As I say, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some grumbling over 2dn, a phrase which I must confess I only knew from a misspent youth reading Asterix books (didn’t it crop up in Asterix the Legionary?). And then secondarily I disappeared down a rabbit hole of trying to calculate how many of the Argonauts could possibly have hailed from Attica – though since Theseus was one of their number, and few could be more Attic than he, I decided the clue definitely passed muster. Nice to see the good Titus as 10ac, which was a bit spooky having been confronted by the POPISH PLOT only yesterday, and given the fact that I went to see a pleasurably horrible staging of Titus Andronicus in Wimbledon last night.
COD-wise 3dn stood out to me as concisely ingenious, but I also liked the unassuming 1dn, just a simple but beautifully turned clue from a setter who very obviously knows what he’s (I think I got a tip off that he was a he?) doing. For which this tired and tested Friday blogger’s great thanks!
Across | |
1 | WEATHERMAN – (NEE{d} [“mostly”] WARM HAT*) [“in a storm”], semi-&lit |
6 | TRAP – carriage: {ex}TRA P{assengers} “fit in” |
10 | OATES – conspirator (Titus, fabricator of the Popish Plot!): “hiding regularly among” {r}O{w}A{n} T{r}E{e}S |
11 | FORTNIGHT – several days: O.R. [soldiers] + T{ake}N [“disheartened”] into FIGHT [battle] |
12 | ACHILLES TENDON – part of leg: ILLEST [most painful] in A C HENDON [a | cold | part of north London] |
14 | REAR END – behind: END [goal] after {d}REAR [boring “header’s disallowed”] |
15 | SILICON – used to make chips: homophone of SILLY [daft-“sounding”] + CON [fool] |
17 | CUTTING – double def: hurtful / piece from newspaper |
19 | FIGMENT – fancy: G-MEN [US investigators] wearing FIT [suit] |
20 | INCONVENIENCES – troubles: IN CONVENIENCES [among | ladies and gents] |
23 | GLASSWARE – schooners: LASS WAR [miss | fighting] “aboard” EG “retreating” |
24 | SLACK – coal: L [left] in SACK [appropriate container (for coal)] |
25 | PIPE – maybe churchwarden: PI P.E. [religious | lesson in school] |
26 | BEER GARDEN – one could get bitter here: reverse of AGREE [match “over”] between BR DEN [Britain and Denmark] |
Down | |
1 | WOOD – maybe deal: D{rugs} [“principally”] behind WOO [court] |
2 | ATTIC SALT – wit: an “Attic salt” could be an ancient Greek sailor… i.e. an Argonaut |
3 | HOSTILE WITNESS – one hates hearing: (I WHISTLE STONES*) [“medley”] |
4 | RAFFLED – offered as prize in draw: R.A.F. FLED [servicemen | took flight] |
5 | ARRESTS – checks: “what’s included in” {f}AR{e} “before” RESTS [holidays] |
7 | RAGED – was fuming: RAG ED [scrap material | journalist] |
8 | PUT AN END TO – squash: (PEANUT* + DON’T*) [“assortment”, “supply”] |
9 | INTELLIGENTSIA – thinkers: IN [during] + homophone of TELLY [TV “broadcast”] + GENT’S [fellow’s] + reverse of A1 [“upset” top] |
13 | CRACKING UP – breaking down: in CUP [competition], reverse of CAR [vehicle “overturns”] + KING [champion] |
16 | CLEVELAND – Democrat leader once (Grover): CLEVE{r} [able “to shake off Republican”] + LAND [win] |
18 | GRENADE – explosive: DANE [European] in ERG [work unit] all reversed [“picked up”] |
19 | FRISEUR – hairdresser: FRIS{k} [“endlessly” search] + reverse of RUE [“back” street in Paris] |
21 | CHAMP – much: C HAM [cold | meat] + P{ickle} [“for starters”] |
22 | SKIN – film: S [son] with KIN [family] |
(afterthought – is SLACK always NUTTY?)
Edited at 2015-11-13 09:57 am (UTC)
I remember CLEVELAND as the reason Hillary will be the 45th of 44 presidents. And for being called ‘Grover’.
Thanks for parsing BEER GARDEN and REAR END. dnk who CLEVELAND was, got this one from wp. Thanks, V.
