Independent 8,359 / Punk

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It is Tuesday today, and the slot is occupied by Punk, whose puzzles always pack a punch, this one more than most!

A quick scan of the clues shows that 26/4 is the gateway clue to cracking the theme, although I managed to solve a number of the themed entries without actually working out what needed to be entered at 26/4. Only when it became very obvious that boxers were Punk’s focus today did I go back to 26/4, with the letters R-N- at 26 already in the grid, and realise that the entry was itself a cryptic way of referring to boxers!

I found this crossword a great deal of fun, even though it took quite a long time to solve, which can be a worry when there’s a blog to be written. Despite not being much of a sportsman, I knew enough about boxing to recognise all the names apart from the one at 6, which could nonetheless be solved convincingly from the definition and other crossing letters. There were also quite a few shorter, fairly accessible double definition clues that provided plenty of intersecting letters to help the non-specialists along the way.

My clues of the day have to be the interrelated clues at 1 and 3, as well as the reverse clue at 24/2. 8, 13 and 22 also raised a smile apiece, as did the misleading reference to boxing at 19. I needed to refer to Google only to confirm the wordplay at 12, since I did not know Rocky’s full name.

In short, a knockout puzzle, Punk, for which many thanks!

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in double-definition clues

Across  
   
03 TOM No queen, tiny thing wiping face

<a>TOM (=tiny thing); “wiping face” means first letter is dropped; a tom cat is a male, thus no queen
   
07 NET Clear // score

Double definition: net is “clear” of all deductions, charges (of salary) AND to “score” (a goal)
   
08 GRAVY Sepulchral (?) contents of boat or train

The question mark indicates that only whimsically could gravy be an adjective referring to the grave; the reference is to the expression gravy boat and gravy train
   
09 AMASS Stock up on tea in the early hours at the front

ASS-AM (=tea); “in the early hours (=AM) at the front” means that the letters “am” move to the front of the word
   
10 PANEL Jury jump around securing conviction finally

<convictio>N (“finally” means last letter dropped) in PAEL (LEAP=jump; “around” indicates reversal)
   
11 CLOUT Power // punch

Double definition
   
12 BOA Half of 24, the strangler

<bal>BOA (=half of Rocky, i.e. entry at 24); Robert “Rocky” Balboa is the name of the title character of the Rocky films, played by Sylvester Stallone; a boa constrictor strangles its prey
   
13 LOBELIAS Knock up prophet some bloomers

LOB (=knock up, e.g. a tennis ball) + ELIAS (=prophet, i.e. in OT, also called Elijah); the bloomers referred to here are flowers, not knickers!
   
14 REEVE Studies and woman, both biblical, for high official

RE (=biblical studies) + EVE (=biblical woman)
   
16 TOLEDO Spanish city ordered to keep English oak, primarily

[E (=English) in TOLD (=entered)] + O<ak> (“primarily” means first letter only)
   
17 COOPER Power in dove, 26 4

P (=power) in COOER (=dove, i.e. a bird that coos); the boxer (or “ringmaster”, entry at 26 4) referred to here is English heavyweight Henry Cooper (1934-2011)
   
21 LIEGE Loyal // European province

Double definition: liege means loyal, faithful, as a vassal under the feudal system
   
23 MACARONI Dandy // Italian food

Double definition: a Macaroni was a type of 18th century English dandy, who dressed and spoke in an effected manner
   
25 SIR Title among books I restored

Hidden (“among”) in “bookS I Restored”
   
27 BROOK Bear // in streamDouble definition
   
28 INPUT Data to enter one head, including the principal of principles

P<rinciples> (“the principal of” means first letter only) in [I (=one) + NUT (=head, colloquially)
   
29 BENIN I should punch 26 4 for the country

I in BENN (= “ringmaster”, i.e. entry at 26 4); the boxer referred to here is the English (super-)middleweight Nigel Benn (1964-)
   
30 KORAN Good book where 26 4’s end published

KO (=where “ringmaster” – i.e. boxer, entry at 26 4 – has end, i.e. knockout) + RAN (=published, as in The newspaper ran an article on the USA)
   
31 NUN What are the chances of this being a monk, did you say?

Homophone (“did you say?”) of “none” (=chance of this being a monk, since nuns are women)
   
32 KEY Important // means of access

Double definition
   
Down  
   
01 STONY-BROKE Byron wandering in the city, penniless

*(BYRON) in STOKE (=the city); “wandering” is anagram indicator
   
03 TYSON 1 26 4

*(STONY); “broke” is anagram indicator – the entry at 1 is a cryptic clue for “Tyson”; the boxer – or “ringmaster”, i.e. entry at 26 4 – referred to here is the American heavyweight Mike Tyson (1966-)
   
05 GARB Game up for dress

BRAG (=game, i.e. of cards); “up” indicates vertical reversal
   
06 ASHAMED Humiliated, as princely 26 4

AS + HAMED (=princely “ringmaster”, i.e. entry at 26   4); the reference here is to the English feather- and bantamweight boxer Naseem Hamed, known as Prince Naseem
   
