Stamp challenges us today.
Tuesday is usually theme day in the Independent. Today is no exception. There are so many thematic words in the grid, both as entries and as parts of entries, that the completed puzzle would be difficult to read if I highlighted them all in colour in the grid.
Instead, I’ll list the ones I have spotted. I think there are three or four groups of thematic words, all based around the word BEER
Types of BEER:
ARTISAN [small batch, independent craft beer), DRAUGHT, MILD, MALT, BITTER, STOUT, rePORTER , CASKet, sCREAMer [CREAM ale is a type of American beer, also available from some British breweries], DARK, LIGHT, take ROOT, GINGER and RYEs
Words associated with BEER in some way:
beerPOT (in crackPOT), beer GARDENs, beer PONG (a drinking game involving the throwing of table-tennis balls into glasses of beer, which must then be drunk by their opponents), beer MUG, beer GUT, beer GLASS, and beer PUMP
Brands of BEER:
KAISER [a top-selling Greek pilsner], GOTHAMite [several breweries market a beer named GOTHAM] and ANEMONE [some American breweries produce a beer with the name ANEMONE]
Phrases:
SMALL beer (something insignificant)
There were some drinks mentioned in the clues as well, but they tended to be spirits or a soft drink, rather than beers.
Thanks to Stamp for getting plenty of thematic material into the grid, especially as we didn’t need any special knowledge of beers to solve the puzzle. Indeed, it wasn’t until late in my solving that I noticed the theme at all. Then it seemed to mushroom as I studied all the entries.
For me, the fun clue of the day was the one for SCREAMER. For a while I wondered where the definition was, and then I looked up the dictionary definitions of SCREAMER.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | Foolish joke, better on reflection (8)
CRACKPOT (crazy; foolish) CRACK (a joke) + TOP (outdo; better) reversed (on reflection) CRACK POT |
| 6 | Modest shaded avenue heading South? Quite the reverse (5)
SMALL (modest) S (first letter of [heading] South) + MALL (a shaded walk or avenue) – S followed by MALL is the opposite (quite the reverse) of the layout suggested by the clue MALL S S MALL |
| 10 | Sinatra when performing, a master of his craft (7)
ARTISAN (a craftsman who is a master of his craft) Anagram of (when performing) SINATRA ARTISAN* |
| 11 | European artist backing commercial noise-reduction system? (7)
EARPLUG (a noise reduction system) E (European) + RA (Royal Academician; artist) reversed (backing) + PLUG (a piece of favourable publicity; an advert or commercial) E AR< PLUG |
| 12 | Imperial title periodically at issue between two kings (6)
KAISER (emperor; an imperial title) AISE (letters 1, 3, 5 and 7 [periodically] of At IsSuE) contained in (between) (K [king] + R [Rex; king] giving two kings) K (A I S E) R |
| 13 | During dry spell, love going for a drink (7)
DRAUGHT (DRAUGHT beer; a drink) DROUGHT (dry spell) with O [character representing zero or love score at tennis) replaced by (going for) A to form DRAUGHT DRAUGHT |
| 15 | Central Line stops bland (4)
MILD (bland) L (line) contained in (stops) MID (central) MI (L) D |
| 16 | Stirring tonic essentially into a weak gin cocktail (9)
AWAKENING (rousing from sleep; stirring) N (middle letter of [essentially] toNic) contained in (into) an anagram of (cocktail) A WEAK GIN AWAKENI (N) G* -either N could be the one contained |
| 19 | New Yorker bought cured meat item when reduced (9)
GOTHAMITE (a New Yorker) GOT (bought) + HAM (example of a cured meat) + ITEm excluding the final letter M (when reduced) GOT HAM ITE |
| 21 | Whisky makers: Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Talisker for starters (4)
MALT (reference MALT whisky) MALT (first letters of [for starters] each of Makers, Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Talisker) – the capitalised names are all brands of whisky) M A L T |
| 24 | Sierra Grande, ground which could produce vegetables? (7)
GARDENS (market GARDENS produce vegetables) Anagram of (ground) S (Sierra is the international radio communication codeword for the letter S) and GRANDE GARDENS* |
| 25 | Resentful canine perhaps time will break (6)
BITTER (resentful) T (time is one example [perhaps] of a word that can be abbreviated to the letter T) contained in (will break) BITER (a canine tooth is used to BITE food) BIT (T) ER – either T could be the one contained |
