This was quite the challenge from Prak, and a pangram.
A very fun solve, which took me a couple of sittings to complete, with at least one use of a word-search, and numerous bits of research to solve/confirm answers.
That is absolutely not a complaint, as I genuinely enjoy those little diversions into learning about Anglo-Polish writers, old fashioned instruments or stage performances, and a type of dragon I only knew from a place name.
My last one in was SEQUESTERED, where the likely Q to complete the pangram helped a lot.
I did notice the puzzle has fewer clues than most 15×15 grids at 26 (I count them to track my progress when solving for personal moral support, as I do with kilometres when running long distances) but I don’t think the puzzle is any the worse for it.
Many thanks to Prak.
| ACROSS | ||
| 5 | CONRAD |
Trick awesome Anglo-Polish writer (6)
|
| A charade of CON (trick) + RAD (awesome).
The writer is Joseph Conrad. I haven’t read anything of his but I probably should. |
||
| 6 | REBUKE |
Blame UK beer, having got drunk (6)
|
| An anagram (having got drunk) of UK BEER. | ||
| 9 | NORRIS |
Minor risk imprisoning Chuck? (6)
|
| The American martial artist, actor, screenwriter, and author, who passed away earlier this year, hidden in (imprisoned by) miNOR RISk. | ||
| 10 | ESPRESSO |
English hurry to drown in very strong drink (8)
|
| A charade of E[nglish] + SPRESSO, an envelope (to drown in) of PRESS (hurry) inside SO (very). | ||
| 11 | MICE |
They can send little arrows shooting towards windows (4)
|
| A cryptic definition; referring to a computer mouse, plural mice, and their use in graphical user interfaces. | ||
| 12 | STUNNINGLY |
Surgeon finally cuts into tiny lungs convulsing in impressive way (10)
|
| An anagram (convulsing) of surgeoN (finally) + TINY LUNGS. | ||
| 13 | REPOSSESSES |
Takes back agent and sailor’s letters (11)
|
| I think this is a charade of REP (agent) + OS’S (Ordinary Seaman’s, so sailor’s) + ESSES (letters). | ||
| 18 | EYEWITNESS |
Person describing situation of European tree is sent off (10)
|
| A charade of E[uropean] + YEW (tree) + ITNESS, an anagram (off) of IS SENT. | ||
| 21 | TRIO |
Wilson, Keppel and Betty? Ooo!? (4)
|
| A sort of cryptic double definition. OOO is three Os, so a tri-o, and Wilson, Keppel and Betty were a popular three-person British music hall and vaudeville act.
Apparently they were famed for their sand dance. The group and the dance were both new to me, though perhaps familiar from cultural references. |
||
| 22 | TEMPLATE |
Office worker with overdue blueprint (8)
|
| A charade of TEMP (office worker) + LATE (overdue). | ||
| 23 | LANDAU |
Win gold carriage (6)
|
| A charade of LAND (win, as in to land a big contract) + AU (gold).
I wasn’t familiar with the type of carriage, named for the German town where it originated. |
||
| 24 | NOTICE |
See water when running? (6)
|
| Running i.e. liquid water would be NOT ICE. | ||
| 25 | ROBOTS |
With alumnus brought in, sort out labour-saving devices (6)
|
| An envelope (brought in) of OB (old boy, so alumnus) inside ROTS, an anagram (out) of SORT. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | UNFREEZE |
In middle of June, fine zephyr starting late thaw (8)
|
| A charade of UN (middle letters of June) + F[ine] + REEZE (breeze, i.e. zephyr, minus its first letter or ‘starting late’). | ||
| 2 | TARSUS |
To some extent, Croesus rattled ascendant ancient city (6)
|
| A hidden (to some extent) reversal (ascendant) in CroeSUS RATtled, for the ancient city now part of Southern Turkey. | ||
| 3 | SERPENTS |
Resistance writer interrupts groups making wind instruments (8)
|
| An envelope (interrupts) of R (symbol for electrical resistance in physics) + PEN (writer), inside SETS (groups).
The serpent wind instrument is a distant ancestors of the tuba. |
||
| 4 | TUREEN |
Spin round, gripping deep uncovered soup dish (6)
|
| An envelope (gripping) of EE (deep minus outer letters/uncovered) inside TURN (spin round). | ||
| 5 | CHOPIN |
Pianist‘s home after church work (6)
|
| A charade of CH[urch] + OP (work) + IN (home). | ||
| 7 | EASELS |
Prickly plants topped stands (6)
|
| TEASELS (prickly plants) minus the first letter (topped). | ||
| 8 | SEQUESTERED |
Isolated person seeking to crack nut (11)
|
| An envelope (to crack) of QUESTER (person seeking) inside SEED (nut). | ||
| 14 | OUTMATCH |
Do better than dismissed striker? (8)
|
| OUT (dismissed) + MATCH (striker). | ||
| 15 | EXTENSOR |
Rest oxen when straining muscle (8)
|
| An anagram (when straining) of REST OXEN. | ||
| 16 | WYVERN |
Gutless women capturing very distressed dragon (6)
|
| An envelope (capturing) of YVER, an anagram (distressed) of VERY, inside WN (gutless women). | ||
| 17 | JIHADS |
Jedi scholar’s damsel occasionally struggles against unbelievers (6)
|
| ‘Occasional’ letters from JedI scHolArs DamSel. | ||
| 19 | WAPITI |
Leaders in war against Palantir instal this independent browser (6)
|
| First letters (leaders) of War Against Palantir Instal This Independent, giving another name for elk, i.e. browsing animals.
The surface refers to the US company involved with surveillance technology and cleverly misdirected me into thinking of web browsers. |
||
| 20 | SALLOW |
Unhealthily pale pig gobbles everything (6)
|
| An envelope (gobbles) of ALL (everything) inside SOW (pig). |