Sorry for the delay in publishing the blog this morning
This puzzle reflected Hoskins’ traditional sauciness in clues and entries.
The parsing of UNIONIST, GARTER and PEACEFUL required a bit of thought and research. I am happy with UNIONIST and GARTER, but I don’t think I have got PEACEFUL right. I now know more about Le Pétomane (Joseph Pujol) than I really wanted to know.
I thought that Hoskins was unusually restrained in his use of TOP CAT at 10 across, as a description of a specific individual.
I note that 1961Blanchflower, when the post saying the post was delayed, was still live, has suggested that PEACE refers to an actor’s speech or PIECE. That could well be the right parsing. I will be interested in others’ views.
It’s a long time since I came across CHUBBY CHECKER and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he is still with us.
I wonder if there is a typo in the clue at 24 across? I think ‘pursing’ should be ‘pursuing’.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 7 | An example would be smoke signal seen over reservation originally (4)
CURE (one method of preserving or CURing meat/fish is to use smoke) CUE (signal) containing (over) R (first letter of [originally] Reservation) CU (R) E |
| 8 | Can I cop out after buggering up job? (10)
OCCUPATION (job) Anagram of (after buggering up) CAN I COP OUT OCCUPATION* |
| 10 | Work involved in diplomacy repelled Trump, perhaps (3,3)
TOP CAT (most powerful or important person, e.g. President TRUMP) OP (OPus; work) contained in (involved in) TACT (diplomacy) reversed (repelled) T (OP) CAT< |
| 11 | One who might organise sex with topless duke (8)
UNIONIST (a Trade UNIONIST might organise working people or organise rallies in their support) UNION (sex) + fIST (duke is a slang term for the fist, as in ‘a pair of dukes’, ‘a pair of fists’) excluding the first letter (topless) F UNION IST |
| 12 | Group of swingers whip contrary, line- crossing noob (4,4)
GOLF CLUB (a group of people who swing their CLUBs to move a ball round a course) FLOG (whip) reversed (contrary) + (L [line] contained in [crossing] CUB [new player; newbie; noob]) GOLF< C (L) UB |
| 13 | Band or group of Le Pétomane, say, out of France (6)
GARTER (a band used to support a stocking) Le Pétomane is the stage name of Joseph Pujol [1857-1945], a French flatulist or FARTER so I think the parsing of this is G [group] + fARTER [Le Pétomane, flatulist] excluding [out of] F (International Vehicle Registration for France) G ARTER |
| 15 | Her peccadillo aroused a Greek know-it-all (7,6)
DELPHIC ORACLE (referenced the ORACLE of DELPHI, a famous and influential prophetic priestess in Ancient Greece; a know-it-all) Anagram of (aroused) HER PECCADILLO DELPHIC ORACLE* |
| 18 | Old soldiers mostly out of it in a state (6)
OREGON (one of the 50 United States of America) O (old) + RE (Royal Engineers) + GONe (out of it) excluding the final letter (mostly) O RE GON |
| 20 | Reckon Hoskins must open unopened premium Bud (8)
ESTIMATE (reckon) I (Hoskins, the setter of the puzzle) contained in (must open) (bEST [premium] excluding the first letters B [unopened] + MATE [buddy; bud] ) EST (I) MATE |
| 22 | Ball that one might wish a player would receive? (3,5)
LEG BREAK (a type of delivery [ball] bowled in cricket) In the theatre, the phrase BREAK a LEG is used to wish an actor [player] good luck, so it is a phrase the player would wish to receive) double definition LEG BREAK |
| 24 | Romeo pursing hearts, you might say, and love? (6)
SUITOR (man seeking the love of a woman, or her hand in marriage; Romeo pursing love. I wonder if ‘pursing’ should be ‘pursuing’) SUIT (Hearts, a SUIT in a pack of cards) + OR (alternatively; you might say) SUIT OR |
| 25 | Crapulent carouser outside church in Newmarket? (10)
RACECOURSE (Newmarket is an English RACECOURSE) Anagram of (crapulent) CAROUSER containing (outside) CE (Church of England) RA (CE) COURSE* |
| 26 | Turn performing in front of an audience in Wicked (4)
EVIL (wicked) LIVE (performing in front of an audience is performing LIVE) reversed (turn) EVIL< |
| Down | |
| 1 | Not working is unacceptable (3,2,5)
OUT OF ORDER (not working) OUT OF ORDER (unacceptable) double definition OUT OF ORDER |
| 2 | Chilled portion of ham you left by top of fridge (8)
PEACEFUL (quiet; chilled) PEACE (I’m guessing that this is based on PEACE being a homophone [similar sound to another word {PIECE}, with ham referring to a bad actor who might confuse the two words, but I’m clutching at straws here]. PIECE is a bit of or portion of]) + F (first letter of [top of] Fridge) + U (textspeak for you) + L (left) PEACE F U L |
| 3 | Concerning sex had when tense adult’s held in wind (6)
COITAL (referring to sexual intercourse; concerning sex) (T [tense] + A [adult] contained in (held in) COIL (wind) COI (T A) L |
| 4 | Whistle-blower collaring vacuous pair’s dog (8)
SPRINGER (a kind of spaniel [dog]) SINGER (informer; whistle-blower) containing (collaring) PR (letters remaining in PaiR when the central letters ai are removed [vacuous]) S (PR) INGER |
| 5 | Individual in street seen with reefer primarily? (6)
STONER (a person who habitually takes drugs, possibly a person seen in the street with a reefer [someone smoking a cigarette containing marijuana]) ONE (individual) contained in [seen in) (ST [street] + R (first letter of [primarily] Reefer) ST (ONE) R |
