Stamp has set the Tuesday Independent this week
Tuesday is normally theme day in the Independent. Today’s puzzle gives us plenty of thematic material, with only one thematic name referenced directly in the clue.
The grid contains the surnames of thirteen TV chefs, a few of whom are no longer with us. In clue order, the chefs are:
| Clue | Chef |
| 6a | Gary RHODES |
| 13a | Mary BERRY |
| 15a | Gordon RAMSAY |
| 19a | James MARTIN |
| 21a | Rick STEIN |
| 26a | Jamie OLIVER and Andi OLIVER |
| 28a | Nigel SLATER |
| 3d | Keith FLOYD |
| 5d | Brian TURNER |
| 6d | Albert ROUX and Michel ROUX |
| 20d | Nigella LAWSON |
| 23d | Delia SMITH |
| 25d | Maggie BEER [Australian TV chef] |
It was possible to solve the puzzle without knowing the theme, as I did. I didn’t notice the theme until I started writing the blog and realised there should be one.
I thought that Stamp did very well to get thirteen thematic names into the grid. I wonder whether he considered Hugh FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL as a clueing challenge? Stamp also hinted at the theme by including a few cookery and food & drink references in the clues: fruit, Old Macdonald [farm], sheep, bird, wings, Oktoberfest, herb and sauce.
I thought this was an excellent example of an Independent puzzle, of which we will have just over 12,500 by the end of the week. Mike Hutchison, the Independent crossword editor for many years, has done a sterling job championing new setters.
This looks likely to be my last Independent blog. Not having Independents to blog will leave a big hole in my life. Since I started blogging on fifteensquared in 2007, I have written 1313 crossword blogs, 798 of which have been focused on Independent puzzles. Let’s hope there can still be a home for all the many setters that have challenged us and entertained us.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | Self-conceit being dispelled, see out engagement (8)
CONFLICT (contest, war, engagement) Anagram of (being dispelled) seLF-CONCeIT excluding (out) the letters in SEE CONFLICT* |
| 6 | Mediterranean island country once 25% smaller (6)
RHODES (Greek island; Mediterranean island) RHODESia (former country in Africa, the de facto successor to Southern Rhodesia) excluding IA, 2 of the 8 letters (25% smaller) RHODES |
| 9 | Indemnify soldiers before palace revolution (6)
RECOUP (compensate; indemnify) RE (Royal Engineers; soldiers) + COUP (violent or subversive action resulting in a change of government or state policy; palace revolution, for example) RE COUP |
| 10 | Way to cover rent? Wheel of Fortune, possibly (8)
ROULETTE (a wheel used in a gambling game, with players betting on the numbered slot into which the ball will fall; wheel of fortune [if you win]) ROUTE (way) containing (to cover) LET (lease; rent out) ROU (LET) TE |
| 11 | Briefly scrutinise one disturbing Ashes game (4,5)
STUD POKER (a variety of the game of poker in which bets are placed on hands containing some cards dealt face up) STUDy (scrutinise) excluding the final letter Y (briefly) + POKER (tool used to stir or disturb ashes in a fire) STUD POKER |
| 13 | Fruit plant being delivered (5)
BERRY (fruit) BERRY (sounds like [being delivered] BURY [hide in the ground; plant) BERRY |
| 15 | Old Macdonald perhaps going after sheep (6)
RAMSAY (reference James RAMSAY MacDonald [1866 – 1937], Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, briefly in 1924 and longer from 1929 to 1935) RAM (male sheep) + SAY (perhaps) RAM SAY |
| 17 | Guts are key at the outset (6)
ENTERA (intestines; guts) ENTER (one of the keys on a computer keyboard) + A (are, a metric unit of area) ENTER A |
| 18 | Records what’s essentially sent from pulsar (6)
ENROLS (records) EN (central letters of [essentially] sENt) + RO (central letters of [essentially] fROm) + LS (central letters of [essential] puLSar EN RO LS |
| 19 | Bird hurting both wings flying (6)
MARTIN (a bird of the swallow genus) sMARTINg (hurting) excluding the outer letters (wings) S and G (both wings flying) MARTIN |
