Thanks to Qaos for another fun puzzle. I wonder if there’s any special going on…
Seeing SPINAL TAP and HARRY (Shearer) early on in row 9 made me think the inevitable theme was going to be that film, but not seeing any other references (I was looking in vain for ELEVEN) I investigated further and found that the puzzle is a tribute to the director Rob Reiner (who appears in the puzzle as part of ROBbers, and nearly an anagram of ERNIE). Reiner, who was murdered, allegedly by his son, last December, directed [This is] SPINAL TAP, which starred Harry SHEARER, as well as STAND BY me, The PRINCESS BRIDE and NORTH. He received many AWARDS and TROPHIES. Have I missed anything?
| Across | ||||||||
| 1 | NASALLY | Before 5050, space explorers ultimately pay through the nose (7) NASA (space explorers) + L L (two 50s) + [pa]Y |
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| 5 | STAND-BY | Substitute case of stout with case of brandy (5-2) S[tou]T + AND (with) + B[rand]Y |
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| 10 | OIL RIG | Locale for Derrick’s young lady? ‘I love travelling west’ (3,3) Reverse of GIRL + I O (zero, love) |
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| 11 | ACCURATE | A Catholic member of the clergy is faithful (8) A + C[atholic] + CURATE |
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| 12 | BAR | Prevent Shakespeare forgetting Bottom (3) BARD less its last letter or bottom. Some might argue that this only works as a Down clue but it’s fine by me |
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| 13 | MISERY | Woe is me! Reckless and extremely risky (6) (IS ME)* + R[isk]Y |
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| 14 | TROPHIES | Degenerates wanting Academy Awards (8) ATROPHIES (degenerates) less A[cademy] |
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| 15 | METER | Measure English trout initially found in French sea (5) E[nglish] T[rout] in MER (French for sea) |
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| 16 | MAKE SENSE | Man seeks new drug to hold water (4,5) (MAN SEEKS)* + E (drug) |
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| 19 | SPINAL TAP | Personal number key during father’s rejected US medical procedure (6,3) PIN (personal number) + ALT (computer key) in reverse of PA’S. Spinal Tap is (I see) mostly a US term for Lumbar Puncture |
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| 21 | HARRY | Prince arrived in Hungary on vacation (5) ARR. In H[ungar]Y |
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| 24 | ALLEY CAT | Stray lately wandering around California (5,3) CA in LATELY* |
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| 26 | RHOMBI | Greek character married bachelor, one with diamonds? (6) RHO (Greek letter) + M + B + I |
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| 27 | ICI | British company once part of public infrastructure (3) Hidden in publIC Infrastructure |
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| 28 | PRINCESS | Royal papers describing metal crown missing (8) [z]INC in PRESS (newspapers) |
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| 29 | DEALER | Trader: ‘Expensive coats, Levi’s – 60% off!’ (6) 60% of LEVi’s in DEAR (expensive) |
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| 30 | ASSERTS | American to highlight revolting states (7) A[merican] + reverse of STRESS (highlight) |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 2 | ASININE | Foolish like 1 + 9? (7) AS (like) + 1 + NINE |
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| 3 | A FREE REIN | I earn change importing without charge or latitude (1,4,4) FREE (without charge) in (I EARN)* |
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| 4 | LEG BYE | Extra line to say farewell (3,3) L[ine] + EG (say) + BYE (farewell). A leg bye is an extra in cricket |
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| 6 | TICK OVER | Heart admits nothing against being idle (4,4) O (nothing) + V[ersus] in TICKER (heart) |
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| 7 | NORTH | Point revealed by 14 or 13? (5) Hidden in fourteeN OR THirteen |
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| 8 | BOTHERS | Worries relatives when first king abdicates (7) BROTHERS less the first R (king) |
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| 9 | MARTIAL ARTIST | Dan perhaps mixing art material – it’s missing base (7,6) Anagram of ART MATERIAL IT’S less E (or rather “e”, the base of natural logarithms). It seems a bit of a flaw that ART appears both in the anagram fodder and in ARTIST |
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| 17 | ELABORATE | Add more detail to complex (9) Double definition (though the two meanings are rather close) |
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| 18 | SLICKEST | Celts ski, going downhill with the most smooth manner (8) (CELTS SKI)* |
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| 20 | POLARIS | 7 star submarine (7) Double definition – Polaris is the North Star |
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| 22 | ROBBERS | They steal over 2 billion euros, not even starting with rupees (7) R[upees] + O[ver] + B B (two Billions) + the odd letters of EuRoS |
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| 23 | BRIDES | Second-tier attractions, those with trains? (6) B-RIDES (attractions at a theme park, say, not as good as the A-rides) |
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| 25 | ERNIE | Wise one in Munich on retreat drinking last of beer? (5) [bee]R in reverse of EINE (German “one”) |
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Come on, own up, did anyone else Google “misery trophies” in the vain hope of uncovering something to do with NORTH?
Lovely puzzle, full of wit.
Many thanks, both.
Thankfully the Nigel Farage theme hinted at by NASALLY ASININE MISERY never materialised
I spotted the PRINCESS BRIDE and SPINAL TAP but wasn’t aware of the diversity of Rob Reiner’s work
NORTH my fave today
Cheers Q&A
Also MISERY and When HARRY Met Sally
Enjoyed this – thanks to Qaos and Andrew.
MISERY and When HARRY MET SALLY also directed by Reiner.
oops just beaten to it…
Very enjoyable, no quibbles (apart from possibly the abovementioned art in the clue for MARTIAL ARTIST).
Didn’t spot the theme, but REINER appears in column 4
Apparently, he also directed NORTH
MISERY is also one of his movies. I didn’t know that. As is When HARRY met Sally. (already mentioned above @3 and @4 – I’ve been too slow)
Apart from the theme, the puzzle, while not difficult, is a feast of numerical clues, including my favourite NORTH. Thanks Qaos and Andrew!
The ginf radar must be shrinking … of his 30-something movies I’ve seen none, heard of just two, and knew neither his name nor of his recent untimely demise. Oh well. Nice puzzle tho, deffo an A-ride, thanks Q&A.
Don’t feel bad, grant#9, the theme was lost on me too.
I also thought the theme was going to be SPINAL TAP when that and HARRY were in the grid. I remember quite enjoying MISERY but was unaware it was direct by Reiner.
Liked the misdirection in NORTH. Ticks also for ALLEY CAT and RHOMBI
Thanks Qaos and Andrew
Isn’t 29 40% of Levis?
George23 It’s a minor mistyping in the blog. It should read 60% OFF.