| 28 | Plant notice: “No men allowed around stores” (7)
ANEMONE a plant) ANEMONE (reversed [around] hidden word in [stores] noticE NO MEN Allowed) ANEMONE< |
| 29 | Character completing apprenticeship argued about raise (7)
UPGRADE (raise) Anagram of (about) P (last letter of [character completing] apprenticeshiP) and ARGUED UPGRADE* |
| 30 | Resolute hawk going after seconds (5)
STOUT (resolute) S (seconds) + TOUT (peddle; hawk) S TOUT |
| 31 | Hack about, left and right, winning hole at last (8)
REPORTER (journalist; hack) RE (with reference to; about) + ([PORT {left side of a ship} + R {right}] containing (winning) E [final letter of {at last} holE]) RE PORT (E) R |
| Down | |
| 2 | Hearing, once again, trailer being broadcast (7)
RETRIAL (try again; have a second hearing of the case; hearing, once again) Anagram of (broadcast) TRAILER RETRIAL* |
| 3 | Chest cold carrier passing on bug originally (6)
CASKET (chest) C (cold) + bASKET (a carrier) excluding (passing on) B (first letter of [originally] Bug) C ASKET |
| 4 | Pooh’s half-forgotten no good Hum (4)
PONG (smell bad; hum) POoh excluding (forgotten) the second 2 of 4 [half] letters OH + NG (no good) PO NG |
| 5 | We trade art abroad to stay afloat (5,5)
TREAD WATER (float upright; stay afloat) Anagram of (abroad) WE TRADE ART TREAD WATER* |
| 6 | Progress at last, a substitute for milk! (8)
SCREAMER (an exclamation mark; !) S (final letter of [at last] progresS) + CREAMER (a substitute for milk, in powder form, for use in coffee) S CREAMER |
| 7 | Italian football manager during final leg, riled (7)
ALLEGRI (reference Massimiliano ALLEGRI [born 1967], football coach/manager, currently at Italian Serie A club Napoli) ALLEGRI (hidden word in [during] finAL LEG RIled) ALLEGRI |
| 8 | Fine volley following shot (5)
LIGHT (delicate; fine) fLIGHT [volley of missiles) excluding (shot) F (following) LIGHT |
| 9 | Grim day to be on lifeboat? (4)
DARK (grim) D (day) + ARK (Noah’s ARK served as a lifeboat for Noah’s family and pairs of animals) D ARK |
| 14 | In which salaried English women might be dressed? (10)
LADIESWEAR (clothing in which any women, including English salaried women, might be dressed) Anagram of (might be dressed) SALARIED and E (English) and W (women) – &Lit clue LADIESWEAR* |
| 15 | Mush something to chew over (3)
MUG (informal word for the face) MUG (MUSH is a slang word for a person’s face) double definition MUG |
| 17 | Taking regular breaks, group stop to plunder (3)
GUT (ransack; plunder) GUT (GroUp sTop excluding letters 2-3, 5-6 and 8-9 [taking regular breaks]) GUT |
| 18 | Lead batsman to become established (4,4)
TAKE ROOT (become established) TAKE (escort, lead) + ROOT (reference Joe ROOT [born 1990], England’s cricket captain and leading run scorer; batsman, although the term today is batter) TAKE ROOT |
| 20 | Scotch barely open, flipping rubbish party folds (7)
TORPEDO (wreck a plan; scotch [quash]) (ROT [rubbish] reversed [flipping] + DO [party]) containing (folds) PE (letters remaining in oPEn when the outer letters O and N are removed [made bare; barely]) TOR< PE DO |
| 22 | Switch on airconditioning, worried about temperature you said? (7)
ACTUATE (put into action; switch on) (AC [air conditioning] + ATE [worried]) containing (about) (T [temperature] + U [sounds like [said] YOU) AC (T U) ATE |
| 23 | Red spirit, say, turning up rarely at first (6)
GINGER (reddish-brown colour; red[head]) GIN (a spirit) + E.G. (for example; say) reversed (turning up) + R (initial letter of [at first] Rarely) GIN GE< R |
| 24 | Under gravity, form striking carbon crystal (5)
GLASS (crystal [cut GLASS]) G (gravity) + cLASS (a from in school) excluding (striking) C (chemical symbol for carbon) G LASS – as this is a down entry, the letters in LASS are placed in the grid under the letter G |
| 26 | Some grasses become hostile if caught (4)
RYES (some grasses) RYES (sounds like [if caught) RISE [become hostile]) RYES |
| 27 | Question dancer’s choice of footwear (4)
PUMP (to obtain information from a person by persistent questioning; question) PUMP (a low-cut, low-heeled shoe without fastening worn especially for dancing) double definition PUMP |
A veritable tour de force for a themed puzzle with a theme that even I could spot. Very well done and thank you to Duncan for identifying and cataloging so many items.
