Back to work in the UK today as the Indy moves into the ninth thousand of cryptic puzzles in its series. Who better to set it than the Indy stalwart Dac. Typical Dac puzzle, with varied clues, and it was possible (for me anyway) to work out all the answers I’d not heard of (and there were a few) from wordplay in all cases. Even by Dac’s standards I found it quite an easy puzzle – solving time, 15 mins.
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 DIPSTICK Definition: fool dips (swims) c (about) in (wearing) kit (costume) reversed
5 THINGS hidden in “clothing sale” but I saw that only near the end of solving
9 DALSTON I’d not heard of this area of London, tho I must have passed quite near it on the way to the recent London S&B, but it was easily guessable from the wordplay (lads not)*
10 LATERAL Another one I got from the wordplay late (dead) RA (artillerymen = Royal Artillery) L (length). Means shoot (botany) Collins tells me – curiously that meaning is not in Chambers
11 CARNATION car (Cadillac, say) nation (race ie people) definition: pink
12 OWENS Jesse Owens – US athlete best remembered for his feats at the Nazi Olympics of 1936. Good misdirection in the wordplay = fresh rolls = new (fresh) reversed in OS (very big ie outsize)
13 A PIECE OF CAKE Getting this on first run through was a big step in this puzzle. Means something easily accomplished as does a walk in the park and Dundee cake is a type of cake
17 INDIANA JONES Fictional hero of many a film IN (home) DIA (help = aid retiring ie reversing) NAJ (winter month’s over ie Jan reversed) ONE’S
20 ELIZA Eli (priest – God’s gift to crossword people?) ZA (extremist characters ie first and last letters of the alphabet)
21 IMPERIOUS definition: arrogant I (independent) MP (politician) critical, but not initially = SERIOUS less its first letter S Great surface reading in this clue.
23 MANIKIN definition: little fellow back home with America = reverse IN AM KIN (family)
24 RED LINE definition: limit (a point one is not prepared to go beyond in negotiation) RED (Old Soviet) LINE (policy)
25 SHELTY This spelling was new to me but again gettable from wordplay he (male) l (left) in sty (enclosure for animals)
26 BLANDEST land (stretch of countryside) in B (British) Est (estate, not half)
DOWN
1 DEDUCE D (500 in Roman numerals) in DEUCE (two) definition: work out
2 PALTRY definition: trivial pal (friend) try (effort)
3 TATRA new to me. Mountain range in Eastern Europe. “Back and forth” perplexed me for a while before light dawned – the answer can be found in “Jakarta travelling” in either direction!
4 CONSIDERATION My favourite clue today – definition (payment) CON (do = swindle) SIDE (players = team) RATION (share)
6 HOT COFFEE In the cryptic reading ‘supply’ is used as anagram indicator here from the adjective supple (fetch foo)* ie no end of ‘food’ gives HOT COFFE then E (energy)
7 NERVE GAS (avengers)*
8 SPLASHED Alps (mountains) going upwards ie ‘climbing SHE’D = female had
10 LANCE CORPORAL (Recall NCO a pro)*
14 PEA JACKET Another one new to me ea (each) Jack (sailor) in pet (favourite). Apparently it is a sailor’s jacket
16 ADRIENNE (a dinner)* E = last letter of date (‘in the end’)
18 COSINE Function (from trigonometry) Coe (Olympic head) containing SIN (something wicked)
19 ASCENT a scent (track)
22 RODIN Sculptor Head of Roman = R (first letter) Odin = Norse God
13a was a very appropriate clue for this one but I did enjoy myself. Thanks to nms and Dac too.
A completely different puzzle from that in the i
Thanks, nms. Another well-constructed, not too tricky puzzle from Dac with the usual smooth surface readings. I only got held up in the SW corner today: PEA JACKET isn’t in my SOED, and I couldn’t see it for a bit. I thought LATERAL and INDIANA JONES were particularly well done.
Indeed, solved not quickly, but without any help. Several answers – 1ac, 4 & 6dn – I couldn’t parse, so thanks for that.
I did like 13ac, although I for one would not describe this puzzle as that.
Pea Jacket a new one for me, not really a 13ac (athough that was)
Thanks Niall and DAC
Eimi – I see that there is a different puzzle by Dac in the i paper today. Has the i now come to its senses and belatedly realised that some of its subscribers are interested only in the cryptic crossword and that if the Indy puzzles are used on the day that they are freely available on the web the circulation will suffer? I hope so. If that is the case, I’ll renew my subscription.
Hi Richard #6
Let’s just say the tail is no longer wagging the dog, at least as far as crosswords go
I understand that several people have spoken up in support of the Indy crossword and thanks to all for that
Glad to see the Indy and i cryptics diverging again, although I had a moment’s doubt when I saw both of today’s were by Dac and had to check that they weren’t the same.
I wouldn’t say this was exactly 13a, and certainly not the 26a offering from this setter. A few moments’ 4d was needed for some clues, as well as 10a thinking.
We are so pleased to read your comment Eimi. A sigh of relief at this end.
As far as today’s offering is concerned – another well-constructed puzzle from Dac. Nothing to difficult but we hadn’t heard of 14d either but was easy to 1d from the clue. We had to check spelling of 23ac. Liked 13ac – our COD.
Thanks to nmsindy and Dac.
Why is a lance corporal ‘like me’? what is the definition in this clue please?
I don’t have the whole clue any more but a lance corporal is a noncommissioned officer (NCO) so the ‘like me’ might have referred back to the words in the material rearranged for the anagram.