Sunday Times 4675 by David McLean

Author   nick_the_novicePosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
It was with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that I strode to the crease last Sunday morning to take guard against a new bowler of whom I knew nothing (even his name had been withheld from the pre-match team sheet). What would we get? Solid line and length stuff making scoring difficult and with the occasional one doing enough off the pitch to induce a play and a miss? Gentle military medium (unlikely given the reputation of this attack)? Or cunningly flighted leggies and wrong ‘uns – with the odd flipper added in for good measure – that left you utterly bamboozled and in constant fear of being clean bowled for not many?

Well, for me it was very much a case of rapidly working out that I was up against a master of tweak and guile. Nothing loose was on offer, and a long innings requiring the utmost concentration, nimble footwork and a bit of luck was needed in order to eventually reach the target…

What a super puzzle from our new tormentor David (“prefer to be called Harry”) McLean. When reading through the jottings I had made whilst solving, the words “elegant, “clever” and “witty” recurred with great frequency. A lot of lovely stuff in here, I thought. For it’s great surface, wit and tight construction 22dn was probably my pick of an outstanding crop, closely followed by 14a – loved the Rolling Stone device – the unfortunate chap on the sun bed at 15dn was a hoot, and 27a was amusing and clever. And the rest of them were all first rate as well.

So, welcome to “Harry”, and thanks very much for a most enjoyable puzzle. Here’s looking forward to many more.

Definitions underlined; DD = double definition; anagrams indicated by *(–)

Across
1 Leg it after putting back a hand tool (7)
SCRAPER – SCARPER (leg it) has R (a hand – as in Right) shunted further along (put back)
5 Ineffectual way to cut down on drugs? (7)
USELESS – DD – second one a tad cryptic
9 Walk out following Mike’s golfing blunder? (9)
MISSTRIKE – Not fully confident of the parsing here, but I think it requires us to see MI as an abbreviation of Mike (not something I’d come across before). If I am correct in this, then it’s MIS (Mike’s) + STRIKE (walk out). If I’m wrong then it’s, well, something else that I’m sure one of my learned friends will explain…
10 Everybody loves one right back? That’s rare (5)
TRIER – TR (RT – right – back) + IE (that is) + R (abbrev. rare)
11 Letter that’s not delivered in Hackney? (5)
AITCH – Very nice cryptic. I’d heard tell that Hackney has been gentrified of late so I wondered whether aitch dropping was still endemic there: however, social observers who know more about these things than I do assured me that the gentrification has, by and large, been driven by more wealthy aitch droppers who run trendy market stalls in Smithfield
12 One helping to nurse bishop with very fast pulse? (9)
VIBRATION – V (very) + I B RATION (one helping ‘nursing’ bishop)
14 Rolling Stone old enough to keep quiet (4,4,6)
HOLD ONES TONGUE – *(STONE OLD ENOUGH) with “Rolling” as the anagrind. Lovely stuff
17 Small home – think totally timeless pad (14)
INCONSIDERABLE – IN (home) + CONSIDER (think) + tABLEt (pad – think IPad – without any T’s for time)
21 Hit cut by a very loud church singer (9)
CHAFFINCH – CHIN (hit) ‘cut’ by A FF (very loud) + CH (church), giving us what is now (according to the people who count these things) the UK’s third most numerous bird behind the robin and (surprise number one) the wren
23 Street kid gambling a grand away (5)
GAMIN – The final G (a grand away) leaves GAMING (gambling)
24 Dispense with vote that’s been defaced? (5)
ALLOT – BALLOT (vote) loses its first letter (been defaced)
25 Luscious maiden dancing to this? (4,5)
SOUL MUSIC – *(LUSCIOUS) with M (maiden) also being thrown into the mix, and “dancing” as the anagrind. Happy memories of Wigan…
26 Work in stone of virgin carrying child? (7)
MASONRY – MARY (virgin) ‘carries’ SON (child)
27 Happy Mondays – a bunch of go-getters? (7)
DYNAMOS – *(MONDAYS) with “happy” as the anagrind (I’m thinking happy = tipsy in this context). Very nice nod to one of the better bands of the ’80s / ’90s, making for an excellent surface
Down
1 Polynesian blue carp that’s out of depth (6)
SAMOAN – SAD (blue) without the D (out of depth) + MOAN (carp)
2 Father cut up over overdone duck dish (7)
RISOTTO – SIR (father) reversed (cut up) + OTT (overdone) + O (duck). I once went into a restaurant in Brisbane and the special of the day was possum risotto: very enjoyable too – tasted like pigeon. Given the possum is a protected species, we speculated as we dined that it may have been road kill, adding further to the somewhat surreal ambience of the occasion
3 Helped to dock vessel on rough sound? (7,2)
PITCHED IN – PITCHER loses its last letter (vessel docked) + DIN (rough sound)
4 Check out one in TV makeover (11)
REINVENTION – REIN (check) + *(ONE IN TV) with “out” as the anagrind. Cunning misdirection as “makeover” looked for all the world like it was going to be the anagrind…
5 Music producer Posh & Becks regularly put up (3)
UKE – U (Posh) + KE (alternate letters of bEcKs reversed – put up), giving us the short form of the ukulele
6 What dentist may do if court goes spare? (5)
EXTRA – EXTRACT (what dentist may do) without the CT (court goes)
7 Some studied it in geography revision (7)
EDITING – Cunningly hidden in studiED IT IN Geography
8 Way to offend entertaining royal outsider? (8)
STRANGER – ST (way) + ANGER (offend) ‘entertaining’ R (abbrev. Royal)
13 Dog certain to eat when fixed hearts (6-5)
BASSET HOUND – BOUND (certain) ‘eats’ AS SET (when fixed) and H (hearts)
15 Protestant chap addicted to sunbeds? (9)
ORANGEMAN – Delightful cryptic (referencing the supposed tendency of sunbeds to “Tango” their users). One of those classics that will probably stay with you (bit like an ear worm) and resurface, provoking a sly grin each time a news story about Ulstermen marching is aired
16 Deny one’s opening day allegation (8)
DISCLAIM – D (opening Day) + IS (one’s) + CLAIM (allegation)
18 Drink daily and joy will not end (7)
CHABLIS – CHAR (daily) and BLISS (joy) both lose their ‘ends’, with the whole surface presenting a possible campaign slogan for Mr. Farrage. Elegant clue, I thought
19 Kind of fish on top of whole chunk of bread? (4,3)
LUMP SUM – The LUMP fish + SUM (whole) – and a splendid definition
20 Little underwear or nothing at all, say (6)
KNICKS – Slang diminutive for knickers, backed up with a homophone of NIX (nothing at all)
22 Pink rag worn by one not out to conform (3,2)
FIT IN – FT (pink rag – love it!) goes round I (worn by one) + IN (i.e. not out). Great surface – lovely clue all round
25 Pen tale with no men in it (3)
STY – STORY (tale) loses OR (other ranks = men)

