Brunel provides our midweek entertainment today.
I’m not sure I’ve seen the expression at 1a before, but it was easy enough to guess. I liked 2d for the misdirection of “dress in the Middle Ages”, 6d for a more innocent explanation than the surface first suggested, the rather striking surface image of 12d, and the neat double definition at 9a. Thanks Brunel for the fun.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | JIM-DANDY |
One’s time touring North Dakota with Jack, fine American, though old-fashioned (3-5)
|
| I’M (one’s) + DAY (time), around (touring) ND (abbreviation for the US state of North Dakota), all after J (abbreviation for Jack in card games).
An old-fashioned American phrase for “excellent” = fine. |
||
| 5 | MARC |
Spoil drop of Courvoisier brandy (4)
|
| MAR (to spoil) + first letter (a drop) of C[ourvoisier].
Brandy made from the pressed grapes left over from wine-making. |
||
| 8 | ABUT |
An objection to border (4)
|
| A BUT (an objection, as in “ifs and buts” = possible issues).
Abut = border, as a verb = be alongside. |
||
| 9 | PAGE-TURNER |
Gripping work, being assistant to pianist (4-6)
|
| Double definition. An exciting book that you can’t stop reading; or someone who turns pages of sheet music for a pianist during a performance. | ||
| 11 | CHERRY |
Bright red tracks alongside Red River (6)
|
| RY (abbreviation for railway = tracks), after CHE (Che Guevara = a Marxist = Red) + R (abbreviation for river). | ||
| 13 | HANDICAP |
In speech, convenient to limit hindrance (8)
|
| Sound-alike (in speech) of HANDY (convenient), then CAP (as a verb = to limit). | ||
| 14 | CROSSBOW |
Weapon that’s Spooner’s chief boast (8)
|
| Spoonerism of BOSS (chief) + CROW (boast, as a verb). | ||
| 16 | GNEISS |
Rock singles left out to be sorted (6)
|
| Anagram (to be sorted) of SING[l]ES without the L (abbreviation for left).
Coarse-grained metamorphic rock, usually with a layered structure. |
||
| 17 | PIAZZA |
Area covered by dish which is round or square (6)
|
| A (abbreviation for area) contained in PIZZA (usually circular food = round dish).
Italian word for a city square. |
||
| 19 | SCRAMBLE |
Climb that is followed by walk (8)
|
| SC (abbreviation for Latin scilicet = that is = word used to introduce an explanation of something unfamiliar, ambiguous or unspecified) + RAMBLE (a countryside walk). | ||
| 21 | CORNWALL |
County Kerry’s neighbour cut large grassy area back (8)
|
| COR[k] (Cork and Kerry are neighbouring Irish counties) without the last letter (cut), then L (abbreviation for large) + LAWN (grassy area) reversed (back). | ||
| 22 | SCOLDS |
Carpets flogged at opening of store, about a hundred (6)
|
| SOLD (flog = slang for sell) + opening letter of S[tore], around C (100 in Roman numerals).
Carpet, as a verb = slang for scold = reprimand. |
||
| 23 | LOCOMOTION |
Moonlit, cool, unending swirls having power to move (10)
|
| Anagram (. . . swirls = moves around) of MOONLIT + COO[l] without the lsat letter (unending). | ||
| 24 | HEBE |
Beautiful goddess imprisoned by the Beast (4)
|
| Hidden answer (imprisoned by . . .) in [t]HE BE[ast].
Ancient Greek goddess of youth. |
||
| 26 | SETT |
When caught, go down burrow (4)
|
| Sound-alike (when caught = heard) of SET (as in the setting sun = to go down).
A badger’s burrow. |
||
| 27 | SEASONED |
Rise as one, determined, but not fully experienced (8)
|
| Hidden answer (. . . but not fully) in [ri]SE AS ONE D[etermined].
As in a seasoned performer = one with long experience. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | JAB |
Juliet Seaman makes punch (3)
|
| J (Juliet in the phonetic alphabet, although officially it’s spelled Juliett with two Ts to make the pronunciation clear across different languages) + AB (abbreviation for able-bodied seaman = a sailor who isn’t an officer).
A straight-armed punch in boxing. |
||
| 2 | MATURES |
Dull-looking, uniform dress in the Middle Ages (7)
|
| MAT (otherwise spelled matt = dull-looking) + U (Uniform in the radio alphabet) + middle letters of [d]RES[s].
