An interesting and at times inventive puzzle that I ran through in 26 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]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Inability to see approach quoted verbally by head (4-11) |
| NEAR-SIGHTEDNESS | |
| NEAR (approach), aural wordplay [verbally] SIGHTED / “cited” (quoted), NESS (head – headland). Aka ‘myopia’, this is not an inability to see, just things clearly that are in the distance. | |
| 9 | Fix male a part in song and dance (9) |
| RIGMAROLE | |
| RIG (fix), M (male), A, ROLE (part) | |
| 10 | Plot left half-finished for tree (5) |
| MAPLE | |
| MAP (plot), LE{ft} [half-finished] | |
| 11 | Problem with fool replacing oxygen in space (6) |
| HASSLE | |
| HOLE (space) becomes HASSLE when ASS (fool) replaces O (oxygen) | |
| 12 | Never to be? Almost that, translated (8) |
| VERBOTEN | |
| Anagram [translated] of NEVER TO B{e} [almost]. German for ‘forbidden’ which I suppose might be loosely translate as ‘never to be’. Edit: I am assured by those that know about these things that the definition here is &lit. | |
| 13 | Herb is sage, essentially, in unlimited clover (6) |
| LOVAGE | |
| {s}AG{e} [essentially] contained by [in] {c}LOVE{r} [unlimited] | |
| 15 | Ability to read what’s on low-fat labels — juicy or fruity? (8) |
| LITERACY | |
| LITE (what’s on low-fat labels), RACY (juicy or fruity). I must admit that I first thought of racy/juicy/fruity as synonyms for risqué or scandalous, but it seems that all three terms are used more innocently in wine-tasting. | |
| 18 | One thing in another — that’s the answer (8) |
| SOLUTION | |
| A semi-cryptic hint refers to chemistry where one substance is dissolved in another to make a solution. | |
| 19 | Pay homage to former queen always being recalled (6) |
| REVERE | |
| ER (former queen) + EVER (always) reversed [being recalled] | |
| 21 | Kingdom’s leading name is a married poet (8) |
| ISAMBARD | |
| IS, A, M (married), BARD (poet). Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 –1859), civil and mechanical engineer. | |
| 23 | High time for something new (6) |
| UPDATE | |
| UP (high), DATE (time) | |
| 26 | Girl embracing Italian in friendship (5) |
| AMITY | |
| AMY (girl) containing [embracing] IT (Italian) | |
| 27 | And I learn about what increases blood pressure (9) |
| ADRENALIN | |
| Anagram [about] of AND I LEARN | |
| 28 | What sides in Crécy might indicate? Conflict, a long one (7,5,3) |
| HUNDRED YEARS WAR | |
| HUNDRED / YEARS (what sides in C{réc}Y might indicate), WAR (conflict). The definition refers back to ‘conflict’. Inventive! | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Mounting, note pale outside of river mammal (7) |
| NARWHAL | |
| LAH (note) + WAN (pale) containing [outside of] R (river) all reversed [mounting] | |
| 2 | Protection of key island beset by rising waters (5) |
| AEGIS | |
| G (key – music) + I (island) contained [beset] by SEA (waters) reversed [rising]. From a Greek word for ‘shield’ this is sometimes used in the expression ‘under the aegis of’. | |
| 3 | Sailor seen in minimal weak illumination (9) |
| STARLIGHT | |
| TAR (sailor) contained by SLIGHT (minimal) | |
| 4 | Silly to continue (4) |
| GOON | |
| GO ON (continue). ‘Silly’ as a noun meaning a foolish person still grates on me but at least I’m aware of it now. | |
| 5 | Article on control needed to hold minute instrument (8) |
| THEREMIN | |
| THE (definite article), then REIN (control) containing [to hold] M (minute). Notably played in the theme to Midsomer Murders – the old episodes anyway. In the recent ones it’s drowned out by an orchestra. | |
| 6 | Protest with British farewell to the army? (5) |
| DEMOB | |
| DEMO (protest), B (British). Short for demobilisation. | |
| 7 | One living abroad losing right to wander about (9) |
| EXPATIATE | |
| EXPAT{r}IATE (one living abroad) [losing right]. The definition ‘wander about’ is listed as ‘rare’ in some sources as the meaning these days is more usually to elaborate or expand on a subject. | |
| 8 | Brought up OK around new favourite London area (7) |
| STEPNEY | |
| YES (OK) containing [around] N (new) + PET (favourite) all reversed [brought up] | |
| 14 | Ill-bred person, very European, going topless (9) |
| VULGARIAN | |
| V (very), {b}ULGARIAN (European) [going topless]. My LOI. | |
| 16 | Judgement on top batsman’s early drink of alcohol (3-6) |
| EYE-OPENER | |
| EYE (judgement – as in an eye for detail, getting one’s eye etc), OPENER (top batsman – the best usually go in first). A North American definition apparently that comes as news to me and gives new meaning to the title of a favourite stride piano piece. | |
| 17 | Chap surrounded by fruit who loves eating (8) |
| GOURMAND | |
| MAN (chap) contained [surrounded] by GOURD (fruit) | |
| 18 | Greens succeeded getting area covered by press (7) |
| SPINACH | |
| S (succeeded), then A (area) contained [covered] by PINCH (press) | |
| 20 | Queen in European country upset Reagan, perhaps (7) |
| ELEANOR | |
| E (European), LEA (country – tract of open ground, esp. grassland), then RON (Reagan, perhaps) reversed [upset]. There are loads of Queen Eleanors to choose from, but the English queen was Eleanor of Aquitaine who married King Henry II. | |
| 22 | Young man, a king or Russian noble (5) |
| BOYAR | |
| BOY (young man), A, R (king). NHO this despite having ancestors from that part of the world. Its only two previous appearances here were in Mephistos. | |
| 24 | Sanction unproductive without fine (5) |
| ALLOW | |
| {f}ALLOW (unproductive) [without fine] | |
| 25 | Interpret the meaning of when Conservative society’s abandoned right (4) |
| TRUE | |
| {cons}TRUE (interpret the meaning of) [when Conservative Society’s abandoned] | |
DNF. All but 2 done in 12 mins. I biffed TRUE and eventually went with UPRATE.
