Independent 7376 by Glowworm
Posted by NealH on June 7th, 2010
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Facelifts: CD/DD – “prepare to find one’s level = face the lifts in a building”. |
| 6 | Adieu: (Kate) Adie + U(-turn). |
| 9 | Council: Hom of counsel. |
| 10 | Lioness: (Se[a] lions)*. The fact that lion appears as part of both the clue and the answer made this one of the weaker clues. |
| 11 | Stall: I think this is a DD, stalls being the compartments that house animals like greyhounds at the start of races. |
| 12 | Lorgnette: GR< in notelet*. |
| 13 | China: Hidden in batch in argos. |
| 14 | Negligent: Neglige + n (new) + T(-shirt). |
| 17 | Panellist: (Nell is) in Pat. Def is “Cowell’s one”. |
| 18 | Amuse: A(=american) + muse. Muse can mean a poet as well as a source of inspiration for artists. |
| 19 | Imbroglio: I’m (=Glowworm’s) + bro + initial letters of “getting lost in Oxford”. |
| 22 | Opera: Op (= out of print) + era. |
| 24 | Chignon: Ch[elsea] + (no gin)*. Def = bun (a type of hairstyle) |
| 25 | Sealant: Set about Alan (Bennett). |
| 26 | Offer: CD = “off ‘er”. |
| 27 | Spymaster: Spy aster around M[ay]. |
| Down | |
| 1 | Focus: Seems to be Fo + Cu’s, but I’m not sure why Faroe Islands is FO. The IVR code for Faroe Islands is FR, but perhaps it’s FO in some other context. |
| 2 | Caucasian: (Can USA CIA)*. |
| 3 | Local call: DD. |
| 4 | Falkland Islands: (Landfall’s kinda)*. |
| 5 | Self-righteously: (Our gifts Shelley)*. |
| 6 | Acorn: A (=advanced, as in A-levels) + corn. |
| 7 | Inert: Odd letters of fIaNcE wRoTe. |
| 8 | Unsheathe: Un + she around heat. Def = draw (verb). |
| 13 | Capriccio: (Christina) Ricci (US actress) in capo. I think capo here refers to a leader of a band of mafiosi. |
| 15 | Inamorata: (Marian to a)*. |
| 16 | Exuberant: Don’t entirely follow this. It seems to be Ex-U (=direct from University ?) + BE (Bach of Eng) + ran (=managed)+ t, but I can’t quite see why the t is “bar that’s overflowing”. Possibly something to with a T-bar lift. |
| 20 | Brief: Brie + [loa]f. Def = prime (verb). |
| 21 | Owner: Hidden in thrown erant. |
| 23 | Aster: [Mon]aster[ies] (monies = cash removed). |
June 7th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Great blog, NealH. In 16 down, I think you are right with overflowing being the definition. Quite an easy puzzle – FACELIFTS was my favourite clue also.
June 7th, 2010 at 11:37 am
I think I got so lost in the wordplay for that one I forgot to look for the definition !
June 7th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Hi Neal
Re 1dn, Collins gives FR as the IVR for Faeroes but both Collins and Chambers have FO as the IVR for the Faeroe (or Faroe) Islands.
June 7th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Thanks, Neal. On the easy side, but enjoyable with some clever clues. FACELIFTS was indeed cleverly clued, and I also liked BRIEF. Kate Adie is probably not the best known Kate in the world, but since she’s a big Sunderland fan we’ll forgive Glowworm on this occasion.
FO is also the internet domain name for the Faeroe Islands.
June 7th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Still don’t get the the final T in 16d, must be reading it wrong, for 13d I have seen Fabio Capello refered to as the Capo in several newspapers.
June 7th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
It’s from T-bar, a type of lift. The definition, as NMSIndy pointed out, is overflowing.
June 7th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
At least three T-bars “a metal bar with a T-shaped cross-section; a T-shaped fastening on a shoe; spec. a type of ski-lift consisting of a series of T-shaped bars whereby skiers are towed uphill”
Good, apart from lioness.