Independent 7149 by Glow-worm

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def

An interesting puzzle about a personality of whom I knew very little. I don’t think the compiler can claim too much credit for the anagram in 1/28 since that was well known long ago.
 

Across
1,28 Monster Hoax by Sir Peter S: (Nessiteras rhombopteryx)*. It’s explained under Loch Ness Monster on Sir Peter Scott’s Wiki page, but I’m a bit puzzled by the “nine of” reference.
10 Iceboat: Ice + boat (cutter being a type of boat).
11 Sea blue: Sable containing E and U.
12 Chaperon: [Cha]peron.
14 Epidermal: (Dip me real)*.
15 Timbre: Hidden in “trout I’m Breeding”.
16 Barnardo: Barn + road* (I think, although busy as an anagram indicator seems unusual).
18 Rough hew: Hom of “ruff hue”.
20 Shadow: Ado in Sh W.
23 Christina: (Isn’t rich A)* – Christina Ricci.
24 Breve: Brave with A being replaced by E.
25 Two tone: Not quite sure I follow this one. “Black and blue hooter, by the sound of it”. Black and blue is obviously the definition and I assume the rest involves a hom of “toot”.
26,19 Natural history: (Artistry, no hula)*.
Down
2 Ode: Odd letters of oldies.
3 Spooner: &lit. Person* around o. Very much my favourite clue.
4 Esteem: (Meet s E)<.
5 Hospital: Ho + spit + Al (Capone).
6 Alamein: A la mein.
7 Sir Peter Scott: (petre[l]s or tits c)*.
8 Slimbridge: (birds mi[n]gle)*. &lit ref to Slimbridge Reserve started by Sir Peter S.
9 Meals on wheels: Slightly weak CD/DD.
13 Rumpus Room: Rum + (moors up)<.
17 Beriberi: hom of “berry berry”. A grape is a true berry.
21 Habitat: Habit + a[pparen]t.
22 Catnap: Cat + nap.
27 Rur: Ru[h]r.

9 comments on “Independent 7149 by Glow-worm”

  2. Perhaps it’s the first 9 letters of 7d. (Sir Peter S)?
    Seems a bit unnecessary, though.
    I, too, liked 3d. Nice to see him used an answer for a change.

  3. Ref. Nessiteras rhombopteryx, there is some debate as to whether this was intentionally a ‘hidden anagram’. Several other statements can be made up of the letters, as explained on this page (last paragraph):

    Nessiteras rhombopteryx

    Nick

  4. I’d never come across Sir Peter or the Nessie anagram before, so this was a tough puzzle for me, but a very enjoyable solve nevertheless.

    I do like the way that The Indy bucks the general trend for easier puzzles on Mondays. Agreed on the praise for 3D too – a great clue.

  5. Yes, it’s the first 9 letters of 7d. That gives two word plays (GIANT+HOAX+BY+SIR PETER S) to the answer and a vaguely &lit def.

  7. Like others I knew nothing about this before starting so it was interesting to learn something new. It was an impressive construction by Glow-Worm which cannot have been easy. Did not know either that Sir Peter was the son of the explorer which is what 10 across refers to, I guess. Glow-worm used the (known) anagram as the basis for the puzzle, I’d say, rather arriving independently at it.
    Favourite clue BARNARDO and thought ‘busy’ was quite OK to indicate the anagram, as it suggests movement.

    All in all, very enjoyable puzzle.

  8. Just one more point;
    He was also (according to the above-mentioned Wiki page) partly credited with designing Shadow (20ac.) Camouflage.

  9. The trafites –

    I don’t think the anagram could possibly been intentional, any more than “crap LP sung by the LSD-prone Beatles” was.

    Nessiteras rhombopteryx (the anagram of which I saw in the Daily Telegraph a few days after the fuzzy pictures something which appeared to have diamond-shaped fins graced front pages in some papers) is a soundly coined name for a species, based on standard Greek roots, apart from the reference to (Loch) Ness, which the Greeks didn’t have a word for.

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