I didn’t have any problems solving this crossword from the word play and the checkers, but fully understanding a few of the clues involved general knowledge I don’t possess. I have the impression the setter must be of a generation rather more recent than mine, certainly not a baby boomer anyway. Apart from the unknown movie references, I’d never heard of a ninja loan nor have I slammed a tequila. But you probably do it regularly.
Definitions underlined in bold, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, anagrinds in italics, [deleted letters in square brackets].
| Across | |
| 1 | Film robot given time to make something noteworthy? (6) |
| WALLET – This was a bad start. Faced with W***E* and a likely T on the end, I saw something noteworthy was going to be WALLET. But I had not the foggiest idea about the film robot, so had to see if WALLE (actually it’s WALL-E) was a thing. Is this expected general knowledge? I don’t watch many movies, certainly not animated ones, and I soon forget the odd ones I do watch. | |
| 4 | Mime’s cheek to droop in the auditorium (3-5) |
| LIP-SYNCH – well, LIP here means cheek, and SYNCH sounds like sink = droop. But asking mime to mean lip-synch seems a stretch, to me. | |
| 10 | Clothes for undercover agent whir strangely? (9) |
| NIGHTWEAR – (AGENT WHIR)*. No argument with this one. | |
| 11 | Official works with Conservative before being unmasked (5) |
| CANON – C for Conservative, ANON meaning anonymous before being made un-anonymous (would that be nonymous?) | |
| 12 | Get rid of silver held back by one in wedding service? (4,7) |
| FIRE BRIGADE – FIRE = dismiss, get rid of; BRIDE has AG (Ag, silver) reversed inside. | |
| 14 | Under stress, uncovered weapon? (3) |
| AXE – [T]AXE[D]. | |
| 15 | Stop whistleblower running into shower, say (7) |
| REFRAIN – REF the usual whistleblower, RAIN for shower. | |
| 17 | Closely follow advert in the middle of programme (6) |
| SHADOW – AD inside SHOW. | |
| 19 | Free informant captured by US soldiers (6) |
| GRATIS – RAT = informant, inside GIS, those US soldiers. | |
| 21 | Something in chest I’m thinking is on back of ship (7) |
| STERNUM – STERN of the ship, UM I’m thinking. | |
| 23 | Core features of modern car technology (3) |
| ABS – Double definition. Well, I suppose your ABS or abdominal muscles are in your core, or main body. And ABS stands for antilock braking system. And it works, I am glad to say. I’m not sure if ‘features’ belongs with the first definition, or the second, or both. | |
| 24 | Focus of photograph rather confused (4,3,2,2) |
| SNAP OUT OF IT – SNAP = photo, OUT OF IT meaning rather confused. Focus! Pay attention! Snap out of it!. | |
| 26 | Mark, get the point! (5) |
| SCORE – double definition. | |
| 27 | Dodge Greek character beginning to get extremely greedy, the muppet! (4,5) |
| MISS PIGGY – I don’t know movie robots, but I do remember the muppets, I can hear the music now. MISS = dodge, PI a Greek letter, G[et], G[reed]Y. | |
| 29 | Key article about European economic zone (4,4) |
| FREE PORT – F for free, REPORT for article. I’ve only seen it spelt as one word before. | |
| 30 | Maybe Venus flytrap’s centre put on flat surface (6) |
| PLANET – PLANE a flat surface, T the centre of flyTrap. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Head of finance department supporting gas and electricity provider (4,4) |
| WIND FARM -WIND (gas), F[inance], ARM = department. | |
| 2 | Cross and somewhat belligerent (5) |
| LIGER – hidden word, lion and tiger cross-breed. | |
| 3 | Have tenant periodically (3) |
| EAT – alternate letters of tenant. | |
| 5 | Announced where the Colossus was? That’s progress! (7) |
| INROADS – The Colossus of Rhodes was IN RHODES, which sounds like our answer. | |
| 6 | For one, Bond Street befouled with eg, can (6,5) |
| SECRET AGENT – (STREET EG CAN)*. | |
| 7 | Relative accepting jail on organizing risky transaction (5,4) |
| NINJA LOAN – NAN (relative) with (JAIL ON)* inserted. I’d never heard the expression, and I’ve thankfully never needed one, or made one. A loan made with no security,or proof of income, basically. | |
| 8 | Solo perhaps conducted after upsetting composer (6) |
