Solving time : 21 minutes – there’s a lot of craftiness in these clues, and a quick scan of acrosses and downs only yielded about eight answers, so I thought I might be in for a long haul, but answers came one or two at a time, and I managed to get there, with the Florida corner being the one putting up the most resistance.
Might have done better if I’d known the long anagram at 9 down, a very very vaguely familiar name (maybe from reading some of his obituary?) that was my second last entry.
Lots of excellent and sneaky clues, it’s going to be tricky to decide what to omit.
Away we go…
Across | |
---|---|
1 | EXHALE: or EX HALE |
4 | AT RANDOM: A TRANSOM with the S(small) replaced by D(diameter). Probably my favorite clue |
10 | CARD SHARP: A,RD,SH in CARP |
11 | Let’s omit this one, whereforever he art |
12 | PLAUDIT: LAUD in PIT. Got this from definition, didn’t know the archbishop |
13 | FREESIA: F(following), (EASIER)* |
14 | SPELT: double def – it’s popular in muffins here |
15 | ETHERNET: ETHER(number), then TEN reversed |
18 | ALPHABET: ref ALPHABET soup |
20 | F,ABLE |
23 | MICROBE: very fun clue – the MICE would be the players if the cat was away, and they’re surrounding ROB |
25 | NEEDIER: DIE in NE’ER |
26 | LO,USE |
27 | SLUSH PILE: double definition – I’m responsible for the contents of a few of these – it’s unsolicited manuscripts |
28 | STRIDENT: RID in STENT |
29 | BRIGHT: got this from definition – there’s some activity in the comments as to whom the economist was, but I can’t seem to find an obvious reference, so I’ll just say it was Australian spin bowler Ray Bright who is from the same town as me |
Down | |
1 | ESCAPISM: C in (IMPASSE)* |
2 | HER,BAG,E |
3 | LAST(survive),D(died),ITCH(long) |
5 | TIP OF THE TONGUE |
6 | A, GREE |
7 | DEMESNE: I’ve always wondered about the pronunciation of this word, does it sound the same as DEMEAN? |
8 | MOOLAH: MOO(low), L(a pound) then alternating letters in eAcH |
9 | CARTIER-BRESSON: (ENTIRE,CROSSBAR)* |
16 | RE,FRESHER: didn’t know the definition (a fee paid to extend counsel) the FRESHER part comes from a new University student |
17 | BEERIEST: ERIE(a lot of water) in BEST |
19 | let’s omit this one from the downs |
21 | BEIJING: I and J in BEING |
22 | SMALLS: Shop had a big S |
24 | OREAD: hidden |
I didn’t know the beauty at 24, the cereal at 14, the photographer at 9 or the expression at 27, although the first three of those I worked out without too many problems.
I knew the somewhat unusual word at 7dn from years of reading legal documents in a former paid employment but I didn’t know it could be pronounced in order to fit the other part of the clue, indeed this appears to be a less common alternative according to the sources I have consulted.
Plenty of good stuff here though, and I particularly liked 22 for its clever device and as a change from the standard range of underwear on offer at this stall.
Edited at 2013-02-28 07:09 am (UTC)
22d had me a little bemused, as I was looking for something to do with the two Ls, which didn’t quite work. As it is, I agree it’s a very cute device. And when we have a 5 letter slot, LONGS would answer the clue almost as well.
SLUSH PILE had me guessing as to the ?I?E bit, and I put in PILE thinking it was just a variation on “fund”, a secret stash that’s also won’t appear in print. Education,then, for me today.
CARTIER BRESSON needed all the crossers and some nifty letter sorting before I remembered the happy snapper and what sort of shot were being called.
I thought “fluke” could be an alternative answer to LOUSE at 26A but did enjoy the SMALL-S at 22D and 15A ETHERNET with the clever use of “number” with “ten” – two excellent clues
At 30 minutes I made rather heavy weather and now can’t really see why, especially since I knew the photographer. His one-time assistant was Inge Morath who lived in our apartment building, was married to Arthur Miller and the mother-in-law of a certain 3time Oscar winner. Six degrees of separation.
Equally amazed as Jack to find that 7dn could be so pronounced. The word has always baffled me since encountering it every Wednesday in primary school when we went to the local baths and had to queue up next to the street sign for Demesne Street. We all decided (in good scouse fashion) to call it “Dem Knees Street”.
I rather liked most of this, but wasn’t very keen on 27ac. SLUSH PILE seems like a rather arcane term, and there are an awful lot of words that fit ?I?E. I happen to have picked the right one but I was at least half expecting it to be wrong and I think it’s a bit unfair.
I had BRIGHT for 29ac but I can’t find an economist by that name. What am I missing? On edit: perhaps John Bright? “Associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League” according to Wikipedia.
Edited at 2013-02-28 10:45 am (UTC)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bright
In which case “economist” is a bit loose.
I agree, a bit loose. I wonder when the term “economist” was first used.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/06/john-bright-bill-cash-review
For scholarly matters on the term “economy” and how and when it moved from meaning “economising” to a “thing” underpinning social life, see:
http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:267216
Just checked the big OED, and the first use of “economist” (as “an expert in or student of economics” — though the meaning of “economics” may be at variance with our own at that time) was 1776:
“1776 I. de Pinto tr. M. de Pinto Lett. on Amer. Troubles 62 The principles of the œconomists [Fr. des Économistes] are erroneous”.
Nothing much has changed eh?
Edited at 2013-02-28 11:01 am (UTC)
On the subject of erroneous economists, we have one on a retainer at work who visits every few months to give us his views. He has been doing so for nearly fifteen years, for the first ten of which he predicted imminent doom. Eventually of course he was right.
Edited at 2013-02-28 11:34 am (UTC)
I must confess I just stuck BRIGHT in without thinking about it too much even if many economists aren’t!
The appearance of J Q & X, and ALPHABET at 18 made me expect a pangram, but there’s no Z – I wonder whether the original idea might have used BOOZIEST at 21 ?
COD .. to the MICROBE or the SMALLS. Can’t decide.
I’m still a bit shellshocked from spotting ()ignora[nt] in yesterday’s puzzle and wondering for some time which particular married woman BIG NORA might be. She sounds like someone from Sense and Sensibility or The Tempest if you ask me.
COD to 23 for the MICE part.
Fortunately, I am quite familiar with Cartier-Bresson, or it would have been worse.
Edited at 2013-02-28 03:33 pm (UTC)
Thought this was one of the most enjoyable puzzles for ages, with lots of doh! moments as the penny dropped… Liked BEIJING and ETHERNET. Didn’t understand SMALLS. Assumed it was something to do with shopping malls. Barking completely up the wrong tree…
Edited at 2013-02-28 07:19 pm (UTC)
All in all a most enjoyable puzzle.