nice surface for bibliophiles.
Like Big Al@13, I couldn’t see 3d DISHEARTENED for the longest time, until I noticed the nina and added the A to the crossers.
Got them all except CROSSBONES and NOOSE. I find Spoonerisms so irritating (and difficult) that I rarely attempt them, hoping that I will be able to solve by definition alone (which today eluded me) and “nose” was not a usage I have come across. Otherwise very enjoyable.
I finished it! I’m so happy!
Martin@14, thankyou. I thought the Cape Verde keeper was a hero, and that Spain were hugely unimpressive. CROSSBONES was one of my favourites, but I do like a Spoonerism. Enjoy the rest of the World Cup.
Fun. Siamese helped me with SIX SHOOTER, which I was convinced was related to 6a FILM.
I missed one, 10a, for which I wrote SITU, thinking it was somehow place = in situ. No idea what John was doing there, but I get it now.
In Ireland, we say Jacks (plural), as in “I’m off to the Jacks”. I wonder if that’s related to John.
SM @8, there’s also Sviatoslav. His Appassionata is electrifying, and his Opus 69 with Rostropovich deeply gorgeous.
ginf#21, agreed. The entire set of the Beethoven cello sonatas is beyond compare. The communication between the two of them, without ever looking at each other, was truly amazing. (I’m referring to a live performance from the Edinburgh Festival, captured on a DVD.)
But you’d never have seen him in an orchestra pit.