A good challenge both in the initial solve and then again a few days later when we came to write up the blog!
We like Klingsor’s puzzles so were very pleased to see his name above the grid. He always seems to include some devious mis-directions as well as beautifully constructed clues.
This prize puzzle was no exception and there were some lovely surface readings with 27ac being our COD.
| Across | ||
| 1 | Tail of Flying Fortress initially eliminated as cause of trouble for airmen | |
| GREMLIN | Last letter or ‘tail’ of (flyin)G + (k)REMLIN (fortress) with first letter ‘eliminated’= originally a goblin accused of vexing airmen causing mischief and mechanical trouble to aircraft. A new one for us! | |
| 3 | Coarse stuff from two males | |
| BUCKRAM | BUCK + RAM (two males) = coarse material | |
| 9 | Obtaining a low grade, failed test and made no progress | |
| STAGNATED | An anagram of TEST AND (anagrind is ‘failed’) around or ‘obtaining’ A + G (low grade) = made no progress | |
| 10 | Ship’s officer’s perk – that’s exchanging partners | |
| BOSUN | BONUS (perk) with N and S (partners in bridge swapping places) = ship’s officer | |
| 11 | Opening bars? It’s essential to restrain troublemakers | |
| INTRO | Hidden within, or ‘esential to’ (restra)IN TRO(ublemakers) = opening bars | |
| 12 | Born perhaps as a result of incest – it’s shocking | |
| SCIENTIST | Anagram of INCEST IT’S (anagrind is ‘shocking’) = this scientist – he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1954 with Walter Bothe | |
| 14 | Be last to get raises, having introduced most of them | |
| BRING UP THE REAR | BRING UP and REAR (both words meaning raise) around or ‘introducing’ most of THE(m) = be last | |
| 17 | Ah, padre! Clue to that is difficult relationship with step-parent | |
| PHAEDRA COMPLEX | Anagram of AH PADRE. A way of clueing an anagram could include the word ‘COMPLEX’ = difficult relationship with step-parent | |
| 21 | Some stars protest about appearing in a new play after 40% cut | |
| ANDROMEDA | DEMO (protest) reversed or ‘about’ inside A + N (new) + (DRA)ma (play with last two letters or 40% cut) = some stars | |
| 23 | Throw out appeals regularly, having examined precedent | |
| EXPEL | The even letters within aPpEaLs or ‘regularly’ with EX (examined) at the start or ‘preceding’ = throw out | |
| 24 | Review of books by European’s the first to lavish praise | |
| EXTOL | Reversal or ‘review’ of OT (books) + X (by) + E (European) followed by the first letter of (L)avish = praise. Even having solved this, Joyce still sat at the computer trying to work out the parsing for quite some while as she typed up the blog! She completely missed by = X | |
| 25 | Cautious driver, in the main, on rum – in pints! | |
| PROVIDENT | An anagram of DRIVE(r) ON – the last letter is removed following the direction ‘in the main’ in other words mostly – the anagrind is ‘rum’ inside PT (pints) = cautious. This was one of those clues that needed two brains – one to find the answer, the other to parse it! | |
| 26 | One stops exchanges becoming torrents of abuse | |
| TIRADES | I (one) inside or ‘stopping’ TRADES (exchanges) = torrents of abuse | |
| 27 | As one’s awfully mean, small tips for waiters ensue | |
| EN MASSE | An anagram of MEAN, the anagrind is ‘awfully’ + S (small) + last letters or ‘tips’ of (waiter)S (ensu)E = as one | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Rabbit’s pie’s very good, served up without starter in eatery | |
| GOSSIP | PI(e)’S + SO (very) + G (good) reversed or ‘served up’ (the letter ‘e’ is removed – the starter in ‘eatery’) = rabbit | |
| 2 | One demands Guinness? | |
| EXACTOR | (Sir Alec) Guinness is an example of an EX (former or deceased) ACTOR = one demands. A lovely short clue! | |
| 3 | Old fellows in retirement need first and foremost to get sleep | |
| LAND OF NOD | O (old) + DON + F (two fellows) reversed or ‘retired’ after LAND (get) = sleep. This took us a while to parse twice! Once when we solved the puzzle and again when we came to write up the blog! | |
