This the 4th Hoskins we’ve blogged since he made his first appearance in the Indy nearly two years ago – and he’s still managing to include his trademark slightly risqué subjects in the clues.
There was plenty to enjoy here, as usual, with several drug, drink and bodily function references. We’re really not sure about the definition in 24ac (unless we’re missing something – could a Stepladder be a cocktail of some sort?) but otherwise this was all good fun and a great Tuesday work-out.
Last week Hoskins thought he knew who wasn’t blogging. We wonder what he thinks this week? Is it Bert or is it Joyce?
| Across | ||
| 1 | Fantastic gal saves city abroad (3,5) | |
| LAS VEGAS | An anagram of GAL SAVES – anagrind is ‘fantastic’ | |
| 5 | Companion following endless amphetamine talk (6) | |
| SPEECH | CH (Companion of Honour) after SPEE |
|
| 10 | Embarrass the latest member of Tea Party (5) | |
| ABASH | A (last letter or ‘latest member’ of ‘tea’) BASH (party) | |
| 11 | A fine transition (groin a tad irritated) (9) | |
| GRADATION | An anagram of GROIN A TAD – anagrind is ‘irritated’ | |
| 12 | Shall need to change section without a title? (10) | |
| HANDLELESS | An anagram of SHALL NEED (anagrind is ‘to change’) + S (section) | |
| 13 | A noble expected to welcome knight (4) | |
| DUKE | DUE (expected) round or ‘welcoming’ K (knight) | |
| 15 | All Time Low managed tours 1D rejected (5) | |
| NADIR | RAN (managed) round or ‘touring’ ID all reversed or ‘rejected’ | |
| 17 | Inappropriate, like a naked astronaut in space? (8) | |
| UNSUITED | A naked astronaut would not have a spacesuit and could then be described as UNSUITED | |
| 20 | Something below heading for The Nautilus? (8) | |
| SUBTITLE | SUB (The Nautilus, a submarine) TITLE (heading) | |
| 21 | Muppet flipping vacuous Zambian slimed! (5) | |
| GONZO | ZN (first and last letters only of ‘Zambian’ – or ‘vacuous’) reversed or ‘flipping’ in GOO (slime) | |
| 23 | Yobs fine with son hanging around island (4) | |
| OIKS | OK (fine) S (son) round I (island) | |
| 24 | Daughter plastered on this? (10) | |
| STEPLADDER | A cryptic definition? It’s an anagram of D (daughter) and PLASTERED – we think the anagrind must be the ‘?’ and we are asked to accept that a stepladder might be used for plastering – not if Health & Safety has anything to do with it! | |
| 28 | Parched hill cultivated without nitrogen (9) | |
| TORREFIED | TOR (hill) REFI |
|
| 29 | Sort of model to cuddle small hooligans (5) | |
| THUGS | T (sort of model – a Ford Model T) HUG (cuddle) S (small) | |
| 30 | Nice for one to get stuff in order again (6) | |
| RESORT | A sort of double definition, provided you read the first word as the French RESORT | |
| 31 | Criminal unrest ends in treasonous charges (8) | |
| ENTRUSTS | An anagram of UNREST (anagrind is ‘criminal’) + TS (first and last letters or ‘ends’ of ‘treasonous’) | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Hatred upset old prison guards of little depth (8) | |
| LOATHING | GAOL (old prison) reversed or ‘upset’ round or ‘guarding’ THIN (of little depth) | |
| 2 | Way home blocked by van in accident black spot? (5) | |
| STAIN | ST (street – ‘way’) IN (home) round or ‘blocked by’ A (first letter or ‘van’ in ‘accident’) | |
| 3 | Thrill old flame gets greeting judge outside city (10) | |
| EXHILARATE | EX (old flame) HI (greeting) RATE (judge) round or ‘outside’ LA (city) | |
| 4 | Illegal stuff guest and stoned hosts lost (5,4) | |
| ANGEL DUST | An anagram of GUEST AND (anagrind is ‘stoned’) round or ‘hosting’ L (lost) | |
| 6 | Via the mouth, excite climax (4) | |
| PEAK | A homophone (‘via the mouth’) of PIQUE (excite) | |
| 7 | Run a piece about one devoted to Tuck? (9) | |
