A typically nice crossword, but trickier than usual for Phi. Some long words were slow to come.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 7 | DOZE(n) |
| 8 | BOTTLENECK — I don’t really understand this — why wouldn’t you expect to find jam in the neck of a bottle? Because jam comes in jars, which don’t have a neck? Or does it refer to a style of guitar-playing which is not part of a jam session? Clutching at straws here. |
| 10 | TH(e) RIFT |
| 11 | AR(G U)ABLE |
| 12 | CALL I(OP)E — new to me as a musical instrument |
| 14 | ENIGMA — (a (m(g)ine)rev. |
| 15 | SUPERANNUATED — (Peanuts unread)* |
| 18 | DRY ROT — dr (tory)rev. |
| 20 | OUTFIELD — (I felt)* in (duo)rev. |
| 22 | GLAD 1 OLI(d) |
| 23 | (t)RUCK US |
| 25 | PROS C(1)UT TO(o) |
| 26 | MO DE |
| Down | |
| 1 | J(ust) O(dd) S(eed) H(usks) |
| 2 | AERIAL — (l(air)ea)rev. |
| 3 | ABATTOIR — a bat (riot)rev. |
| 4 | PLAGUE — lag in (up)rev. e(pidemic) |
| 5 | A N N A-LIST |
| 6 | SCALE MODEL I think — a scale model might be 1:25, and the scales of a fish |
| 9 | TRADE UNIONIST — r in (United Natio(n)s)* — isn’t a trade unionist simply a member of a trade union, not necessarily a workers’ representative? |
| 13 | AUSTRALORP — (Uproar last)* — had never heard of this and it was the last to go in, but once the checking letters were there it could only be this or AUSTROLARP |
| 16 | PARODIST — par((do)rev. is)t |
| 17 | ULTERIOR — u(role it)*r |
| 19 | T(R)OPIC |
| 21 | (t)I(NCO)ME |
| 24 | oUR DUbious |
In 8ac, the reference is probably to traffic jam/bottleneck.
I think it’s simply as blogged – JAM is the definition, with an appended ‘cryptic comment’ re jam being from jars rather than bottles.
Anyone else going down the road – sorry – of ‘jam jars in London’? No, okay.
Sorry – meant to say above that the Australorp is in Collins, and is apparently a contraction of ‘Austral(ian Black) Orp(ington)’.
That this clue makes an anagram with a relatively obscure word in a daily puzzle is of course not a problem unless you’re me – maybe I’m just embittered because I had to use the ‘reveal’ button.
I had to use the reveal button for AUSTRALORP too as none of the combinations of those letters looked plausible to me. I didn’t understand SCALE MODEL either but John’s explanation must be right (I guess the “?” must permit a lot more liberties than I gave it credit for). I also agree with the “jam not coming from bottles” theory.
Well-crafted puzzle, as always, from Phi. Not sure I see the problem with 9 down as trade unions generally represent workers.
Re BOTTLENECK, had some doubts, but finally settled for the interpretation (1) traffic jam (2)jam in jam jars as distinct from bottles with a narrow neck. Thanks for explaining SCALE MODEL where I understood the 1:25 but not the rest.