Independent 8616 / Rorschach

by

Rorschach is a setter who appears infrequently in the Independent – about once every quarter – but he is very welcome when he does appear.

 

 

 

I haven’t completely sussed out what is going on in the grid, but there is clearly a surfeit of the letter H.  We have four H shapes formed by the blocks in the grid.  In the entries there are 19 Hs.  Most, but not all of the entries begin with the letters of RORSCHACH‘s name.  However, there are five that don’t, beginning instead with U, G, T and I [twice].  There are mini themes running through the clues with the cross references to HOOVER (4 down), HORNBLOWER (14 down) and OTHER HALF (17 down).  I can’t see any message in the unches or the diagonal, but I have this nagging feeling that I’ve missed something.

There were some interesting clues and wordplay today.  1 across, HOO-HAH for instance is only 6 letters long, but it has five component parts.  Some of the definitions / wordplay required a bit of lateral thinking to fully understand what was going on.  Speech therapist for HIGGINS [5 Across] was good, as was Sony Walkman for STEREOTYPE [9 across].  Coleridge played two roles in the clue for ALEPH [11 across].  The clue at 2 down ‘Four-letter word’ was very succinct and H2O5, part of the clue for 4 down was clever.  

There are a number of references to film and television titles in the clues, but again I can’t see an obvious link or theme related to them.  

I enjoyed solving this and look forward to Rorschach’s next offering.

Across
No. Clue Wordplay

Entry

1

 

House husband’s trapped balls at a hospital in Donnybrook (3-3)

 

([HO {house} + H {husband}] containing [trapped] O [overs in cricket scoring notation; balls]) + A + H (hospital)

HO (O) H A H

HOO-HAH (noisy fuss; donnybrook)

 

5

 

Physicist gets home to find speech therapist (7)

 

HIGGS (reference physicist Peter HIGGS, the man who predicted the existence of the HIGGS boson) containing (gets) IN (home)

HIGG (IN) S

HIGGINS (reference Henry HIGGINS, professor of phonetics and speech therapist in Pygmalian, the play by George Bernard Shaw)

 

9

 

Standard Walkman? (10)

 

STEREO TYPE (Walkman is the brand name for Sony’s range of audio players, presumably all available as STEREO models;  TYPE of STEREO)

 

STEREOTYPE (a fixed conventionalized or stock image, or a person or thing that conforms to it; standard)

 

10

 

One of 4 in grid initially got injury and fell (4)

 

H (there are four initial H shapes formed by the blocked cells in the grid) + ILL (harm; ailment; injury)

 

HILL (fell; e,g the Lakeland fells)

 

11

 

A historic character in Coleridge finally entering sacred river (5)

 

E (last letter of [finally] COLERIDGE) contained in (entering) ALPH (the sacred river referenced in Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan)

AL (E) PH

ALEPH (the first letter of the Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets; historic character)

 

13

 

One of 4’s followers who’s ‘got ‘ in cinema? (6)

 

CARTER (reference Jimmy CARTER, President of the United States from 1977 to 1981, one of the many successors or Herbert HOOVER [4 down] , President from 1929 to 1933)

 

CARTER (reference the film Get CARTER, 1971 film starring Michael Caine)

 

15

 

Heckle comedian (4)

 

HOOT (taunt; heckle)

 

HOOT (comedian) double definition

 

16

 

Regular habits in UCAS applications? (8)

 

UNI (university) + FORMS giving FORMS that are used to apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)

 

UNIFORMS (distinctive garb for members of a body; regular habits)

 
19

After heart bypass, Afro-Asian takes trip in the wild (2,6)

 

Anagram of (takes trip) AFRO-ASIAN excluding (after … bypass)  the middle letter (heart) A

 

ON SAFARI (in the wild; maybe trip in the wild, but I reckon trip is part of the anagram indicator)

 

20

 

Seek out The Fox and the Hound turning hastily after central reservation (4)