| EPICUREAN | An anagram of RUN A PIECE – anagrind is ‘about’ | |
| 8 | One pursuing strong desire to make good time (6) | |
| HUNTER | HUN |
|
| 9 | Lot using spades instead of last two clubs (4) | |
| BATS | BAT |
|
| 14 | Police arresting married circus worker (10) | |
| RINGMASTER | An anagram of ARRESTING and M (married) – anagrind is ‘police’ | |
| 16 | Happy area: road close to various boozers (9) | |
| DRUNKARDS | DRUNK (happy) A (area) RD (road) S (last letter or ‘close’ of ‘various’) | |
| 18 | Having loaded gun, very quiet editor and I intervened (7,2) | |
| STEPPED IN | STEN (gun) round or ‘loaded’ with PP (very quiet) ED (editor) I | |
| 19 | Lions playing in Africa? Hawks around Manx hill? (8) | |
| TOURISTS | TOUTS (hawks) round RIS |
|
| 22 | A professional cook (6) | |
| DOCTOR | Double definition | |
| 25 | Perhaps a jolly strippergram (but not all there) (4) | |
| TRIP | Part of (‘not all there’) sTRIPpergram | |
| 26 | Drive with idiots out of “Top Gear” (5) | |
| DRUGS | DR (drive) |
|
| 27 | Energy-filled blonde with one going concern (4) | |
| FEAR | E (energy) in or ‘filling’ FA |
|
I got badly beaten by this; much harder I thought than H’s recent puzzles. I think the anagrind in the clue for STEP-LADDER is “on” – Hoskins has used this before – but I don’t quite get the &littish bit.
The dd for DOCTOR and the unheard of TORREFIED sailed over my head.
Thanks to H, B&J
There’s a theme here. I won’t give too much away but have a look at 27 and 1d for a start.
A good mix of the easy and difficult with clues such as DRUGS and TRIP taking a long time to go in, not helped by never having heard of TORREFIED. Yes, I parsed STEPLADDER as you did after vainly thinking of every possible alcoholic concoction!
Thanks to Hoskins and B&J.
@WP
D’oh! Thanks
Many thanks to WordPlodder – it’s not a film we are familiar with although we recognised the title once we were pointed in the right direction.
Peppered with references to Hunter S. Thompson, who wrote 27 and 1D in 1A. Other refs include 13, 21 and presumably 4, 16 and 26 and perhaps others. Thanks, Hoskins and bertandjoyce.
Clobbered in the SW as it seems many were. Theme as per went over my head. I did however have a slightly different take on the parsing for SUBTITLE in my mind. The def I had as ‘something below heading’ with ‘The Nautilus’ as the sub title – i.e. the title of a sub much as ‘The Cutty Sark’ might be the title of that ship. Splitting hairs maybe.
All thanks to Hoskins and bertandjoyce.
Many thanks to B&J and to Hoskins.And to WP-I wasnt looking for a theme (I always am with Brummie) and there they all are. FEAR LOATHING, LAS VEGAS. DUKE, GONZO, DOCTOR, HUNTER,TRIP, DRUGS, ANGEL DUST. Maybe more. I fell on a few hurdles yet TORREFIED is an accurate definition and it parses perfectly.
Here’s to you, Hoskins!
Here’s to you indeed Harry! And well done to B&J for the blog. Much needed. As for the theme, so glaringly obvious once pointed out, I missed it, and my other half – who is good at these things – also missed it. She of course has led a blameless life. I (of course) have not, but taking all that stuff for so many years rots ones brain.
Struggled with this. Lots to like. Guessed TORREFIED and was pleased to see it existed. Wasn’t keen on the clue for BATS. Failed to parse PEAK, which is now my favourite clue for its cheeky surface. The surface for STAIN was also wonderfully constructed with the clever use of ‘van’. HANDLELESS seems a bit of a clunky definition, probably the reason for the question mark at the end. I also took ? as the anagram indicator in 24a – how does ‘on’ work for this? Given that ‘police’ means to put things in the correct order, this seems a nice anagram indicator that I’ve not met before. DOCTOR was my LOI.