I don’t much care for “abroad” in 5d as an anagram indicator but I’m sure it appears in one of the many seemingly endless anagrind lists somewhere. I also wondered if “folds” was a misprint for “holds”; the latter seems to me to be better for the wordplay but the former is much better for the surface.
My page is filled with ticks and SCREAMER was my favourite.
Many thanks to Stamp, and very well done.
Very good puzzle. My default setting is theme-blindness. However, today, even I could
identify quite a few theme words.
My faves: SMALL, DRAUGHT, GARDENS, UPGRADE, SCREAMER, LADIESWEAR,
ACTUATE and RYES.
LADIESWEAR
I think reading it as “In which ‘anagarm fodder‘ might be dressed”,
will make it a proper &lit.
Thanks Stamp and Duncan
Amazing grid filling and great clues too. Took me an age to see SCREAMER. I especially liked DRAUGHT, REPORTER and UPGRADE.
Setter dropping in early to thank those who’ve given the puzzle a bash along with Duncan for another splendid blog. I was unaware of either GOTHAM or ANEMONE as beers so thanks for those additions; there is also a TORPEDO IPA brewed in the US which I discovered having filled the grid. SMALL beer is not just a phrase but a Thing – weak, often watered-down beer; Elizabeth I signed a decree that small beer should be made available to all scholars and Eton even had their own brewery.
A couple of tiny tweaks to the blog for those who are interested. MUG is a reversal of GUM (something to chew – over) rather than a DD and ‘heading’ in SMALL is just positional (ahead of/being followed by); I don’t believe ‘heading South’ works as a first letter indicator and it’s not needed for that purpose.
I am delighted that SCREAMER raised a few smiles.
Just to add, MUG is GUM< (something to chew).
Stamp just beat me.
Well, I am a bit out of kilter, and out of sorts, because I still don’t get the trick in SCREAMER.
And ALLEGRI and Joe ROOT , are a bit niche?
6(ac), didn’t really make my day, either ( SMALL).
It’s a cracking puzzle. My key grump probably arises from ANENOME, which I misspell every blooming time it crops up.
The adjoining placement of the tougher definitions ( for me) made this a very difficult solve, but it’s a darned good one.
I would venture that a helluva lot of work went into this, by STAMP. I liked it much more after completing, than during the tussle. Which is a compliment rather than a complaint!
First class, Stamp + Dunc
ENBoll& @6. Do I take it that you didn’t notice Duncan underlined the definition in 6d, i.e. the exclamation point? Fortunately, I knew that one.
I might have known. Tuesday and a Stamp puzzle = Theme. I was congratulating myself on having found twenty (!) references to beer – and then I turned to Duncan’s blog. 🙁
Despite having met BEER PONG for the first time just a couple of days ago in a Guardian puzzle, it went right over my head – a victim of my short term memory – and I never even thought of looking up makes of beer, my excuse being that there must be dozens of potential ones, as we often say here, about names of bands, fonts and whatever. (Good to see that Stamp had missed a couple himself.)
I had also been very chuffed at (finally) cracking the parsing of SCREAMER, which took as long as the rest put together. I really must get into the habit of looking up absolutely everything: I had no idea whatsoever that it was an exclamation mark!
As Rabbit Dave said @1, a veritable tour de force on Stamp’s part and a most absorbing and enjoyable solve. My favourite clues were ARTISAN, KAISER, DRAUGHT, GARDENS, MALT, UPGRADE and SCREAMER, of course.
