Solving time: 31 minutes
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
| Across | |
| 1 | Relaxed-sounding, select member of order (9) |
| CARMELITE | |
| CARM sounds like “calm” (relaxed), ELITE (select). Friars or nuns. | |
| 6 | Tropical lake originally accommodating green fish? (5) |
| TRAWL | |
| T{ropical} + L{ake} [originally] containing [accommodating] RAW (green – uncured, undried, uncooked foodstuff) | |
| 9 | Old measure of copper coin (5) |
| CUBIT | |
| CU (copper), BIT (coin). Approximately equal to the length of the forearm. | |
| 10 | Bird female medic observed in expanse of water (9) |
| SHELDRAKE | |
| SHE (female), then DR (medic) contained by [observed in] LAKE (expanse of water) | |
| 11 | Analgesic fellow cathedral priest talked of (7) |
| CODEINE | |
| CO (fellow – as in co-director) then DEINE sounds like [talked of] “dean” (cathedral priest) | |
| 12 | A Native American possessing a good area of land (7) |
| ACREAGE | |
| A, CREE (Native American) containing [possessing] A + G (good) | |
| 13 | Taking in too much about 17th-cent relaxation of religious restraints (14) |
| OVERINDULGENCE | |
| OVER (about), INDULGENCE (17th-cent relaxation of religious restraints). I’m out of my depth on the specifics here but I think the following taken from SOED covers the religious angle: indulgence – a grant of religious liberties, as special favours rather than legal rights, to Nonconformists. M17. Declaration of Indulgence a proclamation of religious liberties; esp. either of those made in Scotland under Charles II in 1672 and James II (VII) in 1687. | |
| 17 | Girl’s gruff sound fast brought about this writer’s grumpiness (14) |
| DISGRUNTLEMENT | |
| DI’S (girl’s), GRUNT (gruff sound), then LENT (fast) containing [brought about] ME (this writer) | |
| 21 | Luxurious work university hired out (7) |
| OPULENT | |
| OP (work), U (university), LENT (hired out) | |
| 23 | Despicable dope! (3-4) |
| LOW-DOWN | |
| Two meanings, the second being important, possibly secret, information | |
| 25 | Specific time you and I finally see man on board (9) |
| WEEKNIGHT | |
| WE (you and I), {se}E [finally], KNIGHT (man on board). A rather weak definition. | |
| 26 | Your compiler’s turn to catch a butterfly, perhaps (5) |
| IMAGO | |
| I’M (your compiler’s) + GO (turn) contains [to catch] A. The final fully developed form of an insect after passing through all stages of metamorphosis. | |
| 27 | Recoil, finding head of caterpillar in drink (5) |
| WINCE | |
| C{aterpillar} [head] contained by [in] WINE (drink) | |
| 28 | Act has pronounced polish, one may admit (9) |
| TURNSTILE | |
| TURN (act – e.g. in a variety show), STILE sounds like [pronounced] “style” (polish). I wonder if that’s what they’re called around the world? | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Raise hoodie, perhaps, for early morning call (4,4) |
| COCK CROW | |
| COCK (raise), CROW (hoodie, perhaps). I vaguely knew of the hooded crow and its nickname. | |
| 2 | Way to receive honour, wearing formal garb (5) |
| ROBED | |
| RD (way) contains [to receive] OBE (honour – Officer of the Order of the British Empire) | |
| 3 | Weaving together in French town, initially moaning audibly (9) |
| ENTWINING | |
| EN (in, French), T{own} [initially], then WINING sounds like [audibly] “whining” [moaning] | |
| 4 | Set represented, after trendy promotion, as an alternative (7) |
| INSTEAD | |
| IN (trendy), anagram [re-presented] of SET, then AD (promotion) | |
| 5 | Stare fixedly at London landmark before dance (7) |
| EYEBALL | |
| EYE (London landmark aka the Millennium Wheel observation platform), BALL (dance) | |
| 6 | Upset routine, holding party in royal house (5) |
| TUDOR | |
| RUT (routine) reversed [upset], containing [holding] DO (party) | |
| 7 | A hanging drapery protecting Henry in fall (9) |
| AVALANCHE | |
| A, VALANCE (hanging drapery often covering the base of a bed) containing [protecting] H (Henry) | |
| 8 | Prevaricated over limits of Elgar’s vocal works (6) |
| LIEDER | |
| LIED (prevaricated), E{lgar}R [limits of…] | |
| 14 | Hedonist‘s heroic article about Yorkshire river (9) |
| EPICUREAN | |
| EPIC (heroic) + AN (article) containing [about] URE (Yorkshire river) | |
| 15 | Alpine plant Swedes lie about (9) |
| EDELWEISS | |
| Anagram [about] of SWEDES LIE. Also the name of the traditonal Austrian folk song, actually written in 1959 by Rodgers & Hammerstein. It was to be the very last song of their long collaboration. | |
| 16 | Laurel placed on top of Bob’s carriage (8) |
| STANHOPE | |
| STAN (Laurel), HOPE (Bob), Two Brits who went to America and made the big-time as comedians in a bygone era. This was in another puzzle only last week. | |
| 18 | Out of bed, the worse for wear, and tetchy (7) |
| UPTIGHT | |
| UP (out of bed), TIGHT (the worse for wear – drunk) | |
| 19 | Allowed to set up brilliant communications satellite (7) |
| TELSTAR | |
| LET (allowed) reversed [set up], STAR (brilliant – adj). The launch of the original ‘Telstar’ in 1962 was celebrated by this hit from The Tornados. It went No 1 in the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in the same week. As I remember it, the breakthrough communications satellite brought us grainy black-and-white TV pictures live from America but I’ve since learned that the images were in colour so perhaps they would have looked better if colour TV had been available in the UK at the time. ‘Telstar’ was only in alignment for transatlantic exchanges for a brief period at a time – maybe only up to an hour – but in 1965 came the ‘Early Bird’ satellite which hovered in the right position and high enough in space to allow 24 hour broadcasting. The Tornados tried to repeat their chart success, coming up with this offering in tribute, but it wasn’t to be. It reached #49 in one UK chart but that was its limit. | |
| 20 | Wife in London area that hurt child’s dog (3-3) |
| BOW-WOW | |
| W (wife) contained by [in] BOW (London area), OW (that hurt!) | |
| 22 | Man from part of Holstein regularly going north (5) |
| ERNIE | |
| Hidden (part of) and reversed [going north] in {Holst}EIN RE{gularly}. The fastest milkman in the West! | |
| 24 | Right character to house a stripy African ruminant (5) |
| OKAPI | |
| OK (right) + PI (character – Greek letter) containing [to house] A | |
Not the quickest start for me but one of these puzzles where the momentum picked up rapidly.
LOI 1 ac “carmelite”. I reckoned from the off that the order was a religious one but needed the crossers to nail it. Up here, I’m not sure dear Nicola would approve of the homophone but I’m not bovvered.
COD 27 ac “wince”. I’ve encountered the occasional foreign body in my wine glass but never a caterpillars head mercifully.
Thanks to Jack for the blog and to setter for a fun puzzle.