Dalibor is one of the setters introduced to the Indy stable (some time ago now) by the current editor. I have always enjoyed his crosswords, because they are an intellectual challenge and are always carefully crafted. So I was pleased to get the opportunity to blog this one, which most likely will be his last for this paper.
I’m surmising this might not appeal to everyone: it’s quite football-centric and requires a knowledge of the game that goes beyond the everyday. Mix that in with politics and some clearly expressed opinions about the current President of the USA and you’ve got a puzzle that requires a bit of specialist knowledge.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Gift from 9 15, much ridiculed affair with Eze, Pepi and Cunha at first confused
FIFA PEACE PRIZE
(AFFAIR EZE PEPI C)* with ‘confused’ as the anagrind. Harking back to this summer and the FIFA World Cup held in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Prior to this, GIANNI INFANTINO presented the Orange One with the FIFA PEACE PRIZE, as a staged exercise in arse-licking. Trump was like a dog with two dicks, since for obvious reasons he had singularly failed to gain any other peace prize. The whole stunt was indeed ‘much ridiculed’. The three people mentioned are professional footballers.
10 Leaderless Japan makes a decisive point
IPPON
[N]IPPON. IPPON is a move in Japanese martial arts which immediately wins the contest.
11 Half of e-tailer about right to be included in decoration for president’s achievement (certainly not 20’s)
OBAMACARE
I was never getting this without all the crossers. An insertion of AMA[ZON], CA for circa or ‘about’ and R in OBE. OBAMACARE, officially The Affordable Care Act, is a landmark US federal statute signed into law by the then President in 2010. Trump doesn’t approve, obviously. The insertion indicator is ‘to be included in’.
12 Abandoned VAR in an ideal world?
NIRVANA
(VAR IN A)* with ‘abandoned’. More footie: VAR, the Video Assistant Referee is a not much loved system of reviewing on-field decisions, which many in the game would like to see abandoned (except when the decision goes in your team’s favour, obviously, when it’s a great invention).
13 State agency arrests one involved in corruption
CROATIA
A double insertion: of A in ROT and all that in CIA. The insertion indicators are ‘arrests’ and ‘involved in’.
14 20’s immigration forces essentially banning Mexican people of old
ICENI
The man-baby’s immigration forces are the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. A charade of ICE and NI for the central letters of banNing and MexIcan. The ICENI are the ancient Celtic tribe who inhabited Eastern England and didn’t much like the fact that the Romans had arrived as uninvited immigrants. Boudicca and all that.
16 I like eyes taking in new jab
INOCULATE
An insertion of N in I and OCULATE. The insertion indicator is ‘taking in’.
19 American car factory’s beginning – of course every now and then – to produce optical device
AUTOFOCUS
A charade of AUTO, F and OCUS for the odd letters of Of CoUrSe.
20 Mostly faithful politician?
TRUMP
A charade of TRU[E] and MP and a cad, except it’s not because in reality he’s only faithful to himself.
22 They could be frosty without the final bit of insulation
Y-FRONTS
An insertion of N for the last letter of ‘insulation’ in (FROSTY)* The insertion indicator is ‘without’. A whimsical cad.
25 Cyclist’s carrying headgear prior to a break
HOLIDAY
More sporty knowledge required: Sir Chris HOY is the cyclist and it’s an insertion of LID and A in his surname. The insertion indicator is ‘carrying’.
27 Composer Bohuslav inspires each English writer
MARTINEAU
The composer’s second name is MARTINU and it’s an insertion (‘inspires’) of EA in that. The English writer is Harriet MARTINEAU. I had to look both of them up, I’m afraid to say.
28 One who backed Orban against a new candidate’s extremist elements
VANCE
A charade of V for versus, A, N and CE for the outside letters of ‘candidate’. J D VANCE, the US Vice-President, made a trip to Hungary in April to back Victor Orbán’s re-election bid. Didn’t do him much good.
29 Idiot inviting doctor to reverse most of crime stories in book
LORD OF THE FLIES
Good job the enumeration helped, because the parsing is pretty complicated. It’s an insertion of DR in FOOL, all reversed, THEF[T] and LIES. The insertion indicator is ‘inviting’.
