Gurney is this morning’s setter.
A straightforward puzzle that required a wee bit of general knowledge and a little lateral thinking to complete. I liked the subtlety of SILENCE IS GOLDEN and TOASTMASTER, but I have a quibble about the definition of MICROPHONE.
Thanks, Gurney,
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SPOTLESS |
Don’t see as much squeaky clean (8)
|
| SPOT LESS (“don’t see as much”) | ||
| 6 | SHAMAN |
Quiet in the morning, a northern priest (6)
|
| SH (“quiet”) + AM (ante meridiem, so “in the morning”) + A + N (northern) | ||
| 9 | MONACO |
Not entirely common, a corporate state (6)
|
| Hidden in [not entirely] “comMON A COrporate” | ||
| 10 | LARGESSE |
Generosity of lager supply system every so often (8)
|
| *(lager) [anag:supply] + S(y)S(t)E(m) [every so often] | ||
| 11 | NEST |
Secluded place, nook primarily, is in Paris (4)
|
| N(ook) [primarily] + EST (“is” in Paris) | ||
| 12 | SAN ANTONIO |
Noon: a Saint recollected in city (3,7)
|
| *(noon a saint) [anag:recollected] | ||
| 14 | ABRASIVE |
Rough sailor with right travel document on return, rude in the end (8)
|
| AB (able-bodied seaman, so “sailor”) with R (right) + <=VISA (“travel document”, on return) + (rud)E [in the end] | ||
| 16 | SPAT |
Dad in street row (4)
|
| PA (“dad”) in St. (street) | ||
| 18 | GLUT |
Instinctive to conceal large oversupply (4)
|
| GUT (“instinctive”, as in a gut feeling) to conceal L (large) | ||
| 19 | SUBTLETY |
Vessel permitted to limit temperature — unknown distinction (8)
|
| SUB(marine) (“vessel”) + LET (“permitted”) to limit T (temperature) + Y (unknown, in mathematics) | ||
| 21 | MICROPHONE |
Note cut: refine sound producer (10)
|
| MI (musical “note”) + CROP (“cut”) + HONE (“refine”)
I would argue that a microphone doesn’t normally produce a sound, but amplifies one. |
||
| 22 | SHUT |
Missing nothing, turn to get drinks is close (4)
|
| SH(o)UT (“turn to buy drinks”, as in “it’s my shout”) missing O (nothing) | ||
| 24 | GODCHILD |
One sponsored centre of target, enthralling Duke, Greek character (8)
|
| GOLD (“centre of target”) enthralling D (duke) + CHI (“Greek character”) | ||
| 26 | ICECAP |
Cold place in nice capital (6)
|
| Hidden [in] “nICE CAPital” | ||
| 27 | NEWBIE |
Be wined finishing early at work — recent arrival (6)
|
| *(be wine) [anag:at work] where WINE is WINE(d) finishing early | ||
| 28 | NINETIES |
Period, unusually intense, I embraced (8)
|
| *(intense) [anag:unusually] embraced I | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | PRONE |
Remote-controlled device becoming quiet at beginning? Lying! (5)
|
| (d)RONE (“remote-controlled device”) becoming P-RONE (P (quiet, in music notation) at the beginning) | ||
| 3 | TOASTMASTER |
Brown, expert, uplifting proposer? (11)
|
| TOAST (“brown”) + MASTER (“expert”) | ||
| 4 | EGOISTIC |
For example, Oscar is at first tactful in conversation, thinking of others? No! (8)
|
| e.g. (for example) + O (Oscar, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) + IS + [at first] T(actful) I(n) C(onversation) | ||
| 5 | SILENCE IS GOLDEN |
Saying — or not? (7,2,6)
|
| SILENCE (“not saying”) + GOLDEN (“or”) | ||
| 6 | SARONG |
Gave information about origins of rare Omani garment (6)
|
| SANG (“gave information”) about [origins of] R(are) O(mani) | ||
| 7 | AGE |
Ultimately frustrating in A&E — long wait? (3)
|
| [ultimately] (frustratin)G in A&E | ||
| 8 | ASSAILANT |
When false name brought up, not peripherally, one attacks (9)
|
| AS (“when”) + <=ALIAS (“false name”, brought up) + N(o)T [peripherally] | ||
| 13 | OBSOLESCENT |
Outrageous almost to include one at heart dated, no longer required (11)
|
| [almost] OBSCEN(e) (“outrageous”) to include SOLE (“one”) + [at heart] (da)T(ed) | ||
| 15 | BELLICOSE |
Extremely bizarre collies, out of control, ready to fight (9)
|
| [extremely] B(Izard)E + *(collies) [anag:out of control] | ||
| 17 | IBSENIAN |
Is inane, sadly, incorporating second- class, referring to dramatist (8)
|
| *(is inane) [anag:sadly] incorporating B (second-class, as in a B-road)
Refers to Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. |
||
| 20 | SPRITE |
Elf’s liveliness, recycled (6)
|
| E-SPRIT (“liveliness”) recycled becomes SPRIT-E
Imagine the letters of ESPRIT in a circle and “cycle” (turn) the circle so that the E is now at the end. |
||
| 23 | USAGE |
Uniform wise practice (5)
|
| U (uniform, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) + SAGE (“wise”) | ||
| 25 | CUB |
Young one in island losing article (3)
|
| CUB(a) (“island”) losing A (“article”) |
I agree it was straightforward with a few more difficult clues. Overall I enjoyed it and ticked CUB, loved BELLICOSE, groaned at TOASTMASTER, also ticked SPOTLESS.
Unlike our blogger, 5d did not work well for me and I thought IBSENIAN a silly word.
Would someone please tell me why centre of target = gold in 24?
Thanks Gurney and loonapick
I see, Loonapick, that you share my sole quibble regarding MICROPHONE. They input sound and convert it to electricity, yes?
This was good fun, and enjoyed after not being able to finish Qaos’s in The Guardian.
An enjoyable and well-constructed puzzle from Gurney with all parsings clear as day. (26 a little too clear, perhaps!)
16 was neat and I especially liked 5, 6d and 24. I did a double take at SHAMAN and SAN ANTONIO as for a brief moment, I wondered if we had a theme on the Mexican-born guitarist!
Thanks to Gurney and Loonapick
Martyn,
The gold is the centre of an archery target, I think.
Thanks Gurney. I enjoyed the puzzle and blog. One query. In 5d where does IS come from?
Thanks Gurney. I enjoyed the puzzle and blog. One query. In 5d where does IS come from?
Sorry about the duplication and for forgetting to thank loonapick.
Thanks to Gurney and loonapick. This had a good mixture of easier and much more difficult clues. In 5d I saw SILENCE IS GOLDEN as a saying that is advocating not saying, so [it’s a] Saying – or not [saying].
Yep I think Vivien @8 has it, which would mean that or=golden is incidental (and the fact that “is” is mirrored in the answer is a total overthink 😉 )
5d the blog I’d say is correct and cotd to boot.
Saying – silence is golden
Or – golden (in heraldry)
Not (saying) – silence is
But it does also work the other way as arguably an &lit?
Hello everyone- got out of the habit while away but it’s nice to see the 225 hive mind in action as ever.
Thanks to both better and slogger
Many thanks for the excellent blog, loonapick, and thanks also to all who commented.
What Vivien has said at #8 is what was intended for SILENCE IS GOLDEN.
I wish 5 had been a bit clearer in saying what was intended. Contrary to my statement @1, the intended meaning is quite clever.