Solving time: 21 minutes
What a contrast with the puzzle I blogged last Friday! I needed over an hour more than today for that one. There were a few bits of possibly obscure GK required here but fortunately I knew them, and the words or meanings that were less than familiar didn’t prevent me getting to the answers quickly by other means.
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 | Russian reformer disheartened monk disturbed by even his reforming (9) |
| MENSHEVIK | |
Revision: M{on}K [disheartened] contains [disturbed by] anagram [reforming] of EVEN HIS. Thanks to keriothe for pointing out my error in parsing. I had it as two anagrams (which on reflection doesn’t quite work) not helped by my original version omitting the second anagram indicator [reforming] that I’d indicated on my print-out. |
|
| 9 | Northern Ireland set originally labelling a flowering plant (7) |
| NIGELLA | |
| NI (Northern Ireland), GEL (set), L{abelling} [originally], A. A member of the buttercup family. I knew of the cook before I heard of the plant. |
|
| 10 | Diving duck observed by narrow promontory (7) |
| SAWBILL | |
| SAW (observed), BILL (narrow promontory e.g. Portland Bill in Dorset). Only vaguely knew of the bird but the wordplay got me to it quickly. | |
| 11 | Hindu god featuring in Poussin drawing (5) |
| INDRA | |
| Hidden [featuring]in {Pouss}IN DRA{wing}. King of the Gods. Unknown to me but served up on a plate. | |
| 12 | Eccentric having dance with prison officer (9) |
| SCREWBALL | |
| SCREW (prison officer), BALL (dance). I’ve learned to avoid any film with the tag ‘screwball comedy’. | |
| 13 | Joke framed by English chap promised in marriage (7) |
| ENGAGED | |
| GAG (joke) contained [framed] by E (English) + NED (chap) | |
| 15 | Stubborn American soldier in Republican papers (5) |
| RIGID | |
| GI (American soldier ) contained by [in] R (Republican) + ID (identity papers) | |
| 17 | Society journalist’s roughly-built hut (5) |
| SHACK | |
| S (society), HACK (journalist). Steady, Guy, ‘hack’ isn’t necessarily derogatory here and many writers are not averse to using it of themselves. | |
| 18 | Spanish gentleman’s sister taking in opera company (5) |
| SEÑOR | |
| SR (sister) containing [taking in] ENO (opera company – English National Opera) | |
| 19 | Open to view? About time (5) |
| OVERT | |
| OVER (about ), T (time). For example ‘They fell out over/about nothing’. | |
| 20 | Own American writer’s story, primarily about steamship (7) |
| POSSESS | |
| POE’S (American writer’s) + S{tory}[primarily] containing [about] SS (steamship) | |
| 23 | Musical bloke retired, recalling memories (9) |
| EVOCATIVE | |
| EVITA (musical) + COVE (bloke) reversed [retired] | |
| 25 | Serf’s fate attending governor (5) |
| HELOT | |
| HE (governor – His Excellency), LOT (fate). Dating back to Sparta and beyond. | |
| 27 | Entering the lumberjack’s trade (7) |
| LOGGING | |
| Two meanings | |
| 28 | Daydream, one entertained by night rider (7) |
| REVERIE | |
| I (one) contained [entertained] by REVERE (night rider). You can read about Paul Revere’s ‘Midnight Ride’ here if you wish. | |
| 29 | Flipping snare by bridle path trapping tail of passing bird (9) |
| PARTRIDGE | |
| TRAP (snare) reversed (flipping), then RIDE (bridle path) containing [trapping] {passin}G [tail]. A bridle path (aka bridle road, bridleway) is a thoroughfare fit for riders but not vehicles. They tend to be in the country and are often ancient rights of way. I have one a few yards from my front door. | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Ponder about island’s improper treatment (6) |
| MISUSE | |
| MUSE (ponder) containing [about] IS (island) | |
| 2 | Principally where one learns about the home of trad? (3,7) |
| NEW ORLEANS | |
| Anagram [about] of W{here} [principally] ONE LEARNS. Indeed the home of traditional jazz. Here’s a sample from Sam Morgan’s band recorded there in 1927. Nice pics of the old city too. It takes a few seconds for the music to start. |
|
| 3 | Musical composition — or craft involving thatch? (8) |
| HAIRWORK | |
| HAIR (another musical), WORK (composition). I never heard of this but Collins defines it as the art of producing articles made of hair, or the articles themselves. ‘Thatch’ is used sometimes humorously to mean one’s hair. | |
| 4 | Country house Liberals displayed in the Italian way (5) |
| VILLA | |
| L+L (Liberals) contained by [displayed in] VIA (Italian way – road) | |
| 5 | Long week finally occupied randomly learning (9) |