HUNT (taking [reservation of] middle letters of [central] of each of  THE HOUND TURNING HASTILY)

 

HUNT (seek out the fox)

 

22

 

Over-used bowler? (3,3)

 

OLD HAT (out-of-date; over used)

 

OLD HAT (a bowler HAT for example is now considered OLD-fashioned)

 

24

 

Peeping Tom’s statement reportedly becoming more slippery (5)

 

ICIER (sounds like [statement] I SEE HER [something a Peeping Tom may say])

 

ICIER (more slippery)

 

26

 

Footballers’ Wives taking last first prize (4)

 

WAGS (Wives And GirlfriendS, a phrase usually applied to Footballers’ ladies) with the last letter S then moved to the front (taking last first)

S WAG

SWAG (prize)

 

27

 

Staggering payout when promoted (2,3,3,2)

 

Anagram of (staggering) PAYOUT WHEN

 

ON THE WAY UP (promoted)

 

29

 

Altercation with tax officer in Brief Encounter (3,4)

 

RUN IN (altercation) + TO (tax officer)

 

RUN INTO (meet by chance; brief encounter)

 

30

 

The man primarily found relaxing around women and attractive bottoms (6)

 

HE (the man) + (FR [first letters of [primarily] each of FOUND and RELAXING] containing [around] NE [final letters of [bottoms] each of WOMEN and ATTRACTIVE ]

HE F (NE) R

HEFNER (reference Hugh HEFNER, founder of Playboy Enterprises, often to be found relaxing …)

 
Down

2

 

Four-letter word? (4)

 

OATH (a word of four letters

 

OATH (many succinct OATHs are four letter words)

 

3

 

Gareth Bale off his head drunk getting another drink (6,3)

 

Anagram of (drunk) GARETH BALE excluding (off) the first letter (his head) G

 

HERBAL TEA ([another] drink)

 

4

 

H2O5 found by hospital department’s cleaner? (6)

 

H + OO (2 O) + V (Roman numeral for 5) + ER (Emergency Room; hospital department, more commonly used in America than in Britain)

 

HOOVER (generic name for a vacuum cleaner)

 

5

 

Cyclist Armstong’s first position revoked on 14’s call (3)

 

AHOY (a cry that a sailor such as HORNBLOWER [14 down] may make) excluding (revoked) A (first letter of [first position] ARMSTRONG)

 

HOY (reference Sir Chris HOY, British track cyclist Olympian)

 

6

 

Scream takes award in CGI-animated style category (4,4)

 

(EEK [the sound of a scream] + CH [Companion of Honour; award]) contained in (in) an anagram of (animated) CGI

G (EEK CH) IC*

GEEK CHIC (The dress, appearance, and culture associated with computing and technology enthusiasts, regarded as stylish or fashionable: style category)  I only found this definition online, not in any dictionary that I hold.

 

7

 

The Grecians’ painful ejection in Ricoh upset (5)

 

Anagram of (upset) RICOH

 

ICHOR (the ethereal juice in the veins of the gods [Greek mythology; Grecian]; the gods); colourless matter oozing from an ulcer or wound [painful ejection])

 

8

 

4’s 17 in lines I’m constructing for underground system (6,4)

 

VER (half the letters of [OTHER HALF {17 down}] HOOVER [4 down]) contained in (in) an anagram of (constructing) LINES I’M

SIL (VER) MINE*  I’m not sure what purpose OTHER is serving in this clue

SILVER MINE (underground system)

 

12

 

Who would broadcast popular One Show presenter? (7)

 

HOUD (sound’s like [broadcast] WHO’d [who would]) + IN (popular) + I (one)

 

HOUDINI (reference Harry HOUDINI presenter of an escapology show)

 

14

 

RN officer getting Snowden perhaps through instrumental exchange (10)

 

WHISTLE BLOWER (reference Edward Snowden who ‘blew the whistle’ and disclosed classified documents to a number of media outlets in June 2013) with one instrument, WHISTLE replaced by [exchange] another one, HORN

