Solving Time: After the debacle with the 1961 effort last month, it was a relief to move into the 1970s today and a crossword much more to my taste. I rattled through it all in 20mins (greatly helped by writing 1ac and 1dn straight in) except for two (crossing, natch), which I couldn’t fathom. One of them I now have, so just one clue left which is unclear.. perhaps it will resolve itself as I do the blog. Most, though not all of the clues would fit straight into a modern day grid. It is the overall structure perhaps which is most strange to us now so many double definitions, but only one two anagrams
I would almost certainly have done this when first issued, though no recollection remains. It’s quite hard to blog since so many clues are basically just puns or jocular dds.. off we go
cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(–), homophones indicated in “”
ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online
Across |
|
---|---|
1 | next to nothing – a dd. Hardly anything, and also the number next to one |
9 | transport – another dd. A transport caff, and if you are carried away you are transported, both literally and (more likely) figuratively, I guess. |
10 | tease – dd again.. tantalize, and sounds like Ts |
11 | russe – because a Charlotte Russe is a rather sickly dessert |
12 | Lena – sounds like “leaner.” The only one I know is Lena Horne, a remarkable woman who triumphed over much adversity. Here she is singing “Stormy Weather,” and if you like that sort of music, nobody did it better |
13 | Nana – I found this reversal of An-an ok, she was the reluctant mate of Chi chi at London Zoo. But I had to google Nana, who turns out to be the dog of the Darling family in Peter Pan. Long time since I read that! |
15 | leagues – another dd, leagues as in Hanseatic and leagues as in seven l. boots., ie a measure of distance, “Usually about three miles” (ODO) |
17 | chariot – a reference to Chariots of fire, a line from the world’s most famous hymn, Jerusalem, from which the title of the equally well-known film was taken |
18 | invalid – guess what? Yes, a dd. A patient, as in the English p., and ineffective as an invalid contract clause might be |
20 | balance – lose it and fall over, geddit? The numeration is 18ac as it should be (7) |
21 | tact – because contact is touching. No real definition, then.. |
22 | Alph – Alph, the sacred river that ran through caverns measureless to man in what might be one of the best known poems ever written, Kubla Khan by Coleridge. Cf “Person from Porlock,” which also popped up in a crossword not so long ago |
23 | wight – because a wight is an archaic term for a man, these days to be found in books like Lord of the Rings, 9or in shipping forecasts) |
26 | ratio – one of my last two in. If you put ON about ratio, a (mathematical) relationship, you get ORATION, a speech |
27 | masterful – a jocular reference to “Mr Chips,” star of a a rather good novella used as the basis for various film & TV adaptations |
28 | dental surgery – another dd, teeth being drawn or filled.. change the subject someone, I’m squeamish |
Down |
|
1 | natural history – Clearly a literary reference, fortunately one I knew. Recommended reading (look at the reviews for the book); we are far too out of touch with nature these days |
2 | x-rays – jocular pun on X being an unknown quantity |
3 | tastefully – dd |
4 | noodles – dd |
5 | titanic – dd, one d presumably referring to the Film, this one perhaps, or more likely this excellent one as the crossword predates Mr di Caprio (and, I forgot to mention, it’s an anagram) |
6 | iota – hidden in rIOT Act. An iota is a small amount, because iota is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet. Interestingly (to me, anyway) “jot” is the same word, as it is the Latin for iota.. |
7 | gradation – another dd, a progression of steps or one small step |
8 | departmentally – a reference to Rudyard Kipling’s Departmental Ditties |
14 | fallow deer – ooh, look – an anagram! *(We’ll read of) |
16 | advocated – dd, the barman being a barrister, called to the bar.. |
19 | dilemma – reference to GB Shaw’s play Doctor’s Dilemma, seldom performed these days but twice filmed, apparently |
20 | behests – HE’S in stakes = BETS |
24 | gaffe – old man = GAFFE(<a href=”R).. almost |
25 | noon – my last in, not because the word is hard to find but just because I had trouble convincing myself the answer was correct. It is a time, and is a reference to it’s palindromic nature, but it still seems a bit weak to me. |
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/puzzles/crossword/
Edited at 2014-05-14 12:55 am (UTC)
When you hit print, open ‘More Options’ and select ‘Current View’.
You may or may not be able to do this, I’m not sure what is part of Adobe and what is part of my print driver.
Good to hear from you Uncle Yap!