This took rather a long time and we missed the theme. Like others, we were held up in the SW corner but eventually teased it all out once we’d looked again at 30ac and realised that Nice was the proper noun not the adjective. But we weren’t altogether happy with the clue for STEPLADDER – we think that either ‘plastered’ or the ? is doing double duty.
SUBTITLE was our favourite – once we realised ‘heading for Nautilus’ didn’t indicate the letter N.
Thanks, Hoskins and B&J.
Thanks for blogging, Joyce.
Gave up with a few to go in the NE corner. Even setters on my preferred suppliers list are subject to the three strikes and you’re out rule (invented by crypticsue, if I remember well).
Good stuff; saw the film reference but the other themed material passed me by.
Thank you to Harry too.
Your familiarity with illegal substances continues to worry me, Harry. You must hang out with some unsavoury characters!
Like others, I didn’t know 28a but managed the rest despite falling short on some of the parsing. Abbs such as ‘S’ for section and ‘L’ for lost always seem a bit like cheating and I didn’t stand a snowball’s chance of making sense out of 19d!
Needless to say, I haven’t heard of Mr. Thompson or his books – a quick Google confirms that I’d be unlikely to enjoy reading them.
Must remember ‘police’ as an anagram indicator – could come in useful even in the DT!
I did wonder – wouldn’t the 21a clue be better without the ‘d’ at the end of the last word?
Thank you, Harry, I shall continue to do battle with your puzzles – I’m sure they’re broadening my horizons considerably…..
Thanks also to B&J for the blog and the help with parsing.
jane@12: S for section is in Chambers; L for lost comes from, inter alia, football league tables.
@Jane/Allan_C
S=section is in Chambers(12th. ed).
S=small (29a) isn’t though, and we had a discussion about this quite recently.
My only interest in making this point, I hasten to add, is to log it away in case Eimi tugs me for trying it on in the future 😉
Thank you both – Allan & Baerchen – I was guilty of not looking far enough through the abbs in the BRB for s=section. As for l=lost, I think I have seen it used on score sheets – probably as a capital L.
An entertaining challenge even though I completely missed the theme. Was pleased I managed to work out the unfamiliar TORREFIED but I failed on BATS.
Thanks to Hoskins B & J
Slightly tougher than most of Harry’s – enjoyed the hunter Thompson theme. Well it is Tuesday.
24a On=drunk (see chambers) as in ‘on the way’ – I think this is a beautifully concise semi&lit.
Many thanks Hoskins and B&J
To Jane@12, I think the d at the end is needed as slimed means ‘in slime’ hence providing the inclusion indicator – nz is IN goo.
Thanks, Hovis, all is now clear!
Many thanks to [drum roll to build up tension] Bert* for the usual lovely blog, and to all who solved and especially those who commented.
This puzzle was written early summer 2016 when I was much more interested in misdirection and trickiness so I think that partly explains it being a lot tougher as does torrefied. Bit of a mistake to put that in the grid (done for theme) and I certainly shouldn’t have clued it with both anagram and subtraction misdirection.
My puzzle difficulty labelling has been pretty good thus far, but looks like its ‘medium’ level label was a little wide of the mark here. Had I have known this, I would have said ‘expect much much much tougher stuff’ in my promo for it two weeks ago. Either or anyways, apologies for any extreme furrowing of brows and blue emissions it may have caused.
For any themesters or FAL fans out there, I list the refs include in the puzzle below – some are tight, some just for those who know the book well, and in others I was trying to give a sort flavour of the book in the themers in a literary way (yes, I failed at this in all but me own mind).
1a – part of book title
5a – reference to the what is known as the ‘wave speech’ (worth reading on the wiki page for the book).
13a – character Raoul Duke
15a – reference to the opposite of the ‘high-water mark’ in the wave speech and where America was heading.
20a – book has a subtitle: ‘A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream’
21a – character Doctor Gonzo
28a – drugs reference (to torrify is to dry out drugs)
30a – ref to the resort-ness and therefore unreality of Vegas and the America it represents
1d – part of book title
2d – reference to the ‘high-water mark’ as a stain and the way the mark of something good is can be switched into something bad by the language those who win and write history choose to use.