 

HORNBLOWER (fictional Naval office, hero of a series of novels by C S Forrester)

 

17

 

One involved in alliance for health reforms (5,4)

 

Anagram of (reforms) FOR HEALTH

 

OTHER HALF (one partner in a marriage; one involved in alliance)

 

18

 

What’s rendered 14 less mobile in May? (8)

 

Anagram of (rendered) WHAT + (HORNBLOWER [14 down] excluding [less] BLOWER [phone; mobile])

HAWT* HORN

HAWTHORN (the HAWTHORN tree / bush is known as the Queen of the MAY)

 

21

 

Pick up drug within progressive state (2,4)

 

E (ecstasy; drug) contained in (within) HITCH (couple; connect; pick up)

HI T (E) CH

HI TECH (advanced, sophisticated technology in specialist fields, e.g. electronics; progressive state)

 

23

 

Macho gangster’ grabs wrestler (5)

 

HOGAN (hidden word in [grabs] MACHO GANGSTER)

 

HOGAN (reference Hulk HOGAN, American professional wrestler)

 

25

 

Dig up old forgotten philosopher (4)

 

EXHUME (dig up) excluding (forgotten) EX (old)

 

HUME (reference David HUME [1711 – 1776], Scottish philosopher)

 

28

 

One appearing in Porridge’s taken up religious system (3)

 

OAT (reference porridge OATs; in singular to give OAT) reversed (taken up; down clue)

TAO <

TAO ([in TAOism] the absolute entity which is the source of all existence and change; [in Confucianism and some other philosophies] the way to be followed, right or proper conduct; religious system)

 

 

17 comments on “Independent 8616 / Rorschach”

  1. Quite a few sportsmen appearing there too – at least 3 from F1 – Hill, Hunt, Hawthorn. However, it was Denny Hulme, so he doesn’t fit. Higgins – snoooker, with plenty of Carters in a variety of sports. Hoy etc Can’t see a pattern though.

  2. wHat a clever RorscHacH. What else could you do with a grid with Hs in the black squares but put
    references to:
    HARRY HILL
    HORATIO HORNBLOWER
    HENRY HIGGINS
    HUGH HEFNER
    HARRY HOUDINI
    HELEN HUNT
    HULK HOGAN

    My particular favourites were 4d, 5d and 28d.

    Thanks to him and Duncan too.

  3. I found this puzzle tough but fair. I needed aids at the end to get GEEK CHIC and, more inexplicably, HIGGINS. I couldn’t parse HUNT so thanks for that, Duncan. Well done Sue for spotting all the HHs.

  4. I have just noticed that you can add HERBERT HOOVER to Sue’s list. There is also a HAWTHORN HALL and a HUME HIGHWAY, but that may be stretching the HH theme a little too far.

  5. My first review by Duncan – and what a brilliant review it is!

    If anything you’ve OVER analysed the grid although I have tried to throw little easter eggs in there to find in your own time. Obviously the HH theme has been pulled out by the inestimable CrypticSue and I think the rest of the theme words have been snaffled.

    If we’re being (extremely!) picky then I had parsed HOO-HAH House = H Husband = H around OO = balls at A H = Hospital.
    And in RUN INTO I had – RUN-IN plus TO = “tax officer in brief” with Encounter as def – as soon as I saw ‘Encounter’ as a def I wanted to make it work with Brief Encounter but the brevity doesn’t work with the def so pushed it the other way.

    Enough from me – I’m beginning to sound like I take myself too seriously – thanks Duncan for the blog – really appreciated!

  6. Brilliant stuff, took quite a while to finish (didn’t think I would), also couldn’t parse HUNT.

    In 2D I thought it was part of the definition that to give one’s oath is to give one’s word. Could Rorschach confirm or otherwise?

    Thanks to Rorschach (let’s have more) and duncanshiell.

