16 minutes for this light hearted offering, which for the first time in my 5 years of blogging regularity, does not (as far as I can see) have a ‘hidden word’ clue. Apart from the sneaky puzzles from yesteryear which occasionally pop up, of course. Does our setter know something we don’t in the surface of 1a? I liked 8d because it made me think nostalgically of the Shipping Forecasts on Radio 4, for which at one time I could ‘do’ the areas in order from memory, now replaced by the Periodic Table for my sleep induction.
Just a reminder; ( )* = anagram fodder, italics = anagrist, underline = definition, DD = double definition.
| Across | |
| 1 | Knowing those swinging both ways bound to be high up in church (10) EDIT apparently there was a late edit ! after I’d printed off my online edition to solve. It now reads “Knowing bachelor is bound …”. How the first version got past the censor is a mystery, and who spotted the bad taste? See various comments below. |
| ARCHBISHOP – ARCH = knowing, BIS = bisexuals, (now B = bachelor, IS), HOP = bound. | |
| 6 | Unhappy about hard run (4) |
| DASH – SAD reversed, H for hard. | |
| 9 | Not captured outside Mons initially is correct (10) |
| UNMISTAKEN – UNTAKEN = not captured, insert M = mons, I = initially is. | |
| 10 | Philosopher works? (4) |
| MILL – DD, as in John Stuart Mill. | |
| 12 | Progressive splitting around in-patients’ toilet? (7-7) |
| FORWARD-LOOKING – a WARD LOO would be an in-patients’ toilet; insert into FORKING = splitting. | |
| 14 | Showing due respect to Channel islands over hard water area (6) |
| ICECAP – CI = Channel Islands. /reverse that. PACE = showing due respect to; (the meaning is in Collins, from Latin Pax pace). Reverse that too. | |
| 15 | For mine, aluminium is wastefully extravagant (8) |
| PRODIGAL – PRO = for, DIG = mine, AL = Al, aluminium. | |
| 17 | Diamond in box king left queen (8) |
| SPARKLER – SPAR = box, K = king, L = left, ER = Queen. | |
| 19 | Stone, plastic or zinc (6) |
| ZIRCON – (OR ZINC)*. | |
| 22 | Story by Scheherazade, perhaps, nearly a real treasure (3,2,1,8) |
| ONE IN A THOUSAND – Scheherezade told the king 1,001 stories, each finished the following night, in order to avoid being decapitated, as he had done to his previous 1,000 virgin brides after one night so they could never be unfaithful. He married her in the end; perhaps they had run out of virgins? Nice music though. | |
| 24 | Some returned in carriage (4) |
| TRAP – PART reversed. | |
| 25 | Torch English home — note what then appears? (4,6) |
| FIRE ENGINE – FIRE = torch, ENG, IN, E = note. Not the best ever clue. | |
| 26 | Part of film is material for audience (4) |
| REEL – Sounds like REAL = material. | |
| 27 | Republican leads top-secret rolling review (10) |
| RETROSPECT – R, (TOPSECRET)*. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Water in a boggy place, mostly (4) |
| AQUA – A, QUA(G). | |
| 2 | Arrive holding prize dessert dish (7) |
| COMPOTE – Insert POT (prize) into COME. | |
| 3 | Husband and wife coping with tailing vehicle moving in the outback (12) |
| BUSHWHACKING – H, W HACKING (coping) follows BUS. | |
| 4 | Terribly artsy Romeo with many famous actors (6) |
| STARRY – (ARTSY R)* | |
| 5 | Wartime operation ended by Kitchener, perhaps (8) |
| OVERLORD – OVER = ended, LORD = Kitchener, perhaps. | |
| 7 | Enduring bachelor involved in giving help (7) |
| ABIDING – B inserted into AIDING | |
| 8 | Order for copter to stop flying in German island (10) |
| HELIGOLAND – HELI, GO LAND being the relevant order. | |
| 11 | Bank handsome victory on beach? (7,5) |
| GOODWIN SANDS – GOOD WIN = handsome victory, SANDS = beach. Sandbank in the North Sea. | |
| 13 | So to hers excitedly around nine in cowboy gear? (3-7) |
| SIX-SHOOTER – Insert IX = nine into (SO TO HERS)*. | |
| 16 | Stand across from top amusement park attraction (8) |
| BESTRIDE – the BEST RIDE is the top amusement park attraction. | |
| 18 | Mean storm follows hail (7) |
| AVERAGE – AVE = Latin for ‘hail’, RAGE = storm. | |
| 20 | Disadvantage with very good pen (7) |
| CONFINE – CON(TRA) = disadvantage, FINE = very good. | |
| 21 | One who’s affected position over Europe (6) |
| POSEUR – POS short for position, EUR short for Europe. | |
| 23 | Quick and effective line out of Dutch city (4) |
| DEFT – DELFT has L removed. | |
Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,
The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.
A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire,
And after him the parson ran, the sexton and the squire;
A merry road, a mazy road, and such as we did tread
The night we went to Birmingham by way of Beachy Head.
I knew no harm of Bonaparte and plenty of the Squire,
And for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire;
But I did bash their baggonets because they came arrayed
To straighten out the crooked road an English drunkard made,
Where you and I went down the lane with ale-mugs in our hands,
The night we went to Glastonbury by way of Goodwin Sands.
His sins they were forgiven him; or why do flowers run
Behind him; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun?
The wild thing went from left to right and knew not which was which,
But the wild rose was above him when they found him in the ditch.
God pardon us, nor harden us; we did not see so clear
The night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier.
My friends, we will not go again or ape an ancient rage,
Or stretch the folly of our youth to be the shame of age,
But walk with clearer eyes and ears this path that wandereth,
And see undrugged in evening light the decent inn of death;
For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen,
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.
I actually liked FIRE ENGINE (made me smile inwardly) if perhaps not technically good, but a straightforward charade, no?
Did the non bisexual version of this puzzle on my handheld computer device, aka phone. Normally pick up the dead tree variety but left voucher at home. Perhaps the clonk on my head still has me bejangled?
LOI MILL
COD 25a for the amusement factor.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
Three month challenge : 23/25.
WS
Edited at 2019-05-16 06:59 am (UTC)
BUSHWHACKING (the clue for which could have been so, so much worse) held me up for a little while, as did PRODIGAL – I’d more or less convinced myself that “propital” was a word before GOODWIN SANDS put me right. I enjoyed the hard water at 14ac, and 19ac’s clueing. HELIGOLAND evoked a subvocal groan. And does anyone actually say “ONE IN A THOUSAND”? I think inflation has rendered it rather a limp compliment. Also, we seem to have been a bit short on science-related clues of late, but I live in hope.
Like [gothick_matt], I am indebted as ever to Messrs Python for all of my knowledge of philosophers.
Twenty-four minutes all in.
Took almost the hour to complete across several sessions. A few new terms for me – HELIGOLAND, GOODWIN SANDS, QUAG and that meaning of PACE.
Had no issues in seeing the ‘hard water area’ for ICECAP, but with that unknown PACE, it took a while to understand the why – great clue though. Have only heard of BUSHWHACKING as a form of ambush down here rather than just ‘moving in the outback’ – did like the HACKING bit of the charade.
Finished in the SW corner with DEFT (even though have seen it clued similarly before), POSEUR (differently clued here) and that tricky BESTRIDE (that wasn’t so hard in retrospect).