4d – drugs reference
6d – drugs reference
7d – reference to the pleasure-seeking Raoul and Gonzo
8d – author of the book
9d – reference to the opening of the book:
“We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like “I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive…” And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: “Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?”
16d – protagonists both drink enough to kill a small horse
19d – protagonists both tourists and amongst tourists
22d – character Doctor Gonzo
25d – drugs reference
26d – drugs reference
27d – part of the books title
But enough of that … On to some sticking points and questions about the puzzle and so here be further thoughts, explanations, mea culpas and not guilty, yer honours.
20a – Doofs @6 has my intended parsing here.
21a – Hovis @19 has my intended parse here. The ‘slimed!’ is using the D to provide the containment indicator. So, a Zambian slimed is a Zambian who has been covered in GOO. Bit two-step but I hope fair with the exclamation mark and the hopefully obvious ZN fodder.
24a – The anagrind is ‘on’ as in ‘tipsy/on the way to being drunk’. As far as I know it’s been a much-used and much-hated xwd standard. I guess I should really stop using it or use it much more often so folks will see it. Solvers who don;t like it will be gratified to know I only have one instance of it in the puzzles I have on sub at the Indy currently. The idea of the semi&lit is ‘the daughter plastered the walls standing on the stepladder’.
Now, if I may and you’ve not fallen asleep, a couple of direct replies.
Copmus @7 – A little trade secret is that Tuesday is always theme day in the Independent crossword, so if you’re solving on a Tuesday keep ’em peeled for a full or a ghost theme.
KD @11 – I think that’s a fair rule to have. Easier ride from me next time out, you’ll be glad to hear. 🙂
Jane @12 – always glad to know you’ll continue to do battle with my puzzles. As your attorney, I’d advise you give Hunter Thompson a go as he was exceedingly insightful about the American experience and the human condition, though he is steeped in quite a bit of drink and drugs so as your attorney I advise you to steer clear of him. Oh, and I should add that no drugs save for booze have passed my lips for quite sometime (after all, my body is a temple … of doom).
And I think all that takes care of that and leaves the evening free for a little libation, but were to get it from, eh?
Long-time readers will be aware that Mrs Jalopy (the keeper of the Fabled FifteenSquared drinks trolley) has of late been designing all sorts of Heath-Robinson devices to make her life a little easier when delivering drinks to thirsty Indy setters (with mixed results).
Alas, I must now impart to you that the inventions are no more since the health and safety came round and judged her latest creation – a delivery system based on the opening titles of Dr. Hienz Wolff’s The Great Egg Race – dangerous to all human life (though the health inspector did say I was allowed to use it at will for some reason).
Anyhoo, since then, poor Mrs Jalopy has done her back in and so has had to take two weeks off work – though she should be around for the yearly Indy summer fair on the 14th August. In her absence, it would appear we all have two options if we want to partake of the ambrosial nectar that is the Babycham this night.
1 – Quickly invent some way of turning alcohol into Babycham
ii – Go down the local boozer instead
C – Have an early night
Whilst I leave y’all to decide, I shall congratulate myself on being as succinct as usual and – just in case anyone decides to take option C – take the chance to say see you all next time around. For those interested, that next time should be August 14th with an easyish and more smile-inducing puzzle, though more likely it’ll be on the morrow where our Eccles continues the Indy week with an interesting and easyish puzzle.
Cheers and chin chin to all. 🙂
*(or an unexclamation-marked, incognito Joyce)
Thanks Harry for your comments. We have obviously lived a very sheltered life. Having missed the theme we did not realise just how many references you had included. That however is a sign of a good themed crossword. Serious respeck man! Bert, who compiled the blog will buy you another drink in York.
B&J @21 – pleasure and fanks for the respeck and the future bevvie, dudes – though I should reiterate some of the thematics were a little loose, others would only be known by fans and, IIRC, my test-solver missed the theme too. Anyhoo, the most important thing here is that I nailed the conundrum of the mystery blogster and that’s cause for drinks all round! 🙂