Jason is this morning’s setter.
I only had a handful of across answers in on my first pass, but down solutions came a little easier, so I had plenty of crossers to help me get through the rest of the puzzle. My LOI was CARVER, because I couldn’t remember the name for the dining chair, but the crossing V helped.
Thanks, Jason.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BASALT |
Bachelor, a wit, provides rock (6)
|
| B (bachelor) + A + SALT (“wit”) | ||
| 4 | MECHANIC |
Artisan’s small-minded about church in charge (8)
|
| MEAN (“small-minded”) about Ch. (church) + IC (in charge) | ||
| 10 | AMERICANO |
Drink with blooming nice aroma (9)
|
| *(nice aroma) [anag:blooming] | ||
| 11 | TIDES |
Bonds with 500 invested, these rise and fall (5)
|
| TIES (“bonds”) with D (500) invested | ||
| 12 | TRUE |
Genuine respite with cold avoided (4)
|
| TRU(c)E (“respite”) with C (cold) avoided | ||
| 13 | OVERCHARGE |
Do load too much (10)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | FLAVOUR |
Goodwill must include opening of luscious relish (7)
|
| FAVOUR (“goodwill”) must include [opening of] L(uscious) | ||
| 16 | PLIANT |
Flexible one within flower (6)
|
| I (one) within PLANT (“flower”) | ||
| 19 | HERESY |
At this point society faces unknown contrary opinion (6)
|
| HERE (“at this point”) + S (society) faces Y (“unknown”, in mathematics) | ||
| 21 | FLEECED |
Jacket daughter ripped off (7)
|
| FLEECE (jacket) + D (daughter) | ||
| 23 | SECRETAIRE |
Cabinet which folds is hidden then mostly exposed (10)
|
| SECRET (“hidden”) then [mostly] AIRE(d) | ||
| 25 | PALM |
Conceal buddy with money (4)
|
| PAL (“buddy”) with M (money) | ||
| 27 | AVAST |
On board stop huge American first (5)
|
| VAST (“huge”) with A (American) first | ||
| 28 | DAMNATION |
Reviewing crazy state’s punishment (9)
|
| [reviewing] <=MAD (“crazy”) + NATION (“state”) | ||
| 29 | EMIGRATE |
A regime in chaos? About time to relocate (8)
|
| *(a regime) [anag:in chaos] about T (time) | ||
| 30 | ASSETS |
When stakes will become things of advantage (6)
|
| AS (“when”) + SETS (“stakes”) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BLAST-OFF |
Launch for book finally postponed (5-3)
|
| B (book) + LAST (“finally”) + OFF (“postponed”) | ||
| 2 | SPECULATE |
Examine special cryptic clue near end of puzzle (9)
|
| Sp. (special) + *(clue) [anag:cryptic] + AT (“near”) + [end of] (puzzl)E | ||
| 3 | LAIR |
Left to express retreat (4)
|
| L (left) + AIR (“to express”) | ||
| 5 | EGO TRIP |
English received rent for what props one up (3,4)
|
| E (English) + GOT (“received”) + RIP (“rent”) | ||
| 6 | HITCHHIKER |
Potential passenger who’d put up problem (10)
|
| Somone who puts things up (hikes) would be a HIKER, so a HITCH HIKER could someone putting up hitches (“problems”) | ||
| 7 | NADIR |
Not available to clear up the lowest point (5)
|
| <=(N/A (not available) + RID (“to clear”),up) | ||
| 8 | COSTER |
Market trader who knows the value of everything (6)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | CARVER |
Perhaps Gormley’s seat (6)
|
| Double definition, the first referring to sculptor Anthony Gormley and the second to a dining chair with arms. | ||
| 14 | LOVE LETTER |
Hold dear resident’s affectionate note (4,6)
|
| LOVE (“hold dear”) + LETTER (“resident”) | ||
| 17 | NECTARINE |
Mushy centre in a fruit (9)
|
| *(centre in a) [anag:mushy] | ||
| 18 | ODDMENTS |
Remnants left over by soldiers — empty tanks (8)
|
| ODD (“left over”) by MEN (“soldiers”) + [empty] T(ank)S | ||
| 20 | YEAR DOT |
Dear toy that’s been broken ages ago? (4,3)
|
| *(dear toy) [anag:that’s been broken] | ||
| 21 | FORUMS |
Regular meetings in favour of us taking minutes (6)
|
| FOR (“in favour of”) + US taking M (minutes) | ||
| 22 | ESCAPE |
Get away from Spain over southern headland (6)
|
| E (international vehicle registration code for “Spain”) over S (southern) + CAPE (“headland”) | ||
| 24 | COATI |
Fur possibly on head of indigenous omnivore (5)
|
| COAT (“fur, possibly”) on [head of] I(ndigenous) | ||
| 26 | NAGS |
Henpecks and hacks (4)
|
| Double definition, the second referring to horses in poor condition. |
Failed to get CARVER & NAGS. SECRETAIRE & COSTER were both new to me but gettable. Wasn’t sure in what context ‘stakes’ equates to ‘sets’ but l’m sure someone will elucidate.
