This is my first outing with Longitude as both a solver and a blogger, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience it was too!
I found this to be at the more challenging end of the Indy spectrum in terms of difficulty, but it was every bit as entertaining as it was challenging.
In the end, Longitude had the last laugh, as I needed to cheat to get 1D, since I had convinced myself that only “there” could be the first word – how stupid of me!
I would appreciate confirmation from others that 21 can be the accessory as well as the sport in which it is used, and also that I have correctly parsed the definition at 22D. 20 was new to me but could easily be confirmed in Chambers.
My favourite clues today were 4 and 16D, both for smoothness of surface; 5, for the laugh-out-loud moment that came when I understood the definition; 24, for its not obvious definition; and 27, for making me smirk.
I sincerely hope that there will be other opportunities for me to sample this compiler’s work in the future.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are underlined; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS
|
||
| 1 | THUMBS-UP |
Yes, you’re plugging USB into box the wrong way round (6-2)
|
| BSU (USB; “the wrong way round” indicates reversal) in THUMP (=(to) box, as in to box someone’s ears) | ||
| 5 | COWPAT |
Commanding Officer with power leads a tense movement in the field (6)
|
| CO (=Commanding Officer) + W (=with) + P (=power, in physics) + A + T (=tense, in grammar); a cowpat is a “movement (=a motion passed, here by a cow!) in a field”! | ||
| 10 | EXHIBIT |
Model greeting bishop in doorway perhaps (7)
|
| [HI (=greeting) + B (=bishop, in chess)] in EXIT (=doorway, perhaps); to exhibit is to model, display | ||
| 11 | QUIDS IN |
Cleaning up liquid sink has in it (5,2)
|
| Hidden (“has in it”) in “liQUID SINk”; to be cleaning up is to be coming into a lot of money, hence to be “quids in”. | ||
| 12 | ENTOURAGE |
Freaking out divides upset followers (9)
|
| *(OUT) in ENRAGE (=upset, anger); “freaking” is anagram indicator | ||
| 14 | EMEND |
English people finally translated Polish text (5)
|
| E (=English) + MEN (=people) + <translate>D (“finally” means last letter only); the “polish” of the definition is to be read as a verb, with a lower-case initial letter | ||
| 15 | USHER |
Big flower left by German escort (5)
|
| <g>USHER (=big “flower”, i.e. source of large flow); “left by German (=G)” means letter “g” is dropped | ||
| 16 | FLUORESCE |
Glow bug by rocks starts to combust eventually (9)
|
| FLU (=bug) + ORES (=rocks) + C<ombust> E<ventually> (“starts to” means first letters only) | ||
| 18 | EQUIPMENT |
Quiet men, trembling, holding quiet instruments (9)
|
| P (=quiet, i.e. piano) in *(QUIET MEN); “trembling” is anagram indicator | ||
| 20 | NONIS |
Never sin, put back fruit (5)
|
| NO (=never, as exclamation) + NIS (SIN; “put back” indicates reversal); nonis are the fruit of a small evergreen tropical plant | ||
| 22 | VEGAN |
Non-egg-eater in van, eating mostly egg (5)
|
| EG<g> (“mostly” means last letter is dropped) in VAN | ||
| 23 | PROPHETIC |
Seeing future rugby player busy leaving first college (9)
|
| PROP (=rugby player) + HE<c>TIC (=busy; “leaving first college (=C)” means the first letter “c” in the word is dropped) | ||
| 25 | READIES |
Study that is saint’s notes? (7)
|
| READ (=study, e.g. at university) + I.E. (=that is, id est) + S (=saint); “readies” are cash, hence “(bank)notes” | ||
| 26 | IKEBANA |
Cut kebab in sandwiches – a Japanese specialty (7)
|
| [KEBA<b> (“cut” means last letter is dropped) in IN] + A; ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging | ||
| 28 | SLEDGE |
Small projection device for a slide? (6)
|
| S (=small, in sizes) + LEDGE (=projection, on a cliff, say) | ||
| 29 | JEWELLER |
Ring dealer and heckle about supply (8)
|
| WELL (=(source of) supply) in JEER (=heckle, mock) | ||
| DOWN
|
||
| 1 | THEME TUNE |
Police force uniform with number at bottom of sleeve and number at the top? (5,4)
