I think this is Invicta’s first puzzle to be blogged on fifteensquared, but he does contribute regularly to the site as a blogger (Leedsclimber)
I note also that Invicta has been developing his skills on MyCrossword where he has published 7 crosswords since he began submitting puzzles in December last year. As s fairly new setter, Invicta tells me he is keen to get feedback on his puzzles.
There may be a few issues matching figures of speech between one or two clue definitions and the words entered into the grid, I liked the pictures the clues were conjuring up in my mind.
Given the location of the S&B gathering it is not surprising to find York locations in he. Ii had to a bit of online research to track down THREE-LEGGED MARE, FOSSGATE and LENDAL Bridge, but, as ever with a crossword, I learned some information and history that I had never come across before. Similarly I learned more about the GOLDEN FLEECE.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 8,22 |
What the crew of the Argo want for covering the Chrysomalios? (6,6) GOLDEN FLEECE (Jason and the crew of the Argo were seeking the GOLDEN FLEECE whose provenance is referenced in the second part of the clue) GOLDEN FLEECE (in Greek mythology, the GOLDEN FLEECE is the coat of the golden-woolled,[a] winged ram, Chrysomallos) double definition GOLDEN FLEECE |
| 9 |
A bill to bring things up to the same standard will suffice (8) ADEQUATE (sufficient; will suffice) AD (an advertisement; a poster; a bill) + EQUATE (to bring things to the same standard) AD EQUATE |
| 10 |
Old flame out to frustrate. That’s rough (8) ASPERATE (roughen; to make something rough) exASPERATE (frustrate) excluding (out) EX (former partner; old flame} ASPERATE |
| 11 |
Overtly strict boundaries to exercises (6) OPENLY (overtly) ONLY (restricting choice; indicating a strict condition) containing (boundaries to) PE (physical education; exercises) O (PE) NLY |
| 12 |
Traders satisfied purchasing boat full of live cargo (6) MARKET (traders form a market) MET (satisfied) containing (purchasing) ARK (reference Noah’s ARK that carried animals [live cargo]) M (ARK) ET |
| 14 |
Desserts are served at the back end of the weekend, I’m told (7) SUNDAES (desserts) SUNDAES (sounds like [I’m told] SUNDAYS [days at the back end of weekends]) SUNDAES |
| 16 |
A noble thing when there’s noone heartless around (4) NEON (a noble gas; a noble thing) Anagram of (around) NOoNE excluding the central letter (heartless) O NEON* |
| 17,21,4d |
Where people used to hang around in York? (5,6,4) THREE-LEGGED MARE (a notorious triangular three-legged gallows, or Tyburn frame, once used for public executions in York; where people used to hang around in York) THREE-LEGGED MARE – the clue is a cryptic definition, I think it would only be solvable easily by someone with a good knowlege of York. Perhaps some additional wordplay might have helped. THREE[-LEGGED MARE] |
| 18 |
Swear when cereal is hot (4) OATH (‘swear’ can be defined as a noun meaning ‘ an expression that is formally an OATH or a curse’) OAT (a cereal) + H (hot) OAT H |
| 20 |
Pretty box for a dunce’s cap worn by an idiot (7) CASSONE (large chest, elaborately carved and painted; pretty box) CONE (anything that tapers from a conical section to a point, such a dunce’s cap) containing (worn by) ASS (an idiot) C (ASS) ONE |
| 2` |
See 17a [THREE-]LEGGED [MARE] |
| 22 |
See 8a [GOLDEN] FLEECE |
| 24 |
Ruler gives order for bullfighter to be sacked around November (8) MANDATOR (one who gives commands or orders, such as a ruler) Anagram of (sacked) MATADOR (bullfighter) containing (around) N (November is the international radio communication codeword for the letter N) MA (N) DATOR* |
