No exact time because of the circumstances but I started while 21 minutes past the hour was showing on my phone and finished with 34, so in the region of 13 minutes. 12ac was my FOI as the “TRIP” part sprang immediately to mind, and 14ac followed seconds later, providing a good base of operations for further solving activity. LOI was 23d I think, just because I spent too long looking for a word from which I could subtract SH…
Some above average levels of deviousness scattered liberally about the grid today, which I appreciated: well concealed definitions (3ac, 4dn), lateral ones (27ac, 6dn), and impressive convolutions in the wordplay (21ac, 26ac). I really liked the co-emcee at 19ac. I’d never heard of a knock-for-knock policy, presumably due to not having a driving licence, and while 25ac came to me quickly I’m pretty sure it’s a beast whose herds are only numerous in Crosswordland.
But yes, on the whole that was the puzzle I’ve most enjoyed having to blog in a while, and if I could shake the setter by the hand right now I certainly would. Kept me guessing throughout and many little moments to treasure. Whenever I come out in enthusiastic favour of a crossword through there’s always at least some backlash grumbling in the comments (I have weird taste I expect), so what did everyone else think?
| Across | |
| 1 | SOCK – a blow: “on the contrary” to husband losing hair, i.e. hair losing husband [SHOCK minus H] |
| 3 | SMARTPHONE – “one used to call”: (THEM APRONS*) [“originally”] |
| 9 | LOVE SET – convincing Wimbledon success: LOVE + SET [dig | hard] |
| 11 | NEEDLED – got to: NEED [call for] + LE{a}D [guide “with no answer”, i.e. minus A] |
| 12 | STRIP LIGHTING – that Tube provides?: SLIGHTING [insulting] about TRIP [excursion] |
| 14 | DUPLE – double: “helping of” {caram}EL PUD{ding} “sent back” |
| 15 | RURAL DEAN – clergyman: RA [artist] in (ARUNDEL*) [“upset”] |
| 17 | WORK ETHIC – attitude to Labour: (OK WITH C{onservative} RE*) [“surprisingly”] |
| 19 | COMIC – entertainer: “one of two comperes” [CO-MC] introducing I [a single] |
| 21 | QUOTATION MARK – “one of a pair at 5”, i.e. the quotation marks surrounding “branch” at 5dn: (INTO*) [“rambling”] “toured” by QUOTA MARK [helping | celebrate] |
| 24 | ASININE – very dull: AS I [when | one] is followed by NINE [several more] |
| 25 | BEEFALO – cross: BEEF A LO{t} [grouse a lot “endlessly”] |
| 26 | INEPTITUDE – bungling: I NUDE [one | exposed] “penning” P in ET [page in “French and”] + IT [Italian] |
| 27 | WEEK – Sat (i.e. Saturday) in this: homophone of WEAK [worn our, “for audition”] |
| Down | |
| 1 | SPLASHDOWN – the main landing (i.e. landing in the sea): SPLASH [prominent feature] + DOWN [blue] |
| 2 | COVER-UP – whitewash: OVER [extra] in CUP [vessel] |
| 4 | MATRIARCH – top female: TRIA{l} [pilot “losing tail section”] in MARCH [border territory] |
| 5 | RANCH – farm: {b}RANCH [arm “wanting head”] |
| 6 | POETIC LICENCE – cryptic def: a “linesman” here being a penner of lines, and a “letter” being that which lets, i.e that which gives leeway |
| 7 | OBLIGEE – we owe him: OBLIGE [please] + “tip for” {servic}E |
| 8 | ENDS – tips: and ends accompany the odds, as in “odds and ends” |
| 10 | SUPREME SOVIET – Communist leaders (PRESUME VOTE IS*) [“rigged”] |
| 13 | KNOCK KNOCK – jokey introduction (followed by “who’s there?”): KNOCK-{for}-KNOCK [sort of policy “not allowing” for] |
| 16 | RECLIMBED – grew again: REC [leisure facility] + LIMBED [supplied with members] |
| 18 | REQUIRE – make (as in “compel”): RE [note] on QUIRE [paper] |
| 20 | MEAT AXE – murder weapon: MEE{t} [“brief” encounter] involves A TAX [a duty] |
| 22 | ALERT – on the ball: L E [L{ill}E’s “wingers”] with all-round ART [skill] |
| 23 | MAXI – skirt: “mum removed from” MAXI{mum} [ceiling] |
I agree with barracuda3 – not my favourite crossword. I can’t see any justification for “murder weapon” to clue MEAT AXE, don’t like “Sat in this” for WEEK and 6D is just feeble. Sadly, no balancing good clues.
I think the unchecked “c” in LICENCE is a bit tough on our US solvers, but no complaints overall. Liked “Sat in this”.
Thanks setter and blogger.
I meant to say thanks, verlaine, for the parsing of OBLIGEE. I was trying to parse it as one of those sort of vocative “O, …” affairs. In the end I just bunged it in.
For the first 15 minutes or so I was praising the heavens that the puzzle had not fallen on my blogging day (I used to do alternate Fridays, though this wouldn’t have been one of mine anyway) but eventually things started to fall into place and I realised I could have coped with it after all.
BEEFALO was an unknown.
I was going to quibble that a LOVE SET is only a success if one happens to be on the winning side of the net, but I suppose the question mark allows for the alternative point of view.
Edited at 2015-08-14 09:18 am (UTC)
I do find the population of this site does tend to kick back against the blogger’s opinions, so if I am a bit dismissive others step up to the defence, and if I wax enthusiastic people will go out of their way to mention the faults. A sensible compromise position is usually reached one way or another!
Edited at 2015-08-14 10:44 am (UTC)
I’m surprised a few of you have said you haven’t come across BEEFALO before, although in fairness it may have appeared in Guardian or Indie puzzles when I’ve seen it in the past.
Edited at 2015-08-14 12:42 pm (UTC)
I can see there’s was some clever stuff in there, but I have the impression that the setter was flagging towards the end: RECLIMBED = “grew again?” (hm!); REQUIRE = “make” (I’m not yet convinced); MEAT AXE (it’s “meat cleaver” where I come from); and 23dn has a very odd surface reading (what on earth is a skirt doing on the ceiling?)
Anne in Australia