| 21 | This is returned, empty, by one at Oktoberfest (5)
STEIN (a large beer mug, something that will often be returned empty at the Oktoberfest [Munich beer festival]) ST (letters remaining in ThiS, reversed [returned] when the central letters HI are removed [empty]) + EIN (German [Munich {Oktoberfest location}] for one) ST< EIN |
| 22 | Revellers and roués drunkenly crashing cars (9)
CAROUSERS (revellers) Anagram of (drunkenly) ROUÉS contained in (crashing) CARS CA (ROUSE*) RS |
| 25 | Everlasting night when this is nigh? (8)
TIMELESS (everlasting) NIGHt excluding (less) T (time) becomes NIGH – NIGHT when timeless is NIGH NIGH |
| 26 | Reed organ backing core of choir (6)
OLIVER (reference Oliver REED [1938 – 1999], English actor and hellraiser) O (central letter of [core of] chOir) + LIVER (organ of the body) O LIVER |
| 28 | Worker up on ridge – maybe he’ll run down (6)
SLATER (a worker who may be found on the ridge of a roof, replacing or fitting tiles) SLATER (one who criticises; one who runs another down) double definition SLATER |
| 29 | Viking found here breaking no hearts (5,3)
NORTH SEA (Viking is a sea area in the NORTH SEA) Anagram of (breaking) NO HEARTS NORTH SEA* |
| Down | |
| 2 | Source regularly mined? (3)
ORE (a mineral that is regularly mined to form the basis of many products) ORE (letters 2,4 and 6 of sOuRcE) ORE |
| 3 | Fellow ‘sampling’ every second? Bloody odd TV chef (5)
FLOYD (reference Keith FLOYD [1943 – 2009], one of the early television chefs) F (fellow) + LOYD (letters 2, 4, 6 and 8 [every second] of bLoOdY oDd) F L O Y D |
| 4 | Setter’s in favour of half-hearted waffle? Unlikely (10)
IMPROBABLE (unlikely) I’M (I am; setter is) + PRO (in favour of) + BABbLE (waffle) omitting one of the central two Bs (half-hearted) IM PRO BABLE |
| 5 | ‘Revolver‘ artist (6)
TURNER (revolver) TURNER (reference J M W TURNER [1775 – 1851], English Romantic artist) double definition TURNER |
| 6 | Herb gathered for basic sauce (4)
ROUX (a thickening made of equal quantities of butter and flour cooked together, to form the basis of many sauces; basic sauce) ROUX (sounds like [gathered] RUE [a strong-smelling shrubby Mediterranean plant [Ruta graveolens], with pinnately divided leaves and greenish-yellow flowers; herb) ROUX |
| 7 | Past master avoiding pressure to work too hard (9)
OVEREXERT (work too hard) OVER (finished; past) + EXpERT (master) excluding (avoiding) P (pressure) OVER EXERT |
| 8 | Internet era’s transformed role of host? (11)
ENTERTAINER (host) Anagram of (transformed) INTERNET ERA ENTERTAINER* |
| 12 | Worldly queen joining others in competition (11)
TERRESTRIAL (worldly) (ER [Elizabeth Regina; Queen] + REST [others]) contained in (in) TRIAL (competition) T (ER REST) RIAL |
| 14 | Out of favour in graduate party, gloomy (2,3,5)
IN BAD ODOUR (out of favour) IN + BA (Bachelor of Arts; classification of a graduate) + DO (party) + DOUR (gloomy) IN BA D O DOUR |
| 16 | Fun time supporting Robin Hood s band reportedly (9)
MERRIMENT (gaiety with laughter; fun) MERRIMEN (sounds like [reportedly] MERRY MEN [Robin Hood’s band of followers]) + T (time) – as this is a down entry, the letter T is ‘supporting’ all the other letters above it. MERRIMEN T |
| 20 | Ex-chancellor attached to following rules (6)
LAWSON (reference Nigel LAWSON [1932 – 2023], Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1983 to 1989) LAWS (rules) + ON (attached to) LAWS ON |
| 23 | Specialist making iron tools and horseshoes principally (5)
SMITH (a maker of iron tools and horseshoes among other items) SMITH (initial letters of [principally] each of Specialist, Making, Iron, Tools and Horseshoes) S M I T H |
| 24 | Superior abstainer quits this? (4)
BEER (an abstainer will no longer [quits] drink BEER) BEttER (superior) excluding (quits) TT (a tee-totaller; an abstainer from alcohol) BEER |
| 27 | Animal in tree escaping from trap (3)
EWE (an animal) EWE (sounds like [escaping from trap [mouth, pronouncing] YEW [a tree]) EWE |
This was great fun and I actually spotted the theme quite early on finding 13 themed items.