07 NIPPLE Offer an ‘end and with leg up to see private area

‘ELP (‘AND, i.e. help/hand with “h” dropped) + PIN (=leg, colloquially); “up” indicates vertical reversal
   
08 GALILEE Joy entertaining 26 4 in lake

ALI (= “ringmaster”, i.e. entry at 26 4) in GLEE (=joy); the boxer referred to here is the US heavyweight Muhammad Ali
   
15 EYE-POPPING Extraordinary game half finished, sailor turned over first

EYEPOP (POPEYE=sailor; “turned over” indicates reversal) + PING<pong> (=game; “half finished” means half of letters are dropped)
   
17 CRACKERS Nuts, // or biscuits

Double definition
   
18 ORATION On air, needing to put out speech

*(ON AIR + TO); “put out” is anagram indicator
   
19 CLOSE BY Satiate boxing Olympian just around the corner

SEB (=Olympian, i.e. English middle-distance runner Seb Coe) in CLOY (=satiate, i.e. sicken)
   
20 LISTON Record playing for 26 4

LIST (=record) + ON (=playing); the “ringmaster” (=entry at 26 4) referred to here is the US heavyweight boxer Sonny Liston (1932-70)
   
22 EUBANK 26 4, where not a pound invested?

Cryptically, euros would be invested at an EU bank, not pounds; the “ringmaster” (=entry at 26 4) referred to here is the English (super-)middleweight boxer Chris Eubank (1966-)
   
24/2 ROCKY MARCIANO 23 26 4

The clue here is a cryptic clue for MACARONI (=entry at 23), i.e. *(MARCIANO), with “rocky” as anagram indicator; the “ringmaster” (=entry at 26 4) referred to here is the US heavyweight boxer Rocky Marciano (1923-69)
   
26/4 RINGMASTER Top top man arresting criminal, hoodlum ultimately collared

<hoodlum>M in *(ARRESTING); “criminal” is anagram indicator; the second “top” in the definition refers to a circus big top
   
   

25 comments on “Independent 8,359 / Punk”

  1. There was some fabulous humour and clever clue-making in this puzzle. It was quite educational too, as I learnt about the boxers Chris EUBANK, Henry COOPER, Sonny LISTON, Naseem HAMED & Nigel BENN (thanks to Wikipedia). Luckily the wordplay was very helpful in those clues, so it was not a problem for someone like me who knows no boxing champions apart from Ali, Tyson & Marciano, but I would not have been able to finish it unaided.

    I liked 9a, 1d, 26/4, 31a, 11a, 24/2 & 3d and my favourites were 8a GRAVY, 15d EYE-POPPING & 7d NIPPLE.

    Thanks for the blog, RatkojaRiku. I needed your help to parse 12a (I thought it was simply referring to a boa constrictor, I didn’t get the other part) & 3a (“tiny thing wiping face”).

    Obviously I got over-excited researching the boxers online, and I thought that 30a somehow referred to Mike KORANicki. Amazing what one can find by searching with the words “boxer Koran”!

    Great puzzle, thanks Paul.

  2. Thanks RR for a great blog and Punk for a stunning puzzle.

    I fully agree with all your picks: it was just one ‘aha’ after another – splendid stuff! [And I’d even heard of all the boxers. 😉 ]

    [I don’t understand your parsing of 3ac: I read it as [a]TOM [tiny thing wiping face]

  3. Yes, Eileen @2, it’s [A]TOM. I guess like me, when thinking about this clue, the word “iota’ crossed RR’s mind and then insinuated itself into the blog when he wasn’t looking.

    Typo in 10A, “finally” meaning last letter only, not dropped.

    I thought in 26/4 the initial “top” referred to the circus big top. Perhaps I’m wrong; perhaps it doesn’t matter.

    Very enjoyable crossword, thanks to Punk and RR. We’ve had both “macaroni” and “amass” recently. Thought the Tyson and Marciano clues and the way they were linked to other answers very cunning and, as usual with Punk, a mildly salacious answer at 7D.

    Is there any particular reason why Tom, as opposed to other clearly male names, is “no queen”?

    The fodder at 30A is unusual, don’t know how to describe this clue.

  4. Hi GWEP

    I agree with your first point – it’s amazing what gremlins get into blogs!

    A TOM is a male cat and a queen is a female one.

  5. Not my cup of tea today. Once I’d uncovered the theme I lost interest. Boxing is second only to golf as the most boring sport on the planet. Yes, I know, blind prejudice.

    Thanks anyway to RR and Punk.

  6. Really enjoyed this one – many thanks to Punk, and to RR for the blog which answered a few questions for me. If I was backed into a corner I’d say 31 was my favourite clue, but a lot of them are contenders. I was floored briefly by 6d as I’d never heard Prince Nasseem’s full name, not being that well up on boxing, but fought on regardless and finished, by my reckoning, a close second.

