20 minutes on a blogging day – so not a difficult puzzle. Indeed some of it is rather easy. The Garbo clue is novel.
Across | |
---|---|
1 | RADICAL – RADI(C)AL; poorish definition, not all supporters of political reform are from the left; |
5 | FIANCEE – EU country=France then change “r=run” to “i=one” and add “e=English”; match=marriage; what Garbo never had; |
9 | GENDARMERIE – (men I regard + (aw)e)*; les flics; |
10 | MAC – M(A)C; is a mackintosh a coat? |
11 | METTLE – sounds like “metal”; |
12 | PROTRACT – PRO-TRACT; PRO=Public Relations Officer; |
14 | DENTAL,SURGEON – (tongue snarled)*; nice if rather obvious anagram; |
17 | TEMPERAMENTAL – TEMP-ERA-MENTAL; Garbo no doubt; |
21 | RUNS,OVER – RUNS-OVER = 6 deliveries by bowler; |
23 | CONGEE – CON-GEE(gee); rice; |
25 | IVY – (l)IVY; Benson?; |
26 | DRESS,CIRCLE – GARB=dress – O=circle; Greta 1905-1990 who wanted to be left alone; |
27 | GARMENT – G(ARM)ENT; |
28 | REGULAR – R(EG)UL(e)-A-R(epublicans); |
Down | |
1 | REGIME – (t)IGER reversed-ME; |
2 | DONATED – D(O-N)ATED; |
3 | CHALLENGE – CHA(ELL reversed)NGE; getting an interview with Greta; |
4 | LIME – (c)LIME; |
5 | FORTRESSES – FOR-TRESSES; |
6 | AGENT – AGE-NT; I liked “books”; |
7 | COMRADE – COM(RA(i)D)E; nice clue; |
8 | EXCITING – EX-CITING; what Garbo wasn’t; |
13 | MANAGEMENT – M(ess)-AN(A-GEM)ENT; ANENT=about in Aberdeen – a bit Mephistoish?; |
15 | RATIONING – RAT(I-ON)ING; memories of coupon books, spam and powdered egg; |
16 | STARLING – STAR(L)ING; |
18 | MONEYER – MON(st)E(YE)R; one in mint condition; |
19 | LOGICAL – LO(GI)CAL; |
20 | METEOR – METE-OR; what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs; |
22 | OLDIE – O-L-DIE; depressing clue; |
24 | USER – mean trick=ruse then move “r” to the end; |
Edited at 2013-10-15 07:48 am (UTC)
I also queried “leftist” at 1ac, excused perhaps by the question mark?
The clue for COMRADE is either a clever semi-&lit or a touch of the double duty.
Liked the Garbo clue a lot. MONEYER from the cryptic, though I almost had the even more unknown MONTYER. I also tried variations on MINTER, with something else as the definition.
Thanks to Jim for indicating where the O came from in PROTRACT: the PR, I feel, vary rarely carries the Officer bit these days when even abbrs are abbrd.
Yep, I too had COMRADE as my LOI, taking a few moments before realising it was ‘raid’ not ‘rad’ that meant attack.
Much quicker than yesterday, about 35mins or so, but didn’t manage to parse MANAGEMENT (dnk ANENT), REGIME or DRESS CIRCLE (vg).
I too wondered where the O came from in PROTRACT, so thanks also for that enlightenment.
I’ve seen a similar Garbo clue before, probably in an old Guardian or Indie puzzle if none of you remember it. CONGEE went in from the wordplay and with my fingers crossed because I didn’t know that meaning of the word. COMRADE was my LOI once I’d deciphered the wordplay.
Talking of Mephisto (13dn) I only attempt it occcasionally but finished this week’s in two sessions, and found it quite manageable. Recommended.
Edited at 2013-10-15 10:10 am (UTC)
I solved yesterday’s late, after a transatlantic flight, and joined the not so elite club of Old Irreperables. I wish I could blame it on the flight but I fear I often spell it that way.
Many thanks
CG
Ref the former I toyed with conger on the basis that a German might be a type or breed of horse. I certainly didn’t know congee and I’d better brush up on that sort of thing as I’m off to Hong Kong next month. The furthest East I’ve been before, not counting Clacton, is the right hand bit of Turkey.
Moneyer unknown but clear enough and I needed that to confirm Ivy. I’m not great with historians (I can’t even remember the name of my History teacher at school).
The Garbo clue reminded me of a football-themed puzzle by Donk in the Indie a while back where Mido (a real footballer) led to the answer centre circle.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
I thought RUNS OVER a very weak clue. Spent five minutes staring at the solution thinking surely it can’t be that simple. Funny that the same setter could devise the delightful DRESS CIRCLE, the tricky COMRADE and the “Mephistoish” MANAGEMENT and this lame duck.
Had never heard of Moneyer but the wordplay was clear. Liked GG’s dress circle.
suppose it depends on your word association with FALL,
an American will possibly think first of Autumn or Niagara, a disabled person as a tumble, a horse person as being dismounted.
I saw advance and attack = battle, and comrades fall in battle, so then back-parsed it.
CONGEE – rice porridge – sounds disgusting.
I don’t recall coming across MONEYER before, but although I’m pretty sure I’ve met CONGEE somewhere – in real life I think, though I can’t remember where, so maybe I just dreamt it – I wasn’t at all confident about it.
And, like others, I made heavy weather of 7dn, which I take to be a full (rather than a partial) &lit.
Down to earth tomorrow I expect.
George Clements
Edited at 2013-10-16 06:30 am (UTC)