Apologies for the late posting. As usual from Poins, a not-too-difficult puzzle with some nice twists in the surface reading.
If someone could fully explain 6d, I would be grateful (and I will probably realise just after posting).
Thanks to Simon, Miche and others for their suggestions about 6d. However, clues that use ‘girl’ or ’boy’ to indicate given names (and, especially, abbreviations thereof) seem unconvincing to me. Also, ‘girl’ for DEB[utante] is hardly an adequate indication.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CREATED | Discourage going back over answer after Conservative made a fuss DETER = discourage, reversed; ‘over’ A = answer; after C = Conservative |
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| 5 | STARTED | Found near Sunderland’s end after game finally kicked-off START = Found; D =Sunderland’s end; after E = game finally. Definition = kicked-off (I’m not sure why it’s hyphenated; I would only hyphenate the compound noun) |
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| 9 | READIES | One captured by communist is carrying drug money A = One; ‘captured by’ RED = communist; IS; ‘carrying’ E = drug. Definition: money |
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| 10 | OBTAINS | Gets oxygen containers filled by volunteers O = oxygen; BINS containers; TA volunteers (Territorial Army) |
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| 11 | IMPLEMENT | Complete tool Double definition |
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| 12 | TRIPE | Rubbish bandleader dismissed [s]TRIPE = band, without its first letter (‘leader dismissed’) |
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| 13 | GREAT | Good at protecting extremely rude major G = Good; AT; RE extremely rude. Definition: major |
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| 15 | ABANDONED | Left a ring — one with diamonds A; BAND = ring; ONE; D diamonds. Definition: left |
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| 17 | PERMANENT | Fixed rule about name on exercise books R =rule; *(name), with ‘about’ as the anagram indicator; on PE = exercise; NT = books (New Testament) |
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| 19 | SCOLD | Scudamore’s debut on unresponsive nag S = Scudamore’s debut (referring to Michael, Peter and Tom, all jockeys); COLD = unresponsive |
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| 22 | NUDES | They’re uncovered by students around both sides of dyke NUS = National Union Of Students; DE = both sides of dyke |
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| 23 | COMPANION | One of a pair of investigators primarily working on a swindle involving money, power and head of AIG I = investigators primarily; ON = working; on CON swindle; containing MPA = money, power and head of AIG. Slightly tricky to parse |
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| 25 | IMAGINE | Suppose mine turns out to contain a good bit of it *(mine) = ‘mine turns out’; A; G = good; I = bit of it |
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| 26 | TRIVIAL | Suffering to take in Ibsen’s earliest verse is of little value TRIAL = suffering; I = Ibsen’s earliest; V = verse |
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| 27 | FEELERS | Rector initially satisfied after the price paid covers return of the French horns R = Rector; S = initially satisfied; FEE the price paid; EL = return of the French. Definition: horns |
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| 28 | DESERTS | They may be just leaves Double definition = just deserts; leaves. And a nice twist, because deserts are generally rather short of foliage. |
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| Down | |||
| 1 | CARVING | Sculpture of murderer smothering king — very gory at first CAIN = murderer (Cain and Abel); R = king; VG = ‘very gory’ at first |
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| 2 | EXAMPLE | Without enough warning EX = without; AMPLE = enough. Definition: warning |
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| 3 | TRITE | Stock agent’s close to it in the middle of Florence T = agent’s close; IT; in RE = the middle of Florence. Definition: stock (conventionally used, standard, banal) |
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| 4 | DESPERATE | Reckless of French queen to get into quarrel with earl DE = of French; ER = queen; in SPAT = quarrel; with E = earl |
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| 5 | SPORT | Kind about Pinter’s first play SORT = kind; P = Pinter’s first |
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| 6 | APTITUDES | Man imprisons girl without foundation after father sent back gifts TITUS = man; DE = girl without foundation? (Someone explain this, please); after AP = father sent back |
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| 7 | TUITION | Instruction to spread out in it *(out in it) |
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| 8 | DISTEND | Bulge seen when lad’s back is supported by nurse D = lad’s back; IS; ‘supported by’ (in a down clue) TEND = nurse |
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| 14 | TRANSPIRE | Become known for dissection of terrapins *(terrapins) |
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| 16 | ATTEMPTED | Tried to rearrange date to accommodate office worker going to Thailand *(date); ‘accommodating’ TEMP = office worker; T = Thailand |
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| 17 | PONTIFF | Bishop’s display of irritation after Poins is removed TIFF = display of irritation; after PON = ‘Poins‘ with ‘is’ removed |
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| 18 | RED TAPE | Republican newspaper boss takes a hit at European bureaucracy R = Republican; ED = newspaper boss; TAP = hit; E = European |
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| 20 | OLIVIER | Love piece of improvisation included by organ player O = Love; I = piece of improvisation; in LIVER = organ. The actor Laurence Olivier |
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| 21 | DANGLES | Hangs dead fish on tip of spear D = dead; ANGLE = fish (verb); S = tip of spear |
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| 23 | CHESS | Musical box ultimately replaced by son CHES[t] = box; with its final letter replaced by S = son. Chess, a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice |
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| 24 | AMISS | A passage from Maugham is seen as inappropriate Hidden in ‘Maugham is seen’ |
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Wish I could say the same for the crossword itself. The website keeps giving me yesterday’s. Is this a problem at the source, or has anyone else found a way in?
Ian W.
I have just accessed the Indy website. The page was very slow to load but the correct puzzle eventually appeared:
http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/puzzles/crosswords/cryptic/
6d – Debra withour a bra!
Well, that makes sense, I suppose (is a bra a foundation?). I wonder whether it’s what Poins intended.
Thanks, jetdoc.
I took “girl without foundation” to be DE[B] – i.e. a girl’s name without the lowest (in a down clue) letter.
But maybe Simon’s explanation is wittier. I don’t like ‘girl’, ‘boy’ etc to indicate given names, especially abbreviations thereof.
I thought a “bra” was a foundation garment
I suppose it is. But it’s still a poor way to clue DE, in my opinion (unless we’ve all missed something).
Having looked at the clue for 6dn, I’m inclined to go with Miche’s explanation @5 but with ‘deb’ as the informal form of débutante rather than a shortened girl’s name.
Thanks, Poins, and Jetdoc. I also read it as DEB less its final letter B esp as it was a down clue.
Concur, using Deb = Deborah. Which is … okay. I guess. Jetdoc?
In other news I confess I’m not sure whether to indicate in that fashion (‘foundation’) just because the clue is down: there’s nothing wrong with doing it that way, but is it needed? And if not, is it justified in some other way? I think we should be told.
Anyway ‘Rubbish bandleader dismissed’ is VERY libertarian, and I am shocked and disgusted.
Apart from that, a jolly romp, excellent Sunday fare, etc.
“Rubbish bandleader dismissed’ is VERY libertarian, and I am shocked and disgusted”
Isn’t that a bit over the top, Paul?
In another place (starting with a G), a thing like this happens over and over again.
Even our beloved Araucaria uses his pair of scissors every now and then.
I think we should accept that this has become a new kind of device.
I admit, a year ago these things infuriated me, but nowadays I am more or less happy with them.
Life goes on, as do crosswords.
Re #11, I read it as DEB = debutante, rather than the name of a particular girl.
I don’t have a problem with ‘Rubbish bandleader dismissed’, given that three of five letters are checked. Though it is, of course, very much on the libertarian side.
But, for me, ‘girl without foundation’ for DE is way too loose and, dare I say it, rather lazy — unless, of course, Poins or someone else can alert us to a subtlety we have all missed.