COD: UPDATE.
Pleased to see how TRUE worked, early on, and romped away with the long war and 1a, 1d and 18d thinking a PB was on, but slowed down by my LOI ELEANOR (in spite of having recently read Alison Weir’s excellent book on her). LEA for country is a stretch. Just under half an hour. Nice puzzle otherwise.
That is at least the third time that I’ve forgotten the word NARWHAL. I appear to be incapable of committing it to memory.
My knowledge of Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitaine stems from Who Wants to be a Millionaire? where I think it was the £1,000,000 question for Judith Keppel when she became the first person to scoop the jackpot.
18 mins, but ages spent at the end trying to justify OPIATE. Being unconvinced, I came here to find out why, only to discover it was UPDATE. So not really a complete solve after all. Unknowns BOYAR, THEREMIN helpfully clued.
FOI NARWHAL, COD TRUE
Indirect tip of the hat to the fat owl of the Remove (as for a couple of others) for allowing me to get TRUE quite quickly. I had biffed THERAMIN, which made VERBOTEN impossible until I realized why that the A shouldn’t be there.
LOI SOLUTION, which was really quite simple, no idea why it required all the checkers!
Always a good confidence booster to get a long 1 across immediately, and so it proved today.
13:45
7:02. Thought this was a good puzzle. No quibbles today.
15:30 – no unknowns, though TRUE and UPDATE took some puzzling out and I never saw the other meaning of solution. Firm but fair.
Really liked this one.. nho THEREMIN (and not for the first time, I suspect) but got it right, also TRUE despite never thinking of CONStrue. Pleased 🙂
For me, a strange mixture of extremely easy and impossible – failed to see TRUE or the NHO THEREMIN.
“and there are meads towards Haslingfield and Coton
Where das Betreten’s not verboten.” (Rupert Brooke, The Old Vicarage, Grantchester).
No problems with today’s offering – much easier than yesterday’s for me.
I can’t compete with HoneyBadgers time of seven minutes. I was happy with 17 minutes, and thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle.
A toss up for COD between Solution and True, but the former was brilliant so gets the nod from me.
I will now investigate the unknown Theremin!
I found this surprisingly easy. Either that or I happened to be ‘on song’ today, for no apparent reason. Most answers were virtually write-ins, had a bit of delay with UPDATE, but once ‘UP’ occurred to me for ‘High’, it clicked. LOI STEPNEY, which I’d struggled over at first because I’d written in LITERATE rather than LITERACY, became suspicious of it, so took another look.
21.53. NHO eye opener connection to drink, nor rigmarole as connected to song and dance. Otherwise, an accessible and entertaining puzzle.
Done at varying speeds post gym. A slow start, until I had 1ac, then rapidly filled the grid for 30 minutes or so, and then got stuck on ELEANOR, SOLUTION and VULGARIAN. Had to put the puzzle down and do other things for a while- online Christmas shopping proved very tedious!
Thank you Jack and Setter. Nice puzzle!
Done it in three bursts over the day. Easier than most to start with, but TRUE and others in that corner (UPDATE LOI) held me back.
Aegis btw isn’t a shield, I believe, but a kind of scary tasselled cloth Zeus used to terrify the enemy with?
Not my area of knowledge, but Collins has AEGIS as the shield of Zeus, often represented in art as a goatskin.
fair enough!
Prob said before but IM(not so) HO the best batsmen do not go in as openers but at first or maybebsecond wicket down. Never realised verbotten now counts as English but one is here to learn. Yesterday gave up today rocket through in my best ever 11 mins. Thanks all.
