Thanks Pangakupu for the puzzle, I especially liked 1ac, 16ac, 23ac, and 16dn.
As usual for Pangakupu, some Maori words are hidden in the grid: KAITIAKI means “guardian” and HOIHO=”horse”. Edit thanks to Mitz in the comments – hoiho more likely refers to the yellow-eyed penguin
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | INCLUSIVENESS |
Senses uncivil rioting – the participation of everybody? (13)
|
| anagram/”rioting” of (Senses uncivil)* | ||
| 10 | NATASHA |
Exclamation of success after recalling devil woman? (7)
|
| HA=”Exclamation of success”, after SATAN=”devil” reversed/”recalling” | ||
| 11 | CAMBIUM |
Tramp beside Cambridge river taking in one feature of arboreal growth (7)
|
| BUM=vagrant=”Tramp”, after CAM=river in Cambridge; and taking in I=”one” | ||
| 12 | GET AT |
Mean for one to return rubbish (3,2)
|
| definition: ‘to get at X’ = ‘to mean X’, as in e.g. ‘what are you getting at, with that message?’
E.G.=for example=”for one” reversed/”to return”; plus TAT=”rubbish” |
||
| 13 | HARD CIDER |
Woman’s concealing a way with detectives and juice (4,5)
|
| HER=”Woman’s” around/concealing: A (from surface) + RD (road, “way”) + CID (Criminal Investigations Department, “detectives”) | ||
| 14 | TORCH |
Light bit of rest in hospital bed rejected (5)
|
| a letter/bit of R-[est], in reversal/”rejected” of: H (hospital) + COT=”bed” | ||
| 16 | GOOSE STEP |
Fascist movement? Sees to changes among Republicans (5,4)
|
| definition: a military step associated with Nazi Germany
anagram/”changes” of (Sees to)*, inside/”among” GOP (Grand Old Party, “Republicans” in US politics) |
||
| 18 | E-PAYMENTS |
Mean types ruined online transactions (1-8)
|
| anagram/”ruined” of (Mean types)* | ||
| 19 | KHAKI |
Book launch finally having a lot of similar military material (5)
|
| final letters of [Boo]-K [launc]-H; plus “a lot of” the letters from AKI-[n]=”similar” | ||
| 20 | REASSURED |
Relieved apprehension in various readers about The Guardian‘s volte-face (9)
|
| anagram/”various” of (readers)*, around reversal/”volte-face” of US=”The Guardian” | ||
| 23 | INSET |
Where many maps show Alaska and Hawaii? This month around Spain (5)
|
| definition: an inset section of a map may be used to show Alaska and Hawaii within a larger map, if they would not otherwise fit neatly into the layout
INST (short for instante mense, “This month” in Latin); around E (España, “Spain”) |
||
| 24 | NAIVIST |
Note excellent view, largely ingenuous (7)
|
| N (Note) + AI=grade A1=”excellent” + VIST-[a]=”view, largely” | ||
| 25 | NOISOME |
Offensive is torpedoing rotating satellite close to home (7)
|
| IS (from surface), torpedoing into MOON=”satellite” reversed /”rotating”; plus the end/”close” to [hom]-E | ||
| 26 | PINE TREE STATE |
Maine – Eastern and petite, possibly (4,4,5)
|
| anagram/”possibly” of (Eastern |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | NATATORIA |
North American cheers most of experiment involving old swimming pools (9)
|
| definition: a natatorium is a swimming pool
NA (North American), plus TA=thank you=”cheers”, plus TRIA-[L]=”most of experiment” around O (old) |
||
| 3 | LISZT |
Composer’s inclination for radio broadcast? (5)
|
| sounds like (“for radio broadcast”): ‘list’=leaning=”inclination” | ||
| 4 | STASH |
Hidden material – timber under stone (5)
|
| ASH=”timber” after ST (short for “stone” the unit of mass) | ||
| 5 | VICARIOUS |
Malevolent, grabbing a lot of power at second hand (9)
|
| VICIOUS=”Malevolent”, around/”grabbing” a lot of AR-[m]=reach, influence=”power” (as in e.g. ‘long arm of the law’) | ||
| 6 | NAME CHECK |
Mention Australian mechanics – something audacious about that (9)
|
| A (Australian) + MECH (mechanics e.g. in the context of fields of engineering); with NECK=impudence=”something audacious” about it | ||
| 7 | SKIED |
Travelled in winter, perhaps raised aloft (5)
|
| double definition: to use skis to travel on snow; or past tense of ‘to sky’, to raise aloft | ||
| 8 | KNIGHTS ERRANT |
Adventurous types in middle of Hawkins – broadcast of Stranger Things two-thirds complete (7,6)
|
| middle letter of [Haw]-K-[ins], plus anagram of (Stranger Thin)*, with Thin from “Things two-thirds complete” | ||
| 9 | IMPROPRIETIES |
The writer’s supporting Minister (mostly) about relationship and scandalous behaviours (13)
|
| I’M=the writer is=”The writer’s” + PRO=in favour of=”supporting” + PRIES-[t]=”Minister (mostly)” around TIE=”relationship” | ||
