Lorraine: Hi fellow solvers, nothing too difficult this week, but had to look up 17d after managing to work out the answer but did not know it was the capital of Estonia. First in was 22ac, spotted it immediately when scanning through the clues which I do every week to get the easy ones in to get me up and running. Nick always puts a few links in for me every week, I hope you find them enjoyable. Thank you Everyman, especially for the anagrams which I enjoy so much.
Nick: Ref: 16ac: Reminds me of the old joke when asked if I can do something urgently: “You have two hopes…. Bob Hope and no f*%@?*g hope…”; Anybody (usually) under 30 years old do not get it… 🙁
Legend to solution comments:
* = anagram.
< = word reversed.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Part of the UK was invaded by the French (5) | ||
| WALES | LE(French ‘the’) in WAS | ||
| 4. | Purchase, on the phone before work, a derivative (2-7) | ||
| BY-PRODUCT | homophone of ‘buy’=BY+PRODUCT(work) the homophone indicator is ‘on the phone’ |
||
| 9. | Thorough? Off-target twice, apparently (3-3-3) | ||
| OUT-AND-OUT | cd; OUT=missing the target, as in darts e.g. | ||
| 10. | Treacherous type losing wife’s support (5) | ||
| EASEL | (w)EASEL | ||
| 11. | Fragment Marlene forced out of wealthy landowner, perhaps (9-6) | ||
| GENTLEMAN-FARMER | (FRAGMENT MARLENE)* | ||
| 12. | Storming start (5) | ||
| ONSET | dd | ||
| 14. | Tennis player, contemptible on passenger ship? (9) | ||
| BASELINER | BASE(contemptible)+LINER style of tennis playing, Bjorn Borg being a typical (brilliant) example; (Jim Connors was too, sometimes) |
||
| 16. | Hope film director’s put in new oratorio (4,2,3) | ||
| ROAD TO RIO | D(irector, as in managing director ‘MD’) in (ORATORIO)* Ref. to Bob Hope in the great ‘road to…’ film series with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour |
||
| 18. | Hare off across middle of neutral ground (5) | ||
| EARTH | (HARE*)+(neu)T(ral) | ||
| 19. | Work for a pianist after the day job? (9,6) | ||
| MOONLIGHT SONATA | sort of cd Hear it here |
||
| 21. | Expresses mild disapproval in front of one Bantu tribe member (5) | ||
| TUTSI | TUTS+I See Tutsi |
||
| 22. | Lourdes so relaxing being free from smell (9) | ||
| ODOURLESS | (LOURDES SO)* | ||
| 23. | Tiny fish in good bowl, item used by cook (6,3) | ||
| FRYING PAN | FRY+IN+G+PAN | ||
| 24. | Floral feature has tulip’s head in centre of ring (5) | ||
| PETAL | T(ulip) in PEAL(ring) | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | Offender harassed dog owner on end of pier (9) | ||
| WRONGDOER | (DOG OWNER*)+(pie)R | ||
| 2. | Tell principal of Loughborough College (3,2) | ||
| LET ON | L(oughborough)+ETON(college) | ||
| 3. | Sleeveless shirt – team’s leader is after one (7) | ||
| SINGLET | SINGLE+T | ||
| 4. | Literary people blog Rob Roy, sum up novel (10,5) | ||
| BLOOMSBURY GROUP | (BLOG ROB ROY SUM UP)* interesting clue in that a few years ago, ‘[we]blog’ was an unknown word and this anagram would be nonsense |
||
| 5. | Act firmly to gain momentum (3,4,4,4) | ||
| PUT ONES FOOT DOWN | cdd | ||
| 6. | More than a couple of pounds altogether (7) | ||
| OVERALL | OVER+A+LL | ||
| 7. | Constellation seen from Mars in our galaxy? (4,5) | ||
| URSA MINOR | (MARS IN OUR)* galaxy seems to be the anagrind; Chambers defines ‘galaxy’ as a ‘splendid assemblage’, i.e. made up of the parts |
||
| 8. | Row about lodge’s first doorkeeper (5) | ||
| TILER | L(odge’s) in TIER a tiler is a Freemason doorkeeper; Dodgy handshakes to get in, one presumes? |
||
| 13. | Able to endure stormy weather was theory, unfortunately (9) | ||
| SEAWORTHY | (WAS THEORY)* | ||
| 15. | Tries during proper practice session (9) | ||
| REHEARSAL | HEARS(tries, as in court) in REAL(proper) | ||
| 17. | Incredible bar in European capital (7) | ||
| TALLINN | TALL(incredible, as in ‘tall story’)+INN Capital of Estonia |
||
| 18. | Ecstasy obtained by tearaway, as a boost to self-esteem? (3,4) | ||
| EGO TRIP | E(the drug ‘ecstasy’)+GOT+RIP | ||
| 19. | Second suitable upturned design (5) | ||
| MOTIF | MO+(FIT<) | ||
| 20. | Boy losing book causes alarm (5) | ||
| ALERT | AL(b)ERT | ||
| _ | |||
Thanks, Trafites and Everyman.
As you say, this was as usual fairly straightforward, but still a joy to complete.
I appreciate your comments on ‘galaxy’, ’tiler’, and the irony of the anagram fodder in 4d.
It has been suggested in the Guardian quick crossword comments that anyone interested in sensible (rather than egomaniac drunken ramblings) should come here – so here I am
That was a gentle work out which unfolded nicely. Gentleman Farmer jumped out straight away. I guessed Tiler but didn’t know thw masonic connection. Funny handshakes all round!
Welcome, tmesis, look forward to seeing you around
Thank you, Trafites, for the usual clear and comprehensive blog. Pleasing puzzle as always from Everyman. TILER I got but didn’t understand. Don’t really have a favourite clue for this one – it was just a good crossword all round.
Thanks Trafites and Everyman. As a comparative novice, I wondered whether in 7d the anagrind could be ‘seen from’ or just ‘from;’ then, Ursa Minor is both a constellation and a (dwarf) galaxy?
Robi, I think the clue works thus: seen from ‘Mars in our’ in assemblage of it’s parts (galaxy). The part ‘seem from’ is a Ximenes acceptable grammar in redundant but linking words; it really says ‘this group of words make this [anagram indicator].
Nick