I had lots of ticked clues, with STUD POKER emerging as my favourite.
Many thanks and congratulations to Stamp for a very enjoyable puzzle. Thanks too to Duncan.
Setter popping in late morning to thank the solver for his comment(!) and Duncan for a timely, detailed and – as per usual – entirely accurate blog. I enjoyed putting this together – I’m a keen amateur cook and have watched programmes by all the chefs in the grid – bar Maggie BEER who was an unintended member of the club, I have to confess. I guess there would be a way of cluing the admirable Hugh F-W but, with the exception of FLOYD, I tried to pick names that all appear in the dictionary as something completely different. Otherwise, I might have been tempted by HUSSAIN and CRADOCK. I suppose both LEITH and HOLLYWOOD would have been fair game …
As I have posted elsewhere this morning, thanks to the bloggers who have annotated my puzzles over the past three years and to the solvers who have given them a go. I have been immensely proud to be an Indy setter and honoured to have rubbed shoulders with some of the other excellent compilers Eimi has managed to attract.
Duncan, if this is, indeed, your last blog, thank you so much for all the work you have put in over the years.
All the best
Stamp/PostMark
As I said elsewhere, a great example of the kind of quality puzzle which the Indy is throwing away. This was a really nicely executed theme (clever of Stamp to get more thematic bang for his buck by including OLIVER and ROUX), with great touches in individual clues as well. My favourites were RAMSAY (what a neat definition), TIMELESS, IMPROBABLE, ENTERTAINER and the boozy &lit double of STEIN and BEER. Thanks to Stamp for this last supper. Thanks also to Duncan for clarifying the parsing SLATER, and for all the other blogs over the years.
This was a very sticky Stamp, for this solver, and nearly a “fell at the at the last fence”, because ROUX (6d) was a punt.
Which means, I didn’t spot the theme. Which also means I am an idiot, because chefs and cookery programs are meat and drink to me!
It’s a superb crossword, clever, enjoyable, and so expertly compiled: which I say with a heavy heart, because we are, unlike 25(ac), approaching the end of setters like Stamp, and blogs like duncan’s.
If you have to go, go out on a winner.
JOB DONE, Stamp & duncan
A lovely puzzle from Stamp (as ever) – I managed to spot the theme about halfway through which helped with a few, thankfully!
Thanks to Stamp and to Duncan too.
Nice one Stamp. Favourite STUD POKER. I wondered if ENTERTAINER and CAROUSER were intended as thematic, or just “ballpark bonuses” from the grid fill. Thanks also to Duncan.
I admired the way this puzzle was themed without ever seeming forced. STEIN and RAMSAY were my favourite themers, while MERRIMENT was my favourite of the others.
