Not really an overall theme today, but a few movie references and some very enjoyable clues.
(X) = inserted
(x) = removed)
* = anagram
“” = homophone
< = reversed
d.d. = double definition
Across
1. WEBSITE. Backwards in hamlETISBEWitched.
5. UPGRADE. U + P.(GRAD).E. Took a while to work this out.
9. NOMAD. DO(MA)N<
10. SUSURRATE. US> + SURR(o.g.)ATE.
11. OVERLANDER. O(VERNAL*)DER.
12. BLOG. B(L)OG.
14. CLEETHORPES. P(salm)CLOSERTHEE*.’Resort’ as def is very cleverly hidden but I’m not sure where TO goes.
18. FLEET STREET. FLEET + STREET.
21. ROOK. (c)ROOK.
22. TERMINATOR. MONTMARTRE* with I replacing M.
25. GODFATHER. GO(D.F.)ATHER(d).
26. OBAMA. 0 + BA + MA. BA and MA are ‘degrees’.
27. TURNOUT. T(URN)OUT.
28. ABSENCE. ABS(EN + C)E. Danny Abse.
Down
1. WINDOW. WI(N)DOW.
2. BUMPER. d.d.
3. INDELICATE. NICEDETAIL*.
4. ESSEN. NESS(i)E<
5. UNSHEATHE. UN + S(HEAT)HE.
6. GIRT. “GERT”.
7. ANAGLYPH. HAPLY* around NAG.
8. ENERGISE. EN(ER)GINE with N replaced by S.
13. PORTENTOUS. POR(TENT)OUS.
15. ENTRECHAT. ENTRE(CH)AT.
16. AFFRIGHT. A(FF)RIGHT.
17. RECORDER. d.d.
19. STRAIN. d.d.
20. ARCADE. “ARC AID”.
23. MARIA. M + ARIA.
24. TACO. CAT< + O.
Thanks for the blog. I really enjoyed this, particularly as I usually find Shed v difficult. Managed to get everything out today, except for ARCADE. I wonder, however, whether the homophone is ARK AID, rather than ARC AID? ARK seems to fit better with ‘Biblical’.
Thanks for the blog, Ciaran.
I think you mean ‘Ark Aid’ for 20dn. 🙂
I thought this was an excellent puzzle. It wasn’t too difficult – I didn’t need to look up anything at all – but there were so many aha moments. I particularly liked WEBSITE, UPGRADE, SUSURRATE, CLEETHORPES, GODFATHER, ABSENCE, TURNOUT [which could have been infinitely more boringly clued], OBAMA … and that’s only the across clues! As I was going to say, there really are too many to list. Thank you so much, Shed.
[I did wonder about the ‘of sorts’ in 7dn: I must be missing something.]
I enjoyed this too, especially ‘ARK AID’ – I can just see Bono standing there with Noah and the kids holding collection tins in front of a half-built ship as they issue dire unheeded warnings about impending climate change! Also the definition in ANAGLYPH was very nice. But why is a WEBSITE an ‘incorporeal presence’? I mean, course it is, but does that define the word?
Hi Liz: Sorry for the overlap – I typed too much!
Don’t worry, Eileen! I had many of the same aha moments as you, and I suspect others. I really liked OBAMA. And CLEETHORPES made me laugh.
Eileen, I think ‘of sorts’ is a reference to pieces of type, which can also be called sorts. Is that your understanding Ciaran?
Ciaran, PS: it was the computer references [WEBSITE, BLOG, WINDOW] that I noticed.
Mick H – lovely image, thanks for that. The definition of WEBSITE was admittedly rather vague, but I’ve seen vaguer and it’s a difficult word to define without being blindingly obvious.
Eileen – well spotted. With my other hat on, I was collaborating on a website upgrade when I set this.
Politician at 00? Why does the second “0” equate to BAMA?
Paul
0° = 0 degrees = O BA (a degree) MA (a degree)
Another good one. Brendan, Pasquale and Shed all in one week – we’re being spoiled!
In the print version it appeared as ‘OO’. Suspecting a misprint I went to the PDF version.
Paul, I think you were working from the print version. The pdf version has it right.
Yes, I was working from the print version rather than the PDF version – all is explained. Many thanks everyone, Paul.
This one completely stumped me! I resisted Fifteensquared until getting on the train and now kicking myself in all manner of ways. To paraphrase Shaun of the Dead I must have had a brain-freeze!
The last two days have been really excellent crosswords. It is crosswords like this that keep me at it.
WEBSITE Rather than a definition, how about Miss Haversham’s parlour, ceiling, hedge in autumn etc?
You’re right, Andrew and Tom, we’ve been very spoiled. [What’s in store for the prize tomorrow?] And I think we’ve been doubly fortunate in these last two days in having setters who’ve added their comments. I hope those who do realise how really gratifying and encouraging this is.
So, if you’re still there, Shed – I didn’t really understand Liz’s suggestion re my query of ‘of sorts [7dn] [sorry, Liz!] …
… and I didn’t know about your UPGRADE 🙂
Eileen — if you’re still there — I’m beginning to think my explanation of 7dn may be far-fetched. But here it goes again. Individual pieces of type in a compositor’s tray, for example, can also be called ‘sorts’. So I was wondering whether a low relief (such as a piece of type) might be defined that way. I would be interested if anyone else thought the same. Mick H? The whole puzzle was so satisfying, with barely a word out of place, I’m convinced there is some reason for ‘of sorts’. ‘Glyph’ is also means a ‘sculptural mark’ and is another word often used in typography.
Yes, we have been spoiled lately!
Hi Liz
Yes, I am still here, just, but still confused! Chambers: ‘anaglyph: an ornament in low relief’. For me, that totally explains ‘relief work’, with no need for ‘of sorts’. I know I must be being really dim but I don’t understand your reference to ‘types’, which is why I didn’t respond to it earlier. 🙂
But, as you say, such a lovely puzzle!
My first solve ‘live’ (i.e. not from the pile my friends had so thoughtfully provided for me) upon returning from what had turned into something of a working world tour.
I like Shed a lot, very cool style, and some wonderfully cutting and insightful observations in this, as with all his puzzles.
Somewhat late in the day, I know, but I just wanted to add my vote to the general chorus of approval for this one. Great stuff.
And I liked “incorporeal presence” as a definition.
Um, although I get the OBAMA clue, what does ‘Politician at 0 degrees’ actually mean ?
The idea’s good but the surface eludes me.
Eileen, Liz et al (just in case you’re still looking),
My edition of Chambers defines anaglyph as ‘anything in low relief’, which seemed so thoroughly vague I felt I ought to reflect the vagueness in my own definition – hence ‘of sorts’, which I now regret. I’d never come across the word myself before setting this. Liz credits me with more ingenuity than I was using.