A lovely puzzle from Hurley. At 9 minutes I was a minute slower than yesterday done just before, except I had one wrong at 11ac, which is what I get for trying to be too clever (and perhaps hasty) for my own good. Lots to like, with a nice mix of satisfying clues and enjoyable words. Good stuff – many thanks to Hurley!
Across | |
1 | Having restricted Southern girl, face sack (9) |
DISMISSAL – S MISS (Southern girl) restricted by DIAL (face) | |
6 | Margaret briefly referred to fixture for hanging (3) |
PEG – double definition | |
8 | In Oman see where Minister lives (5) |
MANSE – “In” oMAN SEe | |
9 | An assertion, outspoken, getting praise (7) |
ACCLAIM – sounds like (“outspoken”) A CLAIM (an assertion) | |
10 | After restoration adore old place, fabulous (2,6) |
EL DORADO – anagram (after restoration) of ADORE OLD. A nice example of inflation: the legend grew from being a chieftain, to a city, to a kingdom, to an empire. | |
11 | List flight manoeuvre (4) |
ROLL – double definition. The only flight manoeuvre I could think of was LOOP THE LOOP, and if you loop “loop” you get POOL, which seemed vaguely approximate to “list” while solving. But yes, this doesn’t really work for at least two good reasons. | |
13 | Almost all of plan referring to births rejected as a sham (9) |
CHARLATAN – CHAR |
|
16 | Connect learner with writing material (4) |
LINK – L(earner) with INK (writing material) | |
17 | Hope to include sailors, very good apparently, in lively dance (8) |
HORNPIPE – HOPE to include RN (Royal Navy = sailors) PI (pious = very good apparently) | |
20 | Extend short programme covering half of our capital (7) |
PROLONG – PROG. (short programme) covering LON |
|
21 | Watchful as lazy employee reads tabloid at first (5) |
ALERT – As Lazy Employee Reads Tabloid “at first” | |
22 | Bringing back best trophy (3) |
POT – reverse TOP (best) | |
23 | Knockabout fun as her ploy goes wrong (9) |
HORSEPLAY – anagram (goes wrong) on AS HER PLOY |
Down | |
1 | She has medals mixed up (6) |
DAMSEL – anagram (mixed up) of MEDALS. “She” as a noun. | |
2 | Church council’s case for Sunday: sign of agreement follows (5) |
SYNOD – SY (“case” for SundaY) NOD (sign of agreement) follows | |
3 | To be heard, I yell for cold sweet (3,5) |
ICE CREAM – is heard as I SCREAM (I yell) | |
4 | Mag laden with scorn involved this guy? (13) |
SCANDALMONGER – anagram (involved) of MAG LADEN with SCORN. | |
5 | Absence of chess player, missing start (4) |
LACK – |
|
6 | Also in scheme — group of soldiers (7) |
PLATOON – TOO (also) in PLAN (scheme) | |
7 | Bet sporting contest’s captivating Brazil’s wingers (6) |
GAMBLE – GAME (sporting contest) is captivating BL (BraziL’s “wingers“) | |
12 | One featured in theatre area for long period in the past (5,3) |
STONE AGE – ONE featured in STAGE (theatre area) | |
13 | Partner’s argument against — so right! (7) |
CONSORT – CON (argument against) ; SO ; RT. (right) | |
14 | Upcoming student’s mistake (4-2) |
SLIP-UP – PUPIL’S (student’s) “upcoming”/reversed | |
15 | One observing son at door maybe? (6) |
SENTRY – S(on) at ENTRY (door, maybe) | |
18 | At the outset innovative agreement is perfect (5) |
IDEAL – I (“at the outset” Innovative) DEAL (agreement) | |
19 | Imported by Mykonos, healthy food (4) |
NOSH – “Imported by” mykoNOS Healthy. From Yiddish nashn, I see. |
No excuses for slowness on GAMBLE but it’s not the first time a lack of betting knowledge has held me back. I remember not understanding this early 1990’s Scottish football joke: name three footballers connected with gambling: Jim Bett, Campbell Money and Mixu Paatelainen. Good times!
Thanks Roly and Hurley.
7 minutes.
I scream
You scream
We all scream for
ICE CREAM!
Edited at 2021-11-18 07:39 am (UTC)
… although I needed Roly’s blog to see the full parsing of 1A Dismissal. That apart, no hold-ups, and I remain in awe of our setters’ ability to produce 13-letter anagrams: 4D Scandalmonger is a cracker!
Many thanks to Roly for the blog.
Cedric
Those unanswered: 13a, 17a, 20a, 22a, 23a, 4d, 6d, 12d, 13d, 14d, 15d, 19d.