| HANDEL – I’ve never seen Star Wars, but the name Han Solo rang a faint bell, add LED reversed to HAN. Apparently he was played by Harrison Ford, who also rang a bell. | |
| 9 | Condescend to frame small sketch (6) |
| DESIGN – insert S[mall] into DEIGN. | |
| 13 | Eyes up table, possibly being out to improve appearance? (6,5) |
| BEAUTY SLEEP – (EYES UP TABLE)*. | |
| 16 | Part of beach? Definitely sounds like it (9) |
| FORESHORE – sounds like FOR SURE = definitely. | |
| 18 | Crystal meth inside stay out! (8) |
| AMETHYST – insert METH into (STAY)*. | |
| 20 | What may follow tequila — prison (7) |
| SLAMMER – I’ve never had one, I think they were invented after I was at the stage of life when they would have been an item. You add a fizzy drink to a shot of tequila, and slam it on the table so it fizzes up, apparently, then quaff it. Daft, or what. | |
| 21 | Mate’s ship evacuated on northern river (6) |
| SPOUSE – S[hi]P, OUSE a river up north somewhere, Yorkshire way. | |
| 22 | Is fireman climbing on top of French mountains? (6) |
| MASSIF – all reversed, (climbing), F, IS, SAM as in Fireman Sam. | |
| 25 | Smoke with one close to Brooklyn Dodger’s boss (5) |
| FAGIN – FAG (smoke, ciggie), I (one) N (end of Brooklyn). As in the Artful dodger, in Oliver Twist. | |
| 28 | Buddy’s ring cut from stone (3) |
| PAL – OPAL loses O. | |
This suited me and it’s a shame I failed to set the timer as it wasn’t far off a PB but probably not quite fast enough (my current PB is last Monday’s crossword which I did in exactly 9 mins). Unlike many, WALLET was my FOI and a write-in and I’ve heard of NINJA LOAN. SECRET AGENT was the LOI for some reason.
8:44, 11:55, 6:46 (et al) seem like remarkably quick times! I’m sure it takes me longer than these just to read the clues, let alone think about them. I usually do the crossword over a meal, and typically take 20-40 minutes, savouring it, rather than golloping it down. No problems with any of the clues or answers today.
33:47
L2I were NINJA LOAN (NHO), and CANON (unparsed, submitted with trepidation)
I’ve not heard of NINJA LOAN like most of us. But I did see WALL-E on a plane and Star Wars during my first trip to the US in about 1979, although I am more of the Napoleon Solo generation than Han Solo. WIND-FARM was my LOI since I was trying too hard to fit CFO in (head of finance).
Collins:
Mime: (of singers or musicians) to perform as if singing (a song) or playing (a piece of music) that is actually prerecorded’
Another day, another confidence boosting round of golf- not.
But I did put in a rather better effort on the crossword finishing in 29 minutes with last one in ninja loan. I’d worked out it was an anagram but took an age to recognise ninja. Canon had me furrowing my brow. I saw the C but didn’t understand where the works came in, unless it’s all those attributions to Anon, the most prolific writer in the English language.
Couldn’t finish this last night and thought I’d try again in the morning. And much to my surprise completed with LOI NINJA LOAN once I realised I there was an anagram. Hard but fair I think on reflection.
You don’t know what you’ve been missing Piquet. Wall-e was a great movie with voices by Sigourney Weaver, Michael Crawford, and Cliffy Claven from Cheers (remember that?). Lip-synch is what groups used to do on Top of the Pops in 1980s when they mimed to their own records (a great concession from the Musicians Union who had previously insisted on live performances only). Tequila and champagne? Nectar of the gods!
Same two NHOs as others, but not so lucky in sorting them out! I had BELTER for wallet, tentatively, as it is something noteworthy ( didn’t pick up on that particularly clever description of a WALLET), and too many blanks where NINJA LOAN should be…Ah well. ( Still don’t understand why it’s called that.) I have no beef with more modern references being used: in fact I welcome it, but Fireman Sam, the Muppets and Wall-e came on the scene when my children were older – however I do know these characters (and share others’ opinions of the high quality of Wall-E FORESHORE.). A few lookups, but the rest entered with amusement and awe at the setter’s art. COD BEAUTY SLEEP.