29 comments on “Sunday Times 4675 by David McLean”

  1. That’s SIRE, minus the E (‘cut’), reversed.

    Edited at 2016-01-10 02:59 am (UTC)

  2. A great start for our new setter; I was glad, and surprised, to get in under the half-hour. LOI 10ac: I’ve never heard the phrase ‘everyone loves a trier’, and even with the checkers it took me a while to twig to the wordplay. I didn’t understand 9ac–there was no apostrophe in “Mike’s”, although I don’t think that hindered me. On the other hand, I got 11ac instantly from the definition, even though I wasn’t sure where Hackney is. 14ac was particularly lovely in that it was a ST puzzle, so a Stone could have been being referred to. Hard, as Nick says, to choose a COD, but I think I’d go for 18d. I’m definitely looking forward to Harry’s next.
    1. According to Wikipedia the common brushtail possum (not to be confused with the American opossum) has been hunted extensively for its fur. Nick’s possum might have come from Tasmania, where there is an annual hunting season, or New Zealand, where they were introduced and are considered a pest.

      Edited at 2016-01-10 10:41 am (UTC)

    2. Interesting question, as they are indeed a pest. But, we are dealing here with a government which also protects some of the most deadly snakes in the world. I guess they all contribute in some way to the grand natural order of things and therefore merit protection…
      1. It would be quite wrong to base decisions about species preservation on how poisonous something is.. in most cases humans vastly outnumber most other species anyway, so losing a few is hardly a survival issue for us..
        Also one never knows when a species will become handy to have around. Snake venom for example is in great demand as a medicinal ingredient

        I like it best when we have the sense to let well alone. Australia has suffered more than most places from human meddling in animal species

      2. I’d be suspecting off-beat Australian humour. Possum Risotto was the dish’s name, but there was no actual possum in it.
        Nice puzzle, with a few abbreviations not see in the daily – D for day, R for royal. Biffed FIT IN – didn’t know the FT was pink, thought the clue was alluding to “not in a pink fit.”
        Rob
  4. I really need to get a) organized b) a life. But anyway, isn’t the wordplay IS (one’s) coming between (opening) D (day) and CLAIM? he wondered.
  5. … for getting me out of my quandary re 1ac. I was sure the conceit was that the A had to be moved (with “hand tool” as the def.). But then it would have to be moved forward — though, being left handed, I sometimes get these front and back things completely reversed. So, much relief in finding that the word play could mean that the R, in fact, had to be moved … and back!

