Solving Time: About an hour, which is average for me for one of these. Unfortunately however, through the wonders of modern technology I see I have got one wrong, unlike 41 other people who managed an all-correct solution.. so I suppose it must be me. Maybe writing the blog will uncover the error?
As usual I have left it to the last minute to write the blog, so it is a bit economical in places. Questions or other contributions however are warmly welcomed.
Also as usual, I find no technical shortcomings, just lots of elegant, economical cluing. Whether you finished or not, I hope you enjoyed attempting this, the best cryptic crossword training around!
.. Update: I have finished the blog now, and I still can’t see an error. I await enlightenment, either from you the reader, or from the published solution!
– On edit: a further review of my submitted grid reveals a typo at 20dn, where I apparently wrote Jumhat not Lumhat.. c’est la vie
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Nashgabs – (GAS HAS B |
| 5 | baseej – mean = BASE + E + J |
| 9 |
Blogroll – second class = B + LOL containing OGR |
| 10 | Zapper – Z + PAPER with the A promoted, ie moved forward once |
| 12 | Upsey – hike = UP, as in to “up the price” + YES rev. |
| 13 |
Azobacter – A + ZO |
| 14 | Swizzle-stick – cheat = SWIZZLE +S(T)ICK |
| 18 |
Egg-and-anchor – AD + NAGGE |
| 21 | prokofiev – (OK FOR VIP)* containing E |
| 23 | Kudzu – the odd letters only of QUIZ A DRUNK, rev. |
| 24 | Trimix – tidy = TRIM + IX, a latin number |
| 25 |
Droogish – (GIR |
| 26 | Thyrsi – “Your old” = THY + RSI – staffs (staves?) carried by Bacchus and his followers, who have a much healthier approach to life than droogs.. The passion Americans have for violence, and their horror of eroticism, never ceases to amaze me when you consider their relative fun content |
| 27 | Folkmoot – Infantry = FOOT containing O + L + KM. Reminds me of Ben Battle in Thomas Hood’s fine poem (see verse 2). And for some reason, that reminds me of Dudley Moore’s audition for the role of Tarzan. “I’ve got nothing against your right leg… the trouble is, neither have you!” |
| Down | |
| 1 | Nebbuk – “not to be a flower” = EBB contained in N + UK |
| 2 | Swoosh – court’s = woos, contained in SH = silence. A word that Nike, who use the word to describe their logo, would dearly love to copyright. Unfortunately, like the word Nike itself, they didn’t actually think of it first, and it stays resolutely in the public domain |
| 3 | Garryowen – lowdown = GEN containing A ROW containing RY = track. Garryowen is a fine word, meaning to kick the (rugby) ball high in the air with the intention of rushing upon and crushing whichever poor sod tries to catch it. Named after a rugby club in Limerick, which presumably specialise(d) in this form of assault |
| 4 |
Bilharziasis – Hmm, let’s see.. Foundation = BASIS containing I + L + HAR |
| 6 | Aqaba – the first letters of “and brandy are quaffed as,” rev. there are all too many of these u-less q’s about nowadays, in my young day you had qanat, if you were lucky, and that was about it.. |
| 7 | Eupatrid – EU + PA + DIRT rev. I think PA = secretary is fair enough, though in my working life, any PA that you called a secretary would clock you one. |
| 8 | Jararaka – container = JAR containing artist = RA + AKA = also known as, = “extra handle.” Normally spelt jararaca, a type of S American pit viper |
| 11 | Pollice verso – film = PIC + exceptionally = EVER SO, containing O + L + L. It refers to the habit in the roman gladiatorial arenas of signifying life or death by turning the thumb up or down.. But believe it or not, we don’t actually know which |
| 15 | Shock jock – The def. is “One specialises in winding up broadcasts,” and both SHOCK and JOCK rhyme with baroque. Clever, and original |
| 16 | Despotat – hidden, cleverly, in proviDES POTAToes |
| 17 |
Ignominy – “man” = IOM + |
| 19 |
Adjigo – “a jacket for eating in” = A D |
| 20 | Lumhat – (HUM A L)* + T = “the latest from chart.” |
| 22 | Omits – ) + film = MIST, where the saint or ST has somersaulted or rev. |
Agreed, another excellent puzzle. It is frustrating how few of our bloggers appear to do either this puzzle or the Mephisto puzzles. It would considerably improve their daily solving experience.
Your experience of PAs is very like mine and the more powerful and self important the boss was the more the PA reflected those charcteristics.
Interesting comment about the Americans and violence versus eroticism. Have you considered the Victorians in the same light?
Re the Americans, I agree but the difference between America and Victorian England, not to mention loads of other places, is Hollywood. They are exporting this prudery and love of violence worldwide, and it is usually when watching the latest blockbuster that I muse on how much violence and how little genuine eroticism they contain… we have a whole generation here that have been taught everything they know about guns by the likes of Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson.. I watch more French films than anything these days, where they have it the other way round 🙂