I found this quite tricky at the time, although having now written up the blog it seems a fairly gentle puzzle in hindsight. No obscurities, although the drink at 3d may be off the radar of those who have led a more sheltered life than me.
The image conjured up by 9a struck me as having come straight out of the pages of Viz – super clue, I thought. 18a seemed a bit odd in that (as far as I could see) there was nothing to indicate the anagram that provided the answer, and those of a pedantic disposition (not that I’d ever expect to find any in this august forum!) might raise an eyebrow at the cluing of the ‘son’ component of 17d. But, all good stuff.
Grateful thanks to Jeff for an enjoyable puzzle, and in particular for introducing me to Yo-Yo Ma, a name to cherish (and I’m sure he’s a damn fine cellist too, not that I know much about such matters).
Definitions underlined: DD = double definition: anagrams indicated by *(–): omitted letters indicated by {-}.
| Across | |
| 1 | Sort out stylish clothing provided (8) |
| CLASSIFY – CLASSY (stylish) going around (clothing) IF (provided) | |
| 5 | Prepare crumble to go round cakes (6) |
| TORTES – SET (prepare) ROT (crumble) reversed (to go round) | |
| 9 | Some nuns have nasal whiskers to deal with? (8) |
| UNSHAVEN – Hidden in (some) nUNS HAVE Nasal. Thanks for sharing that, Jeff… | |
| 10 | Smooth representative lacks energy — getting old (6) |
| LEGATO – LEGAT{e} (representative) loses its final E (lacks energy) but gains an O (getting old) | |
| 12 | Assist old golfer carrying putter at the finish (5) |
| SERVE – SEVE (old golfer – the great Ballesteros) gets an R included (carrying putteR at the finish) | |
| 13 | Joint put behind tap (9) |
| DRUMSTICK – STICK (put – as in “let’s stick that box in the corner”) + TAP (drum) | |
| 14 | Upset girl’s been chosen (12) |
| DISAPPOINTED – DI’S APPOINTED (girl’s been chosen) | |
| 18 | Theatres rely on private health here (6,6) |
| HARLEY STREET – *(THEATRES RELY). As I see it there is nothing to signpost the anagram (I don’t think “on” performs that role, but maybe I’m wrong). However, once a few cross checkers were in place the answer jumped out readily enough. | |
| 21 | I sanction changing conductor (9) |
| TOSCANINI – *(I SANCTION). The maestro has made a number of appearances in crosswordland of late. | |
| 23 | Managed, say, flipping 1 across (5) |
| RANGE – RAN (managed) + EG reversed (say flipping) | |
| 24 | Polish street behind this square (6) |
| HONEST – HONE (polish) with ST coming after (street behind this). The honest/square equation puzzled me to start with, but I think it’s the ‘square deal’ / ‘fair and square’ kind of usage. | |
| 25 |
Musical cellist is after satisfactory note at heart of show (8) |
| OKLAHOMA – MA (cellist – the delightfully named Yo-Yo of that ilk) ‘is after’ OK (satisfactory) + LA (note) + HO (heart of sHOw) | |
| 26 | Heartless old warden gets the bird! (6) |
| TURKEY – TUR{N}KEY. The old word for a warden / jailer loses its middle letter (heartless) | |
| 27 | Civic dignitary put tree on island (8) |
| ALDERMAN – Following the setter’s instructions, we put ALDER (tree) on MAN (island) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Broadcast vulgar programme for students (6) |
| COURSE – Sounds like COARSE (broadcast vulgar) | |
| 2 | Maintain a sizeable lock-up (6) |
| ASSERT – A + TRESS reversed (sizeable lock up). I’d never had occasion to consider the relative sizes of locks and tresses, but apparently a tress is a long lock. | |
| 3 | Drink and a snack following ramble (9) |
| SNAKEBITE – BITE (snack) ‘follows’ SNAKE (ramble), giving the cider/lager mix favoured by people out to get hammered on the cheap, and which is banned in quite a lot of pubs. Years ago I worked in a pub near the Tower of London which often received coach parties of tourists. One such group was a club outing from South Wales, whose preferred tipple was their version of a snakebite which included a measure of sweet sherry being added into the mix, probably the most bizarre drink I was ever asked to serve (aside from the bloke who used to order brandy with lime). | |
| 4 | Lace if under a petticoat can be a revealing thing (8,4) |
| FREUDIAN SLIP – *(IF UNDER A) – with “lace” signalling the anagram – + SLIP (petticoat) | |
| 6 | Begins work on measurements for printers (5) |
| OPENS – OP (work) ‘on’ ENS (measurements for printers, an en being half an em). One of those odd bits of knowledge needed by solvers on a frequent basis, but which few ever have the opportunity to use outside of crosswordland, I’d imagine. | |
| 7 | Bit of cereal found in red wine? That’s rubbish! (4,4) |
| TEAR INTO – EAR (bit of cereal – as in ‘ear of corn’) – inside (found in) TINTO (red wine). I think this works through “that’s rubbish!” being a kind of cryptic definition by example. | |