Edited at 2015-11-13 08:53 am (UTC)
2dn was my last in. The Attic variety was only vaguely familiar but I remembered ‘salt’ meaning ‘wit’ from past puzzles. I felt rather the same way as z8 about it but I fear this feeling might be described as ‘insufferable smugness’. Personally if I were the editor I would have asked the setter to have another go.
Last in and by far the biggest problem for me was CLEVELAND, mainly because I didn’t know the first thing about him. Actually, I did. The only thing I knew about him was that his first name was Grover. Which it wasn’t. Apparently it was Stephen.
Looking at it again, the CLEVELAND clue is a belter. Great surface. It might be a reference to Stephen’s first presidential campaign (0.25% edge in the popular vote, illegitimate child controversy and all — sobering to think that had he be running in 2015/16 he would never have made it through the primaries with that skeleton in his cupboard). I am now a Cleveland expert. My thanks to the setter for making this possible.
“What was Grover Cleveland’s first name?”
Talking of tombs, you may be interested in this, Paul. My father is tangentially involved in an attempt to restore the graves of the parents of Button Gwinnett, one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence (whose own grave site is unknown). During the recent rugby world cup a delegation from the American embassy, on their way to Kingsholm for a match, stopped by to inspect the site and talk about restoration funding. Gwinnett, Gloucestershire born, is himself quite an interesting character. Died in a duel (what else?). Might be some more material for dazzling your American friends with obscure knowledge about their own country in there somewhere.
Despite years of Classical studies, I wasn’t aware that the chaps from Lacadaemon had a sense of humour, much like the CCP today.
If the Spartans didn’t have a well-developed sense of humour then I’ll eat my pileus.
DNK Attic Salt.
Biffed Friseur no pronlem but would have preferred COIFEUR!
Haven’t come across SLACK since I was a kid when my dad would go departmental if the coalman delivered too much SLACK (small bits) and not enough COAL (big lumps. Those were the days!
BEER GARDEN was chewy but COD. FOI WOOD
horryd Shanghai
I owe the fact that 24ac was for me an instant bung-in entirely to this childhood memory.
I just thought that might be appropriate in view of the lengthy (but informative!) discussion on Democrat or Democratic.
Here endeth this transmission.
I remember ‘nutty slack’ from the 40s when all the best coal went for export, and the good stuff to industry, so that the domestic user only got the rubbish.
Is there ATTIC PEPPER as well?
Condiments of the season,
horryd Shnghai
I agree with Keriothe that the editor ought to have asked the setter to have another go. The phrase is certainly obscure, and the bridge leading from complete ignorance to the solution is at best a rickety one.
Thought many of the surfaces were very nice – 19dn in particular presenting an appealing image of quiet desperation.
Verlaine, your express solving, often under morning-after conditions, never ceases to amaze me. And your Classical bent. Bonne courage.
COD to HOSTILE WITNESS, despite a couple of schooners in a BEER GARDEN sounding good in this (Perth) weather.
Thanks setter and Verlaine.
*Edited when I realised I’d used the word “but” four times in three sentences. Appalling.
Edited at 2015-11-13 02:21 pm (UTC)
Was Alexander Pope really a churchwarden? I did wonder so read his bio on Wikipedia but didn’t see any mention of that. I did read that he was a strong Catholic. I very nearly put Pope but an expedition to ODO led me to the correct answer, thank goodness. Another one I had never heard of.
I thought 3d was fairly straightforward as a nanagram. My favourite was that good ole Democratic Democrat, Cleveland. Cleve(r)ly done.
42m 38s which includes around 12-15 mins for 2d and 25ac
As you might guess, ATTIC SALT went straight in. Despite past experience, I’m still slightly surprised at how many people aren’t familiar with it.
I love this site – am still an amateur but learning so much from you all. And being able to occasionally finish it is a thrill! Many thanks
FS1997 in Hong Kong
n
1. (Forestry) a plank of softwood timber, such as fir or pine, or such planks collectively
2. (Forestry) the sawn wood of various coniferous trees, such as that from the Scots pine (red deal) or from the Norway Spruce (white deal)
adj
(Forestry) of fir or pine