Congratulations and many thanks to Stamp and to Duncan, for a great blog. (I think my late Scottish husband would have liked it highlighted that Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Talisker are all MALT whiskies – three of his top favourites.)
Thanks both. A theme so plentiful I didn’t crave any more beer. SCREAMER was beyond my understanding, but it was all that appeared to fit, and I thought MUG was the whole face, and mush just the mouth. Believed I knew football pretty well, but ALLEGRI not in my sphere, although clearly clued, whilst I felt a little sorry for the dancer with just one PUMP, though perhaps they’re due to attend the local hop.
Well I can point to this one as a screaming example of my athemia. I thought there might have been something vaguely going on about whisky but beer? Nope never crossed my mind! So, for anyone who feels embarassed about missing themes, fear not you are probably not alone 🙂 Took me ages but I was very satisfied to get there. For some reason just could not see the anagram for UPGRADE.
AWAKENING
Ruud Awakening IPA: A signature, award-winning double/American IPA
(8% ABV) brewed by Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop, Washington.
Great Awakening Brewing Company: A popular craft brewery and taproom located in Westfield, Massachusetts, known for selections like their Heavy PreCITRAtation DIPA and Luca NZ Pilsner.
Awakening West Coast IPA: A crushable, hop-forward West Coast IPA produced by Big Rig Brewery.
The Awakening: A honey brown ale (5.4% ABV) collaboration brew by Punxsutawney Brewing Company and Dough Daddy Brewery.
Brew’d Awakening: A dark, flavorful beer option crafted by Grainworks Brewing Company in West Chester Township, Ohio.
Generally gettable but I didn’t (and still don’t) know why an exclamation mark is a screamer, and have only ever heard Gothamite in Batman – is that real? Afraid my knowledge of beer meant that the theme passes me by but glad that beer drinkers enjoyed it.
Thanks Stamp for a splendidly themed crossword. Even though I needed the guess-then-check method for my last few I found this very enjoyable with my favourites being DRAUGHT, GOTHAMITE, MALT (love the line-up), ANEMONE, UPGRADE, TREAD WATER, DARK, and LADIESWEAR. I needed the blog to understand SCREAMER, LIGHT, and TAKE ROOT. Thanks duncanshiell for the help.
Great fun to tussle with this one. Stamp prevailed as I couldn’t get the two in the NE, though in retrospect SMALL shouldn’t have defeated me. I thought of LIGHT but couldn’t parse it, even after revealing it in resignation. The blog came to my rescue again in understanding my shortcomings.
SCREAMER was very good but then so were many others. Bravo, Stamp.
I should have enjoyed this one but both ‘creamer’ and ‘screamer’ were unknown to me (but are known now, I guess). In fact, I thought the puzzle might be a write-in to begin with, albeit impeccably clued and with fun surfaces. And, I twigged the theme. I had to check the meaning of ‘mush’ online before it made sense so I lost patience a little and conceded defeat. Oh, and I had RATS for ‘some grasses’ which queered my pitch for UPGRADE. Well, they can be very hostile if caught. Maybe next time. Thanks both.
Late to this one; I do the Independent at lunch (Chicago time), but today was so busy that lunch turned into dinner.
I missed the theme, largely because I forgot to look, but as always, it’s impressive how many themed items were worked in. A caveat to all of the comments above about American brands of beer: America is rife with tiny breweries, most of whose products don’t get sold much outside their states, let alone their regions. (This is glorious. People who don’t think American beer is good are only familiar with the enormous corporate brewers who churn out swill.) Since they all need unique names for their products, literally everything is the name of a beer now, just like how literally everything is the name of a band.
The long-ago geology student in me momentarily chafed at GLASS=crystal (“um, glass is amorphous,”) but then I immediately thought of that other meaning of crystal.
Apologies to Stamp and Duncan for the very late comment. We only had time on Tuesday evening for a few clues and we were busy again yesterday. However, once we realised what the theme was we were determined to finish but it was then too late to add a comment – we really didn’t need to sleep!
We did wonder whether the exclamation mark was the definition for SCREAMER. It was our LOI.
Lots to enjoy throughout and congratulations on the number of thematic entries even if some of them were unplanned!