Edited at 2014-05-14 01:22 am (UTC)
I note we have another error in the enumeration in the vintage puzzle (at 20ac). I wonder if it’s also in the archive version to prove that such things happened way back then too.
Edited at 2014-05-14 05:19 am (UTC)
The only clue that really struck me as odd was the one for TACT.
I really liked RATIO, once the penny dropped. And, of course, DENTAL SURGERY (really sorry, jerry).
Ah, what can ail thee, wretched wight,
Alone and palely loitering;
The sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.
Edited at 2014-05-14 05:06 pm (UTC)
Off to that London for the S&B at Wapping this afternoon -hope to see some of you there.
Does anyone happen to know if I can pay by Postal Order? Or do I have to make a lengthy drive to the big city (Redruth), find somewhere to park and go into the bank for a counter cheque?
I couldn’t see an appropriate place on the forum to ask the question.
When I opened my account (by phone) a while ago I was talked out of having a cheque book. Within a few weeks, I found myself needing one on several occasions. Cheques aren’t often used now by individuals, but when you need one you need one. I’ve now requested a chequebook but have no idea when it’ll turn up. I’m not holding my breath.
Just in case anyone is in a similar position, Postal Orders are fine.
Davidlevylondon@yahoo.com
He was running the competition and was very helpful so I hope he’s still around.
> TRANSPORT CAFF: these days we say ‘Starbucks’.
> Charlotte RUSSE: like Black Forest Gateau, if you encounter it these days it will be in an ironic recreation by Heston Blumenthal.
> An-An. Obviously.
> ALPH: don’t worry, I’m not saying Kubla Khan is obscure but a solver in the 70s would have had a literary education very heavy on this and other pillars of the Canon. I got through school without ever touching Coleridge. I make no comment on whether this is a good or bad thing, beyond saying that I don’t look back at the entire term I spent on The Human Factor by Graham Greene as the highlight of my literary education.
> Mr Chips. A bit like An-An.
> The Natural History of Selbourne. Huh?
> Departmental Ditties. See ALPH.
> Doctor’s Dilemma. See ALPH. I got in trouble a while back for suggesting that the lesser plays of GBS are a bit obscure, but the reality is that his reputation is not what it was. Or at least it wasn’t when I was at school and university: he may have done an Oscar Wilde by now for all I know.
And presumably deconstructed, with an infused vapour of fruit within a geodesic cloche. It’s what you pay the big bucks for.
I accidentally found myself watching Masterchef the other day and saw someone dish up a deconstructed beef wellington. It looked awful, and apparently tasted like it looked.
Why on earth would anyone deconstruct a beef Wellington? You might as well deconstruct a gin and tonic.
I don’t do foam. The sight of it makes me feel queasy. If I see foam on a menu I go to another restaurant because I don’t even want to see foam at a neighbouring table. There’s a probably a word for it but I definitely have foam-related issues.
Or got from crosswords 😉
Edited at 2014-05-14 03:37 pm (UTC)
A bit too much GK for my liking – Selborne Natural History was a look-up, Nana from wordplay, should have remembered Alph. Never heard of departmental ditties.
COD to dental surgery.
Edited at 2014-05-14 10:09 am (UTC)
Quite a bit of guesswork, especially on the Sage of Selbourne, but AN AN was a write-in as the quintessential panda of my salad days. I actually knew ALPH, and have often wondered, if Alph the sacred river ran through caverns measureless to man, where did the the other alph run?
28 across is the only occasion when DENTAL SURGERY has made me smile. I can trace my phobia precisely to my childhood dentist, his shaky hands, his foot driven drill and his antagonism to any form of pain relief. Sorry again Jack.
Since I’m off the S&B gathering at Wapping this afternoon, I decided to tackle this not long after midnight when I was already desperately tired following a busy day and an evening out – otherwise I might have posted a really sparkling time. As it was I made heavy of some easy clues, particularly 26ac (RATIO), 25dn (NOON – I knew exactly what I was looking for but, with no checked letters in place when I reached it first time, just couldn’t think of a palindromic time of day), and (worst of all) 15ac (LEAGUES) and 16dn (ADVOCATED). These last two must have cost me nearly half a minute at the end, otherwise I’d have been pushing that Goodliffe chap and his 4:48.
Certainly a darned sight easier that the 1961 puzzle: all the literary references were straight out of the Times crossword’s set works of the era.
When it all comes together, as today, I end up not getting a lot, and not trusting anything I do get, which makes working from crossers untrustworthy. Still good fun if I can decide when to stop…