A brilliant puzzle for the final Tuesday theme, one which I spotted early on when I had FLOYD and ROUX and helped me throughout the rest of the puzzle
The only answer that stumped me was ENTERA which I’d never heard of. I could’ve gotten it as I thought ‘are’ was an A but I completely forgot that ‘key’ could mean a computer key – all I could think of were musical keys
Favourite clues were the 3 &lits STEIN, ORE and SMITH, plus NORTH SEA for its clever definition referring to the Shipping Forecast area rather than the guys from Scandinavia
Thanks Stamp and Duncan
Great Puzzle. Super blog.
Thanks Stamp and Duncan.
Many faves. Just mentioning a few:
CONFLICT, ROULETTE, ENTERA, MARTIN, STEIN, ORE, IN BAD ODOUR and SMITH.
In a sense, I’m glad the setters haven’t taken the week to sneak in Ninas about the end of crosswords. I’d be furious and have something directing scorn at the board. Pity we can’t add sound for a bugler playing “The Last Post”
Late to the party today but had to add my twopenn’orth to the appreciation of this lovely puzzle.
I knew – and enjoyed spotting – all of the chefs except Maggie Beer (but I see I m in good company there).
I admired the seamless incorporation of so many themers (my favourite was STEIN) and I also loved the Merry Men and Old MacDonald and most others mentioned above.
Does anyone else remember Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet, with his ‘short slurps’ (my kind of cook)?
This is a sad week for the Indy (I’m with flashling @10). I don’t do the Indy puzzle every day – I have my favourites and I’m glad that most of them (Bluebird, Grecian, Knut Tyrus …) have a welcome outlet for their talents. I can only hope that others, including Stamp, of course, will follow them before long.
Many thanks to Stamp for a worthy swan song and Duncan for another excellent – I feel for you and other Indy bloggers, too.
Thanks both. Yes, such levels of entertainment will be missed. I quickly realised something was being cooked up; what I don’t know, is whether a setter uses a technological aid to fit on so many related entries, or relies upon trial and error
That was a great solve, thanks (and thanks for the blog explaining slater which I completely failed to understand).
Great fun even if an incorrect BEST (I do enjoy a best) and having to do an alphabet trawl for SLATER held me up.
Like others enjoyed STUD POKER
As usual I missed the theme but I don’t think I have sat through a cookery show in my entire life.
Thanks Duncan and Stamp
Setter popping in again at the end of the day for what flashling @10 so presciently described as his Last Post.
Thanks to those who have commented since this morning. I am pleased the puzzle has gone down well and thank you all for your kind words. To answer a few specifics:
Mev @6, no ENTERTAINER and CAROUSERS weren’t intended as themers but it is a nice spot
Eileen @11, I am also one of the lucky ones in that I have puzzles published occasionally in the Times (anonymously on the back page and as Frank in the Quick Cryptic) and I appear monthly in the Economist. Though both are behind a pay wall.
TFO @12, there is not the time or space here to fully answer your query ref technology. In short, computers absolutely help a lot in filling the grid with words in that a) they tell you when insertion of a particular solution would create crossers requiring something that simply don’t exist in English and b) they will list the words that do fit the crossers that you have. Pre-computer, that job had to be done entirely from one’s own vocab and/or poring over dictionaries and would have been very, very difficult. What technology can’t yet do is ‘fit in so many related entries’, or, at least, not more than about half a dozen or so: that tends to require a lot of trial and error on the part of the setter. Hope that helps.
Thanks again to all and Cheerio
An outstanding puzzle from Stamp to complete the Tuesday themed series. Starting from the bottom up OLIVER, SMITH and LAWSON gave the game away and did help as ROUX was one of my bung-ins. I did not know of SLATER or BEER, my last two in. Many thanks to Duncan for the comprehensive helpful blog that helped out!
So many great clues it’s hard to select a podium but I’ll settle for Old MacDonald, Oliver Reed and whom I now know to be
Maggie Beer. Great stuff Stamp as usual. I’ll look forward solving your future puzzles wherever they may appear. Very sad that it seems it won’t be here in the Independent.