This one had a bit of a different feel to it. A quick initial glance through the clues revealed no less than seven ending with a question mark, suggesting that this one was going to be more on the whimsical side with plenty of cryptic stuff happening – and sure enough, that’s what we got.
Nothing too tricky, except possibly for 6dn which includes a specialist term from typography – but the term is a frequent visitor to Crosswordland (picture a hard-pressed setter trying to find a way of giving us EN as part of an answer – bingo!). I particularly liked the Spoonerism clue at 3dn, but I know there are some who do not like this style of clue – all a matter of personal taste, I guess.
Anyway, I thought this was a very enjoyable puzzle so grateful thanks to Rongo.
Definitions underlined: DD = double definition: anagrams indicated by *(–)
| Across | |
| 1 | Blessed rip-off, second given an estimate (11) |
| CONSECRATED – CON (rip-off) + SEC (short form of second – “I’ll just be a sec…”) + RATED (estimated). Fairly straightforward with hindsight, but I went all round the houses trying to figure this one out before I spotted what was going on – not least because I thought “given an estimate” was going to be the definition, and that “off” was pointing us to an anagram | |
| 9 | Search shooter (5) |
| RIFLE – Straightforward DD | |
| 10 | Smallest possible staircase for a dance? (3-4) |
| ONE STEP – A one step staircase would indeed be a minimalist kind of flight… Pleasantly droll clue | |
| 11 | Most seductive attempts in misplaced lust (9) |
| SULTRIEST – TRIES (attempts) ‘in’ *(LUST) with “misplaced” as the anagrind | |
| 13 | Go wrong or right, led by the Queen (3) |
| ERR – ER (the Queen) ‘leads’ R (right) | |
| 14 | American general‘s broken truces (6) |
| CUSTER – *(TRUCES) with “broken” as the anagrind | |
| 16 | Lived with Heath, possibly very drunk? (6) |
| WASTED – WAS (lived) ‘with’ TED (Heath, possibly – the PM or the dance band leader, take your pick…) | |
| 17 | Vase included in furnishings (3) |
| URN – Hidden (indicated by ‘included in’) in fURNishings | |
| 18 | Shrinks and perhaps irons clothes? (9) |
| DECREASES – More drollery with a nice whimsical description of ironing | |
| 21 | Vocalist embraces wife, lively modern person (7) |
| SWINGER – SINGER (vocalist) ’embraces’ W (wife). The definition is from a bygone, more innocent era… | |
| 23 | Snake with advanced degrees in arts and business? (5) |
| MAMBA – MA + MBA (advanced degrees in arts and business) | |
| 24 | Water supplier with average in gallons, having good intentions (4-7) |
| WELL MEANING – WELL (water supplier) + MEAN (average) + IN + G (abbrev. gallons) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Not the usual bits of meat loaf mixed with fine stuffing (5) |
| OFFAL – *(LOAF) with F (abbrev. fine – as in pencils) also included (stuffing) in the anagrist and with “mixed” as the anagrind. Slightly odd definition, I thought – but then I guess that is from my personal perspective as a diehard offal eater who regards liver, kidneys etc. as very usual fare… | |
| 3 | Lead at this place went very fast, for Spooner (9) |
| SPEARHEAD – The reverend’s version would be ‘Here Sped’ (at this place went very fast). Nice clue, I thought | |
| 4 | Burning fuel engulfs hot throttle (5) |
| CHOKE – COKE (burning fuel) ‘engulfs’ H (abbrev. hot) | |
| 5 | Was Wren alternatively shown to inspire with wonder? (3) |
| AWE – Every other letter (alternatively) of wAs WrEn | |
| 6 | Printing space to handle petition? (7) |
| ENTREAT – EN (printing space – half an EM in the typographic community) + TREAT (to handle). Tricky one. EN and EM as printing terms crop up from time to time in Crosswordland and well worth remembering. TREAT for ‘handle’ might appear odd at first sight, but think ‘treat this carefully’. | |
| 7 | Inadvisable way to learn to drive quickly? (5,6) |
| CRASH COURSE – Another droll cryptic clue | |
| 8 | Choir paid as somehow promoting love (11) |
| APHRODISIAC – *(CHOIR PAID AS) with ‘somehow’ as the anagrind | |
| 12 | Doctor and master plumber, say (9) |
| TRADESMAN – *(AND MASTER) with “doctor” as the anagrind. Definition by example. | |
| 15 | Dawn and Susan eating near island (7) |
| SUNRISE – SUE (Susan) ‘eats’ NR (abbrev. near) + IS (abbrev. island) | |
| 19 | Swear at dogs on top of Everest (5) |
| CURSE – CURS (dogs) ‘on’ E (top – first letter – of Everest) | |
| 20 | French name is brought up for an apostle (5) |
| SIMON – NOM (French name) + IS all reversed (brought up) | |
| 22 | What’s used to finish styling the kiss-curl? (3) |
| GEL – The hairdresser’s additive is derived from the last letters (finish) of stylinG thE kiss-curL | |
A few biffs: WELL MEANING, ENTREAT, GEL, so thanks for the explanations.
LOI was WASTED because I was interpreting the first part to be “lived with”, which didn’t really suggest “WAS”. I put in RATTED at first, wondering if Heath perhaps kept pet rats in his spare time?
Nice blog, Nick, but one minor amendment is that Spooner’s version of 3dn would be “Here sped”. I’m one of those who dislikes any clue that involves the tedious Reverend.
Edited at 2016-03-09 05:56 am (UTC)
I’d put this as the more difficult end of medium, though I was surprised that I’d been quicker than I had thought.
As alternatives to the printer’s measure for EN (which is pretty obscure these days), how about “headless chicken” or “regularly lean”?
Rita
I’d not come across a Spooner clue before and thought it had Rev in it somewhere. Now I get the idea (thanks Nick), it seems to me that the problem with that type of clue is the Spoonerism can only really be a check of your answer – you’d be unlikely to get there by thinking of Here Sped first.
Clue of the Day definitely 18ac – I laughed out loud on the tube!
For 1a I wasn’t sure of the meaning required and had Scamback as part of my answer. Once I saw Con as the rip-off, I got the rest. Entreat was an unparsed entry. And despite having Sped here as material for 3d, I struggled to get the answer. In the end 25 minutes.
I too am no fan of Spoonerisms in clues. David
And now I’ve caught an ear-worm: In-ger-land swings like a pendulum do, Bobbies on bicycles two by two, Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben, the rosy-red cheeks of the little chill-dren. Just thought I’d share it!
Rongo would have been quite at home there.
But one blogger here is in danger of crossing the Rubicon.
Maximus.
Edited at 2016-03-10 11:42 am (UTC)