Solving time: Most of the day!
I was having to dip in and out of this between hospital appointments today and I found this experience very tough going. Like my Co-blogger today, there is one clue that defeats me, though I have the answer from the definition. Scorpion is one of the more ferocious Indy setters and all his previous puzzles have caused me problems. In this one, I felt that there was a mix of really clever clues but there were one or two that I thought too clever for their own good. However, overall it was a worthy challenge and one that was tougher than today’s Guardian, which was dreary and dull. Off now to wrestle with the Times, masochist that I am!
ACROSS (*= anag (R)= REVERSAL
1 HOLD UP LOUD* in PH (R)
5 PUSHBIKE BUSH (with first letter switched to the end) inside PIKE
9 MINSTREL Not sure about this – any offers?
10 CRISPY C R (regulars in SCARF) + I SPY (watching game)
11 BELL BOTTOMED A cryptic definition clue (I think!) Not a favourite clue
14 PRAYER P (Quietly) + AYE (agreed) inside R R (Clergyman – Right Reverend)
15 SCLEROID CL (Criminal’s outside) embraced by ROSE* + I.D. (Passport ? – note the use of the question mark to suggest it’s an example)
16 DEMERARA RARE MED (r) + A
19 NICKEL US Bread = def + (BREAD) which is half sliced (PUMPER)NICKEL
21 HYDROTHERAPY Another cryptic def – people used to “take a cure” in the
waters of Bath – ie in a bath as well.
23 SYMBOL Ends of MerrY, BlottO, LeglesS scrambled
25 ONLOOKER O (Oxygen) + N (New) + LOOKER (Babe)
26 FESTIVAL ST IV(ES) = Cornish resort avoiding a couple inside two elements
FE & AL
27 CANADA Victoria’s home (def) – Clothes shop C AND A with an A inside.
Allusion to the Beckham’s but the clue seemed a bit long and contrived to me.
DOWN
2 OLIVER REED REVELLER + I* minus L inside DO (R) – Another one a bit too
contrived for my liking, though I appreciate some will enjoy it.
3 DISPLAY Solved the clue – but the explanation held me up for a while
VIRGIN is an ISP inside LADY*
4 PARLOUR MAID this was the clue I disliked most – anag of AU PAIR & MILORD less I – an “&Lit” style
overall definition with the clue defining the whole entity.
5 PILATES PLATES (of meat) Cockney rhyming slang for feet with I for Institute inside – This read well and was a nice deception.
6 SEC Hidden answer
7 BUILDER Homophone – BILLED ‘ER – again an “&Lit” definition.
8 KEPT KENT swapping N for P
12 MELANCHOLIC M (Mass) + CLEAN* + HO (HOUSE) + LIC (pronounced Brush – LICK of paint)
13 WIDESPREAD Another good concise clue – WIDE = errant delivery + SPREAD (cover)
17 EXHIBIT I presume Three relates to 3 down. Most setters use the numbers – is using a word instead of a digit fair? – Discuss
18 AXOLOTL AX (uS Tool) + TOOL* + L (ending in Duel)
20 CARTOON ACTOR* + ON (LEG side in cricket)
22 BYTE Hidden answer
23 LEV Money from one of the Black Sea countries.
9 Across – Minstrel. ‘piano perhaps’ = ‘instrument’, half of = ‘instr’ covered by Mel (as in Mel Gibson).
Precisely. You’re obviously a quick learner, Jon. I’m trying to tame Scorpion a little, but I wouldn’t want to homogenise the Independent crossword. If you see the name Scorpion you know you’re in for a challenge.
I thought I was in for a long haul with this, but got there just inside 15 mins after my brain had got itself into ‘Scorpion mode’. Not fussed about the word/numeral issue at 17D – but then I’m quite used to the online version of the Times, where some bug in their system forces them to use words in many cases like this.