After last week’s Anax puzzle, my blog returns to the calmer waters of a Dac.
This was another of Dac’s good sound crosswords where you know that the clues will be well constructed and fair leading to everyday words with a bit of general knowledge thrown in. After yesterday’s golf allusions we even have a titbit for the footie and tennis fans. I grew up as a HEARTS supporter in Edinburgh in the 1950s and 60s and am sad to see the position the Club is in now.
I solved this steadily without many long gaps between successive entries.
Similarly to an Azed crossword, I have come to the conclusion that if you can’t parse your sentry in a Dac puzzle, then there is a fair chance that you have got the entry wrong. In my case today , I spent ages looking at ORIGINATOR as 31 across and wondering how I could make it fit the clue before accepting that I must have got the answer wrong and re-reading the clue independently of my firm belief in ORIGINATOR. It’s amazing how fixation on an answer can make you blind to the obvious for so long. So PROGENITOR it is.
Favourite clues today were those for FORTNIGHT and OFFBEAT in the acrosses, plus OXFORD and HATHERSAGE in the downs. I am not sure whether purists would agree with these choices, but I have always thought that crossword blogs should be expressions of the bloggers personal opinion even if those opinions vary from accepted crossword theory. Of course, the blogs should give the right solution as far as possible, but sometimes bloggers can struggle with solutions and be prepared to seek better ideas.
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Across |
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|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay |
Entry |
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1
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Picture of Ford’s early form of transport (10)
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STAGECOACH (1939 Western film [picture] directed by John Ford)
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STAGECOACH (early form of transport)
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6
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Course in homeopathy (4)
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PATH (hidden word in (in) HOMEOPATHY)
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PATH (course)
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10
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A chapter penned by him rejected for book (5)
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([A + C {chapter}] contained in [penned by] HIM) all reversed (rejected) (MI (C A) H)< |
MICAH (book [of the Old Testament])
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11
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Pro tense about Wimbledon final – for so long? (9)
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FOR (pro) + (TIGHT [tense]) containing (about) N (last letter of [final] WIMBLEDON) FOR T (N) IGHT |
FORTNIGHT (period of time equivalent to the time span of the Wimbledon tennis championships) |
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12
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Storyteller‘s book, in brief, prepared for distribution (6)
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B (book) contained in (in) an anagram of (prepared for distribution) BRIEF FI (B) BER* Either B could be contained |
FIBBER (liar; storyteller)
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13
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Greek ambassador accepts measure, heralding new start for economy (7)
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(HE [His/Her Excellency; ambassador] containing [accepts] ELL [a varying measure of length originally taken from the arm]) + N (new) + E (first letter of [start of] ECONOMY)
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HELLENE (Greek)
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15
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Suit Scottish team (6)
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HEARTS (the local name for HEART of Midlothian Football Club, as of 17th July still, just, a football team in Scotland [currently in administration with substantial debts])
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HEARTS (suit [of cards])
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16
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Begs food after rent’s settled (8)
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Anagram of (settled) RENT + EATS (food)
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ENTREATS (begs)
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19
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Thespian overcome with embarrassment? One needs to make some changes (8) |
RED (embarrassed) + ACTOR (thespian) giving a ‘thespian overcome with embarrassment’
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REDACTOR (editor; one who needs to make some changes usually these days to erase potentially embarrassing or sensitive material)
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21
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Act with energy? Not if this (6)
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DO (act) + ZING (energy)
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DOZING (sleeping lightly therefore unlikely to be able to act with vigour)
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24
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Two fighters stuck in drifting E-boat? That’s odd (7)
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(F [fighter as in F-15] + F [fighter] to give two fighters) contained in (stuck in) an anagram of (drifting) E-BOAT O (F F) BEAT* |
OFFBEAT (unusual; eccentric; odd)
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26
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A head chef regularly presented a pastry dish for starters (6)
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A + PIE + coming before; for starters0 + CE (letters 1 and 3 [regularly] of CHEF)
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APIECE (for each person; a head)
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28
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Recidivist prisoner on trial? Outcome’s already known (2,7)
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CON (prisoner) reversed (recidivist) + ON + TEST (trial) NOC< ON TEST |
NO CONTEST (a result declared when the outcome is known because of events out of the control of the contestants temselves)
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29
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It could take truck to heart of Europe (5)
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RO (middle two letters of [heart of] EUROPE) + UTE (utility vehicle; truck)
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ROUTE (following the appropriate ROUTE could indeed take a truck to the heart of Europe)
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30
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Story‘s thread (4
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YARN (spun; thread)
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YARN (story) double definition
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31
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Broadcast reporting about old movement’s founder (10)
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Anagram of (broadcast) REPORTING containing (about) O PR (O) GENITOR* either O could be the one contained |
PROGENITOR (family [movement’s?] founder)
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| Down | |||
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1
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Languages used in Assam, India (4)
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SAMI (hidden word in [in] ASSAM INDIA)
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SAMI (Lappish, the language of the Lapps) not sure why the clue says languages plural
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2