‘Schnell’ appeared as an answer in the Championships a few years ago I seem to remember? Justified apparently by its appearance in one of our (not so) esteemed dictionaries, helpfully defined as ‘German word meaning quick’.
That a German word should appear in an English dictionary complete with definition, seemingly wasn’t an issue for the compilers of said dictionary (Chambers probably).
Neither was it an issue for the bloggers at the time-which I have to say, rather amazed me. I have similar reservations about ‘verboten’.
My AI assistant offers this explanation re VERBOTEN and I imagine it’s much the same for ‘schnell’.
The word “verboten” is a German adjective that means “forbidden.” It entered the English language through a process known as borrowing, where words from one language are adopted into another.
German Origin: The word “verboten” comes directly from the German language. It’s the past participle of the verb “verbieten,” which means “to forbid.”
Early English Usage: The earliest recorded use of “verboten” in English dates back to the 1860s. It was initially used in a limited context, often associated with German culture or customs.
Increased Popularity: Over time, the word’s usage grew, particularly in the early 20th century. This was likely due to increased cultural exchange between English-speaking countries and Germany, as well as the impact of German culture on popular culture.
Lexical Inclusion: As “verboten” became more widely used and understood, it was eventually included in English dictionaries. This inclusion solidified its status as a recognized part of the English vocabulary.
Today, “verboten” is a well-established word in English, often used to convey a sense of strict prohibition or taboo. Its inclusion in dictionaries reflects its widespread acceptance and usage in the English-speaking world.
[Note: Verboten is in Collins, Chambers and all the Oxfords. Schnell is in Collins and Chambers but not the Oxfords.]
Agree re batsmen
Yes, I reckoned top could mean top of the order.
10:53
My fastest for a while. Shortest of hold ups at the end to shoehorn in UPDATE and TRUE (didn’t understand cryptic after a couple of passes, but could see ‘right’ might be the definition, so bunged in sharpish to secure a quick time)
Thanks Jack and setter
As a QC devotee who normally can only do a few of the Cryptic clues, I was cheered by managing to complete a puzzle last week and so I had a go today and managed it in just over 72 minutes, admittedly using a dictionary to get THEREMIN (NHO) and guessing TRUE (LOI), SPINACH, EYE OPENER, AEGIS and HUNDRED YEARS WAR once I had a few letters in. Today’s puzzle must be on the easy side.
19.43 WOE
VOLDAVIAN went in with some completely unjustified confidence. Other countries could have applied.
Also stuck on UPDATE and TRUE at the end
24:02 and would have been faster without TRUE and UPDATE at the end. Good fun. I liked RIGMAROLE
26:15, with fully 10 minutes on TRUE.
Like several other commenters, it seems, I instinctively want to spell the instrument theramin, but the wordplay left no doubt.
35:53 for the solve! Reached LOI UPDATE a few secs ahead of thirty mins and then alphabet trawled. Saw UP could be high but wanted to have AGE for time. Did a check somewhere around 34mins as no point trawling forever if TRUE (which was the only one I couldn’t parse) was wrong. Pleased to finish it.
Late finishing this as it was completed in three sessions, so no recorded time, but probably about the forty minute mark. All correct and parsed but I had my fingers crossed for THEREMIN which I’ve never heard of as a musical instrument. It sounded more like a drug to me, and it was only because I couldn’t construct anything else that it went in.
About 15 mins. Valmation seemed unlikely…… then saw vulgarian. True easy to work out once it’s obviously the answer. Misspelt theremin until verboten kicked in. Opener not necessarily best batsman, but is a top order batsman.
23.12 DNF. Quick for me. LOI TRUE was parsed but failed with an idiotic ISAMBERG thinking they were maybe the rulers of an obscure country once. Thanks Jack.
23:46
an interesting puzzle. like others, NHO BOYAR but seemed pretty clear. We seem to have had DEMOB quite a lot recently; I guess that’s one of the advantages of doing this regularly…
Thanks both!
66:10
A rare excursion over from the QC. Nothing too difficult, it just takes longer to get your head around some of the clues and remember the vocab. Plus a couple of guesses where the wordplay was generous enough (BOYAR). Really struggled with LOI TRUE, but got there in the end.
Defeated by True which was on the dastardly side, I thought.
21:49, with LOI UPDATE. I spent too long looking for words ending AGE.
Meads towards Haslingfield and Coton
Where das Betreten’s not VERBOTEN…
My guide to walks from Grantchester uses those two lines to give names to three of the walks, with the second line giving the name to a walk that uses a path across a military firing range where access is prohibited on days where firing is happening.
Thanks Jack and setter
A day late to this due to technical issues, but was a bit careless with my typing. 22,13 but mistyped STEONEY. Drat! Started quickly with GOON, STARLIGHT and NEAR SIGHTEDNESS, but slowed in the bottom half. TRUE was LOI. Thanks setter and Jack.