|
| THE MET (=police force) + U (=uniform, in NATO alphabet) + N (=number) + <sleev>E (“bottom of” means last letter in a down entry); since it is played at the beginning of a TV programme, say, a theme tune could be described as a number at the top (=start)”! | ||
| 2 | UNHITCH |
One in French hotel longing for divorce? (7)
|
| UN (=one in French, i.e. a French word for one) + H (=hotel) + ITCH (=longing, desire); to divorce is to uncouple, separate | ||
| 3 | BOB |
28 shillings (3)
|
| Double definition: a bob(sleigh) is a type of “sledge” (=entry at 28) AND bob is old slang for “shillings”, as in It cost 10 bob. | ||
| 4 | ULTRA |
Extremist members of cult radicalised (5)
|
| Hidden in “cULT RAdicalised” | ||
| 6 | OLIVE BRANCH |
Show of peace and love left bad vibe on farm (5,6)
|
| O (=love, i.e. zero score) + L (=left) + *(VIBE) + RANCH (=farm); “bad” is anagram indicator | ||
| 7 | POSSESS |
Hold surgery up by four seconds to swallow last bite of cake (7)
|
| PO (OP=surgery, i.e. operation) + [<cak>E (“last bit” means last letter only) in S S S S (“four seconds” means 4 x S=second)] | ||
| 8 | TONED |
Muscular editor lifts great weight (5)
|
| TON (=great weight) + ED (=editor, i.e. abbreviation) | ||
| 9 | AQUEDUCT |
A thousand ducks quacked excitedly, having united north of the Channel (8)
|
| [U (=united, as in Man U) in *(QUAC<k>ED)] + T<he> (“north of” means first letter in a down entry); “a thousand (=K, as in kilogram) ducks” means letter “k” is dropped from anagram, indicated by “excitedly” | ||
| 13 | UNREPENTING |
Entering with pun, sorry (not sorry) (11)
|
| *(ENTERING + PUN); “sorry (=poor, miserable)” is anagram indicator | ||
| 16 | FREEPOST |
Delivery recipient must pay for port fees, unfortunately (8)
|
| *(PORT FEES); “unfortunately” is anagram indicator | ||
| 17 | EASY CHAIR |
As Spooner sings hackneyed song, somewhere to relax (4,5)
|
| Spoonerism of “cheesy (=hackneyed, trite) + air (=song)” | ||
| 19 | UPGRADE |
University march making a good, positive difference (7)
|
| U (=University, as in OUP) + PGRADE (PARADE=march, procession; “making a good (=G)” means (first) letter “a” turns into “g”) | ||
| 21 | NETBALL |
Sports accessory all bent out of shape (7)
|
| *(ALL BENT); “out of shape” is anagram indicator | ||
| 22 | VERTS |
Things you roll up very short: ends of trousers (5)
|
| VER<y> (“short” means last letter is dropped) + T<rouser>S (“ends of” means first and last letters only are used); the reference is to vertical ramps (“verts”), used in skateboarding | ||
| 24 | ON ICE |
Stayed over at resort town (2,3)
|
| O (=over, on cricket scorecard) + NICE (=resort town, in France); something that has been “stayed” has been put on ice, suspended | ||
| 27 | EVE |
Never naked, she usually wears a fig leaf (3)
|
| <n>EVE<r>; “naked” means outer coverings, i.e. first and last letters, are dropped |
Enjoyed it! Thanks to Longitude and RatkojaRiku. 3D was an especially neat clue.
I think a NETBALL would be an accessory in the same sense as a football or basketball. Sounds odd. The anagram is easily solved. I don’t like the use of ‘you’re’ in 1a. It’s probably an address to the solver but it seems superfluous. Intended as misdirection I suppose. I wouldn’t agree with the blog’s description either. Clues like VEGAN, NONIS, TONED, EVE and the spoonerism, to name but a few, locate this crossword firmly at the not very challenging end of the spectrum. But then I’ve not been a fan ever since this setter chose not to clarify a parsing in a grid a couple of puzzles ago. Thanks both, anyway.
Some easy ones and some trickier ones – what’s not to like. I like a Spoonerism that makes sense both ways. So thanks to both setter and blogger.
As Petert@3 has it…some easy, some less so, but very good setting.
20(ac), NONIS, is the kind of obscurity that I don’t particularly enjoy, and VERTS, at 22(d) is just plain annoying. If the setter was painted into a corner, there is a fantastic opportunity to clue VERBS, in what is, after all, a word puzzle.
