A tougher challenge than usual from SLEUTH this Friday.
I need help parsing 4a.
FF: 9 DD:9
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | KENDAL |
Fantastic Lakeland after leaving large area somewhere in Cumbria (6)
|
| [ laKELAND ( without L – large A – area ) ]* | ||
| 4 | ASPHODEL |
A special thing that might be tapped around house plant (8)
|
| A SP ( special ) HO ( house ) DEL (?) | ||
| 9 | CUTTER |
Mess left exposed in coastguard’s vessel (6)
|
| ClUTTER ( mess, without L – left ) | ||
| 10 | SPLENDID |
Excellent supply in food for parties on the counter (8)
|
| LEND ( supply ) in reverse of DIPS ( food for parties ) | ||
| 12 | BOON |
Favour singer Pat on the radio (4)
|
| sounds like BOONE ( singer, pat ) | ||
| 13 | LIMIT |
Restriction found in slim item (5)
|
| hidden in “..sLIM ITem” | ||
| 14 | CLUE |
On and off, Celt uses hint (4)
|
| alternate letters of “..CeLt UsEs..” | ||
| 17 | COACH PARTIES |
A companion with role that is dividing island groups on tour? (5,7)
|
| [ A CH ( companion ) PART ( role ) IE ( that is ) ] in COS ( island ) | ||
| 20 | TWO-FACEDNESS |
Tenor with a few seconds broadcast showing insincerity (3-9)
|
| T ( tenor ) [ A FEW SECONDS ]* | ||
| 23 | EXIT |
Chinese leader is among French and making departure (4)
|
| XI ( chinese leader, jinping ) in ET ( is, french ) | ||
| 24 | ACUTE |
Severe sign of austerity in site with many patients? (5)
|
| CUT ( sign of austerity ) in AE ( A&E, site with many patients ) | ||
| 25 | PEKE |
Dog in part of Liverpool lacking sun (4)
|
| sPEKE ( part of liverpool, without S – sun ) | ||
| 28 | ACADEMIC |
Not directly useful description of some research? (8)
|
| cryptic def | ||
| 29 | MALAWI |
This person’s upset about a rule in African country (6)
|
| reverse of I’M ( this person’s ) around [ A LAW ( rule ) ] | ||
| 30 | FLEETING |
Temporary set of cars in capital of Guyana (8)
|
| FLEET ( set of cars ) IN G ( Guyana, first letter ) | ||
| 31 | ORDEAL |
Soldiers have treatment for harrowing experience (6)
|
| OR ( soldiers ) DEAL ( treatment ) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | KICKBACK |
Thrill over support for illegal payment (8)
|
| KICK ( thrill ) BACK ( support ) | ||
| 2 | NOTIONAL |
Supposed citizen having love for Austria (8)
|
| O ( love ) replacing A ( austria ) in NaTIONAL ( citizen ) | ||
| 3 | AHEM |
Ambassador interrupting middle of game? It’s said to gain attention (4)
|
| HE ( ambassador ) in AM ( gAMe, middle of ) | ||
| 5 | SOPHISTICATE |
Second work? Cite this possibly when entertaining a refined type (12)
|
| S ( second ) OP ( work ) { [ CITE THIS ]* containing A } | ||
| 6 | HEED |
Pay attention to the educational hosts (4)
|
| hidden in “..tHE EDucational..” | ||
| 7 | DODDLE |
Daughter has saunter with time gone and walk in the park? (6)
|
| D ( daughter ) tODDLE ( saunter, without T – time ) | ||
| 8 | LODGER |
See director, say, turning up with right person for a short stay? (6)
|
| LO ( see ) D ( director ) GE ( say = EG, reversed ) R ( right ) | ||
| 11 | DISAFFECTION |
Inspector stuck with a pair of fellows in part has resentment (12)
|
| DI ( inspector ) [ { A FF ( fellows ) } in SECTION ( part ) ] | ||
| 15 | SHOWY |
Gaudy poster not seen in dark? (5)
|
| SHadOWY ( dark, without AD – poster ) | ||
| 16 | LEEDS |
They are first picked up in English city (5)
|
| sounds like LEADS ( ~first ) | ||
| 18 | RELEGATE |
Put down tips for leisure in Surrey town writer disowned (8)
|
| LE( LeisurE, tips of ) in [ REiGATE ( surrey town, without I – writer ) ] | ||
| 19 | ESPECIAL |
Particular European institute found in varied places (8)
|
| E ( european ) { I ( institute ) in [ PLACES ]* } | ||
| 21 | BEHALF |
What cuts weight when promoted creates interest (6)
|
| EH ( what ) in reverse of FLAB ( weight ) | ||
| 22 | PIRATE |
Pressure on mad rogue operator (6)
|
| P ( pressure ) IRATE ( mad ) | ||
| 26 | FELT |
Touched soft material (4)
|
| double def | ||
| 27 | PAIR |
Announce cut for item (4)
|
| sounds like PARE ( cut ) |
4ac A + SP + HO + DEL (Del key “something that might be tapped – pressed??)
That was how I parsed it. Don’t see any issue with it.
Didn’t finish, defeated by the various UK-location clues. (I didn’t have the energy today to consult atlases etc)
A very enjoyable crossword to finish off the working week with a good mix of clues.
Thanks Sleuth and Turbolegs
Thanks Sleuth and Turbolegs
20ac: In case anyone thinks this is not a real word, two-facedness appears explicitly in Collins 2023 p 2130. I could not find it in Chambers 2016 or ODE 2010.
28ac: I remember reading a letter published in a newspaper years ago, which said something like: “It is an academic point, but politicians are not the only people whose job title is used as a term of abuse”. Collins 2023 p 9 gives the usage example an academic argument.
It was tough . One query . The French word for is would normally be est from être to be, et is and.
Thanks Sleuth and Turbolegs.
23ac: I parsed this as XI (Chinese leader) in (is among) ET (French and) making departure (EXIT).
I agree with PB @7.
SM @8: I should really have said that I was supporting your point in comment 6. While I am back in, I should have finished “making EXIT (departure)”.
I had the thing to be tapped as Lode reversed (about). I really enjoyed the puzzle.
But I now see that lode doesn’t work.
I found this a slightly unbalanced mix of very difficult clues and write-ins. I agree with GDU@3 that there were too many UK place names. At least I knew LEEDS
There was also plenty to like and I ticked CLUE, FELT (a write-in but a lovely surface), FLEETING, and PIRATE
Thanks for showing me how to parse SPLENDID. I do not understand how the word “exposed” means delete in 9 – is someone able to explain?
Thanks Sleuth and turbolegs
Enjoyed this a lot but didn’t get PEKE – annoyingly as I’ve been to Speke Hall – or RELEGATE. Too many towns in Surrey for me to think of that one today. I filled in the top left quickly and thought it was going to be easy but then progress slowed a lot. Very pleased to finally get COACH PARTIES.
9ac replying to Martyn@12: I put this in unparsed but have tried to make sense of this from the dictionaries. The only meaning of expose that I can make work appears to be a case of transferring the meaning from nature red in tooth and claw, specifically the abandonment of the runt. Collins 2023 p 697 has expose 5 “to abandon (a child, animal, etc) in the open to die”. Chambers 2011, 2014, or 2016 p 544 has “to abandon (a child or animal)”. This is not an indicator that I could ever recommend to anyone, but I think it just about works. I will be delighted if someone can find a more pleasant alternative.
Thanks PB@14.
I confess I did think of the Roman custom, but thought there must be a better explanation than expose a baby = remove it from the family. Apparently not