This was a quick solve, but with some definite pleasures. Neo has a way of cluing three- and four-part charades with economy and style.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | IDIOTIC I’D (Neo had) I (one) OTIC (of the ears) Amusing! |
| 5 | OCTOPUS OCT[ober] (month) OPUS (work). Collins has as a definition “a powerful influential organisation with far-reaching effects, esp. harmful ones” |
| 9 | LUNGI *([b]ULGIN[g]) (anagram of “bulging content”). This word for a loincloth was new to me, but readily obtainable from the wordplay (with the help of crossers) |
| 10 | WOEBEGONE O (love) in WE BEG (we ask) + ONE (individual) |
| 11 | MAN OF IRON cd, Fe of course being the atomic symbol for iron. |
| 12 | EPSOM hidden in sleEP SO Menelaus |
| 13 | CLIFT C (about) LIFT (withdraw); Montgomery Clift the actor is perhaps best remembered for playing the lead in From Here to Eternity |
| 15 | ISLE OF MAN *(AS ONE FILM) |
| 18 | EVERGREEN dd |
| 19 | GULAG U (acceptable) L (line) in GAG (joke) |
| 21 | STOUT ST (virtuous man) OUT (proud to be gay) |
| 23 | LLANDUDNO L,L (students) AND (with) U (university) *(DON) |
| 25 | FUND OF WIT cd |
| 26 | REALM REAL (silver coin) M[onsieur] (Frenchman) |
| 27 | LARCENY C (cycle) in *(NEARLY) |
| 28 | REYNARD ANY reversed in RE (on) RD (road) |
| Down | |
| 1 | ISLAMIC *(CLAIM IS) |
| 2 | ION ENGINE EN (measure) G (gravity) in IO (satellite) NINE |
| 3 | THIEF Sort of a reverse clue; THIEF + LAD anagrammed makes HATFIELD |
| 4 | COWARDICE CO (company) WAR (fighting) DICE (gamblers) |
| 5 | ODEON OLD EON (time) minus L (Warhol trailer) Nice clue; good surface and deft wordplay |
| 6 | THEME SONG THE MESON (elementary particle) G (good) Unfortunately, this one seems to lack any surface meaning. |
| 7 | PIOUS P (priest) IOUs (promises to pay) |
| 8 | SHERMAN S (small) HER MAN (the one she loves). Not the most common crossword general (Lee), but his opponent |
| 14 | TIGHTROPE TIGHT (firm) ROPE (line) |
| 16 | LANCASTER CAST (thrown) in LANE (road) R (king) |
| 17 | MELODRAMA ME *(OLD) RAM (stuff) A. A lot of wordplay fit nicely into seven words |
| 18 | EASEFUL FU[n] in EASEL (Lowry’s frame) |
| 20 | GROOMED *(MORE DOG) |
| 22 | OWNER DOWNER (depressing experience) minus D (pennies) |
| 23 | LOWRY LOW (blue) RY (line). The definition here is “he painted us very thin;” L.S. Lowry was known for populating his landscapes with small stick-like figures that came to be referred to as “matchstick men.” |
| 24 | DERBY dd; the reference is to EPSOM from 12 across. (Added late – I somehow omitted this explanation from the first posting.) |
Hi Agentzero,
could you please explain 25ac FUND OF WIT ? Even Google tells me nothing.
Tx.
I really loved this puzzle – it had humour, was a pleasure to solve and had excellent clues.
My favourites were 1a, 11a, 13a, 8d, 14d and 24d.
Neo, thanks for this excellent puzzle. I have been solving your puzzles in the FT for a while and have enjoyed all the ones I’ve attempted. I look forward to your next FT puzzle.
Thanks also to Agentzero who always writes very good reviews.
Nathan
Neo is Tees over at the Indie, so more chances to enjoy him.
Stunning stuff as ever from Neo. 9a had me in stitches – great to see implied naughtiness rather than the blatant stuff – and there were loads of cracking constructions elsewhere; 10a, 17d, 20d and 23d just a handful of clues with big ticks alongside them.
As Conrad says, check out Tees in the Indie – always a safe bet for really good entertainment.
6d. THEME SONG loosely equivalent to signature tune, if that’s what you mean by surface meaning.
Hi ACP,
FUND OF WIT is a cryptic definition. Someone who is always ready with an amusing remark may be said to have a fund of wit. Also, a fund of wit might punningly refer to a fund of money (backing) for Oscar Wilde (who was a wit).
John French,
No, that’s the definition within the clue. IMHO, in a good clue, the definition and subsidiary indication, taken together, should make up a meaningful English phrase or sentence that seems to be about something else entirely. 5 down, among others, has this quality; 6 down does not.
Many thanks for splendid blog, and for generous comments.
Couple of things seem to have been lost in transit: 6 down started life with caps on ‘The Elemental Particle’, which was intended to look a bit like a name a musical group might use. 7 is possibly not the original clue, as until reading the blog I had no idea that P can be clued as ‘priest’ (and I would very likely have dispensed with the ‘has’!).
Many thanks.