| 15 | HAMPSHIRE |
Source of heavy band equipment on charter in southern county (9)
|
| first letter/”Source” of H-[eavy] + AMPS=amplifiers for sound/music=”band equipment” + HIRE=”charter” | ||
| 16 | GENERATOR |
Something that makes classes rushed? Not entirely (9)
|
| GENERA=plural of genus=”classes” + most letters (Not entirely) from TOR-[e]=moved quickly=”rushed” | ||
| 17 | TRANSPORT |
Coaches? Coaches left after I disembarked (9)
|
| TRA-[I]-NS=”Coaches” + PORT=”left” (e.g. on a ship); with I removed/”disembarked” | ||
| 21 | ALIBI |
Excuse a sexual impulse, but not act (5)
|
| A (from surface) + LIBI-[do]=”sexual impulse” without do=”act” | ||
| 22 | DANTE |
Italian writer not ultimately hosted by another European (5)
|
| last/ultimate letter of [no]-T; inside DANE=”another [aside from Italian] European” | ||
| 23 | IDIOT |
One heartless sod is stupid (5)
|
| I=”One” + DI-[v]-OT=”sod” without its heart or central letter |
Well I learned a few new words this morning. I liked INCLUSIVENESS, GOOSE STEP, E-PAYMENTS, KHAKI and KNIGHTS ERRANT.
As for 51 I think it may relate to the 50 states in the US, where Alaska and Hawaii were the last to be added in 1959.
I also noticed KAITIAKI meaning guardian.
Ta Pangakupu & manehi
Pretty sure the Maori Nina today is more likely to be a translation of “Save the Yellow-Eyed Penguin”, which is increasingly rare.
Thanks manehi – needed this today.
PINE TREE STATE is an anagram of EASTERN PETITE – the “and” isn’t included
Thanks Pangakupu and manehi
Several quibbles. Including Cambridge in 11a made it really obvious, and CAMBIUM tissue is found in all vascular plants, not just trees. I’ve never heard of HARD CIDER, and Google tells me it’s an exclusively US term for the alcoholic form that we just call cider, to distinguish it from apple juice, which they call cider. KHAKI was obvious, but where the AKI came from wasn’t. ALIBI means “elsewhere” rather than excuse. Stupid is an adjective, whereas IDIOT is a noun.
I can never remember which way round the S and Z are in LISZT!
Muffin @4 – Chambers also gives IDIOT as an adjective.
It also gives STUPID as a noun.
New for me: Maine = PINE TREE STATE; CAMBIUM, HARD CIDER, NATATORIA.
Crispy @5
I suppose I have heard “you idiot boy”, though the adjective is idiotic; I don’t see how stupid could be used as a noun, though.
Muffin@4 here in Australia alcoholic apple juice is also referred to as hard cider, or simply alcoholic cider, so not just US usage
Cider can often mean just apple juice
Lots of new words for me today. AlanC @1. agree with your list of likes esp’ the errant knights and would add the PINE TREE STATE.
The Nina(s) as always eluded me even though I am aware that it’s a trade mark for this setter.
As always thanks to P and M
HOIHO can have a macron, which changes its meaning. I can’t remember which way round it is but one is the penguin and one the horse. You need the horse – a ‘horse guardian’ is about as close as I can get to ‘Groom’, while ROTO (lurking in row 14} gives you Lake. And Groom Lake is better known as Area 51, for puzzle 51. (52 is easier.)
I argued for the restoration of Cambridge as CAMBIUM was a less common word. But I suppose Cambridge is up there with Po, Dee and Exe and can just be referred to as ‘river’.
Muffin @7 – Chambers does give the noun version of stupid as colloquial. Never thought what “IDIOT” in IDIOT BOX (television) referred to, i.e. is it the person watching (noun) or description (adj) of the box itself.
Thanks for the blog , I like long anagrams so this suited me . GOOSE STEP was very neat . Misprint in the paper for 20AC – Guardian s – no apostrophe and quite a large gap . INSET , many maps of the USA show these extra states as an inset .
Muffin@4 , T-shirts saying – I’m with stupid – are not too rare .
A good grid with two big pluses .
[ AlanC at number 1 yet again , like KPR for the final time this season , I am sure you will get promotion from magenta quite soon . ]
muffin @7 see also Bob Dylan’s Idiot Wind
Pangakapu’s never been the most succinct of setters and this felt like a step back to his early verbosity in places
I thought there were too many subtractions but with hindsight there were only 11 – is that too many? Maybe the heat is making me cranky?
Bouquet for GOOSE STEP
Brickbat for INSET – Inst. just makes me cringe in this day and age
Cheers P&M
Muffin@7 As in “come here stupid!”?
