Solving time: 73:18 – over several sessions.
I couldn’t seem to get on the setter’s wavelength with this one, but then I often seem to find that with Tim’s puzzles. That’s not a criticism of them, more of my own limitations really. I wasn’t keen on 21d particularly. I’m not a big fan of random Christian names appearing as solutions. They’re OK as long as they’re reasonably common, but in my 43 years, I’ve never come across anyone called Irena.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
Across | |
---|---|
1 | ESCADRILLE = (S |
7 | A(C)ID |
9 |
|
10 | BATT(L)ING – In cricket, the side that is batting is known is ‘in’. |
11 | ISLA = (A-LIS |
12 | ON A PAR WITH = (I + |
15 | CONSITUTIONAL – dd |
17 | QUARTER(MASTER)S |
20 | STAIRCASES = AIR + C |
22 | RICK = (I + C) in R/K (two abbreviations for king) |
23 | DE(TEST)ED |
26 | IR(A + Q)IS |
27 | TA-TA = A (one) + TA |
28 | SECOND-HAND – dd |
Down | |
2 | SQUASH + COURT |
3 | A + B + STAINER – John Bull being a brand of beer. |
4 | READ + OPT |
5 | LOB |
6 | EXTRA + C |
7 |
|
8 | INN = “IN” |
13 | AT TIMES – dd |
14 | TRANSACTION = (CONSTRAINT)* about A |
16 | OVER + RE + A + CH |
18 | EXCITES = “EX-SITES” |
19 | SESSION = NOISES rev about S |
21 | IRENA = ( |
24 | ETA = ET AL with the L (left) removed – ‘Letter from Doris’ is the definition, referring to the region of Ancient Greece. |
25 | DO + C – I guess the Fox reference is to Neil Fox, the DJ, known for years as Dr. Fox. Or perhaps it could be Dr Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Defence. |
Never heard of ESCADRILLE. Didn’t understand ‘Fox’ at 25 and I agree with Kevin if either explanation given above is correct.
I had considered the same as Dave’s explanation of TA-TA but dismissed it, and my deliberations weren’t helped by the thought that the solution might well have been TA-RA which also means ‘goodbye’. But having investigated further I found ‘tag’ defined as ‘a brief and usually familiar quotation’ so the clue is sound after all.
I’d have thought IRENA was a more straightforward name than ISLA, the latter only having come to my attention for the first time when one of them co-hosted ‘The Generation Game’.
Edited at 2014-02-16 10:24 am (UTC)
I didn’t have a clue about either of the names: I just bunged in the only ones I could come up with that fitted the checkers. IRENA turned out to be right. ESTA turned out to be wrong.
Rather like wading through treacle: took me a long time to get nowhere in particular.
I don’t have any particular issues with names as answers, especially when the wordplay is clear, and ISLA doesn’t strike me as that obscure, especially for Brits – the viewing figures for the Generation Game were often well over a third of the population of the UK when (as jackkt mentions) Isla St Clair was the hostess. IRENA is much less common in my experience – the only one I can recall encountering was a supervisor at university.
Tag came up in the Mephisto or Listener recently – it’s perhaps the same tag as in the tag line of a movie, e.g. “In space, no one can hear you scream”.
When I solved DOC at the time, the DJ was the first person that came to mind (though I solved it from the wordplay), which seemed rather obscure, but looking at the clue again I would assume that the surface indicates it’s Liam Fox.
Looking at it now, I share the slight bafflement over TA-TA and DOC, and can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something on both. I gave it 5 minutes on Google, but only came up with the totally irrelevant but lovely quote (tag?) from Nelson Algren:
“Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Mom’s. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own.”
Probably like most people who arrived at 11 without checkers, LISA was my first guess, but I’m sad enough and old enough to remember Isla St Clair (…O mist rolling in from the sea…), but then even she was born Isabella Margaret Dice. There aren’t many Islas on Wiki either.
It’s that DOC Fox that really got me. Again, the wordplay’s easy, but Doctor Fox the DJ isn’t that bright a star in the firmament (sorry Neil, but you are now broadcasting on Magic FM, so you’ve only yourself to blame). Neither he nor Liam MP are ever referred to as Doc Fox: if you really want obscure, check out the people that do use the soubriquet. I put it in with a shrug thinking of the DJ.
Some comments on the Club site on RACK as a perfectly valid alternative to 21, though Peter (bless him) stepped in to offer a calming voice. But it did introduce a TLS type lottery to the proceedings.
ISLA was Isla St Clair
DOC Fox, again from wordplay – assumed to be someone hugely famous in the world of pop, who I’d never heard of because it’s of no interest whatever to me – and didn’t bother to look up, as solution required was clear.
Wil Ransome (it won’t let me log in because I’ve changed my computer and my old one remembered my password, which is more than I can do).