| 4 | A century back maybe an East London idiom for diddly-squat | |
| NOT A SAUSAGE | Reversal of A TON (century) + SA USAGE (East London idiom referring to the East London in South Africa) = diddly-squat | |
| 5 | Friend is to call back | |
| BUD | Reversal of DUB (call) = friend | |
| 6 | Apprentice meets a nationalist from island republic | |
| CUBAN | CUB (apprentice) + A + N (nationalist) = from an island republic | |
| 7 | Move to new location outside Portugal’s capital for a break | |
| RESPITE | RESITE (move to new location) outside P (Portugal’s capital) = break | |
| 8 | Fancy sandwiches available reflected price of bread | |
| MONETARY | MY (fancy as in fancy that!) around or ‘sandwiching’ ON (available) + reversal or ‘reflection’ of RATE (price) = of bread | |
| 13 | Violetta or Alfredo’s heart broken in this opera? | |
| IL TROVATORE | An anagram of VIOLETTA OR and R (the middle letter or ‘heart’ of alfRedo) = opera | |
| 15 | He tucked into Mum’s pie, high in sugar | |
| EUPHEMISM | HE inside an anagram of MUM’S PIE anagrind is ‘high’ = sugar. We were a little doubtful at first about this but on checking the dictionary we can see that using a euphemism may ‘sugar the pill’ so to speak! | |
| 16 | Dad’s up himself? That’s obvious | |
| APPARENT | Reversal of PA (Dad) + PARENT (himself – a Dad is a parent) = obvious | |
| 18 | One reviewing books needs a university degree? Rubbish, I retorted | |
| AUDITOR | A + U (university) + D (degree) + ROT (rubbish) I reversed or ‘retorted’ = one reviewing books | |
| 19 | Powerful woman is to go down well with a new leadership | |
| EMPRESS | (i)MPRESS (go down well) with the first letter changed to E (‘new leadership’) = a powerful woman | |
| 20 | Happy Hour involves principally booze low in alcohol? On the contrary | |
| BLITHE | B (initial or ‘principal’ letter of booze) + LITE (low in alcohol) around or ‘involving’ H (hour) = happy. The clue initially tells you to put ‘Hour’ around the outside but then tells you to do the opposite or ‘on the contrary’! | |
| 22 | Worked hard with no time wasted | |
| OILED | (t)OILED (worked hard) with no T (time) = wasted as in ‘tipsy’ or well-oiled | |
| 25 | Press misses heart of the matter | |
| PUS | PUS(h) (press) missing the middle letter or ‘heart’ of t(H)e = matter | |
I’m going to be out for most of the weekend so I’ll express my thanks now to Bert and Joyce for an excellent blog. I’m hoping that the lack of comments is due to the thoroughness and clarity of their explanations, rather than a reflection on the awfulness of my puzzle.
Just one small thing – the sugar/euphemism connection in 15 down is not as clever as I’m given credit for. Sugar is simply an example of a euphemism, in this case for a common four-letter expletive that begins with the same sound.
Thanks for the comment Klingsor. What you said brought back memories of when our son was younger. He used to think that sugar was a swear word and the only way of stopping him ‘swearing’ at the end was to ask him what sort he wanted and then listing all the different varieties in turn!
The lack of comments may have something to do with quite a few of us being occupied most of today at the excellent Sloggers & Betters event in Derby.
Good stuff from Klingsor and a comprehensive blog from B&J; thanks, all!
Excellent as always from Klingsor. I thought 13dn was absolutely outstanding (assuming that Violetta and Alfredo are both characters in Il Trovatore, something I don’t know and haven’t checked, but is I expect the case).
You have assumed and lost, Wil.
But as both La Traviata (The Fallen woman, in which Violetta and Alfredo appear) and Il Trovatore (The Troubadour) are by Giuseppe Verdi, there’s still a nice connection beyond just ‘opera’.
Thanks B&J and Klingsor. Challenging puzzle and excellent blog. Finally finished this morning. My only regret (sugar!) is that I couldn’t parse 1d.