Hello everybody
Today I have the pleasure of blogging this tour de force by Bluejacket.
As usual, there’s so much quality clueing here it’s hard to know what to point to as being above the rest. I’m going to choose 20a, solely for the beauty of “enemy lines” referring to hate mail. We are not worthy.
As I suspect most of you will already be aware, The Independent has taken the decision to discontinue the daily cryptic crossword from the end of this month. As such, blogging this is a very bittersweet experience given this will be my 42nd, and last, Indy blog.
I’m required to avoid anything that may bring criticism or disrepute to this fine site, so I will restrict myself to saying it seems unlikely anything we say or do will alter this decision. Nonetheless, we’re grieving, and that alone shows how important this puzzle and associated community is in our lives. What’s paramount is to focus on what is left and make sure this loss reminds us how important our active support will be.
“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength”. Marcus Aurelius
Thanks to Bluejacket for the superb grid, to Ken Mac for the opportunity to help with the Indy blog, and most importantly, to all of you for your support, guidance and corrections since 2023.
ACROSS
To [TO] lead [PB] Royal Artillery [RA] on steamship [SS]
Writer [BIRO] pens [around] outline of script [ST]
Two hours before midnight [AT TEN] disco [DANCE]
Former soldier [VET] meeting second in command [O]
Economise [SCRIMP] with hot instead of cold [swap H for C]
Mischievous child [IMP] , one [UNITY]
Meal [FLOUR] with no starter for lunch [-L]
Something other than [NOT] rum [RUM] in each [PER]
Very small cost [TITCHY FEE] after cycling [“anagram of”]
Young bear [CUB] catches [around] last of fresh [H]
Ground [anagram of] TEAM splits up [inside] to bombard [HAIL]
Saint [ST] encounters widespread [RIFE]
Sound-alike [“on the radio”] improvised = RIFFED
Front of ship [BOW] at the French [LE] seaport [DOVER]
Small [S] insect [MIDGE]
Second [S] date [IDES] in which fashion [HOW]
DOWN
Zero [O] weight [WT]
Maybe stout [BEER] guards [around] given revolutionary [IF backwards] drug [E]
Without source, fop [DANDY] twice claiming [around] party’s leader [P]
Anagram [“adapted”] CHILDS NEW SONNET
Hidden word [“shows”] INNUMERABLE EPISODIC
How are you [‘SUP (slang: “what’s up”)] drinking [around] flat [EVEN]
Oscar [O] has much appreciated [TA] metal band [TORC] lining [inside] neckwear [RUFF]
12. Is playing with him on goal leading to violence from fans? (11)
Anagram [“playing”] IS + HIM ON GOAL
American [US] went [PEED] over instruction to read more [PTO (please turn over)]
Angry [HEATED] after competitor’s opening [C]
Scoundrel [CUR] with debts [IOUS]
End of fog [G] leaves chance [GAMBLE]
Say [E.G.] who’s closer [last letter = O]
Beautifully written clues, as always. I do admire this setter. I found the puzzle medium difficulty with RIFT and the very devious HATE MAIL taking the longest to get. Don’t know if he sets elsewhere but I hope to see a lot more of his crosswords.
I can only echo the blogger’s encomium. A wonderful variety of clueing techniques. Patted myself on the back for getting ROTATOR CUFF before I had many crossers, so perhaps my favourite.
Thanks to Bluejacket and Leedsclimber, let’s hope this isn’t farewell.
Another top notch Bluejacket puzzle. I was beaten by RIFT in the end having gone through quite a bit of the alphabet but not inserting the F. All beautifully constructed – tempted though I am by the definition for HATE MAIL and the surface of ANDY PANDY, it’s the use of ‘lead’ in TOP BRASS that really stole the show for me.
Hovis @1: I and others have occasionally commended the mycrossword site. Bluejacket sometimes sets on there and he has his own website too.
Thanks both
He does deserve a place in a major newspaper. I only do the Featured puzzles from Mycrossword and seem to remember him popping up there (and you of course, PostMark).
I searched through the alphabet for the initial letter for RIFT and then had to search through for the third letter. Fortunately, when I got to F the solution came to me.
Top Brass Attending a Bistro but Vetoing an order of Shrimp.
The list of superb clues is endless, I do agree though that the use of PB is absolute genius.
I do hope that every single commenter on this site takes the time to send an email to Eimi expressing/ confirming their intention to support every effort to keep this wonderful community and precious army of setters going.
And in case you haven’t seen it here is the link again:
To register an interest please email:
trulyindependentcrosswords@gmail.com with the subject line truly
What a brilliant puzzle to solve on my 34th birthday – shame that I won’t have an Indy to solve on subsequent birthdays 🙁
Too many great clues to mention – my only slip-up was HATE MAIL with the cryptic definition
Thanks Bluejacket and Leedsclimber
I composed this comment many hours ago: Not wanting to be seen as gushing, but this was thoroughly enjoyable, thanks Bluejacket. Didn’t know any Sondheim numbers or BBC puppets, but didn’t need to, and really liked the enemy lines as last one in, along with the joint support, bridge hand, well-informed, … all of it really.
I wanted to add that maybe I should start with the Indy, if this is the usual quality, but now I guess not.
I thought PTO in 16d was neat. I don’t think I’ve seen that since I was at school and someone would write it on both sides of a page. We did know how to have fun.
HATE MAIL held out until near the end. Mainly because I’m trying to train the processor between my ears to do what the processor in my desktop can do. Take fuzzy raw optical data and resolve it into a sharp image without the use of glasses and I missed the “splits up” bit of the clue.. 🙂
Thanks both. I hope we haven’t seen the last of either of you.
Super puzzle and blog. Thanks both! Like others, I have appreciation for TOP BRASS, UP TO SPEED, HATE MAIL, ANDY PANDY, and I also particularly liked BLEEP and ITCHY FEET as lovely examples of the different devices.
This was a real fun offering from Bluejacket. I grinned out loud when I saw the beautiful hiding-in-plain-sight lead in TOP BRASS, again at the lovely construction of BOWLED OVER and SMIDGE. My last in too was HATE MAIL which had me rattling through the alphabet and the PDM on seeing how ‘enemy lines’ came in was sublime.
One of those days where I was entering answers and suddenly realised I’d finished. Doesn’t happen so much these days.
ANDY PANDY was very much part of my childhood. And I’m a Sondheim fan.
Thank you to everyone for all the absolutely lovely comments; they’ve made my day! Thanks especially to Leedsclimber for the blog and commentary.
Masterclass of a puzzle: not just brilliantly inventive, fresh and accurate wordplay but also seamless and entertaining surfaces. I don’t think a single clichéd device has been used. Best Saturday puzzle across all broadsheets, and by some way. Bravo setter and thanks blogger.