A typically brilliant puzzle from the master of the themed daily, cleverly using the idea of multiple word ‘see x‘ grid entries as the basis for some diocesan double definition deception. This exposed a fairly big hole in my knowledge, so I found this one pretty tricky. Lovely clueing as always though.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BROADER – ROAD in B(ritish) E.R | |
| 5 | THANKS – T(om)HANKS | |
| 8 | TOFFS – Hidden in currenT OFFShore | |
| 9 | PRESIDENT – I’D in PRESENT | |
| 11 | LA ROCHELLE – L + (LOCAL HERE)* | |
| 12 | SHOE – ScHoOnEr | |
| 14 | BATH AND WELLS – The first diocese – BATH (wash) + WELLS (author) | |
| 18 | ON ONE’S METTLE – (ELEMENT NOT SO)* | |
| 21 | DOOM – MOOD rev. | |
| 22 | WINCHESTER – Our 2nd see – A Winchester is a a narrow-necked bottle | |
| 25 | NEURALGIA – (A REAL GUN I)* | |
| 26 | OSCAR – Hidden in PicassO’S CAReer | |
| 27 | AUTHOR – U(niverse) in A THOR | |
| 28 | LINCOLN – See no. 3 – Ref. Abe! | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BOTTLE – Double def. | |
| 2 | OXFORD – See no. 4 – An Oxford is a low-heeled laced shoe | |
| 3 | DESICCATED – CAT in (DECIDES)* | |
| 4 | RUPEE – P in RUE + E(uropean) | |
| 5 | THE PLANET – T + (ELEPHANT)* | |
| 6 | ARIA – [-m]ARIA | |
| 7 | KNEEHOLE – Cryptic def. | |
| 10 | THEIST – T(rain) + HEIST | |
| 13 | TWELVE NOON – (LOVE NO. TEN + [[po]W[er])* – A very deceptive use of PM! | |
| 15 | HUMDINGER – M.D + 1 in HUNGER | |
| 16 | LONDON – See no. 5, ref. Jack London (and possibly others) | |
| 17 | HONOLULU – Cryptic def., ref. Hawaii as the 50th US state | |
| 19 | STUCCO – CUTS rev. + CO. | |
| 20 | DRY RUN – I think this is a charade of DRY (forget) + RUN (lines) | |
| 23 | CRAWL – C[ar] + RAW + L | |
| 24 | WASH – W(ife) + A S(econd) H(usband) | |
Yet another 15dn from Virgilius – sheer brilliance! Many thanks, Virgilius, for a most enjoyable solve and Ali for the blog.
Wonderful variety of clues [I loved ‘be accepted’ for ‘WASH’].
Re 22ac: I’m forever getting these wrong: this time, I was sure the answer was MOOD – but I can see how I’ve been fooled again, bamboozled by the commas!
In 20 dn, I think it’s DRY = ‘forget lines’ + RUN ‘be performed’.
I wouldn’t go as far as brilliant, but certainly very good.
Another very pleasing puzzle from the master, quite a lot had to included in grid answers to carry the theme.
I enjoyed this. The penny-drop came late. Always a good sign. I got as far as ?Cathedrals and still didn’t twig see. I, too, initially entered MOOD, which had me scratching my head over the last author, see – LONDON
Thanks, Ali, and to Virgilius for a most enjoyable hour early this morning before setting off to earn a crust. Sometimes with themed puzzles (though not, to be fair, with Virgilius as a rule) my complaint is that the gateway clues are too tough to get – for me anyway – which leaves you high and dry for the rest of the puzzle. But with this one, WASH and AUTHOR were pretty straightforward, which got me BATH AND WELLS, and away you go with the theme uncovered when OXFORD and LINCOLN are solved.
Frustratingly, I couldn’t get LONDON, which is silly really because by then you could see the sees, so to speak.
WINCHESTER gave me a flashback to A-level Chemistry days (glass was invented then, just) and I too liked the ‘be accepted’ definition of ‘wash’.
A very clever puzzle.When I first looked at it online I thought there was a fault on the website,usually if you’re directed to another clue it is for a two part answer!
Some lovely,well concealed, anagrams – particularly liked 11 across and 13 down.
Like Derrick @4 I thought the link was cathedrals(I didn’t see see either),which made 16 down difficult.
Nice use of unfamiliar definitions at 21 across.
Carpe Diem, See’s the day indeed, I initially thought there was a production problem until it twigged. Very nice, thanks all.
Having fallen into the “MOOD – DOOM” pothole, I put “MORMON” for 16D. I still think its a wittier solution.
An entertaining stroll, but I didn’t like the ambiguity in 21ac. Was HONOLULU even cryptic?
Flashling @ no 7, that is the most rubbish joke on this thread since eimi had something about ‘for catcher’ being Italian bread a few days ago. You’re both as bad as each other. Although actually it was quite funny.
Enjoyable puzzle and blogs brought a smile to our night time solve.
Puzzled by comment by TRIALNERROR @ 8. Can someone explain how ‘MORMON’ is a wittier solution or even a solution at all?
Or perhaps it is just getting too late!
Wonderful as always, but I can’t see that anyone fell into the MOOD-DOOM trap — it just seems to me that it’s a faulty clue where either of two answers is equally plausible and one only knows via the checkers — not to my mind satisfactory.
BertandJoyce @ 11:
Puzzled by comment by TRIALNERROR @ 8. Can someone explain how ‘MORMON’ is a wittier solution or even a solution at all?
Well, some bits of the Book of Mormon were supposedly written by, er, Mormon. Which would make him an author…you know?
@KD Sorry but I’d just read Terry Pratchett’s Carpe Jugulum which is so full of dreadful punes(sic) I couldn’t resist. I could get wurst.
Gave up after 3 clues
When there’s a reference to another clue and you haven’t worked that one out it’s another clue you can’t get! Having looked at all the answers I definitely shouldn’t have given up so easily 14a impossible for me as I didn’t get 24. Ditto for the others
In case anyone’s still wondering why TRIALNERROR @8 made that comment, it’s pretty clear that not everyone realised immediately that ‘See’ in this puzzle also means an ecclesiastical division e.g. The See of Winchester.