Down
2 Flawed statement from 4?
IMPERFECT
An egomaniac might well say I’M PERFECT.
3 Kneecap nearly (but not totally) something that makes you feel unwell
APNEA
Hidden in KneecAP NEArly. APNEA doesn’t really make you feel unwell, does it?
4 Some say 20 is one putting up enclosure to confine Gulf state resident
EGOMANIAC
Dalibor is certainly giving the US President a going-over here. An insertion of OMANI in CAGE reversed. The insertion indicator is ‘to confine’.
5 A good time in Galway‘s disco, regularly visited with converted car
CRAIC
A charade of (CAR)* and IC for the regular letters of dIsCo. I’d always had CRAÍC down as Gaelic in origin, but it’s originally from Old English: it was adopted into the Irish language in the mid-20th century from northern English dialects, spelled as craíc, and later reborrowed back into English with its distinct Irish cultural meaning. It’s pronounced ‘crack’.
6 Fantastic idea: put on Mozart’s KV 365 for example
PIANO DUET
(IDEA PUT ON)* with ‘fantastic’ as the anagrind.
7 Sleep during sex – that’s not appropriate
INAPT
An insertion of NAP in IT. The insertion indicator is ‘during’.
8 Raise tax on energy after Europeans acquire oil finally
ELEVATE
A charade of L for the last letter of ‘oil’ inserted into two Es, VAT and another E. The insertion indicator is ‘acquire’.
9 Perhaps Rivera or Versace‘s private numbers gathered by AI
GIANNI
A charade of GI for ‘private’ and NN for two ‘numbers’ inserted into AI. The insertion indicator is ‘gathered by’.
15 World Cup president endlessly wanting inside information
INFANTINO
An insertion of [W]ANTIN[G] in INFO. The insertion indicator is ‘inside’. GIANNI INFANTINO is currently President of FIFA and it’s fair to say his tenure has not been without controversy.
17 Farm building, old, like the ones accommodating half of us
OASTHOUSE
A charade of O, AS and U for half of ‘us’ in THOSE. The insertion indicator is ‘accommodating’.
18 Being surplus, Liverpool player leaves for one billion – that’s more than enough
ABUNDANCE
Liverpool are known as the Reds, so Dalibor is asking you to take the RED out of REDUNDANCE and substitute it with A and B.
19 Dreadful times when sickness is around
ABYSMAL
An insertion of BY in AS and MAL. The insertion indicator is ‘is around’.
21 Those getting money and power turned up later
PAYEES
A charade of P and a reversal of SEE YA.
23 When taking part in basic skills regularly, A & E will become increasingly bloody
RARER
The ‘basic skills’ are the three Rs. Place A and E regularly in those and you get the comparative adjective for the steak.
24 Lovely sound of Grieg’s Holberg for one
SWEET
I dislike these clues, where either soundalike could be the answer because the indicator is in the middle. A soundalike for SUITE.
26 Flat in Cleveland
LEVEL
Hidden in cLEVELand.
Many thanks to Dalibor for this Saturday’s, and all his previous puzzles.
Far too much “general knowledge” forced in, too political, I cannot say that I found a single clue that was inspired. Tedious, Daliboring..
Thanks, Pierre
Had forgotten the mock peace prize despite being up-ish on the Cup [son hosted a corporate at MetLife]. Other dnk bits were the Japanese martial art, the Czech composer, and that K 365 really is a Mozart concerto for two pianos (and also the name of a couple of software thingies). Otherwise, pretty smooth, thanks Dalibor and Pierre.
Usually like Dalibor crosswords but find myself in agreement with ENBoll& @1 for this one. Hopefully, better luck with the S&B one.
Perhaps a mixed bag. I couldn’t parse ABUNDANCE but I solved it quickly. INFANTINO has too much information. The World Cup seems so long ago? I liked PIANO DUET though. Entered KV 365 on YouTube and listened as I solved. So I rate the puzzle highly, for that alone. Thanks Pierre, for the blog, and thank-you too, Dalibor.