| 26 |
Transport PC AArdan in this (5,3) PANDA CAR (a police [PC] patrol car. The internet tells me that policemen still refer to small patrol cars as PANDA CARS even though they don’t have the distinctive markings of the 1960s any more) Anagram of (transport) PC AARDAN PANDA CAR* |
| 27 |
Nearly all, nearly all, nearly (6) ALMOST ([very] nearly) ALl excluding the final L (nearly) + MOST (nearly all) AL MOST |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Shopping street in York where Fats goes crazy (8) FOSSGATE (shopping street in York) Anagram of (crazy) FATS GOES – for me, this was th easiest York based clue for me to solve FOSSGATE* |
| 2 |
Trimmed privet border (4) EDGE (border) hEDGE (privet is a shrub used for hedges) excluding the first letter (trimmed, as in haircut that trimmed the top of the head) EDGE |
| 3 |
To a degree, painter goes south, not east (2,4) IN PART (to a degree) Anagram of (goes south) PAINTeR excluding (not) E (East) IN PART* |
| 4 |
See 17a [THREE LEGGED] MARE |
| 5 |
Doctors cure none in denial (8) RENOUNCE (deny; be in denial) Anagram of (doctors) CURE NONE RENOUNCE* |
| 6 |
Yorkshire banker will slowly bleed from the ear (4) OUSE (river [banker] that flows through Yorkshire) OUSE (sounds like [from the ear] OOZE [slowly bleed]) OUSE |
| 7 |
Somewhere to sit and tarry awhile (6) STALLS (somewhere to sit in a theatre) STALLS (slows down; tarries awhile) double definition STALLS |
| 13 |
Kevin’s in no good shape to begin college (5) KINGS (name of a college at several universities) KINGS (initial letters of [to begin] each of Kevin’s, In, No, Good and Shape) K I N G S |
| 14 |
Jaspreet takes a wild ride! (5) SPREE (merry frolic; wild ride) SPREE (hidden word in [takes] jaSPREEt) SPREE |
| 15 |
Get this and we can be friends (5) ALONG (reference the phrase ‘get ALONG‘ [associate harmoniously; become friends]) The clue is a cryptic definition ALONG |
| 17 |
Small amount passed during Spooner’s constipated episode! (8) TWOPENCE (a small amount of money) Reverend Spooner would pronounce TWOPENCE as POO TENSE (episode of constipation) I think ‘passed’ is in the clue to give a smoother surface, and it has an association with POO TWOPENCE |
| 19 |
How would Henry Higgins prefer 6d to be pronounced? You wouldn’t bet against it (3,5) THE HOUSE (in gambling, it’s never a good idea to bet against THE HOUSE, as the odds are usually stacked in favour of THE HOUSE) Henry Higgins (character in Pygmalion and My Fair Lady who gives elocution lessons to Eliza Doolittle) would expect Eliza to pronounce ‘OUSE [entry at 6d] as ‘THE HOUSE‘) THE HOUSE |
| 20 |
“King takes Mistress” … we’re in a dark place now! (6) CELLAR (underground room, a dark place) CR (Charles Rex, current King) containing (takes) ELLA (woman’s name, potentially that of a mistress) C (ELLA) R |
| 21 |
Two boys back to back across the Ouse (6) LENDAL (reference LENDAL BRIDGE, a historic Victorian iron bridge in York that crosses the River Ouse between Station Road and Museum Street) LEN (boy’s name) + LAD (boy) with LAD reversed to create two boys back to back LEN DAL< |
| 23 |
Our intentions are for post to shift south (4) ENDS (intentioms) SEND (post) with S (south) being moved; south could be doing double duty as the S is moved down (south) to form the entry ENDS ENDS |
| 24 |
Catalonian oil worker buried in vanadium iron (4) MIRO (reference Joan MIRÓ [1893 – 1983], Catalan artist who worked frequently with oil paints; oil worker) MIRO (hidden word in [buried in] vanadiuM IROn) MIRO |
| 25 |
They hold weapons (4) ARMS (parts of the body that can hold things) ARMS (weapons) double definition ARMS |