The usual excellent puzzle from Dac, quite easy to start but nmsindy’s unfamiliarity with films and dogs slowed me up a bit at the end, solving time 23 mins.
Many thanks to Ali for swapping blogging days with me this week.
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 Andrew MOTION Poet Laureate EMOTION less E (English). An excellent, amusing surface, made me mark this down as one of my favourite five clues in the puzzle.
4 PLANT POT ANT (worker) and Prefers (first letter) in PLOT (allotment)
9 ROASTS Double definition with excellent surface, another of my favourite five here.
10 ABSINTHE AB (sailor) SIN (something wrong) THE
12 RUPEE Hidden reversal (indicated by ‘retiring’) in kEEP URge
13 ACADEMIES (I made case)* Topical, from some headlines I saw today.
14 VIDEO RECORDER (Divorcee)* ORDER (request). Defined as ‘outdated gadget’ which I’m sure is right tho I’m still using mine, but expect I’m in a very small minority.
17 GUNPOWDER PLOT Another of my favourite five. An excellent &lit clue ie where the whole clue also defines it (Union TOPPLED WRONG)*. I did get the answer before the anagram esp as whole wording of the clue was pointing that way.
20 RESHUFFLE RE (as regards) SHUFFLE (dance)
22 Joe ORTON Outrageous (first letter) RT (right) ON &lit, controversial figure, writer of ‘Loot’ among others, murdered in 1967.
23 FLAILING AIL (tr0uble) in FLING (Highland dance)
24 Micheal CIMINO Struggled with this, having not heard of him, find that he directed ‘The Deer Hunter’, which I had heard of, if mainly for the theme music. Tricky clue because all the letters checked by crossing words are vowels tho it was pretty obvious M would in there too after the first I. I’M in CIN(ema) ie films 50% getting Oscar = O (code word for the letter O) and v suitable here in a film context.
25 THEATRES Another of my favourite five. Alternate letters of AcToRs (indicated by ‘regularly’) in (THESE)* and another &lit
26 BEHEST Ambassador = HE (His or Her Excellency) in BEST (defeat)
DOWN
1 MARGRAVE German noble title equivalent to marquess MAR = mother’s pronounced ie homophone, sounds the same. GRAVE = accent eg in French, symbol changing pronunciation of a word.
2 TRAPPED Thief (first letter) RAPPED
3 ON THE TOWN Weakness on films did not matter too much here. On first run thro, saw from enumeration, possibility of THE, this then made ON v likely for the first word, and the other letters gave TOWN. So wrote that in and it turned out to be right, verified after that it’s a 1949 film starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. (WHEN TONTO)*
5 LABRADOODLES This was new to me, plural of a dog which is a cross between a Labrador and a poodle.
Not too hard to find as it looked as if it would start in LIBRA or LABRA LAB (party) RA (artist) DOODLES (draws).
6 NAIVE I (one) in NAVE
7 POTTIER POT (drug) TIER (line)
8 THEISM (H TIMES)* H = hard
11 TAKES OFFENCE Takes off hence without the hat = removes first letter (of hence)
15 DORMOBILE A cleverly constructed clue which brought lots of possibilities to mind before light dawned MOB (unruly group) in DO RILE (Create anger)
16 STAND OUT The fifth of my favourites ST AND OUT = STOUT! Definition: project
17 GO SPARE SPA (town in Belgium) in GORE (blood). Definition: see red. Seamless join at red/blood so for quite a while thought the answer would be a Belgian town
18 LATRINE TRI(o) in LANE with clever double use of ‘short’
19 PROFIT “prophet”
21 UNLIT L (lake) in UNIT
Thanks, nms. Thought this was a clever puzzle when I finished it, but now you’ve explained some of the clues it’s even more clever than I thought, especially the &lits. Had to flirt with the net to confirm CIMINO, but I did know LABRADOODLES, despite a deep-rooted aversion to our four-legged friends. Ever seen a picture of a Labradoodle? I mean, what is the point of that?
The homophone at 19dn was very good too, and one which even our most homophone-picky contributors could buy into (no names mentioned, obviously …)
Elegant and entertaining in equal measure – thank you, Dac.
Top stuff as ever from Dac. I was bested by DORMOBILE and CIMINO. Loved LABRADOODLES and STAND OUT.
I’m plumping for the ‘when Tonto’ anagram! Very nice puzzle today.
I too had trouble with dogs and the film director (Dac LOVES his modern culture!). But overall the usual great stuff, and I wish I’d thought of that lovely clue for THEATRES!
An excellent puzzle with lots of great clues,my favourites being 14 and 25 across and 15 down.I’d not heard of ‘labradoodles’ either but as nms says,quite gettable.
Kathyrn’s Dad – were you being ironic with your comment about the homophone-picky contributors?
I still can’t see the problem some had with yesterday’s ‘Boyle’s Law/boil slaw!
Evening Scarpia
No, my comment earlier was a gentle tease to a long-term contributor who has strong feelings about homophones … as you say, irony doesn’t travel well in cyberspace.
Interested in what others think generally about the subject, but I thought the Boyle’s Law/boil slaw over at the Grauniad yesterday was fine, although someone quite rightly pointed out it wasn’t exactly homophonic because of the voiced/unvoiced ‘s’. Similarly, my regional vowel isn’t your regional vowel; okay, but if it’s near enough, has a good surface, and raises a smile when I get it, it’ll do for me.
And while I’m back here, just to say that Quixote’s right – THEATRES was top-drawer stuff.
Thanks NMS, A splendidly entertaining effort from Dac.
Packed with top drawer clues! ‘Cimino’, ‘Motion’, ‘Roasts’ and ‘Theatres’ all outstanding.
Last in was 26 ac which took an unconscionably long time (20′) for the penny to drop putting the solving time to 48′
I struggled with dormobile, my feelings on caravans being similar to K’s D’s feelings about dogs. Other than that, it was very pleasant and straightforward. I agree that 25 was a classic clue
Kathyrn’s Dad.
With you 100% on that,I often find homophones the most amusing clues in a puzzle – probably highlights my puerile sense of humour!
I didn’t get CIMINO. I knew the IM was in there but having two Is in the checked letters gave too many options. I’m sure that answer must be among the many that I cycled through in my head.
THEATRES was the stand out clue for me.
Was I the only one who thought the solution to 25 across was CARTOONS? As far as I can judge it seems to fit the clue well-enough!
Richard,good shout but I had profit so knew it couldn’t be.Then alternate letters in actors with these and atr I was delighted as I don’t normally finish but this I did! Loved 11a great anagram! After a nightmare yesterday really enjoyed this.Thank You Dac!