It’s a while since I blogged a Friday Phi, so either I’m a little rusty or this was quite a tough one.
Not having heard of the relevant trilogy didn’t help, although it didn’t prevent completion. That honour goes to 19/11, which is still puzzling me.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 6 | SWORD OF HONOUR – S + WORD OF HONOUR. |
| 8 | BRER – RE in BR. |
| 9 | PURITANISM – (UP + MARTINIS)*. |
| 10 | MEN AT ARMS – (SMART NAME)*. |
| 14 | ODDBALL – dd. |
| 15 | SPAG BOL – SPA + G + BOL[t]. |
| 18 | ERIC – from EPIC, with R replacing P. |
| 20 | GENTLEMEN – GEN + LET* + ME + N. |
| 22 | IMMODERATE – (M + MODE) in IRATE. |
| 24 | THAW – WHAT*. |
| 25/6D | UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER – (INCIDENTAL RUNNER ODOURS)*. |
| Down | |
| 1 | DOORJAMB – DO + OR + JAM + B. |
| 2 | ADAPTABLE – A + PAD< + TABLE. |
| 3 | OFF-RAMP – RAM in (OF + FP). |
| 4 | HOBNOB – H + OB + N + OB. |
| 5 | IRIS – I RIS[k]. |
| 7 | OATH – [imbrogli]O AT H[ospital]. |
| 12 | CLOSE CALL – (LOSE in CC) + ALL. |
| 13 | APATHETIC – A PATH + CITE<. |
| 16 | GREETING – dd. |
| 17 | CERAMIC – MARE< in CIC. |
| 19/11 | CROUCHBACK – I admittedly only got this via the “reveal” button, as the term is entirely unfamiliar, and I don’t see the wordplay. |
| 21 | HEWN – WHEN*. |
| 23 | MAUL – U in LAM<. |
Guy Crouchback is the hero of the novels, cringe = crouch, appeared again = back.
Thank you, Simon. Tough in places, but helped by the theme. I too am completely at a loss with 19/11. It’s not in my dictionary, but looking on line seems to be an archaic word for hunchback, but I still don’t see it.
I liked the clever anagrams of ‘when’ and ‘what’ and smiled at 16dn.
Okay, thanks for explaining that one, sidey.
I enjoyed this a lot, and it brought back happy memories of reading that trilogy – a must amusing series of books – quite a while ago now. So once I’d worked MEN AT ARMS out from the anagram I was on my way, tho I did not immediately remember the titles of the other two, so it was a pleasing voyage of rediscovery. Favourite clue, ODDBALL.
A great crossword. Difficult, but fair.
I think it was difficult if you are unfamiliar with Evelyn Waugh (who hasn’t I think yet been mentioned), but he is in some respects a great hero of mine and I found this unusually easy.
Having said that, I still don’t get 14ac (ODDBALL: ‘Curious what’s left towards the end of break?’). All I can see is that curious = odd. And I’ve never heard of ‘off-ramp’. And in 19/11 I can’t really see why ‘appeared again’ gives ‘back’.
Wil, the ODD/BALL refers to snooker, I think, where a break is a big score. Off-ramp pretty familiar to those on motorway junctions I think – I’ve definitely heard it and remembered it from that. Appeared again, I took as a second appearance ie back (ie appearing again). I myself was a bit surprised that EW was not mentioned. Knowing the books was why, like Wil, I found it easy once I got the initial breakthrough.
I agree with Wil.Lack of EW knowledge made it difficult as I had guard of honour.Once I got 2d i realised it wasn’t so put in correct answer.Thinking it might be a film trilogy I looked up Sword of honour and it helped greatly obviously.Found bottom right more difficult.Really liked 16d as I have lots of Scottish relatives and have heard that many times!