Independent/7,216 – Virgilius
Posted by Ali on December 1st, 2009
Yet another example of why Virgilius really is the undisputed master of the themed daily. In puzzles such as this, you’ll often find that there are one or two obscure words in the down answers to allow for the thematic across entries (in this case, hidden fish). Not here though, it all fits together quite, ahem, BRILLiantly. Oh, and the clueing’s rather good too, though when is it ever not?!
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | DEFIBRILLATION – Cryptic def. | |
| 9 | CRAYONED – (ANY DECOR)* | |
| 10 | CRUDDY – C + RUDDY | |
| 11 | REELED – REEL + ED(ition) | |
| 14 | HIDDEN CATCHES – Double def. – Our theme. I got it after only 3 across entries, yet it took me most of the rest of the solve to get the CATCHES part of this answer! | |
| 18 | BOGART – (GARBO)* + T | |
| 21 | SPIKELET – (PETS LIKE)* | |
| 23 | CLINGY – Hidden in cyCLING Yes | |
| 24 | HOLDABLE – L + DAB in HOLE | |
| 25 | SHAKESPEAREANS – (KANSAS ARE + SHEEP)* Ref. Charles and Mary Lamb, the bro and sis combo who wrote essays on WS | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | RETRENCH – RE: TRENCH | |
| 2 | LILY POND – LILY (girl) + POND (mere) | |
| 3 | FRINGE – RING in FE | |
| 4 | GLAD – GLAD(ioli) | |
| 5 | BACCARAT – CAB rev. + CAR + AT | |
| 6 | MINUTE – Double def. | |
| 7 | ON EDGE – Think this is just a variation on ‘the edge is on’, i.e. there’s a chance, but a bit unsure | |
| 12 | TACKS – “Tax” | |
| 15 | ENTRY FEE – Cryptic def. | |
| 16 | HEEHAWED – HEED about H and AWE | |
| 19 | SPELLING – Ref. WRITING, the middle of the 3 Rs! | |
| 20 | OWLISH – (L WHO IS)* | |
| 22 | I’LL SAY – ILL + SAY | |
| 24 | HOPI – HOP + I (India in the phonetic alphabet) | |
December 1st, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I think ON EDGE may refer to a cricket shot – an ‘edge’ to the on (leg) side.
Absolutely wonderful puzzle from the master yet again.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:36 pm
It seems you’ve got to break the odd rule to get the comments flowing. (They’re still at their exploits this afternoon over in Indyland.)
This was indeed a wonderful puzzle, though I didn’t get ‘spelling’ or ‘Shakespeareans’ until I saw the decoding (sorry) here.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:14 pm
That’s more like it!
December 1st, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Beautifully constructed puzzled now I see the theme (thanks, Ali). Couldn’t get SHAKESPEAREANS and struggled with the SE corner, but very enjoyable. And nms is right: an on side edge in cricket would be caught at leg slip. How do overseas solvers ever get that kind of stuff? By playing cricket, I suppose.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:15 pm
No carping about this – I floundered for a bit, but once I’d decoded 1ac it was a piece of hake!
December 1st, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Very enjoyable though I didn’t manage to finish this.
You’ve missed 11A INSOLENT (In Solent), REELED was 13A
December 1st, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I d”id” this even”tuna”lly, and thought it was, as usual, excellent.
Unlike today’s “Gar”dian, which gave me a haddock…
…sorry.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:34 pm
IanN14, we’re having our village pantomime shortly. With talent like that, I’m going to engage you to write some rubbish jokes for it. There’s no plaice for comments like the one you’ve just contributed…
December 1st, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Kathryn’s Dad,
…I’m here all week,
Try the v”eel”…
December 1st, 2009 at 10:34 pm
An incom’parr’able puzzle, say I, without fear of rep’roach’.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Song of the day? How about Sole Man, by Salmon Dave?
December 1st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
… and the comments on this part of fifteensquared don’t appear as fishy as elsewhere
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:46 am
Has the Indie ever haddock compiler more talented?
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:47 am
Just as an as”ide”, Eimi, I was recording the bass guitar line for Soul Man last night!
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:08 am
There’s no plaice for this sort of thing on FifteenSquared
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:37 am
Indeed a tour de force. Brave Virgilius ! You perch high and should be brisling with pike
Thank you Ali for an equally delightful blog
December 2nd, 2009 at 7:21 am
Singular 14 in 8!