| 8 | Farm animals, regularly handled in this enclosure (8) |
| STOCKADE – STOCK (farm animals) + every other letter (regularly) of hAnDlEd | |
| 11 | One causing inflation with some money for bread (12) |
| PUMPERNICKEL – PUMPER (one causing inflation) + NICKEL (some money). For canapés with a difference, I can recommend spreading horseradish sauce on pumpernickel and topping it with a bit of sauerkraut and a slice of smoked eel – gorgeous! | |
| 15 | Sadly one trainee beginning to booze gets drunk (9) |
| INEBRIATE – *(TRAINEE) – with “sadly” indicating the anagram – and with I (one) and B (beginning to Booze) also being added into the mix. | |
| 16 | Gossip when buffet and tea are served in court (8) |
| CHITCHAT – HIT (buffet) and CHA (tea) are ‘served in’ CT (abbrev. court) | |
| 17 | Nosey type taking in young male inmate (8) |
| PRISONER – PRIER (nosey type) ‘taking in’ SON (young male). If one was to pick nits, one might query ‘young male’ for ‘son’ – as all of us blokes retain the status of ‘son’ until our dying day. But hey… | |
| 19 | Put wise students here? (6) |
| INFORM – DD (the second being “in form”) | |
| 20 | Save damaged retina (6) |
| RETAIN – *(RETINA) with “damaged” signalling the anagram | |
| 22 | American land found in sea passage (5) |
| AISLE – A (American) + ISLE (land found in sea – which by definition an isle is) | |
Edited at 2017-09-17 12:20 am (UTC)
Edited at 2017-09-17 12:30 am (UTC)
I spent quite a bit of time thinking the ‘old golfer’ might be Cary Middlecoff, giving ‘carry’ as the answer, but that didn’t seem likely as ‘carrying’ was in the clue. Eventually, it hit me.
As for Ma, he is OK, but Rostropovich, Starker, and Casals were real cellists.
From Wiki, btw:
“On September 12, 2017, Ma performed all six of Bach’s cello suites at the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles). After the first three suites, there was a “ten-minute pause” (as the Bowl video screen described it). An estimated 17,000 in attendance also heard Ma perform an encore, a tribute to “cellist Pablo Casals, who as a 13-year-old in 1890 discovered an old copy of the Bach suites in a secondhand music store, bringing them to modern attention. Ma’s memorable last words were to any 13-year-olds in the audience: “Don’t throw anything away.”
Edited at 2017-09-17 04:54 am (UTC)
I have a problem thinking of DRUMSTICK as a joint as anatomically it’s not one and in cookery/butchery a joint is usually expected to be a larger cut such as one might roast for a traditional Sunday lunch. If somebody told me we were having a joint for dinner and then presented a single drumstick I’d be peeved to say the least! However the meaning is in the traditional sources, just about, so the setter is off the (butcher’s) hook, so to speak.
I agree that there doesn’t appear to be an anagrind at 18ac. I considered ‘on’ in the sense of ‘working’ as often appears in wordplay, but that would be an indirect indicator which I don’t think is allowed, although who can be sure when it comes to the Sunday Times?
I’m not sure what’s your perceived problem with SON for ‘young male’ at 17dn, Nick. Aren’t all young men somebody’s son whether or not the father is still around or even known? [Edit: I’ve re-read and understand your point now, Nick, however the specific doesn’t exclude the general. We get ‘boy’ for Al and Ted etc etc almost every day]
Edited at 2017-09-17 05:16 am (UTC)
I think ‘son’ is ok – and rubbish for ‘tear into’. But 7dn did hold me up as I took a while to see the ‘set rot’ reversal in 5ac.
Thanks Nick and Jeff.
PS If I’m not around next week, it is because I am in Skye; mostly eating fried breakfasts.
I made a mistake and I’d like to know what it was.
Thanks Nick, for explaining a few of my biffs and question marks. I’d heard of Yo-Yo Ma, but I had enough letters to biff OKALHOMA without him, for example. I also biffed 18a, so luckily I didn’t need the anagram or its apparently-missing indicator…
LOI 22d, and apparently my COD, as it gets the only scribbled exclamation mark. WOD SNAKEBITE, taking me right back to my misspent university career drinking “snakebite and black” at the Courtyard pub in Coventry along with the rest of the goths.
This lot couldn’t have sacked a Butlins. O tempora, etc.
In 18ac ‘on’ has to be the anagram indicator if there is one at all, but I don’t understand how it can be.
My recommendation for pumpernickel in canapés or anything else is to throw it away and use something edible.
Edited at 2017-09-17 12:32 pm (UTC)
Sorry to be so late, but just did the crossword this morning (super busy week). Now looking forward to the explanation for the clues l didn’t get…thanks, as always!
From Phyl, Toronto, Canada