| 6 | Supermodel is clingy type a Rolling Stone avoids (4)
MOSS (reference the supermodel Kate MOSS [born 1974]) MOSS (clingy vegetation) MOSS (reference the phrase ‘A rolling stone gathers no MOSS‘, therefore MOSS is something a rolling stone avoids) triple definition MOSS |
| 9 | Plump US man captured in draughts in Twister? (6,7)
CHUBBY CHECKER (reference CHUBBY CHECKER [born 1941], American rock and roll singer and dancer who popularised the new dance craze the Twist in 1960) CHUBBY (plump) + CHECKER (the game of draughts or chequers is spelt CHECKERs in America [US], so a US man captured in draughts is a CHECKER [chequer/draught])) CHUBBY CHECKER |
| 14 | Cleric not dancing? Drug needed first is E! (10)
ELECTRONIC (E is an abbreviation for ELECTRONIC in many words in use today, e.g. E-mail, Etailer) E (ecstasy; drug) + an anagram of (dancing) CLERIC NOT E LECTRONIC* |
| 16 | Lackey of orange crackpot seen in Houston on vacation (6-2)
HANGER-ON (one who sticks to another for personal gain; servile follower; lackey) Anagram of (crackpot) ORANGE contained in (seen in) HN (letters remaining in HoustoN when the central letters ousto are removed [on vacation]) H (ANGER-O*) N |
| 17 | Yours truly is an example of one making PM recoil (8)
COMPILER (Hoskins [yours truly] is the compiler of this crossword) Anagram of (making) PM RECOIL COMPILER* |
| 19 | Vessel in WC upended? Went out without relief in the end! (6)
GOBLET (a drinking vessel) BOG (slang term for a toilet or WC) reversed (upended; down entry) + LEfT (went away; went out) excluding (without) F (last letter of [in the end] relieF) GOB< LET |
| 21 | Group sat around could be The Sensations! (6)
TASTES (sensations) (SET [group] + SAT ) all reversed [around] (TAS TES)< |
| 23 | Test screening of kiss by West gets sent up (4)
EXAM (test) (MAE [reference MAE West {1893-1980}, American actress and singer] containing [screening] X [symbol for a kiss]) all reversed (gets sent up; down entry) (E (X) AM)< |
I’ve only started tackling the Independent daily in the last few weeks (since finding a way to obtain a copy from this site). They are consistently enjoyable puzzles from a wide range of setters, and I shall miss them if they are going.
Hoskins today was well up to standard: a good selection of clues with just the right amount of head scratching and satisfaction.
Favourites today were LEG BREAK for the second, theatrical, definition, and CHUBBY CHECKER for the “Twister” definition.
I assume “portion of ham” in 2D refers to a bad actor delivering “piece” as PEACE.
Thanks to Hoskins and to duncanshiells once the blog is up!
@1
I had the same basic parsing for 2d but with ham meaning someone on a radio. It’s still unusual, but justifiable I think.
Parsed SUITOR as an &lit. R(omeo) after SUIT (hearts you might say) + O (love).
I had thought of the bad actor for 2d, but the radio ham is probably better – interesting that both could work. I agree with Hovis for SUITOR.
Thanks to Hoskins and Duncan
I had also parsed 2d as ‘ham’ = bad actor, but since the two words are pronounced exactly the same I think the radio interpretation is much better..
Hovis@3, me too.
“HAM” in 2(d), as in “of ham”, equivalent to “on the radio”, as a “sounds-like” indicator: ( as per Herb, above) – I think setters seem keen to create a novel variation, but this one is a pig’s ear. On which I wasted time looking for something smarter.
I read that, originally, “ham” was not slang for amateur, but short for “ham-fisted”, referencing clumsy morse operators.
16(d), personally I don’t equate LACKEY ( a toadying paid minion, who is “wanted” ) with HANGER-ON, an unpaid leach, unwantedly sticking to the rich and famous; but hey-ho, a fiver for the first to throw the Chamber book at me.
It’s an excellent crossword, lots of variety and wit,
and I’m growing to expect and enjoy the setter’s trademark Benny Hill humour.
GOBLET, 19(d)…”it’s a cracker!” (oops, that was Frank Carson).
Jolly good show, Hoskins & duncan
Surprised to find Hoskins on Wednesday, but very happy with the usual mix! I left PEACEFUL, as pencilled in, till the end… after reading the blog, my preferred version would be ham as “on the radio”.. I was aware of Le Petomane, so no trouble there, the anagrams were just tricky enough…
Thanks Hoskins n duncansheill
Thanks Duncan and HOSKINS. Really have enjoyed yr puzzles over the years. Favourites today, among a lot of others, were the ‘Greek know-it-all’, ‘premium bud’ and STONER. More please, (if anyone’s listening!!).
Firstly, many thanks for standing in for us today Duncan. We have only just managed to log onto the internet to solve the puzzle.
If this is the last puzzle that Hoskins sets for the Indy, we are sorry that we weren’t blogging it. Quite a few to chew over but some fun along the way.
We wondered about PIECE / PEACE but hadn’t thought of the link with ham radio enthusiasts, makes better sense than a bad actor.
Thanks Hoskins. We certainly hope a solution can be found and that there are more puzzles of yours to solve (and blog) in the future.
I shall miss Hoskins if this all goes away 🙁
I missed CURE and GARTER. COD for me was thre Greek know-it-all. Lovely.
Thank you duncanshiell.