| KNOWLEDGE | |
| Anagram [randomly] of LONG WEEK {occupie}D (finally] | |
| 6 | A drink good for arresting one’s final degeneration (6) |
| AGEING | |
| A, GIN (drink) + G (good) containing [arresting[ {on}E [final] | |
| 7 | Make slow progress, being lazy at first in school (4) |
| PLOD | |
| L{azy} [at first] contained by [in] POD (school e.g. of whales or seals) | |
| 8 | Plunderer’s damage poet briefly repaired to begin with (8) |
| MARAUDER | |
| MAR (damage), AUDE{n} (poet – Wystan Hugh) [briefly], R{epaired} [to begin with] | |
| 14 | Broadcast refined git upgraded for the nobs (10) |
| GENTRIFIED | |
| Anagram [broadcast] of REFINED GIT | |
| 16 | March past village shop at last, holding up tailors’ irons (5-4) |
| GOOSE-STEP | |
| GOOSES (tailors’ irons), {pas}T + {villag}E + {sho}P [at last]. I knew about the tailors’ goose from researching another clue a few months ago. SOED defines it as a tailor’s smoothing iron (so called from the resemblance of the handle to a goose’s neck), and helpfully confirms that its plural is ‘gooses’ rather than ‘geese’. | |
| 17 | Download maybe welcomed by county, a gem! (8) |
| SAPPHIRE | |
| APP (download maybe) contained [welcomed] by SHIRE (county) | |
| 18 | Rum initially reviving unfamiliar caller, perhaps (8) |
| STRANGER | |
| STRANGE (rum), R{eviving} [initially]. Another escapee from the QC perhaps. | |
| 21 | Restaurant serving each man or woman right away (6) |
| EATERY | |
| EA (each), TER{r}Y (man or woman) [right away] | |
| 22 | Member inspiring a posh English sporting association (6) |
| LEAGUE | |
| LEG (member) containing [inspiring] A, then U (posh), E (English) | |
| 24 | Tanker’s heating device with top blown off (5) |
| OILER | |
| {b}OILER (heating device) [top blown off] | |
| 26 | Ultimately successful climber, a chronicler of Roman history (4) |
| LIVY | |
| {successfu}L [ultimately], IVY (climber). Real name ‘Titus Livius’ but ‘Livy’ is the Anglicised version. | |
Another QC-visitor here. A rare foray into the 15×15, encouraged by comments in the QC blog and an appallingly long solve there. Surprised to get as far as just a single error – ‘Nigella’, but horticulture is my big blind spot. I accept that this must have been an easy puzzle, but it was encouraging after my torture with the QC (maybe that was just a wavelength thing).
11.24. A comfy armchair ride in cruise control, never really hitting top gear. Tailors’ irons the only unknown but goose-step easily derived.
Yahey! I thought LOI HELOT was going to be my undoing but, fortunately, it was correct. A few biffs as usual but always pleased to complete, even if this was on the easier side.
19 minutes with no great difficulties. Not sure I like the sound of hairwork, though: bit of a horror movie vibe to it.
We are QC people and had a go at the big one today on advice from people in the blog there. Got quite a few but had to look up some.
Didn’t understand Terry as don’t know that as a female name?
Didn’t know the Russian one although realised what it needed to be.
Nigella is also known as Love in the Mist and is a pretty blue flower.
Great to actually be able to do some of the clues though!
I was going to write in my blog that I thought the female Terry was spelt Terri as I have certainly known or known of some who spell it that way. But then I searched for Terry on Wikepedia which lists 42 notable female Terrys, nearly all American, and I assumed that must be a common spelling there at least.
I then searched on Terri and found this: Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a common feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa. The list of those is even longer but it doesn’t specify whether the individuals are male or female.
Thanks Jackkt. I have never met or heard of one but I don’t suppose that means they don’t exist!! People have all kinds of strange names these days. I always thought Terry was a shortening of Terence.
12.18
Knew MENSHEVIK without knowing exactly who (s)he/they were. Had to squint a bit at _g_i _g as my last one in but no great delay.
Tapping one fingered on a phone, this is not far off the quickest one can do though I do recall an even greater biff-fest a year or so ago when 10 mins was broken.
Obviously a bit more awake than when clocking over 14 minutes and a DNF on the “quickie”
Thanks all
This a bit more my wavelength, with a pause for HAIRWORK (as others), and in just about the half-hour. Has bolstered my confidence somewhat!