Independent 6338 by Merlin – Fairly easy
Posted by nmsindy on February 8th, 2007
No major problems with this, which had some clever ideas.
Solving time: 12 mins (fast for me)
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 BUCK Double definition
11 SHAM (BL) E BL was British Leyland
12 Martin SCOR(S)ES(E) Film Director S = Soprano E = European
13 (mi)STRESS ”Woman kept” usually reversed M1 is one of the measures of the money supply going from M0 right up to M5.
21 ANTHEM Clever – a cryptic definition drawn up to look like a standard definition/wordplay clue. (Not so, thanks colinblackburn for explaining it – see below)
22 BOA TRACE
24 (BONK-LIT)* i.e, INK BLOT Used in the Rorscach test to identify personality traits and disorders.
25 INC(ENS)E Ens = being. In my edition a picture and article on Paul INCE helpfully appears on the adjoining page (in the football section)
26 M (IN) ISERIES Victor Meldrew the archetypal MISERY
DOWN
2 C(HERO)OT TOC = train operating company “going up”
4 LOCK SMITHS (an 1980s Indie band)
7 T (ABLE) AU “Fit in” is cleverly misleading.
9 PIN (S AND) NEEDLES The novelist George SAND for E (drug) in PINE NEEDLES, I think,
14 GUILLOTINE Cryptic definition (Bean = head). Struck me as just slightly strained.
18 CATSKIN Hide (skin) from Queen perhaps (a type of cat) CATKINS with the S (sun) ”risen”
23 STAR STAR(buck) i.e. one = one across here – ref Starbuck’s chain of coffee shops
February 8th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I thought the GUILLOTINE clue was brilliant. One man’s beans…?
February 8th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
I liked ‘bonk lit’ – a wonderful name for the Jackie Collins/Jilly Cooper/Shirley Conran literary genre.
February 8th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Nice puzzle, as ever from Dac. Another vote in favour of Fr. beans. Didn’t understand crafty wordplay for 26 while solving, but after quick review of ?T?R possibilities decided to hit and hope.
February 8th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Isn’t 21 an &lit with the definition part being a little cryptic?
A+N+THEM(e)
Still, nice to see The Jam and the Smiths in the same puzzle.
Colin
February 8th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Er – as ever from Merlin (in this case!)
February 8th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
ANTHEM That’s it, Colin – all dicts confirm melody = theme. GUILLOTINE – I gracefully accept the majority view.
February 8th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Merlin indeed! Apologies to him…