Solving time : 10:43 – I was done about a minute before that, but since it was blog day I wanted to make sure everything made sense and it was taking me a while to justify the cryptic for 6 across. Rather happy when it came back as a correct submission as I am often a sloppy typer (it took me about five tries to get 20 down spelled correctly).
Much like yesterdays, a rather fun sound crossword puzzle, I thought. Hope everyone else is having fun.
Away we go…
Across | |
---|---|
1 | STRUMPET: S (start of Street) TRUMPET(brassy sort) and an &lit to begin |
6 | CREATE: C(about), then RELATE (report) without an L. Didn’t know CREATE by itself could mean “make a fuss”, it’s in Chambers |
9 | TACTICAL ERROR: ACT(do),I,CAL |
10 | our across omission |
11 | HARD LINE: One that went in from the definition, but now I look it up in Chambers – HARD LINES means bad luck, so take the S off of it |
13 | BRATISLAVA: (BAR)*, ‘TIS, LAVA. A city that sticks in my mind from the vastly underrated horror film “Hostel” |
15 | GAS,H |
16 | CHAR: H(ouse) in CAR |
18 | INDISPOSED: IN then (SIP)* in DOSED |
21 | PRODIGAL: ROD in PIGAL |
22 | FINITE: IT in FINE |
23 | CONTROVERSIAL: CON(criminal) then OVER(past), (crime)S in TRIAL |
25 | STUPID: anagram of DISPUTE without the E at the end |
26 | ROTHESAY: HE in ROT,SAY |
Down | |
2 | TATTLER: ATTLE |
3 | UNCL |
4 | POINT: IN in TOP reversed |
5 | TRACHEA: TRAIN without IN, then insert ACHE |
6 | CLEARWAYS: (WALES,CAR)* about Y |
7 | our downly omission |
8 | THRONGS: R in THONGS |
12 | LEGIONNAIRE: anagram of IN,GENERAL,I,0 |
14 | SNIGGERED: EG(as),GINS reversed then RED |
17 | HARICOT: H then A,RICOTTA without TA(thanks) |
19 | DELIVER: double def |
20 | ESTELLA: hidden reversed in bALLET SEemingly |
22 | FIRST: alternating letters in FaIl ReSiTs |
24 | NAP: N then PA reversed |
That means 11 across had to be HARD LIFE (with LIFE being a type of policy (I guess that would be DBE).
Eventually got CREATE and so THRONGS ended up being my LOI.
35 minutes. Not the most testing of puzzles perhaps but I was delayed by several in the top half and LEGIONNAIRE, my last one in.
Once again a good half of the answers went in on definition alone and I had to look again at the clue to 4dn to discover why REPOINT wasn’t the answer when I found it wouldn’t fit the grid.
Edited at 2012-08-30 12:05 am (UTC)
CREATE: possibly a northern English expression. My old Mum was always telling me not to do so!
THRONGS: I never remember what THONGS are in other parts of the world because they’re footwear (of a sort) where I am. Hence, I could never work out why Monica Lewinsky was only wearing the one. I imagined her hobbling around the Oval Office.
Many of the clues were very easy, and I had so many crossing letters that finishing the rest wasn’t hard. ‘Rothesay’ was the only thing I had never heard of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orHEjmlvXQc&feature=related
I heard this far too many times when playing in the warm-up band for The Spinners. Not a great musical claim to fame, I admit. But after that, it’s hard to forget.
Much easier for me than the previous couple. Only real pause for thought was over my last in – LEGIONNAIRE.
Like jackkt I wondered about POINT. In my experience (and unfortunately I have quite a lot of it) repairing mortar is always “repointing”, but it turns out “pointing” means the same thing. So really everyone’s been saying “re-repairing”, usually in a sentence that includes a reference to a large sum of money.
Edited at 2012-08-30 08:27 am (UTC)
I, too, fell for the old “Estelle” ploy and only corrected that when I got Rothesay. After yesterday’s urbanites that’s two bear traps fallen into in quick succession. Must remember to take careful note of the letters needed.
I had to go back post-solve to understand the wordplay for strumpet, tactical error and prodigal.
My LOI was flaunt. COD to trachea.
Thought there were some admirably smooth surfaces today, e.g. Gash, Finite and Stupid.
George, thanks for explaining Strumpet – I couldn’t see how that worked.
Some very fine clues here. My compliments to the setter.
Enjoyed the crossword in spite of two typos and a wrong punt in place of the unknown Rothesay, which in retrospect was so clearly signposted that is should have been unmissable!