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Companion entertained by a bawdy chap (9)
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CH (Companion [of Honour]) contained in (entertained by) (A + RIBALD [bawdy]) A R (CH) IBALD |
ARCHIBALD (man’s [chap’s] name)
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3
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Old horse, one with curb attached for parade (7)
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EX (old) + H (heroin; horse) + I (one) + BIT (the part of the bridle that the horse holds in its mouth; curb)
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EXHIBIT (display; parade)
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4
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Steer onto ring road, bypassing entrance to French city (6)
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(OX [steer] + F (first letter [entrance to] of FRENCH) + (after; bypassing) (O [shape of a ring] + RD [road])
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OXFORD (city in the South of England)
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5
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Hands-free mobile? Hard to find fault, initially, with one (3,5)
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CARP (find fault) + H (hard) + ONE
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CAR PHONE (CAR PHONEs are operated in hands-free moving and if the car is moving the CAR PHONE is mobile)
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7
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Rolling stones song – big hit but not top, that is (5)
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BANG (heavy blow; big hit) excluding (not) the first letter (top; down clue) B + IE (id est; that is)
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ANGIE (1973 song performed by The Rolling Stones)
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8
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Woman’s wise to go beyond Derby, say, for Peak District village (10)
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HAT (a Derby is an example of HAT) + HER (woman’s) + SAGE (wise)
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HATHERSAGE (Derbyshire [giving extra relevance to Derby in the clue] village in the Peak District of England)
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9
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Fisherman shows annoyance, getting line caught (6)
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L (line) contained in (getting … caught) ANGER (annoyance) ANG (L) ER |
ANGLER (fisherman)
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14
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White wine acceptable with green vegetable? No (10)
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CHARD (green vegetable) + ON (acceptable) + NAY (no)
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CHARDONNAY (a variety of white wine)
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17
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Battle opposing start of Communism, before our time (9)
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AGIN (against; opposing) + C (first letter of [start of] COMMUNISM) + OUR + T (time)
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AGINCOURT (reference Battle of AGINCOURT 1415)
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18
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American sports fan clutches empty bottle, wanting drink (4,4)
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ROOTER (supporter of a sports team in American terminology) containing (clutching) BE (the letters reamining when the central letters are taken out of [empty]BOTTLE) ROOT (BE) ER |
ROOT BEER (example fo a drink)
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20
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Valets maybe requiring energy when employed by families (6)
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E (energy) contained in (employed by) CLANS (families) CL (E) ANS |
CLEANS (valets as a verb)
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22
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Awfully moronic letter from 13 (7)
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Anagram of (awfully) MORONIC
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OMICRON (letter of the Greek [HELLENE; 13across] alphabet)
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23
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Tabloid’s name for hoi polloi (6)
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RAG (derogatory term for a tabloid newspaper) + TAG (name)
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RAGTAG (rablle; hoi-polloi)
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25
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Difficulty, one admitted by father (5)
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ACE (one) contained in (admitted by) FR (father) F (ACE) R |
FACER (sudden problem or difficulty)
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27
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Mock monarch’s self-introduction in Franglais? (4)
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JE (I in French) + ER (Edwardus Rex or Elizabeth Regina; king or queen; monarch) giving ‘I monarch’ in a jocular mix of French and English [Franglais] self-introduction
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JEER (mock)
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I enjoyed this puzzle, and I was pleased that I could parse all of the clues, or at least I thought I could. (As it turns out, my parsing of 28a & 4d were a bit wonky).
My favourites were 1a STAGECOACH, 11a FORTNIGHT, 13a HELLENE, 27d JEER, 18d ROOT BEER, 21a DOZING & 2d ARCHIBALD.
New words for me today were SAMI, FACER, OMICRON & HATHERSAGE, all of which were solvable via the very fair wordplay.
Thanks for the blog, Duncan.
Excellent blog Duncan, and that was another enjoyable Dac puzzle.
SAMI, FACER and HATHERSAGE went in from the wordplay, I particularly liked the clue for FORTNIGHT, and EXHIBIT was my LOI.
Thanks to D and d. Hard to catch Dac out on anything really and you may learn something new. Sami is not one language apparently but a group of nine or ten (depending which bit of Wiki you read).
Anax last weeks was a bit oTT, but eben Mr Smooth has HATHERSAGE today? I ind it a bit odd, but the usual very good surfacves by a master.
Thanks
Rowly.
“I have always thought that crossword blogs should be expressions of the blogger’s personal opinion.” I wouldn’t argue with that, Duncan. Pity about Hearts, definitely the best known Scottish football team to crossword devotees. I’m sure they will survive though.
Thanks, Duncan.
Found this a bit harder than your usual Dac, but very good stuff as always. Once I’d got the H, HATHERSAGE went straight in, but then again I do live on the edge of the beautiful Peak District.
Bloggers’ personal opinions? Definitely. I enjoy the range of styles and opinions offered by the 225 team as much as I enjoy the different styles of the setters.
I don’t know what else a blog would contain, to be honest. A list of the clues and answers? Some blogs here seem not to contain much more, but an opinion is what we pay for. Or what we would pay for were we required to pay for it. So opine away.
Got originator not proginator damn it. Usual excuse I’m on the train, it fits. This is why you generally don’t get prize quick crosswords. Thanks duncan and dac.
Did anyone else think 27 might be jest (j’est)? I suppose that would be bad French rather than Franglais.
As usual. I thought hoi polloi = ragtag was a bit odd, since I’d always thought the former was a noun and the latter an adjective, but Chambers sorted me out: they’re both nouns. So of course Dac was fine all along.
We were another one (or pair in our case) fixated by ORIGINATOR. In fact we visited the blog to find out the parsing for it, only to realise that we had it all wrong!
Thanks Dac, we’re sorry we fell at the last hurdle.
Thanks Duncan for the blog.