Even more minimal blog as I’m on holiday. I’ve not commented on the clues but as usual Loda’s clues were very good, except 13 where there is either a mistake or I’m missing something.
The theme was a bit of a mishmash of two vaguely related ideas and I don’t think it was very strong. SIX OF THE BEST led to six great cricketers (but were the each specific record holders?) and six public (but the best?) schools from the extra words: Repton, Harrow, Eton, Lancing, Stowe, and Oundle. The title then hinted at corporal punishment, the theme word at 21 again suggesting the standard term for caning. 22 then suggested putting a book in one’s trousers to protect the rear from the effects of the cane. I think the “doubly so” is suggesting that Lee, part of Hadlee, is also a great cricketer but maybe there is more too it.
(XY Z)* anagram
X[Y]Z insertion
X[y]Z deletion
ZYX< reversal
X..Z extremes
vwXYZab hidden word
Initial letters in red, cricketers in blue, extra words in brackets.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R | SAILFISH | SAIL F IS H | (rene) |
| 7 | E | NADA | NA DA | (effing) with -A-A I was trying to fit Lara to the clue. |
| 11 | P | AFTERS | FASTER* | (practice) |
| 12 | KALLIS | K[ALL]IS[s] | ||
| 13 | T | REINDEERS | RE IN REED< | (trudging) I can’t see where the S comes from here. Clue is “Caribou, note, trudging in flipping grass” |
| 14 | O | NISUS | SIN< US | (out) |
| 15 | N | LEDGE | LEDGE[r] | (nearly) |
| 18 | H | WEAVES | W EAVES | (house) |
| 21 | SIX OF THE BEST | the theme. | ||
| 22 | TROUBOOKSERS | TROU[BOOK]SERS | how to protect oneself from a caning. | |
| 27 | A | CANTOR | N in ACTOR* | (angry) |
| 29 | R | AVAST | A VAST | (racket) |
| 32 | R | IN OFF | tuFFONInt< | (rainwater) |
| 34 | GILCHRIST | (RIC LIGHTS)* | ||
| 35 | O | ENEMAS | SEAMEN* | (often) |
| 36 | SOBERS | OBE for I n SIRS | ||
| 37 | W | DESK | DE SK | (wooden) |
| 38 | E | MAINMAST | (ANIT[a] SAMM[y])* | (erotic) |
| Down | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T | SAINTS | dd | (terry) Southampton’s nickname is the Saints. The other definition is by example. |
| 2 | AFRIDI | A FR IDI | ||
| 3 | O | ITAS | SATI< | (over) |
| 4 | N | FRESH | FR HE’S* | (next) |
| 5 | L | ISIS | I’S I’S | (leapt) |
| 6 | HADLEE | HAD LEE | ||
| 8 | A | ALED | ALE D | (assistant) |
| 9 | N | DIRGES | DI[R..G]ES | (needed) |
| 10 | C | ASSES | ASSE[t]S | (company) |
| 12 | I | KNOW-HOW | (H NOW WOK)* | (indicating) |
| 13 | N | RUN-OUT | R[UN]OUT | (notts) |
| 16 | G | AXON | taAXONly | (guards) |
| 17 | S | STORERS | RESORTS* | (ski) |
| 19 | T | ABSENT | A[BSE]NT | (taken) |
| 20 | O | VEER | dd | (overtime) |
| 23 | W | RAVINE | (I’VE RAN)* | (weeping) |
| 24 | BOTHAM | BOT HAM | ||
| 25 | E | REFERS | FREE* R..S | (egg) |
| 26 | O | SAFEST | S FEAST* | (officers) |
| 27 | U | CAGED | C AGED | (underneath) |
| 28 | N | BISON | B[IS]ON | (nick) |
| 30 | D | ALES | AL[l] ES | (druggy) |
| 31 | L | NISI | NIS I | (law) |
| 33 | E | ODEA | goODEAst | (end) |
I agree about the weakness of the lists. Six of the best at what? I never did get to the bottom of the “one doubly so” comment either and thought it might be Sobers or Botham as all-rounders. A comment from the setter or anyone with any better ideas would be helpful!
I found the REINDEER situation even more confusing than Colin, as the clue length given was 8 letters, and I suspect a missing bar and (as a result) an asymmetrical grid. Failing that there was at least a mistake in the editing of the clue length. If the answer was meant to be REINDEERS then there is an error in the clue, as I don’t think “flipping grass” can legitimately lead to DEERS.
Yes, REINDEER(S) wasn’t good as George Hill says. Also, 32a “IN-OFF” is hyphenated, not 2 words.
My guess for “doubly so” is Sobers, who hit 6 sixes in one over – “Six of the Best”? (I was at the match, in Swansea in the late 60s, but missed the event as I just had nipped to the loo.)
Each of the cricketers is an all-rounder (batsman/bowler or (in the case of Gilchrist) batsman/wicketkeeper), but without seeing the puzzle I can’t say whether that is relevant.Perhaps hitting sixes is involved? That is what Afridi is known for, but as a cricketer he’s not in the same class as the others.
I think HolyGhost has it. I’d forgotten about the six sixes by Sobers.
Just looked up the list of greatest six-hitters (in test matches, not one-day) and all of them appear in the top 50. Gilchrist is at the top with 100.