DNF after 34 minutes
I am very tired and threw the towel in with 13dn outstanding and a couple unparsed. I thought everything was going swimmingly to start with, but I was left with gaps all over the grid when I slowed to a stop, and I’m still unsure what 17ac and 7dn are getting at.
Although guessed correctly, I needed the dictionary to find out that FL was ‘flourish’ and I thought GAMP must be something to do with camping or glamping.
I have an inkling there’s a lot to admire about this puzzle, so apologies to the setter for not doing it justice today.
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Excellent work flourished in tense environment? (3-6) |
| TOP-FLIGHT – OP (opus, work) + FL (flourished, of a writer etc. when exact birth and death years are unknown), all in TIGHT (tense). | |
| 6 | Programme health professional put together with relevant agency? (2,3) |
| DR WHO – DR (health professional) + WHO (World Health Organisation, relevant agency). | |
| 9 | Player’s agent introducing celebrities (15) |
| INSTRUMENTALIST – INSTUMENT (agent) + A-LIST (celebrities) | |
| 10 | Make rueful, somewhat reflective, exclamation in bath? (6) |
| EUREKA – reverse hidden in mAKE RUEful. | |
| 11 | Petitions involving legal affairs, by island, Indonesian one (8) |
| SULAWESI – SUES (petitions) containing LAW (legal affairs), then I (island). | |
| 13 | Guests in Parliament: Conservative or Labour? (5,5) |
| HOUSE PARTY – HOUSE (parliament) + PARTY (Conservative or Labour?). | |
| 14 | Scrap religious festival (4) |
| WHIT – double definition. | |
| 16 | Small fish found in channel (4) |
| SIDE – S (small) + IDE (fish). As in T.V. channel/side. | |
| 17 | Job on estate — one expected to save up for it? (10) |
| GAMEKEEPER – is this cryptic hint suggesting one who ‘keeps’ (saves up for) GAME? | |
| 19 | What remains after last of our recycling efforts? (8) |
| REHASHES – EH (what) + ASHES (remains), all after last of ouR. | |
| 20 | Tonic following tablet I knocked back (6) |
| FILLIP – F (following), then PILL (tablet) + I reversed. | |
| 23 | Doing whatever it takes, with piratical or criminal assistance? (2,4,2,2,5) |
| BY HOOK OR BY CROOK – cryptic hint requiring help from a pirate (hook) or criminal (crook). | |
| 24 | Moving supply of things for reading by ambassador (5) |
| LITHE – LIT (literature, things for reading) + HE (His Excellency, ambassador). Supple-y! | |
| 25 | Last of crop seed’s run out: one must keep stocking up! (9) |
| SUSPENDER – anagram of last of croP + SEEDS + RUN | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Match ending in tense tie (5) |
| TWINE – TWIN (match) + last of tensE. | |
| 2 | Collect some bread in unusual haste (has pocket emptied)? (4,5,3,3) |
| PASS ROUND THE HAT – ROUND (some bread) in an anagram of HASTE HAS PockeT. | |
| 3 | Parrot expression of dismay by president on film (8) |
| LORIKEET – LOR (expression of dismay) + IKE (president) + ET (film). | |
| 4 | Temporarily put up shelter in school with parking (4) |
| GAMP – GAM (school) + P (parking). An untidily kept umbrella – so glad I now have a word for this. | |
| 5 | Oddly glum in manner, even speechless (6-4) |
| TONGUE-TIED – odd letters from GlUm in TONE (manner) + TIED (even). | |
| 6 | Scenes shot equally (6) |
| DRAMAS – DRAM (shot) + AS (equally). | |
| 7 | Hear a low-pitched buzzing in London thoroughfare (11,4) |
| WHITECHAPEL ROAD – I have absolutely no idea and hope the commenters will come to the rescue. | |
| 8 | Clothes bought here unfashionable and more appropriate (9) |
| OUTFITTER – OUT (unfashionable) + FITTER (more appropriate). | |
| 12 | Not exactly a man to excite, with energy going spare (10) |
| CADAVEROUS – |
|
| 13 | Ancient general experiences rout: not quite fully (9) |
| HASDRUBAL – HAS (experiences) + DRUB (rout) + ALl (fully) missing the last letter. A Carthaginian general. | |
| 15 | One into wine, note, that’s average (8) |
| MEDIOCRE – I (one) in MEDOC (wine) + RE (note after ‘do’ and before ‘mi’). | |
| 18 | Lad’s throw every so often about to land (6) |
| ASHORE -every other letter from lAdS tHrOw + RE (about). | |
| 21 | Fine for interrupting a game (5) |
| POKER – OK (fine) in PER (a). | |
| 22 | I repeat: I have a large bill! (4) |
| IBIS – I + BIS (repeat). | |
As a newcomer to both, I think I love the blog (is that the right word?) even more than the puzzle. I don’t think I would make the attempt without the back up. And I love the comments as much as the blog. Apart from all the other benefits claimed for crosswords, is there mention anywhere of how much it helps in the keeping of an open mind, and the therapeutic relief of abandoning an erroneous opinion when shown a better path? All of you are such uplifting examples of how a shared search for the truth is so much more satisfying than just being right. An antidote to the more usual use of social media as a space for bigotry and confrontation. Reading your measured, considerate, careful, painstakingly accurate correspondence with each other brings me a deep joy.
Thank you all
Sunday evening after 10 days without a crossword. Completed in 25’03”, which I am very happy with. Chewy.
so happy to see others had a few problems with this, as I did too: but not as many as my usual number for a Friday. LOI HASDRUBAL (NHO), FOI DR WHO. Plenty of fun and clever moments in this, and I dredged up GAM for a school as needed, liked the “temporarily put up shelter” definition (perfect!); remembered SULAWESI from somewhere (and strict adherence to the wordplay); loved the hidden EUREKA; but COD has to go to GAMEKEEPER, and not only because I got it right, but because the cleverness involved in the ‘game’ part of it – which had escaped me.