A lovely puzzle today from Tracy, with lots of simple, natural disguises – the anagram indicator at 9ac and the “country retreat” at 12ac are two I see without having to scroll too far down. Little of obscurity, apart perhaps from a couple of place names for our non-local friends. “Bosun” in 22ac was new to me as a contraction of “boatswain” – it’s been around since at least 1592, with boatswain being Old English. Was there a time, around the mid-sixteenth century, when someone bemoaned how this typified how standards of English were going to hell in a handcart? Probably, but it could have been pointed out that such things, and indeed worse things, happen at sea: the OED refers us to “rollock” for “rowlock” and “gunnel” for “gunswail” as similar nautical contractions. Rather modest contractions you might think, but I suppose rock and gull were already taken. ‘Sblood and zounds, that’s quite enough nonsense. I missed my target by a few seconds courtesy of 2d, all very enjoyable, many thanks to Tracy!
| Across | |
| 8 | Boo porn that’s given out free in US (3,4) |
| PRO BONO – anagram (that’s given out) of BOO PORN. The OED says “now chiefly US law”, but the term has regained its broader currency. | |
| 9 | One is blown, producing sound (5) |
| NOISE – nicely disguised anagram (blown) of ONE IS. | |
| 10 | Singing voice of cute northerner (5) |
| TENOR – “Of” or from the letters cuTE NORtherner | |
| 11 | Old hand English duke failed to mention (7) |
| OMITTED – O(ld) MITT (hand) D(uke) | |
| 12 | Country retreat housing a member of the clergy (5,4) |
| RURAL DEAN – RURAL (country, adjectively) DEN (retreat) housing A. | |
| 14 | Available? Not here (3) |
| OUT – A nice &lit/double definition fusion: if a new product is out, it’s available; if a shop is out (of stock), it would not be available (t)here. Of course, “out” can mean “away/not here”, so you can read this as a straight double definition. | |
| 16 | Group starts to sketch Eiffel Tower (3) |
| SET – Starting letters of S(ketch) E(iffel) T(ower) | |
| 18 | Long pub drink containing very soft fruit (9) |
| PINEAPPLE – PINE (long, ache, yearn) ALE (pub drink) containing PP (pianissimo, very soft) | |
| 21 | Range of colours spread across permit (7) |
| PALETTE – PATE (spread) across/spanning LET (permit) | |
| 22 | Having bosun at sea is a plus (5) |
| BONUS – just about an anagram (at sea) of BOSUN. Bonus marks is you knew bosun – the good surface reading was lost on me. | |
| 23 | Lose one’s nerve parking? I can, unfortunately (5) |
| PANIC – P(arking) ; anagram (unfortunately) of I CAN | |
| 24 | With great enthusiasm, similar to mother and daughter (4,3) |
| LIKE MAD – LIKE (similar to) MA (mother) D(aughter) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | The nouveaux riches on horseback getting over jumps (8) |
| UPSTARTS – UP (on horseback) over/above STARTS (jumps). | |
| 2 | Trap kick on football pitch (6) |
| CORNER – double definition. | |
| 3 | Nothing in watering hole for pig (4) |
| BOAR – O (nothing) in BAR (watering hole) | |
| 4 | Gloomy, ordinary seaman on board again (6) |
| MOROSE – O.S. (ordinary seaman) on board/in MORE (again) | |
| 5 | Elected, one inside gains new badge of office (8) |
| INSIGNIA – IN (elected) ; I (one) inside an anagram (new) of GAINS. | |
| 6 | Writer, crossing street, finds restaurant (6) |
| BISTRO – BIRO (writer) crossing ST. (street) | |
| 7 | Soldiers, last in ward, get better (4) |
| MEND – MEN (soldiers) D (last in warD) | |
| 13 | A cosmetic paste applied under cheek (8) |
| LIPSTICK – STICK (paste) applied under LIP (cheek) | |
| 15 | Industrial region, seediest, for redevelopment (8) |
| TEESSIDE – anagram (for redevelopment) of SEEDIEST | |
| 17 | Special gift, article left in shelter (6) |
| TALENT – A (article) L(eft) in TENT (shelter) | |
| 19 | Pointer in joint without lead, led out (6) |
|
NEEDLE – |
|
| 20 | Hat in canal (6) |
| PANAMA – double definition | |
| 21 | Father, key church leader (4) |
| POPE – POP (father) E (musical key) | |
| 22 | Cook from Derbyshire town, not well (4) |
| BAKE – BAKE |
|
Edited at 2018-07-05 04:54 am (UTC)
I was held up at the end by Corner and finally Rural Dean which I’d had for a while but been unable to parse. Thanks Roly for that.
A nice puzzle. It helped me that I knew Bakewell. David
A very enjoyable solve, clocking in at my target 3 Kevins despite the tough grid, and nothing to frighten the horses. I did get delayed a fraction by “long pub drink”, though, because the P made me sure that a PINT was going to be involved …
COD to 9ac from me, very neat and made me snort with appreciation.
Thanks for the blog, Roly
Templar
Thanks for the blog
That said, as a beginner, ‘key’ to mean a musical key always catches me out!
PlayUpPompey
Roly, you haven’t accounted in the blog for the E in 11a, although you surely have in your mind.
5’ish
Thank you.
Well spotted re the errant E, but it’s a bit late to edit the blog – the flummoxed late solver who can’t be bothered to read the comments shall simply have to languish in confusion!
kg
In that clue, “cheek” was being used for “lip” not in the sense of a physical feature, but as a synonym for backchat/sauce/cheekiness. So “none of your lip” equates to “none of your cheek”.
And when it says “under” it means (because this is a “down” clue”) that it is literally underneath.
So looking at the whole thing – “paste applied under cheek” breaks down as STICK (which = “paste”) being written (= “applied”) below/underneath (= “under”) LIP (which = “cheek”).
Hope that makes sense!
Templar
That really helps alot
kg