  7. 24/2d – The paper version has 23 26 4 (0,5,8) The ‘0’ threw me a bit.
    Seem to have entered it correctly though 🙂

  9. Eileen@4. Thanks for that, of course heard of a tom cat, but never a queen cat. Who employs this usage? Having said that, I am just starting to back-solve the 18 Independents I missed out on when my local newspaper in Adelaide pulled the crossword – it was running them three weeks to the day behind the UK publication date. The first one I’m doing is Quixote’s 8334 and the answer to one of the clues is “ducats” with the “cat” part of the word clued by “queen maybe”!!

  10. I used to follow boxing a lot more closely than I do now, and the knowledge I picked up years ago certainly helped make this a faster solve than it might otherwise have been. I can understand why people who have no interest in boxing would find this hard. When I come across a themed puzzle which has subject matter that I have no interest in, or knowledge of, I’ll still give it a go, on the basis that I may learn something that could come in handy one day. However, that is a personal choice and not a criticism of anyone who thinks differently.

    I thought the reverse POPEYE in 15dn was excellent, and it made a pleasant change from all the usual crossword sailors.

  11. Hi GWEP @9

    “Who employs this usage?”
    Being anything but a cat lover, I’ve no idea: I learned it from crosswords – where it does crop up fairly often. 😉

  12. Finished this surprisingly quickly. I was amazed at how many boxers’ names I remembered, and got the theme long before getting 26/4.

    Although I didn’t know “macaroni” meant a dandy, I remembered the word appears in the song Yankee Doodle so I guessed it from that.

    I was taught queen for female cat at primary school, a long time ago now, along with a number of animal terms that I’m sure I’ve forgotten.

  13. My solving experience was very similar to the blogger ie took quite a while to get the gateway clue but after that everything was much faster with the puzzle being of about average Indy difficulty. Though by no stretch of the imagination could I be described as interested in boxing, I’d heard of them all so it was impressive to fit them into the grid and clues. I’d forgotten the fictional one (BAL)BOA and needed the blog to explain that. Also thought RINGMASTER referred to the circus. Surprised at the doubts about QUEEN and TOM which I thought were mainstream. Out of curiosity looked at dicts which carefully define the former as “an adult female cat that has not been spayed”, with TOM a domestic male cat.

  14. As someone who visits the Independent section of this site virtually every weekday (for years now) but who has never posted before, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed today’s puzzle. I found it tough but very fair and seemingly perfectly pitched for someone of my (medium) prowess. Great, really inventive clueing and some smart wordplay

  15. I know Queen & Tom so no problems for me there, and what a great puzzle?! No-one has made complaints about the theme so Punk has onviously hjudged this one really well.

    Favourites were: ‘top top man’ and the MARCIANO trick.

  16. Very interesting puzzle. I was stumped by 3A because (unlike everyone else in the world it seems) I know my boxers, but not my films!

  18. I greatly enjoyed this one. I used to be a boxing fan (although it’s not really fashionable to admit it) but long ago lost interest when, like so many sports, it sold its soul to Sky. However, I’d heard of all the boxers and was only held up by misspelling Eubank as Ewbank. Although not a criticism, I was initially expecting a bit more variety in the interpretation of “ring master” (e.g. Wagner or maybe Frodo, Gollum, Sauron et al).

  19. Nowt to do with theme just got 3 on first pass saw all the links and the buggered up enumeration and read the paper instead. Boxing or violence not my thing so sorry left it

  20. I can certainly concur with you re Sky, whose most unlucky victim has been the cricket. That is a travesty, to deny the country its very sporting soul.

    Re RINGMASTER I’m not quite sure what else Paul could have done with it, at least not without getting himself e-arrested.

  21. Great puzzle. I got RINGMASTER fairly early but it took me forever to make the link. I was up all kinds of blind alleys – Lord Of The Rings, Wagner etc etc!
    The certainty that BENIN had to be correct provided the a-ha moment.

    Many Thanks.

  22. Many thanks to setter and blogger. We have no interest whatsover in boxing but amazingly between us we had heard of all the boxers in the puzzle. However, we had almost given up parsing our last one in – 12ac – when Bert suddenly remembered the film!

    Clue of the day was the gateway clue.

  23. Usually, I find Puck a bit Paul B ( 🙂 ) like I find Mudd Paul C.
    But this was vintage Mr Halpern.

    After all the “excitement” at yesterday’s Guardian thread (and beyond), I didn’t have the time and energy to do this puzzle earlier.

    I saw the gateway clue (26,4) reasonably quick but couldn’t explain it until I almost finished the lot.
    Sonny Liston (@20) was the man that opened up the theme.

    I agree, Kathryn’s Dad, boxing is also not my cup of tea but, phew, what a well-interwoven crossword by Punk.

    This boy’s got talent, methinks.

  24. Thanks, Eileen, for pointing out another typo, one that I didn’t spot when – apparently unsuccessfully – proof-reading the blog. The wordplay of 3A is now correctly reflected in the blog.

  25. Oops, did I say Puck?
    Yes, I did.
    Punk!!
    (the C and the N are not even next to each other on my keyboard ….)
    Probably due to all the commotion in another place.

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