Solving time: About 45 minutes, offline.
There were a few words I didn’t know here – NERVA, COTTA & TYCHE, but all were quite easy to get from the wordplay.
I enjoyed this one. The unusual solution-as-wordplay trick was used twice in this grid (1a & 8d) which often makes for interesting fare. But they were by no means the only unusual clues here. There was a triple def at 17a, an agent noun at 13a, a semi-&lit at 1d and the ‘in the red’ technique at 28a.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | LAID-BACK – dd – The first definition ‘dial’ treats the solution as a cryptic intruction: LAID back. |
| 5 | KRAKEN = ARK rev + KEN – Anyone who’s seen Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies will be familiar with the Kraken. Although, of course, the mythical monster has existed in Scandinavian folklore since the 13th century. |
| 10 | CONSORTIA = (CARTOONS I)* |
| 11 | S + CREW |
| 12 | NERVA = |
| 13 | ANALGESIC = (ALICE SANG)* – A number being something that numbs. |
| 14 | SCREENPLAY = ALP rev in (SCENERY)* |
| 17 | BOLT – I think there are three definitions here. |
| 19 | MO |
| 20 | COMIC + OP + E |
| 22 | NEGLIGENT = (L + GEN) rev + I + GENT |
| 24 | ELAN + |
| 26 | TOAST – dd |
| 27 | DOCUDRAMA = (DOC/DR) about U, + A + MA |
| 28 | RETARD = TAR in RED – (‘in the red’ = ‘owing money’) |
| 29 | SECRETED = (E + CRETE) in SD |
| Down | |
| 1 | LOCH NESS MONSTER = L + (N + SHORE SCOTSMEN)* – semi-&lit |
| 2 |
|
| 3 | BROCADES = (BAR CODES)* |
| 4 | C(OTT)A – I didn’t know the word, but the wordplay was easy enough. |
| 6 | RESIGN = S |
| 7 | KERBSTONE – cd |
| 8 | NEW SCOTLAND YARD – another clue that takes its wordplay from the solution. Here OLD CAR AND STY = (SCOTLAND YARD)*, NEW is the anagram indicator |
| 9 | MATA HARI = I + RAM all rev about A + HAT |
| 15 | REPUGNANT = (PUNGENT A |
| 16 | PROCEEDS – dd |
| 18 | TOREADOR – cd |
| 21 | LITTER – dd |
| 23 | TYCHE = (YET)* about CH |
| 25 | APART = PA rev + ART |
The Colonel is out today in protest at 8dn which has caused some controversy in the forum. Peter has promised a reply on the matter there once the solution has been published.
Dave, you have a typo in the first word at 1dn.
Edited at 2012-07-15 01:44 am (UTC)
I’m pretty much with Jack re 8d, even though ‘pig’ is a term I’ve used in the past without qualms (I did live in Berkeley for 15 years, after all). It’s certainly inappropriate here; and at the very least, the setter could have used a ? instead of a !
I was surprised by 8dn I must admit, though not bothered particularly. Near where I used to live, in St Ives, Hunts, the local police station was situated on Pig Lane. The police applied to have the name of the road changed (this was in the 1960s) but were rejected with derision. And I notice that the name is still unchanged..
It can be funny, but making it so requires a fair bit of context (I recall Neil of ‘The Young Ones’ – “Oh no! It’s the pigs!” – making me laugh with it, but the point was that he and his shambolic student flatmates were always trying too hard to be anti-establishment; you had to know that for the line to work). It’s quite a challenge to establish that much context or characterisation in a single crossword clue (though not, I’m sure, impossible).
Good to see a fulsome response form Pete B in the forum, even if it begins with the dreaded ‘political passive’ (“for any offence caused” – tush!). It includes a good anecdote, one which rather makes the point about context.
I might have added to the (minimal) number who emailed to complain about the clue except that the editor still owes me a good dinner and I’m hoping to collect – I can’t afford to upset him!
Edited at 2012-07-15 01:38 pm (UTC)
I didn’t even notice the offensiveness in 8dn. On reflection I agree it is a bit inappropriate but I can’t imagine any of the rozzers I know (admittedly not a very large sample) being remotely bothered by it. The Sunday Times crossword is, after all, the context. Even more harmless than Neil.
Incidentally – 29d – Perhaps 29a not 29d. Typo??
(Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
This is crazy. Dave Perry lists 17D as a triple-definition for “BOLT”, but I had a triple-definition for “FAST”.
Find:
– a bar to eat food (“bar” in the sense of disallowing)
– quickly
– lock (fastener)
up
Admittedly, I can’t account for the “up” at the end.