    Bit confused about the missing apostrophes in 9ac and 11ac. The former makes more sense if the apostrophe goes back in and you think NATO alphabet.

    All in all, a good work out with the Rolling Stone as the stand-out clue.

  6. Disagree McT (and Nick), I think it’s simply SCARPER, after putting back “a”, becomes SCRAPER (hand tool).

    “Putting back” meaning to move towards the rear, whether you’re left or right-handed!

    1. We’ve had this back/forward debate before; so I won’t insist.

      (The “left handed” remark was just a back reference to an earlier puzzle; one well behind us — now well and truly to the left on the calendar!)

  7. Struggled a bit to finish this but got there in the end without a solving time as I’m afraid I nodded off at at least one point – no reflection on the quality of the puzzle. The missing apostrophes spoiled things a bit but I assume that was a production issue and out of our setter’s hands.

    Edited at 2016-01-10 05:59 am (UTC)

  8. … were indeed a production issue, only affecting the online version. Hard to explain how it happened, but the file involved came from me so must be my fault. Corrected as soon as I knew about it, so club solvers didn’t all have deal with it. SCRAPER: setter notes and editor’s assessment when test-solving both say that A is moved back, i.e. towards what’s normally considered the rear end of the word, and “hand tool” is the def. Also agree with kevingregg’s adjustments to RISOTTO and DISCLAIM.

    Edited at 2016-01-10 07:50 am (UTC)

    1. Thanks for the clarifications Peter. I’ll amend the blog accordingly once I’m on a better keyboard (one I’m using at the moment could cause me to inadvertently wipe out half the blog!)
  9. 15:45. What a great start from our new setter. The Rolling Stone clue is superb, but I also laughed at Posh and Becks, and the clue for CHABLIS is another stunner (with particular resonance for me as I don’t drink in January). Thanks very much David.
    In 9ac Mike is just M, so Mike’s = M IS.
  10. Yes this went in with a bit of a shrug (and I tend to go with Nick rather than Keriothe) but the rest of the puzzle was a real winner. The ORANGEMAN had particular resonance this side of the pond because certain of our more notorious political figures (who are never-to-be-named, by me anyway) all too clearly overdo it in the tanning salon and come out a curious marmalade colour with the tell-tale white around the eyes. Nice giggle for a Sunday morning. Sorry, forgot – 23.50.

    Edited at 2016-01-10 12:44 pm (UTC)

    1. ‘Mike’ is the IRC code for M, and ‘S can undoubtedly means IS (and theres nothing in this context that says it doesn’t), so I’m pretty certain this is the intended parsing.

      Edited at 2016-01-10 01:55 pm (UTC)

        1. Yes, thanks indeed to Keriothe for the explanation. I’d also totally missed the phonetic alphabet point…
  12. A decent offering first up from Mr McLean with some entertaining clues, of which DYNAMOS is probably best. Despite the vision of an ORANGEMAN fresh from the tanner, I thought that clue pretty weak. Given that one wants a debut to go smoothly, the MISSTRIKE misstrike was particularly disappointing.
        1. Fair point. By the time I got to the puzzle it had been corrected.

          Edited at 2016-01-10 02:17 pm (UTC)

  13. Nice puzzle. I spent a lot of time on the misdirection of odd letters in Posh & Becks, which wasn’t helped by thinking that what a dentist does is C LEAN. Liked the Rolling Stone. Thanks for the usual informative blog (possum?) Nick, and thanks Harry
  14. The orange effect is from tanning creams and sprays
    Sunbeds may well overcook your skin but they will not produce the orange tinge associated with ‘spray on’ tan or creams
  15. No missing apostrophes in our Tassie edition of WE Australian.
    (However it has to be said some Tassie sign writers are overly fond of inserting them in mere plurals!)

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