A good offering for Friday from Tracy, which sparked off many random thoughts, only a few fit to mention. About average for me, am getting better doing the online version.
ACROSS
1.I deem cavalry terribly reckless (5-3-4)
DEVIL-MAY-CARE – an anagram (terribly) of ‘I deem cavalry’.
8. Regular returned holding right cheek (5)
NERVE – as in ‘you’ve got a nerve’ – EVEN (regular) returned (backwards) holding R (right)
9. Godfather playing spoons with rhythm, initially (7)
SPONSOR – Proper use of ‘godfather’, possibly confusing for those who immediately thought of Marlon Brando – anagram (playing) of ‘spoons’ plus R (rhythm initially). I only know of one spoon player, Sylvester McCoy, who used to be Doctor Who.
10. Like what nurse wears? (7)
UNIFORM – the surface here may be too contrived for the answer, but it does work – like = uniform, e.g. like-minded, struggling for more examples, help please.
11. Bird with the French name (5)
TITLE – TIT (bird) + LE (the French) = TITLE, name
12. Compassionate about a group (6)
CARING – definition is ‘compassionate’, C (about) + A RING (as in spies, for example)
14. Fire escape (3-3)
LET-OFF – This is a noun, meaning an escape from consequences. Remove the hyphen and it’s LET OFF, as in firework. So the question is, can the hyphen be removed in the enumeration?
17. Nearly all across island getting a bit wet (5)
MOIST – ‘Definition is ‘a bit wet’, MOST (nearly all) across I (island).
19. Clarify former patent (7)
EXPLAIN – EX (former) + PLAIN (patent, obvious)
21. Lion man trained for virtually nothing (7)
NOMINAL – as in a nominal amount, an anagram (trained) of ‘Lion man’.
22. Erect tower round area (5)
RAISE – Definition is ‘Erect’, RISE (tower, a bit loose this) round A (area).
23. Rude Romany is on the move? You wish! (2,4,6)
IN YOUR DREAMS – Anagram (on the move) of ‘Rude Romany is’. The surface of this is dubious, at least.
DOWN
1. Condemnation of final outcome involving North Carolina (12)
DENOUNCEMENT – This caused me problems, because the more common word is DENUNCIATION, which I couldn’t parse. North Carolina is NC, and the final outcome is DENOUEMENT, although I tend to think of that to be short term rather than final, like the end of a novel or play, life goes on afterwards. This gives me an opportunity to air a favourite saying: “It’ll be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end.”
2. Composer contributing to silver disc (5)
VERDI – in sil{VER DI}sc, Giuseppe Verdi, that is, distant cousin of our own Joe Green.
3.Song, then have rest (3,4)
LIE DOWN – This took a while too. Definition is ‘rest’. ‘have’ is OWN. ‘Song’ is LIED, less common than its plural LIEDER.
4. Take for granted, when small, bird must soar (6)
ASSUME – AS (when) + S (small) + UME (emu backwards, ‘must soar’ in a down clue).
5. Blow caught aggressive youth (5)
CLOUT – the noun, meaning a blow. C (caught) + LOUT (aggressive youth). Question, is a LOUT necessarily young?
6. Stir too vigorously making rice dish (7)
RISOTTO – rice dish, anagram (vigorously) of ‘stir too’.
7. Environmentalist points to growing knack (5,7)
GREEN FINGERS – GREEN (Environmentalist) + FINGERS (points to) = the art of growing plants etc. Different in the US, where the phrase is ‘green thumb’.
13. Film of artist at home on island (4,3)
RAIN MAN – has to be a famous film, Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffmann, RA (artist) + IN (at home) + MAN (the Isle of Man). Lovely surface, maybe lost, think Gauguin.
15. Salesman in capital picked up a ruler (7)
EMPEROR – Salesman in crossword land is usually REP, in the Italian capital = ROREPME, picked up (down clue) = EMPEROR.
16. One who may give you a hand? (6)
DEALER – a hand of cards, that is, a straight cryptic clue.
18. Tabloid’s leader: article on good old dance (5)
TANGO – T (Tabloid’s leader, first letter) + AN (indefinite article) + G (good) + O (old), equals a dance which it takes two to do.
20. A reportedly tidier woman (5)
ANITA – homophone (reportedly) of A NEATER, woman’s name. Could have been NEETA, but doesn’t fit. Are Anitas neater? Any research been done?
Please comment on the puzzle and on the blog.
This year it is the Year of The Cockerel and he is personified by Mr. Trump – strutting, proud and ready to pick a fight with just about anyone. So a good 2017 for him is forecast by the geomancers but a terrible 2018 for Trumpton when The Dog comes to the fore.
Much the same as Rob – 8:14 so slightly tougher than usual but it shouldn’t be too bad for the QCLs
COD 10ac UNIFORM WOD DEVIL-MAY-CARE
FOI DEVIL-MAY-CARE LOI ASSUME COD TITLE
One thing about trying for speed, there’s no time to enjoy the cleverness of the clues.
That was 14ac where I went for SET OFF which doesn’t quite fit either of the possible definitions in the clue. It certainly doesn’t fit the enumeration (3-3) where I’m ashamed to say I didn’t register the hyphen until Rob queried it in his blog. Having seen the correct answer I wonder if the hyphen was used in case anyone put SET OFF and tried to argue for it as an alternative solution.
BTW, in my opinion it doesn’t matter that LET OFF doesn’t take a hyphen when meaning “fire” as one can take “escape” = LET-OFF as the principal definition and “fire” as additional information like wordplay.
The other answer with a slight question mark was UNIFORM. Although I was sure it had to be correct I couldn’t quite reconcile “like”, but on reflection I see it more clearly now.
Edited at 2017-01-27 05:55 am (UTC)
I think I was fortunate to see 1d immediately, which together with the straightforward anagram at 1a meant loads of first letters!
I had a long argument planned about SET OFF being equally valid, set off a firework, set off through the cell door, but I think jackkt is probably right about the hyphen.
Isn’t there an old joke where Anita Harris is the punchline, using the same device as here?
After 13 minutes all the squares were filled and I needed to check my work. I managed to work out 4d -nice clue- but failed with 3d and 10a -so thanks to our blogger. However I am still struggling with Uniform. David
Re “uniform = like” I tried the substitution test came up with “the members of the jury who convicted the defendant were of uniform/like opinion”. I think it works but it’s a bit contrived.
Edited at 2017-01-27 04:47 pm (UTC)
I also had helper for 16d until it was obvious 21a was nominal.
41 minutes so average for me.
Last 2 in were nerve and caring which were easy once denouncement was in.