Excellent, accessible, puzzle by Dac, as ever. Solving time, 14 mins
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 MAOIST Very good with seamless join at old time/communist O (old) in Siam< t = time
4 CHEQUERS Double definition
9 CO LOUR SERGE ANTS Serge = (archetypal Russian)
11 CHANTEUSE (Each tune’s)*
12 E (X) T RA Egyptian god
13 SAKI “Sarky”
14 CH ESTERTON (on street)*
17 CORIOLANUS (Louis Caron)*
18 G ROT G = German ROT = Red in German
21 BRASS Double definition (instruments)
23 OL F ACTION lo<
24 RE CON SIDE RATION Excellent surface
25 T (U TO) RIAL
26 P EARLY
DOWN
1 MAC A COS
2 OIL TANKER (in lake Rot)*
3 S (MUTt) TY
5 HARLEM SHUFFLE (Mahler)*
6 QUE (that in French) BECER “Becker” A great seamless join at Canadian/French
7 ERNST Hidden
8 S (US) TAIN
10 SOUTH CAROL INA (Out, scholar)*
15 TERR (IF) IER
16 POIS (ON) E R
17 CA (BARE) T
19 giTE NANCY
20 SCRAPE Double definition
22 A S (C) OT c = clubs (cards)
The only one I didn’t get was 2dn: “Sailing vessel going off course in lake? Rot!” I can see the anagram, but does ‘sailing vessel’ define OIL TANKER or is it a +lit with ‘rot!’ indicating that it’s not a sailing vessel at all?
‘Get’ as in understand I mean – the answer was clear from the wordplay.
By the way, I’m not just adding extra separate comments to increase the Indy’s share v the Guardian – that would be cheating, of course!
That’s amused me greatly Mick! Meanwhile I’ve done some sterling work to up the FT’s count today.
Although it doesn’t actually have a sail it is a vessel that sails and so could be described (slightly cryptically) as a “sailing vessel”.
I really enjoyed this puzzle – particularly 5 down, which took a little while to dawn on me. If Eimi is reading this blog today, could he say whether we’re ever likely to get a sequel to Volume 1 of the Independent Book of Cryptic Crosswords? Given the consistently high quality of the Indy puzzles these days, it would be a pity if a representative sample were not to be made available in a more permanent form. And, while I’ve got the opportunity, could I put forward a request for the Indy website to include a more comprehensive crossword site, including the facility to print puzzles. I’d be very happy to pay a subscription (as for the Times), but, of course, even happier to get it free (as for the Guardian).
Hi Richard. Glad you’re enjoying the puzzles. On the first point, I have spoken to Chambers about the possibility of a more up-to-date book and it’s likely that there will be one, but I don’t have a date for you yet. As for the crossword site, it’s something I have suggested in the past and I will pass your comments on to back up my request.
Great, I’ll await developments (but won’t hold my breath).
HARLEM SOUFFLE
This was what I had. A bit of a problem when your knowledge of pop is so minimal.
Sounds like a perversion …