Independent 7292 by Eimi

by

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

Entertaining puzzle by Eimi that mentions a couple of composers, although I don’t know if there is meant to be some hidden theme there. I found the right side of the grid harder than the left, mainly because I didn’t spot the split anagram in 4 down for quite a while.
 

Across
1 Blu Ray: Blur + Ay.
4 Fake Tan: Implied anagram of ant.
9 Repulsive: RU (text “are you”) around EP + Elvis*.
10 Dwelt: CD.
11 Thereat: Threat around E.
12 Exactor: I assume this is a DD – Yoshio Tsuchiya is a Japanese actor and exactor in the sense of “one who exacts”.
13 I don’t get it: CD.
14 Lief: Life with last two letters reversed.
16 Tess: Initial letters of “text exchanges saddened Strictly”. Tess Daly is the presenter of Strictly Come Dancing and I think there was some controversy over invalid text/phone votes a couple of years ago, so it’s possibly an & lit as well.
17 Eye contact: CD.
19 Rossini: [C]rossin[g] + I.
20 Operate: Opera + te.
22 A-list: Alist[air].
23 Tailpiece: DD.
24 En garde: Hidden in suken garden.
25 Elated: Tale< + ed.
Down
1 Borat: Ora (plural of os) in B and T (IVR codes).
2 Unprepossessing: (Pepsi Guns N’ Roses)*.
3 Ailments: (salt mine)*.
4 Frederic Chopin: (I ride + French cop)*. Although Polish, Chopin spent much of his life in Paris.
5 Kodiak: Kodak around I. Kodiak is an Island, hence “one in Alaska”.
6 Theatrical Agent: (a altering the act)*.
7 Net profit: CD.
8 Little by Little: DD. I originally thought it was three people called Little, but the Eric is actually a reference to this book.
13 Interface: A[pple] in frenetic*.
15 Interpol: Didn’t really follow this – “Coppers corrupt but not worried”. Coppers=interpol, but not sure of the rest.
18 Winter: W + Inter (Milan).
21 Emend: Hidden in “policemen don’t”.

8 comments on “Independent 7292 by Eimi”

  1. Yes, this was good, I too found the right hand side tougher. I think today is 200 years since 4 down was born. 15 down is from INTERPOL(ate), I think.

  2. Lots of nice clues. My fave probably B OR A T, for it is unspoken all that bit in the middle innit.

    I DON’T GET IT is a DD, or D&CD if yer likes. Excellent stuff.

  3. Thanks for blogging, Neal. This for me was definitely a puzzle of two halves: like you and nms, I found the left hand side reasonably straightforward; I particularly liked the anagram for 2dn, and 22ac (now you’ve explained it). But the right hand side was tough, and I had to give up with four or five still unsolved.

    Bit of a stretch to say that EYE CONTACT would be frowned on by invigilators (but the surface is excellent), and congrats to anyone who got 12ac without access to Google/Wikipedia and all the crossing letters. And finally, 24ac was very cleverly clued.

  5. interpolate or
    vt to insert a word or passage in a book or manuscript, esp in order to mislead; to tamper with or to corrupt by spurious insertions; to insert, interpose, interject; to fill in as an intermediate term of a series

    I wonder for a long time about INTERPOL so mnsindy’s explanation (now backed by Chambers above)has made this a good and correct clue.

    I read Yoshio Tsuchiya as an actor who has retired; so EX-actor.

    As expected, Eimi did not fail to deliver a darn good puzzle.

  6. Thanks to all for the comments and to Neal for the blog.

    Nmsindy spotted the topical reference that explained the puzzle’s appearance on Monday.

    Uncle Yap is right about ex-actor. Having found both exactor and yakuza among the synonyms for extortionist in Chambers Thesaurus, I went looking for a Japanese actor (to link with the Japanese word) who was still alive but not working. I didn’t think it mattered too much whether solvers had heard of him – the formulation of “someone’s name ‘in’ a title in italics” should lead the solver towards an actor.

    In days gone by I have had to supplement my meagre crosswording income by invigilating at a local school – time has never passed more slowly – and I was always told that candidates were not allowed to communicate in any way with each other, verbally or otherwise, so I didn’t think the eye contact clue was stretching too much.

  7. Never heard of 14a (except in a persons name).I was looking for something more elaborate for 20a and 23a and 15d doesn’t make sense other than a reference to law enforcement.Howver did well with the rest

  8. Just completed prize crossword(I hope!) As a long time veggie I was fascinated by some of the answers.Very enjoyable!

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