Age, as a verb = mature = get older. |
||
| 3 | AMPLY |
Before noon, work steadily enough (5)
|
| AM (abbreviation for Latin ante meridiem = before noon) + PLY (as in “ply one’s trade” = to work steadily).
Enough as an adverb, as in “fast enough” = amply fast. |
||
| 4 | DOG SHOW |
God knows, ultimately, who rigged event where setters may win awards (3,4)
|
| Anagram (rigged = interfered with) of GOD + last letter (ultimately) of [know]S + WHO.
Setter here is a dog breed rather than a crossword compiler. |
||
| 6 | AIRLINE |
Kind of crack (not heroin) that gets people high? (7)
|
| [h]AIRLINE (a very fine crack rather than a major breakage) without the H (abbreviation for heroin). | ||
| 7 | CAESAR SALAD |
Reportedly grab a dal, when served up – it’s healthy-ish food (6,5)
|
| Sound-alike (reportedly) of SEIZE (grab) + A, then DAL + AS (when) reversed (served up = upwards in a down clue).
Well, it starts with lettuce which might be considered a healthy option, but then includes cheese, salad dressing, croutons and/or various other tasty things . . . so healthy-ish. |
||
| 10 | TANAGER |
Fly over to catch a one-time Queen singer in America (7)
|
| GNAT (fly = insect) reversed (over), containing (catching) A, then ER (the former Queen Elizabeth II).
Family of birds (which sing) in Central and South America. |
||
| 12 | HERBIVOROUS |
Our horse goes wild with Bovril – oddly, horses being this? (11)
|
| Anagram ( Plant-eating, as horses are, so you wouldn’t expect them to like a beef extract such as Bovril. |
||
| 15 | BRAVADO |
Commotion dogs British party lacking energy and swagger (7)
|
| ADO (commotion, as in the Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing), after (dogs, as a verb = follows) B (abbreviation for British) + RAV[e] (party) without the E (abbreviation for energy). | ||
| 18 | ZONK OUT |
Crash when small weight’s upended on head, sustaining stunning blow (4,3)
|
| OZ (abbreviation for ounce = a small weight) reversed (upended, in a down clue) + NUT (slang for head), containing (sustaining) KO (abbreviation for knockout, in boxing = a blow that stuns).
Zonk out = crash = go to sleep because of exhaustion or intoxication. |
||
| 19 | SALTIRE |
The foremost of St Andrew’s legacies – flag displaying cross (7)
|
| First letters (the foremost) of S[t] A[ndrew’s] L[egacies], then TIRE (as a verb = flag = become tired).
Extended definition: a diagonal cross, such as in the Scottish flag of St Andrew (a white saltire on blue). |
||
| 20 | MOORHEN |
Heron flapping after second bird (7)
|
| Anagram (flapping) of HERON, after MO (short for moment = second, as in “just a mo”).
A water bird. |
||
| 22 | SINKS |
Radioed co-ordinates in time for drops (5)
|
| Sound-alike (radioed) of SYNCS (short for synchronizes = arranges to occur at the same time = co-ordinates in time). | ||
| 25 | BAD |
Rotten fish brought up (3)
|
| DAB (a flatfish) reversed (brought up = upwards in a down clue). |
Very enjoyable. Fun words like ZONK OUT, CHERRY, JIM DANDY, lovely surfaces, even poetic in LOCOMOTION. AIRLINE my favourite along with HERBIVOROUS. Perfect crossword. Thanks Quirister and Brunel.
As often happens, Quirister sums up my thoughts on the crossword more ably than I could myself. HERBIVOROUS reminded me of the beginning of Hard Times, though the horse is graminivorous there.
My picks: HANDICAP, SEASONED, LOCOMOTION, HERBIVOROUS, AIRLINE and SALTIRE.
Lovely puzzle and great blog.
Thanks Brunel and Quirister.
A bit of trouble wondering where the RES of MATURES came from.
Favourites definitely 1a and 9a. Only crosswords could remind me of a 1973 Black Oak Arkansas song and a 2006 French film in one fell swoop.
Thanks Quirister and Brunel.
Liked HERBIVOROUS, which made me smile and MATURES for the misdirected medievalism. Thanks Brunel and Quirister.
Petty, petty, petty i know, but…
Isn’t the anagram in 12D indicated by goes wild. The oddly is for the letters from bovril.
[PeteHA3@4: My memory goes back to 1956 and LaVern Baker]
falkirkdouglas @6: yes, of course, I wasn’t paying attention. Thanks, I’ve corrected the blog.