I’ve blogged Raider a few times in the Independent, though not recently, so it’s good to catch up with him again. The original puzzle may be found here.
I thought this was pitched just right: nothing too obscure, at least not if you can remember early 90s music. We don’t need to know Chuck Palahniuk or what sort of bird a silverbill is to solve the clues. Some lovely surfaces: 10a may have been done before but it bears repeating, and I liked the annoyed boss in 18a and the green bird (which isn’t) in 19d. Special mention also to the misdirection of “commercial break” in 4d. And it’s a pangram too, for those who like to spot such things. Thanks Raider for the fun.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 5 | POLAND |
State school hosts network (6)
|
| POD (school = a group of sea creatures) containing (hosting) LAN (abbreviation for local area network, in computer systems).
State = nation. |
||
| 6 | SELDOM |
When you’ll see models in bad shape? (6)
|
| Anagram (in bad shape) of MODELS.
Extended definition: fashion models have a professional requirement to look good, so you won’t often see them in bad shape. Although modelling agencies have sometimes been accused of putting their models under pressure to be unhealthily thin. |
||
| 9 | TETCHY |
Put out your old trousers among other things (6)
|
| THY (archaic form of “your” = your old), containing (trousering) ETC (abbreviation for Latin et cetera = among other things).
Put out, as an adjective = tetchy = annoyed and bad-tempered. |
||
| 10 | ALL RIGHT |
Well, presumably there’s nothing left (3,5)
|
| Definition and cryptic definition. Well = all right = OK; or if everything is right (on the right-hand side), then nothing can be on the left. | ||
| 11 | VERB |
Selection from silverbill, hawk, crane, crow or duck? (4)
|
| Hidden answer (selection from . . .) in [sil]VERB[ill].
Definition by (multiple) examples. Hawk, crane, crow and duck are all birds; but unlike “silverbill” they can also be verbs. (To sell in public; to lean over to get a better view of something; to boast; to drop down out of the way of an obstacle or a missile.) |
||
| 12 | COTTONTAIL |
Rabbit races held in new location (10)
|
| TT (abbreviation for time trial races, especially for motor vehicles), contained in an anagram (new) of LOCATION.
A rabbit with a white fluffy tail. |
||
| 13 | EXOSKELETON |
Lobster has such slippery sex with eel – not OK! (11)
|
| Anagram (slippery) of SEX + EEL NOT OK.
An animal’s hard outer shell. |
||
| 18 | JOURNALISM |
Slam junior’s sloppy paperwork? (10)
|
| Anagram (sloppy) of SLAM JUNIOR. We need to take the ‘s as a contraction of “is” (is sloppy).
Work on a newspaper (or the online / broadcast equivalent). |
||
| 21 | CRAB |
Taxi collects driver’s last fare from seaside (4)
|
| CAB (taxi = passenger vehicle for hire) containing the last letter of [drive]R.
Fare = food, in this case seafood. |
||
| 22 | IMMORTAL |
Wrong about things initially, this person goes on and on (8)
|
| IMMORAL (wrong) around the initial letter of T[hings]. | ||
| 23 | SQUEAL |
Crazy singer covering Queen’s high-pitched note (6)
|
| SEAL (British singer/songwriter known for the 1990 single Crazy), containing QU (abbreviation for queen). | ||
| 24 | TOILET |
Estate agent’s sign contains single place to go (6)
|
| TO LET (estate agent’s sign indicating that a property is available for rent) containing I (one in Roman numerals = a single).
Go, as a verb = slang for urinate, as in “I really need to go”. |
||
| 25 | CLOSED |
Record stores drop out of business (6)
|
| CD (abbreviation for compact disc = record), containing (storing) LOSE (drop = accidentally let go). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BLACK BOX |
Jet pack: a machine needed for flight (5,3)
|
| BLACK (jet = a black gemstone, or by extension a name for the colour black) + BOX (as a verb = to pack something into a box).
Officially known as a flight recorder: device for recording voice and data from an aircraft, in case it’s needed for a crash investigation. The name persists despite a legal requirement that the device is actually bright orange, to make it easier to find. |
||
| 2 | IN SYNC |
Where the dirty dishes are gathered and lined up (2,4)
|
| Sound-alike (gathered = heard) of IN SINK (where you’d put dirty dishes for washing).
Short for “in synchronization”. |
||
| 3 | WELL DONE |
What steak might be good for you? (4,4)
|
| Double definition. Well done = descriptive of meat thoroughly cooked so that it doesn’t retain any red colour; or well done! = good for you! = an expression of congratulation or approval. | ||
| 4 | ADRIFT |
Commercial break lacking purpose (6)
|
| AD (short for advertisement = commercial = promotional material) + RIFT (break = separation). | ||
| 5 | PEELER |
Police officer that strips (6)
|
| Double definition. Old name for a police officer (from Sir Robert Peel, former Home Secretary who founded the Metropolitan Police); or a kitchen tool for stripping the outer layer from fruit and vegetables. | ||
| 7 | MOHAIR |
Why one might shave nanny Sheila’s mustache before hospital appearance? (6)
|
| MO (Australian slang for mustache, as used by a “Sheila” = Australian slang for a woman) + H (abbreviation for hospital) + AIR (appearance, as in “an air of authority”).
Mohair = fibre from the hair of an Angora goat, perhaps a nanny (female goat). |
||
| 8 | BATTLEFIELD |
I debate furiously with TfL over line for Waterloo? (11)
|
| Anagram (furiously) of I DEBATE + TFL, containing L (abbreviation for line). For the surface, TfL = abbreviation for Transport for London, responsible for public transport lines through Waterloo station and the rest of London.
Definition by example: Waterloo, the site of Napoleon I’s final defeat. |
||
| 14 | STAR TREK |
Kick off about Palahniuk’s latest sci-fi stories (4,4)
|
| START (kick off = to start a football match) + RE (about = on the subject of) + last (latest) letter of [palahniu]K. The surface suggests the US writer Chuck Palahniuk, though he isn’t known for writing science fiction.
Science fiction TV and film franchise, originating in the 1960s and still going in various forms. |
||
| 15 | OF COURSE |
Surely one fellow’s lost from going the wrong way (2,6)
|
| OF[f] COURSE (going the wrong way), without one letter F (abbreviation for fellow = university academic staff member). | ||
| 16 | FORMAT |
Keep checking old lady’s make-up (6)
|
| FORT (keep = a building designed to be defended against attackers), containing (checking) MA (old lady = slang for mother).
Format = make-up = how something is constructed or arranged. |
||
| 17 | HAZARD |
Most distant characters in severe danger (6)
|
| A + Z (first and last letters of the alphabet = most distant characters) contained in HARD (severe). | ||
| 19 | ROOKIE |
Bird that is green (6)
|
| ROOK (a black bird) + IE (i.e. = abbreviation for Latin id est = that is).
Rookie = green = slang description of someone new and inexperienced in a role. |
||
| 20 | MUSCLE |
Beef with Minute Cryptic clues (6)
|
| M (abbreviation for minute) + anagram (cryptic) of CLUES.
Beef = muscle = slang for the appearance of physical strength. |
Raider has always been able to conjure up a delightful surface and has a nice line in cryptic defs too. And both of those aspects are clearly evident in this super puzzle. Loads of ticks for me. Special highlights: TECHY, COTTONTAIL, JOURNALISM, CRAB, IN SYNC, BATTLEFIELD and MUSCLE, the surface of which brought a particular smile.
Thanks both