A good challenge from Knut today, as is appropriate on a Tuesday. Some nice clues. I don’t seem to have blogged one of Knut’s before, but would be happy to do more.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
John
Independent 9,467 by Dac
The usual thing: such straightforward clear clues that there are no problems with any of this. But just as good as ever and all perfectly constructed. How Dac goes on with word after word producing transparent and utterly sound clues is amazing. The word “clunky” is less appropriate with him than with anyone.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,462 by Wiglaf
This was hard work. No real complaints though, since it was all soundly clued so far as I could see, and some of the clues are very good. I particularly liked 7dn, 1ac and 23ac. And 5dn too, despite its reminder of that blemish on a game that is so much loved.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,457 by Phi
Phi is rather on the hard side today, I think, but still up to the usual high standard. Every clue could easily be explained afterwards, which is as it should be.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
AZED 2,328
The usual Azed. All pretty sound so far as I can see. You really need to have Chambers by your side; it would be an endless task for me to explain everything everywhere.
As always the definitions are underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,448 by Radian
Very good stuff from Radian, although I found it hard to finish this off. There were some words that I didn’t know.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,443 by Dac
A slightly strange crossword, in that it was rather harder than a normal Dac to begin with and for some time very little was filled in, but by the end it was just the same as ever — not too demanding at all but right up to the usual standard of smoothness and elegance.
A quick glance at the clues shows that more often than not ‘in’ is a link-word rather than a sign of inclusion’. Perhaps this was what initially held me up.
I wasn’t all that happy with 1dn and may be missing something.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,438 by Poins
Poins today. This didn’t seem quite like usual Thursday fare, since Thursdays tend to be rather difficult, for me at any rate, and although there are several places here where I don’t fully understand what’s going on, it did seem to be rather easier than usual.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,433 by Phi
A very unusual grid in that there are only 22 answers, the fewest I’ve ever seen in a daily cryptic. I’m running a bit late today and wondered why I seem to have caught up: obvious why, with so little for me to do.
Enjoyable and utterly satisfactory as always. So many answers that initially gave difficulty proved to be very simple in hindsight.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,419 by Dac
What more is there to say about Dac? The surfaces and the accuracy of construction are right up to their usual standards.
AZED 2,323
It gets worse. It’s very likely no fault of Azed’s, more The Observer being incompetent, but there are lots of mistakes here. There is a general cock-up (which is of no real concern to the solver) which is a repeat in reverse of last week: last week they printed the ‘three prizes’ version of the preamble and said nothing about any asterisked clue or where to send it; this week they printed what they should have printed last week when it isn’t a competition clue-setting week.
But more serious is the large number of little mistakes, so many that in some places one can’t be quite sure what is going on. 26ac is given as 24ac. Is 32ac of five letters or six? 18dn doesn’t have the number 18 in the right place in the grid (it is, meaninglessly, in the square above where it should be). 28dn seems to be of five letters although it is given as (4). There should be a line between the D of PARDAL and the N of AVANTI.
I downloaded the crossword from the website on Sunday morning and one would have hoped that by now things would have been corrected. I looked again just now (late on Sunday) but nothing has been done. I didn’t see the paper copy and wonder if that one contained the same mistakes. My bet is that it does and I base this on the obvious disdain of the staff at The Observer for a crossword that continues a tradition of many years. Time they started to treat its crossword with a bit of respect.
Still, I got there, more or less, and it was the usual enjoyable experience. Is it me or are the words becoming more and more obscure? At least the clues are structurally pretty straightforward.
Independent 9,414 by Crosophile
An enjoyable crossword from Crosophile today: not too difficult for a Thursday, it seemed to me.
Independent 9,409 by Phi
Although this was no easier than Phi usually is, indeed rather tricky in places, most of these answers can be explained in one short parsing. So really quite simple despite appearances — to use what is rapidly becoming a cliché if it hasn’t done so already, the mark of a good setter.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,400 by Morph
It only occasionally I think falls to me to blog a crossword by Morph, but it is always enjoyable: by no means a write-in, but all his crosswords seem to contain one or two remarkably nice clues. A couple of clues go some way towards defeating me in their parsings, but no doubt all will be made clear.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent 9,395 by Dac
What more is there to say about Dac? This is the usual consummate performance from the master, albeit at the easy end of the scale and containing nothing to hold people up for long. Even the citrus fruit at 24ac can be taken on trust. And thank goodness I didn’t need to know anything about Thiepval in 6dn.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.