This seemed like a bit of a classic. Unfortunately work issues and inopportunely-timed fire drills meant I couldn’t really give it the attention it deserved, and had to cheat relentlessly. There’s some great stuff in there for sure though.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 5 | SO LONG – S[alvaging] + O[b]LONG. |
| 7 | TAKE HEED – TA + H[i]KE* + DEE<. Well-hidden def. here. |
| 9 | ABOVE-BOARD – OAR in (DAVE + BOB)*. |
| 10 | CAGE – [ameri]CA GE[nerally]. |
| 11/23 | VAL DOONICAN – VINDALOO* + CAN. |
| 12 | AMENDMENTS – AM + END MEN + T[heatre]S. I’m not quite sure about END MEN here, it’s kind of a guess. |
| 14 | ARREST – hom. of “a rest”. Again, nicely misleading use of “PC”. |
| 15/6 | ROCK OF GIBRALTAR – dd. This just about rings a bell as a racehorse that won something recently. |
| 18 | JAGUARUNDI – J[ourno] + (U[ncovering] in GUARDIAN*). Had to resort to the “cheat” button here. |
| 20 | APT – [c]A[r]P[e]T. |
| 21 | EATS – [h]EATS. |
| 22 | LEO TOLSTOY – OT[h]ELLOS* + TOY. |
| 24 | YOU BET – (T[alkativ]E + BUOY)<. |
| Down | |
| 1 | COMBOVER – COMBO V ER. |
| 2 | NOUVELLE CUISINE – N + (E COLI EU UNVEILS)*. Very good. |
| 3 | SKID – S[undance] KID. |
| 4 | CHICKEN CHASSEUR – CHIC + KEN + CASH* + RUES<. |
| 7 | TRADER – TR[ousers] + AD[justed] + ER. |
| 8 | EIGHT – (G[arden] I[n] in THE)<. |
| 13 | DORMITORY – (MI + TOR) in DORY. |
| 16 | OUTMODED – (TM + ODE) in DUO<. |
| 17 | UNWORN – ROW< in NUN*. |
| 19 | ALAMO – A LA MO[de]. |
| 22 | LACE – L[ee] + ACE. |
Utterly frustrating. Managed about 6 answers before giving up. Have kicked myself 29 times after reading this explanation…..
11/23 Couldn’t see past Van Morrison at first, but uncle Val a rocker? I suppose he rocked gently to and fro a bit.
Really enjoyable
I wondered about ‘rocker’ too, but the clue made me laugh so much it didn’t matter.
I think the point is that he was known for having a rocking-chair.
Brilliant clue…
Also thought 1d. and 9ac. were nicely misleading.
I had to cheat too much. Mr Doonican = Irish rocker was probably funny thirty years ago. Who actually has the time this needed during the week?
I thought this was v good too with v carefully crafted clues and very clever misdirection in places. Re Sidey’s comment at 5, I’ve found having tackled quite a few Scorpion puzzles since he first appeared, that one gets used to the style and they become a little easier. My favourite was LEO TOLSTOY with the misdirection of ‘play’ but there was much else to admire too. And original approaches, all ultimately fair.
I’ve never tackled Scorpion before, and am still at a loss to know what some of the definitions were, in 7a and 14a, for example. I solved too many clues by guesswork, and even then couldn’t see the explanation, which is quite frustrating
Like others, found this tough, and had to admit defeat with a little over half done. But some good clues in the ones I did solve – especially admired VAL DOONICAN and COMBOVER.
I’m with those who gave up [too soon] but, as has been said, there’s lots to admire.
Coincidentally, Araucaria gave us the same stylish chap [clued as ‘smart lad’ today.
Stella: the definition in 7ac is ‘cave’ [public schoolboy slang] – Latin ‘beware’. I can’t see 14ac either.
Re comment 7, the definition in 7A is ‘cave’ = beware and in 14A “User with a PC might experience such” – a PC being a ‘policeman’ as the blog mentioned.
Thanks Simon.
I thought this was a brilliant puzzle,tough but full of wit and sparkle.
So many great clues that it is hard to pick out favourites,but 7 across,11/23 across,22 across and 1 and 2 down particularly stand out.
With this sort of clueing who needs a theme?
In 12A I think ‘stage performers peripherally’ might refer to dancers at the end of a line i.e. ‘end men’, though can’t find a reference to this on Google.
Correct. Chambers defines end man as “the man at the end of a row of performers, etc.”
Found this very hard nearly fell in the trap for cave as my initial glance was take care for that then I glanced at 1ac and stopped dead in my tracks as I was writing it. Several smiles as I finished, which took forever, couldn’t get for the life of me why it was outmoded until I realised it was meditation not medication in the clue. I blame the low level lights they have in the hotel.
as for 12 ac I saw it as end = stage as in a part of something. But only scorpion and Eimi know and Eimi has just blown me away.
Got about half.Val Doonican first clue in.Guessed a few like Alamo,outmoded and you bet.Dont understand 14aKnew 18a was an anagram of guardian j and u but had never heard of the word so it remained blank! Glad others struggled with this!
14ac stumped me too, Moose, but I see now that a user (of drugs, presumably ) with (in the company of a) PC might well experience an arrest.