Ditto Hovis @1; AI says you can stake out/set out a territory … hmm, spose so …
An enjoyable challenge from Jason, the top half going in smoothly enough but more thought was required for the remainder.
In the end, the puzzle was completed with just a few parsings eluding me (ASSETS – also shrugged at sets/stakes – and the second definition of CARVER), for which I thank Loonapick.
Favourites were NECTARINE, SECRETAIRE and EGO TRIP.
Cheers Jason.
Thanks Jason and Loonapick
30ac: Chambers 2016 p 1427 has set vt “… to cause to be; to plant; to stake; to embed; to frame; to mount …”. This seems to fit with p 1515 stake¹ vt “to fasten to or with, to protect, shut, support, furnish, pierce, with a stake or stakes”.
I liked the two furniture clues. Why are FORUMS regular?
21dn: Chambers p 601 has forum n “… a meeting to discuss topics of public concern; a publication, regular meeting, etc serving as a medium for debate; …”.
9dn: I’ve never heard of a Carver chair, so I wrongly assumed it must be an ANTONY chair.
Thanks Jason for a pleasant crossword. This was relatively smooth sailing for me but I revealed CARVER because I was unfamiliar with both definitions and I only guessed the nho COSTER. Favourites included AMERICANO, TIDES, and BLAST-OFF. I’m not a fan of ‘by’ to indicate juxtaposition in a down clue (ODDMENTS) otherwise I had no complaints. Thanks loonapick for the blog.
Some nice clues to be sure. I best liked LAIR, NECTARINE, DAMNATION and LOI NAGS. I had the same issues as others and it was the crossing of AVAST and COATI that gave me most trouble. Overall, I thought there were too many iffy synonyms and obscurities.
Thanks Jason and loonapick
Well we got it all, guessing that 9dn had to be CARVER. But we don’t understand the clue since a carver is a dining chair with arms whereas Antony Gormley’s sculpture The Chair is anything but a carver.
Apart from that, a pleasant enough solve; we liked AVAST and COATI.
Thanks, Jason and loonapick.
Thanks for the blog , good set of clues overall . AVAST ye , often heard on Captain Pugwash .
I am also a bit unsure about CARVER , the chair bit is fine , often see them at auctions , two from a set of six , but not sure about Gormley doing any carving . He is a sculptor but I think his work is cast from moulds .
In response to Big Al @ 10, I judged CARVER to relate to Gormley as a sculptor carving not his Chair piece. Two LOI COATI and AVAST as Martyn.
I agree with Roz about Gormley. I think he uses a full body casting process. I solved that one by looking up sculptor in the thesaurus, but I’m not convinced. I did know the chair though, so I knew it was correct. (Chambers does list sculptor under CARVER.)
A good challenge, I thought and a steady solve. No GK issues for me.
AMERICANO was a good spot.
Thanks Jason and loonapick