NAIVIST is a noun, whereas INGENUOUS is an adjective.
Agree with bodycheetah about verbosity
KateE@16
Both Naivist and ingenuous are adjectives. Correct me
if wrong.
KateE@16
Naivist is an adjective, describing a style esp in art.
KVA has beaten me to it.
muffin @7 ‘The Idiot Boy’ is a poem by Wordsworth published.in Lyrical Ballads in 1798, although there it is used, in a way that would now be unacceptable, to mean suffering from a congenital mental impairment.
Quite hard for Pangakupu whom I usually find fairly easy. Had to have a little assistance though I did not have to resort to Reveal Word.
Nho CAMBIUM, NATATORIA (though it had to be from the Latin) or NAIVIST.
Agree with Muffin@4 that in the US, as I remember, cider is juice and hard cider has alcohol. Big disappointment when I asked for cider and got juice. I can see that the setter couldn’t say cider in the clue as it’s in the solution.
The battle for the correct use of alibi is lost, I see.
Favourites already liked by others.
Thanks Pangakupu and manehi.
NAIVIST and NATATORIA were new: in both cases the first four letters came quickly but the rest took its time. I liked the Fascist movement for GOOSE STEP and the military material for KHAKI – but KHAKI was one of the subtractions where as usual I had trouble identifying the synonym for the subtractee word: AKI(n), VIST(a), PRIES(t), AR(m), TOR(e), DI(v)OT. Never my favourite clue type, and today there were a lot of them, and some quite stretchy. But I enjoyed the big anagrams .
In spite of the variations in local usage, HARD CIDER is not mere “juice” anywhere. And our (Baptist) minister would be theologically opposed to being called a priest: outside of crosswordland, the various terms for clergy are not freely interchangeable.
I leave Maori to the people who know about these things: thanks Pangakupu for the explanation and manehi for the blog.
Natate meaning swim somehow survives in the lexicon, along with osculate and micturate.
Nearly finished my second crossword of the year.
Beaten by the NHO’s.
Thanks both.
H. P. Lovecraft wrote of Azathoth, the ‘Blind Idiot God’. ‘Kiss Me, Stupid’ was a 1964 Billy Wilder film.
15d – Genus and class are wide apart in the classification of living things. Certainly not synonymous. Otherwise excellent.
Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple gives us:
‘Some stupid with a flare gun’
GOOSE STEP was a definite favorite with a lovely misdirection.
CAMBIUM was new to me, I have no idea how well known to those of you who actually know something about botany.
I failed to parse INSET, having forgotten instante mense, although we’ve had it here in the not-too-distant past. Next time, perhaps.
And as for several others NATATORIA was also new, and my LOI. I recalled natation as a rarely-seen word for swimming and the rest fell into place.
#4 MUFFIN – Unlike me, you clearly escaped being admonished as an “IDIOT CHILD”!
Thanks Pangakupu – nice solvable puzzle with some smiles. Of course, don’t get any of the MAORI references, but admire your ingenuity in adding this complexity to the already mind-numbing skill of crossword writing.
Muffin@4: I agree with you about Cambridge, my first reaction was “it can’t be that obvious, surely — what’s the river in the other Cambridge?” (Charles, for those who care to know.)
However, I disagree about ALIBI — although you are technically correct (and, I suspect, lawyers still use it in its original sense), in general use it has been used as a synonym for “excuse” for something over a century. Language changes, not always for the better…
A tale of 2 sittings as it took me a while to crack 8d and 9d. Couple of new words but all fairly clued. In the App, 20A has The Guardians also like Roz@12’s paper version it’s missing the ‘.
Finished it completely last night. Rare for me.
In the US, or at least in New England, I think, “cider” ,means the unfiltered brownish delicious fresh drink we can only get in apple season. The tea-colored sugary corporate stuff that’s around the rest of the year is “apple juice.” The alcoholic kind, as others have said, is “hard cider.”
I’m surprised that Pangakapu expects UK solvers to know Maine’s nickname. Every state has an official one, but most of us know only a few. My state, Connecticut, has “Constitution State” as its official nickname, and nobody ever uses it. Our unofficial nickname is “Nutmeg state,” coming from the probably apocryphal tale that after the Civil War carpetbaggers from here conned the ignorant southerners by selling them wooden nutmegs. I would think that creating a wooden nutmeg would be so labor intensive as not to be worth it, and more likely the idea came (if it came at all) from the fact that you have to grate nutmegs to use them, creating something that looks like sawdust. Any number of businesses call themselves the Nutmeg something.
I don’t know a word of Maori, but I can usually pick out Pangakapu’s ninas because most of the possible candidates have unpronounceable clusters of consonants or implausible strings of vowels.
Thanks, Pagakapu and manehi.
I found this a bit of a struggle but I did like the GOOSE STEP fascist movement, the NOISOME satellite, and the Australian mechanics’ NAMECHECK.
Thanks Pangakupu and manehi.