Maybe tomorrow will finish the week with a win.
In my haste, I was suckered by 9ac which I biffed as ‘exclaim’ on the basis of ‘an assertion outspoken’ (yes, I know….). I only sorted it out when the brilliant SCANDALMONGER emerged and I had a rethink. This, and some unreasonable blind spots in the SE took me from under target to a couple of mins over but no matter.
An enjoyable puzzle and another one worthy of the QC description. Many thanks to Hurley (and Roly). John M.
Edited at 2021-11-18 08:40 am (UTC)
Thanks to Roly, particularly for the CHARLATAN synonyms which I thoroughly enjoyed.
While Diana mentioned the fall colors (sic) in her US trip, the autumn colours in East Anglia are absolutely stunning, a firework display in the afternoon sun.
Thanks Hurly and Roly
Often find ‘words within other words’ clues tough (12d, 20a)… and 17a was my DNF.
Didn’t help that an early biff was ‘BANK’ for 11a (Bank being a common flight move, and although Bank = List is loose, I’ve seen worse!)
Nothing unfair, just tough for me.
Thanks Hurley for the workout, and esp to Roly for explaining HORNPIPE.
BW
Andrew
… for Pious is one worth remembering, as our setters often use it, though it would be nice if they rang the changes — one can have the Greek letter Pi, a small Pi(e), and I believe PI also stands for Principal Investigator. The irony is that piousness and goodness are by no means the same thing; history shows an abundance of instances of people who are pious (ie devoutly religious) and yet as sinful as the rest of us.
Cedric
I too did not parse STONE AGE as I solved.
Most finding this easy but it was enough of a challenge at this level to make it worthwhile.
David
I didn’t think this was that straightforward although nothing obviously difficult. I stupidly was trying adore + o for 10ac so took far too long to see the anagram. I needed all the crossers for 4dn and like Roly wanted to put loop or pool for 11ac. Finished more or less exactly on SCC time. I did wonder whether there may have been a Dickensian theme in there with Peg & Manse & Scandalmonger, but didn’t spot one.
FOI Peg – my Grandma
LOI Roll
COD Charlatan
Only complaint is the tiresome PI which setters insist on keeping alive. My offering
Hope to include sailors with magnum in lively dance (8)
COD & WOD SCANDALMONGER Great clue, and was hard to see, with the tempting –MAN at the end.
Anyway, I liked CHARLATAN and my LOI SCANDALMONGER — I nearly had to write out the anagrist, even with all the checkers, but it came to me in a flash of inspiration.
6:25, so squarely in target range.
Some nice clues from Hurley — only question I had was 13ac “Charlatan” which I normally associate with an individual. Is it just another general synonym for “sham”?
In reference to 3dn, always conjures up that old tv series of Just William and the screeching Violet. Whilst the rest went in slowly, the main hold up was 4dn “Scandalmonger” where I had a bit of troubling sorting out the anagram and 17ac “Hornpipe”.
FOI — 9ac “Acclaim”
LOI — 17ac “Hornpipe”
COD — 13ac “Charlatan” (good wordplay)
Thanks as usual!
FOI – 8ac MANSE
LOI – 17ac HORNPIPE
COD – both 4dn SCANDALMONGER and 14dn SLIP UP are very clever. The latter was a new one on me.
I liked CHARLATAN. A word often linked in the press to our current PM but I could not possibly comment.
And HORNPIPE – I had not heard of PI (short for pious) = very good. I will remember it.
Also SLIP-UP = PUPIL’S reversed.
Thanks to Liz Hurley and rolytoly.
Regards
Mao.
FOI DISMISSAL
LOI SCANDALMONGER
COD CHARLATAN
TIME 3:49
Thanks for helpful blog, Roly
FOI 1dn DAMSEL in distress.
LOI 5dn LACK as I started with DISMISSED
COD 4dn SCANDALMONGER – a bit of ananagram!
WOD 19dn NOSH! ‘He loves his nosh!’
23ac could simply have been clued as ‘Equus’?
Stanhope for one!
Is it me or were there a number of church related clues?
Wondered for a minute if a theme was emerging
doing a long, acrimonious and stressful trial and have had no time for pleasure. Today I cross examined the last witness from the other side so I get a little break now and am sitting in a train going home.
Anyway my brain is obviously fizzing at the moment because I blitzed that in 5:24. I should get really stressed more often!
Hope to be around a bit more from now on though it goes on till mid December groan
Templar
Really lovely puzzle. We finished in 10 minutes.
FOI: DISMISSAL
LOI: STONE AGE
COD: SCANDALMONGER
Thanks Rolytoly and Hurley.
Isn’t the double definition of ROLL list = roll (call)
ie names on a list