I presumed it was trade slang for ” vertical blinds”, but frankly, I’m not much interested.
sofamore@2, I totally agree: more setters should drop in and clarify things that solvers are debating/ confused by.
There’s no imperative for them to bother, but too few do, in my opinion.
It’s a “can’t be arsed ” , attitude, that might explain why posters stop bothering too.
Sad days
But a very good puzzle with some top-notch clues, a Riku’s fine and honest blog, as ever.
Thanks L + R
Sunset here in Greece.
4 comments, so far. Or 3, if I exclude myself.
So much for the fulsome support that the Indy cryptic clan are barking on about.
This is a puzzle that deserves some feedback.
Prove me wrong. Make a post.
I liked finding out what verts were, not too fussed about nonis, though the clue was good. Loved the puzzle overall, particularly SLEDGE and AQUEDUCT, some very smart clues and the simpler ones all had something.
I think it can be inappropriate for setters to explain clues here. If there’s more than one satisfactory explanation, what does it matter which was meant? If there’s one that works and others that don’t quite, that’s for solvers and bloggers to decide, and if the intended explanation doesn’t quite work, defending it here is too late.
ENB@4, if setters couldn’t be arsed, you’d have no puzzles.
A very enjoyable and challenging puzzle – lots of nice words, also lots that I didn’t know (QUIDS IN, READIES, NONIS, VERTS, EASY CHAIR, NETBALL) but got there in reasonable time. I didn’t get the parsing of AQUEDUCT (LOI) and from reading the blog I see why – it is so difficult… Thanks Longitude and RR!
Late to post though I solved this much earlier in the day. I’m more aligned with the blogger’s view on this one; I found parts of it quite tricky – which made the relatively few write-ins welcome – and I found it very entertaining. I have encountered this setter in another form and have enjoyed their sometimes oblique take on things that have given me real occasion to ponder. It took longer than usual but was enjoyable all the way through. Faves inc THUMBS UP, COWPAT, ENTOURAGE, PROPHETIC, OLIVE BRANCH, FREEPOST and UPGRADE.
Thanks both
Hello! Well, I certainly always can be arsed to drop in here, ENB@4/5, and greatly appreciate that others can be arsed to comment!
sofamore@2, I’m sorry you never got closure on the RAINMAKER discussion a puzzle or two ago. I’m afraid I side with James@6 on the matter of whether my voice has a place commenting on my clues. That ship sailed when I sent the final puzzle to the editor. 🙂
I enjoy the criticisms just as much as the kind words, so thanks all for today’s slightly short thread, and most especially to RatkojaRiku for the blog!
Finally, given where we are, it would be remiss of me not to also thank eimi at the Indy for publishing me in the first place.
I’m late here as usual–the Indy usually has to wait for lunchtime (North American Central Time, so more like dinnertime in the UK). I was defeated by VERTS, which I didn’t know, and for some reason by QUIDS IN, which is not an especially familiar phrase (seeing as we don’t have quids over here) but was very fairly clued. Thanks to the setter for dropping by, and of course also for, you know, setting.
Thanks Longitude for an enjoyable puzzle – started at lunchtime and finished over tea.
Some clues took a bit of head scratching but when the penny dropped we wondered why. AQUEDUCT was one of them. We guessed VERTS but had to check it – never heard it before. We’re far too old for skateboarding.
Thanks to the setter for dropping by and also thanks to RR for the blog.
I’m erring on the side of tricky, MoH’s scale of hardness would be useful if I understood it…
I was halfway down the clue list before making an indent, and then worked via ripple effect to arrive finally at the top again. I’d already bypassed the V-R-S clue as it patently wasn’t VERBS, VIRUS, or indeed VARUS… wordsolver apps didnt help, so eventually, I just letters in until confetti arrived! Retrograde looking up only got as far as VERT.=VERTICAL which was less helpful than blog!
So thanks to Longitude, and RatkojaRiku!!
Late to start, late to comment, but I found this enjoyable: the obscurities didn’t make other parts of the puzzle difficulties sand the write ins made some of the harder clues accessible.
I’m somewhere in the middle regarding the setter’s role in the discussion, most of the time, I think the clues can stand on their own but I appreciate occasional contributions if they settle an intractable debate. Thanks to setter and blogger.