Independent 7,516 by Dac

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I thought this was rather good. This was certainly quite challenging, at least for me. Many clues took a lot of working out, and also a lot of discipline not be be misled by the remarkably smooth surface readings. I did think I might not finish, but everything fell into place nicely.

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.

Across
1 BRANDY – B + RANDY.
4 STOPPARD – (POP STAR)* + [succeede]D.
9 BONE CHINA – ((ONE + CH) in BIN) + A.
11 LICIT – [so]LICIT[or].
12 OSTENTATION – O + (TEN in STATION).
15 TANGA – TANG + A.
16 REPRESENT – dd.
18 IMPLEMENT – [s]IMPLE MEN T[heoretically].
19 PAEAN – EA in PAN.
20 CURIOSITIES – RIO in US in CITIES.
24 SIGHT – hom. of “site”.
25 TIGHT FIVE – TIGHT + F + I’VE.
26 SINECURE – NICE* in SURE.
27 TRY OUT – [bo]Y in TROUT.
Down
1 BABY – B in BAY.
2 AUNT – [t]AUNT.
3 DOCTORATE – DO[n] + C + TO RATE.
5 TRAINSPOTTING – TRAINS POTTING.
6 POLKA – [f]OLK in PA.
7 ARCHIMEDES – MEDE in ARCH IS.
8 DETONATING – ETON in DATING.
10 INTERMEDIATOR – IN + TERM + (A in EDITOR).
13 STAIRCASES – (I in STAR) + CASES. Great clue.
14 SNAPDRAGON – SNAP + (DOG RAN)*.
17 EXPOSITOR – (PO’S in EXIT) + OR.
21 OPTIC – OP + T[o] I[nebriated] C[ustomers].
22 LIMO – L + I + MO.
23 SEAT – dd. “Seat” is a brand of car.

15 comments on “Independent 7,516 by Dac”

  1. Thanks Simon for the blog, and Dac for an enjoyable puzzle; after last week’s bit of muscle flexing with “squillions” et al, I think it was the soft option for us this week!

    Favourites were 20A CURIOSITIES, very satisfying to build up the answer from the wordplay, 7D ARCHIMEDES, a deft definition, and 13D STAIRCASES.

  2. Thanks for the blog, Simon. I found this a great puzzle even by the high standards of Dac, excellent surface readings and everything totally clear when worked out. Almost too many good clues to list individually but the three mentioned by scchua were among my favourites for sure.

  3. Perhaps I was just on good form today, but I found this one of the easier Dac puzzles of recent times. I liked 5 down and also though 4 across was a neat use of punk and pop.

  4. You’re never short of elegance in the Wednesday Indy cryptic and Dac’s offering today was full of it. TRAINSPOTTING was inspired; I also really like STAIRCASES and PAEAN for their well-crafted surfaces.

    The boy done good, as usual.

    Thanks for blogging, Simon – I did need you for two or three explanations today.

  5. Thanks Simon, I enjoyed this, but can anyone explain what ‘tight five’ is? Is it something to do with rugby?

  7. Something complicated to do with the tight and loose heads, I suppose.

    Another wonderfully smooth puzzle from Mr. D. A. C. – whose surname, by some incredible coincidence, is Crossword!

    So, well done, Mr. Crossword. Keep ’em comin’.

  8. Thanks Simon / DAC, struggled a bit today but as per usual that’s more down to work on a wednesday and not being able to concentrate. Didn’t help making a mistake when putting Archimedes in…

  9. like Simon I found this hard and gave up with seven clues to go. I can’t quite see optic as the answer to 21 dn, as the definition looks to me to be “I’ll dispense drinks”. I would be grateful for an explanation.

  10. Well to me it’s as the blog. OP(us) is work then initial letters of T(o) I(nebriate)C(ustomers). In the UK optics are used to deliver high alcohol content spirits in small doses. At very high prices.

  12. Dave’s surname isn’t Crossword, but when he started with the Indy daily, Michael MacDonald-Cooper (editor at the time) observed that his intials could represent D(own and) AC(ross).

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