  7. When we saw it was Rorschach, we started the puzzle earlier than normal.

    It took us a while to get started. There were some lovely surfaces to the clues and we really liked 16ac and 30ac. We hadn’t appreciated that the various Hs could have another H in their first names plus we really kicked ourselves as we didn’t notice the Hs in the initial grid!

    Thanks Rorschach, sorry we didn’t see you at Derby. Thanks for another ‘tour de force’.

    Thanks Duncan – we needed you today for 6d. We’d got ourselves Hooked on Grey Chic – it must be our age – but unsurprisingly we couldn’t parse it!

  8. @Bertandjoyce

    Grey Chic! – I think you might be onto something there!

    @gwep

    Thanks for your kind words. I had OATH as Duncan parsed it – DD in which the whole clue forms both definitions.

  9. I struggled with this one. I don’t normally have two goes at a crossword, but today I got about half done before having to leave for work, and then had another go this afternoon and got a few more. But too hard for this solver today.

    I did like ON THE WAY UP, but probably won’t mention it to any of my Derby-supporting friends.

    Well done Duncan for teasing it all out and thanks to Rorschach too.

  10. On the way up? Weren’t Cambridge promoted recently, the lesser spotted Rorschach is after all a member of fens poly.

  11. What a wonderful puzzle!
    Started this one already a couple of days ago (thanks to Crossword Solver) and I must say, just like Kathryn’s Dad I needed more than one session.
    In the end, HOOT and SWAG defeated me but so what.

    Rorschach is not the most Ximenean of setters but there’s all sorts of things going on in his clues. I find them happily chaotic (in a positive sense).

    I didn’t see the “One of 4 in grid” – yes, I knew it meant H – because I printed off the puzzle in ink saving mode which made it less clear.
    And in 19ac (ON SAFARI) I was wrongfooted by “trip” which I linked to the solution (instead of taking it as an anagram indicator).

    30ac (HEFNER) is brilliant as is the UCAS find in 16ac (and the pub clue too).

    Re 9ac: does anyone nowadays still know what a Walkman is (was)?
    I almost entered ‘pedestrian’ here. Almost, because it’s more substandard than standard.

    Great crossword, great blog too (thanks Duncan).

  12. Only just had a chance to tackle this superb example of cruciverbal artistry (thanks to Gaufrid’s help). What a joy and “Hawthorn” beat me and my lack of patience. I’ll risk arrogance (for none will read this!) and mention that this is the first clue I recall to have defeated me this year. (Maybe I was impatient to get to blog to savour others’ joy?)
    Only sadness – we have to wait a whole three month’s for our next Rorschasch?!

  13. I felt compelled to make one late final post (40%vanity;40%closure;20%miscalculation!). It was impatience…..couldn’t solve 18dn (“hawthorn”) initially and intended returning after I had 14dn (“Hornblowe”) which it referenced. I forgot to do this in my haste to read comments on puzzle at Fifteensquared (after all, I’d been itching all week) So I’m counting my one defeat as ‘self-defeat’ rather than being defeated by a puzzle! Phew – glad that’s done and, best of all, I would imagine one person at most will ever read this….

  14. William F P @ 12 and 13

    You’re right that one person will always read the comments as bloggers get an e-mail whenever a comment is made about one of their blogs.

    I must admit that I didn’t suss out the wordplay of HAWTHORN correctly until I was writing the blog and realised that the letters of ‘WHAT‘ formed the first four letters of the entry.

    This was definitely an enjoyable puzzle

  15. Hah Ha! My wife and I disagreed on 15A. She thought HOOT (like Rohrschach}, while I thought GOAT (go at, act the goat). Only one begins with H, though. No other way of telling which was right, imho. Brilliant puzzle|

  16. 2018 the i, a complete waste of time. Egg heads, high brows, experts, not for me, if these type of puzzles continue its back to The Telegraph for me, b#}**r the expense.

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