Lovely Izetti!
Izetti’s style can take a bit of getting used to, but his puzzles are superbly crafted affairs when you do. There was a time in the earlier days of the QC when he was considered one of the tougher setters, but he’s been fluctuating between extended periods of easy and hard for the last few years and has been on fairly gentle form for the last year. I came home in 6:07, exactly 2 minutes quicker than yesterday.
Some people dislike cryptic definitions, but today we have two examples (a good one and an outstanding one) that will hopefully help persuade otherwise. Lovely puzzle – many thanks to Izetti!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Scoundrel and titled lady docked in port (9) |
| ROTTERDAM – ROTTER (scoundrel, and missed former blogger round these parts) and DAME (titled lady) “docked” | |
| 6 | Untruth about healthy component of food (5) |
| FIBRE – FIB (untruth) RE (about) | |
| 8 | Space looked down on when one’s on a flight? (9) |
| STAIRWELL – cryptic definition, with a play on a flight of stairs and a flight on a plane. | |
| 9 | Guy in the bar seen regularly (5) |
| TEASE – T h E b A r S e E n “regularly”. To tease/rag, etc, to GUY derives from Guy Fawkes, but in this sense seems to be first used in theatre slang around 1800. | |
| 10 | Row ultimately made me murder crook (9) |
| RACKETEER – RACKET (row) and the “ultimate” letters of madE mE murdeR | |
| 12 | Island ways in broadcast (6) |
| RHODES – sounds like (as in a broadcast on radio) ROADS (ways) | |
| 13 | Rock bands? (6) |
| STRATA – cryptic definition, as in geology. This is so good it feels like it must be a chestnut, but I can find no record of it on TftT. There again, Izetti is the absolute master of the riddle-esque cryptic definition. | |
| 16 | Enter fire, running — get involved ill-advisedly? (9) |
| INTERFERE – anagram (running) of ENTER FIRE | |
| 18 | Chemical smuggled in pram in Exeter (5) |
| AMINE – “smuggled in” prAM IN Exeter | |
| 19 | Noah larks around — don’t take his money! (4,5) |
| LOAN SHARK – anagram (around) of NOAH LARKS | |
| 21 | Crew had a meal, one hears? (5) |
| EIGHT – sounds like (“one hears”) ATE (had a meal). As in a rowing crew. | |
| 22 | Steward getting drunk, he being in that pivotal moment (9) |
| WATERSHED – anagram (getting drunk) of STEWARD, HE going inside | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Second-string soldiers wait (7) |
| RESERVE – RE (Royal Engineers = soldiers) SERVE (wait) | |
| 2 | Roofing material that is seen on church (6) |
| THATCH – THAT is seen on CH(urch) | |
| 3 | Jane in story protects bird’s second nest (5) |
| EYRIE – The storied Jane EYRE protects the second letter of BIRD. | |
| 4 | Character picked up in river (3) |
| DEE – sound like (“picked up”/heard) the letter or character D | |
| 5 | Lament matter being mishandled — act of cruelty (12) |
| MALTREATMENT – anagram (being mishandled) of LAMENT MATTER | |
| 6 | Male relations crack, admitting change of heart over wrongdoing (7-2-3) |
| FATHERS-IN-LAW – FLAW (crack) admitting an anagram (change) of HEART, over/above SIN (wrongdoing) | |
| 7 | Absence of power, deficiency in fight (8) |
| BLACKOUT – LACK (deficiency) in BOUT (fight) | |
| 11 | Demanding old lover being insincere? (8) |
| EXACTING – EX (old lover) ACTING (being insincere?) | |
| 14 | Edward, not strong inside, improved slightly (7) |
| TWEAKED – TED (Edward) WEAK (not strong) inside | |
| 15 | Angel rushes up keeping quiet (6) |
| SERAPH – HARES (rushes) “UP” = reverse, keeping P (Piano = quiet). Some of the details are debated, but one apparently appeared to Isaiah as a flaming six-winged serpent beast, possibly with penises for feet, no less. I reckon you’d be justified in asking for some proof of identity if that thing appeared before you claiming to be a messenger from God, but I guess that’s what separates the prophets from us lesser mortals. | |
| 17 | Gentleman up with little sign of hesitation, one emerging from bed? (5) |
| RISER – SIR (gentleman) “UP”, with ER (little sign of hesitation) | |
| 20 | Clever chap there somewhat lacking (3) |
| APT – |
|
Difficult tonight but got there in the end. Put stones in but used eraser when the checkers did not fit.
A not wholly focused 30 mins. Generally enjoy an Izetti though.
FOI Rotterdam – which helped with the river, though being from Cheshire meant Dee came to mind quickly anyway.
LOI Stairwell
COD Strata
thanks all
Finished on the train eventually, but Stones and Staircase held me up.
12 minutes
Barely more than half on proper crossword in well over an hour. Truly out of my depth!
So nearly finished but floored by GUY = TEASE. Even with the 3 crossers couldn’t make sense of the clue because of the NHO sense of GUY. Definite groan when I got STAIRWELL, oh that sort of flight! Great clue!!