A seemingly straightforward puzzle from Kcit this week. There were only four misplaced clues to identify, each lacking a common definition. The absence of misprints and missing/extra letters in clues made it a fairly easy solve (for which I was actually quite grateful).
QUISLING at 1dn was the first thematic word I got, but even then it took me some time to identify 44ac as the clue consisting of its wordplay. Spotting CASEMENT soon after at 23dn, and it was evident that we were dealing with TRAITORS, or QUISLINGs, with three examples appearing at 7ac JUDAS Iscariot, 44ac William JOYCE, more commonly known as Lord Haw Haw, and Roger CASEMENT at 23dn. All four words appear under traitor in Bradford’s. Slotting TRAITOR in to replace the gobbledygook at 25ac gave seven new words reading down.
As usual from Kcit, the clues were faultless, but it was only when I was writing this blog (somewhat late, for which I apologise) that I realised there was only one anagram in the whole puzzle (of Auden in 29dn).
Legend:
Definition in clue
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Entry | Clue and Explanation | |
| 1 | QUIPSTER | Comedian entirely right to include footnote (8) QUITE (entirely) R (right) including PS (footnote) |
|
| 7 | JUDAS | Quantity of coal and fire remains cut down (5) Originally presented as 1dn (8) JUD (quantity of coal) + AS[h] (fire remains, cut) |
|
| 13 | PEREGRINE | Old foreigner, French priest, admitting English with broad smile (9) PERE (French priest) admitting E (English) GRIN (broad smile) |
|
| 14 | IODIC | Caught after two swallowing excess amount of acid (5) C (caught) after II (two) swallowing OD (excess, ie overdose) |
|
| 15 | MAPS | Plans introduction of power into French farmhouse (4) P (power) in MAS (Frecnch farmhouse) |
|
| 16 | STICK | Tense when surrounded by disgusted criticism (5) T (tense) surrounded by SICK (disgusted) |
|
| 17 | CASERNE | Serial set in staff barracks (7) SER (serial) in CANE (staff, of the stick sort) |
|
| 19 | LUCKIE | Scottish landlady’s spirit – seeing off Prince, that is (6) PLUCK (spirit) – P (prince) + IE (that is) |
|
| 20 | ENDS | Stops being interrupted by daughter (4) ENS (being) interrupted by D (daughter) |
|
| 21 | INTER | Grave old playwright losing page (5) PINTER (playwright) – P (page); it’s ‘grave’ that’s the old word, used as a verb |
|
| 22 | PROSAIC | Not exciting for sailboat (7) PRO (for) + SAIC (sailboat) |
|
| 25 | DPSTFTD becomes TRAITOR |
Unclued theme word | |
| 30 | GOANESE | Indian people left most of group surrounding one (7) GONE (left) SE[t] (group, most of) around A (one) |
|
| 32 | HEBES | Man trimmed most of first shrubby plants (5) HE (man) + BES[t] (first, most of) |
|
| 34 | AGUE | A former manner is missing in fever (4) A GUISE (manner, old word) – IS |
|
| 36 | BEFORE | Sooner live for excitement, primarily (6) BE (live) + FOR + E (Excitement, primarily) |
|
| 37 | FANTOMS | Fetches old supporters carrying bell (7) FANS (supporters) carrying TOM (bell) |
|
| 39 | ALGUM | Ancient wood good in a chimney (5) G (good) in A LUM (chimney) |
|
| 40 | GAEL | Support retracted when blocked by a Scotsman? (4) LEG< (support) holding A |
|
| 42 | GEODE | Germanium lines this lined cavity (5) GE (Germanium) + ODE (lines) |
|
| 43 | ACHILLEAN | Hero’s mostly relaxed, contributing to articles (9) CHILLE[d] (relaxed, mostly) in A & AN (two articles) |
|
| 44 | JOYCE | Dear? It’s the mark of reliable toys (5) Originally presented as 23dn (8) JOY (dear, noun) + CE (mark of safety, stands for Communauté européenne) |
|
| 45 | IRRITANT | I go on angrily about narrow opening in Glasgow being annoying (8) I RANT (go on angrily) about RIT (narrow opening, Scottish word) |
|
| DOWN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Entry | Clue and Explanation | |
| 1 | QUISLING | Incomplete serving of clear drink (8) Originally presented as 23dn (5) QUI[t] (clear, incomplete) + SLING (drink) |
|
| 2 | INDICT | Charge in, with tense policemen turning up (6) IN + (T CID (policemen))< |
|
| 3 | PRICKED | Ticked off one on foot carrying stack (7) PED (one on foot, ie pedestrian) carrying RICK (stack) |
|
| 4 | TEMPERS | Riddle for some about period tunes (7) TEMS (riddle, diialectic word) about PER (period) |
|
| 5 | ERA | Deletion not certain in time (3) ERASURE (deletion) – SURE (certain) |
|
| 6 | REPAIR | Resort theatre with atmosphere (6) REP (theatre) + AIR (atmosphere) |
|
| 8 | URDEE | Duke and Earl in practice formerly pointed to herald (5) D (duke) E 9earl) in URE (practice, old word) |
|
| 9 | DIURNAL | Face securing vessel for resting at night (7) DIAL (face) holding URN (vessel) |
|
| 10 | ANON | Chapter deleted from author’s works soon (4) CANON (author’s works) – C (chapter) |
|
| 11 | SEXES | Dates, including times, for man and woman? (5) SEES (dates) including X (times, as in multiply by) |
|
| 12 | ROTUND | Plump stick inserted in barrel? On the contrary (6) TUN (barrel) in ROD (stick) |
|
| 17 | COPTERS | Policeman dashes, losing American aircraft (7) COP (policeman) TEARS (dashes) – A (American) |
|
| 18 | SHOT | Sniper in army squadron initially out of place (4) HOST (army) with the S (Squadron, initially) out of place |
|
| 23 | CASEMENT | Virile guys heading off into Slough? (8) Originally presented as 7ac (5) [h]EMEN (virile guys, heading off) in CAST (slough) |
|
| 24 | PAUNCHY | Forceful, penning article describing corporation (7) PUNCHY (forceful) holding A (article) |
|
| 26 | PEPO | Fruit giving energy to love (4) PEP (energy) + O (love) |
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| 27 | FABULAR | Very much accepting a lot of nonsense regarding tales (7) FAR (very much) accepting A BUL[l] (nonsense, most of) |
|
| 28 | DEFLECT | Avert desert swamping lake (7) DEFECT (desert) surrounding L (lake) |
|
| 29 | NERUDA | Poet translated Auden without right (6) AUDEN* outside R (right) |
|
| 31 | SOMALI | African national very much attached to another country (6) SO (very much) + MALI (another country) |
|
| 33 | BOGOTA | Caught tucking into snake in American capital (6) GOT (caught) in BOA (snake) |
|
| 34 | AFLAJ | A judge setting limits to Florida’s water-channels (5) A J (judge) outside FLA (Florida) |
|
| 35 | ETHIC | Call up about Hegel’s initial moral system (5) CITE< (call) about H (Hegel’s initial) |
|
| 38 | ARCO | A senior military man receiving Queen with bow (4) A CO (military man) receiving R (queen) |
|
| 41 | EER | Broadcast received by ear? Always (3) sounds like AIR (broadcast) |
|
Hadn’t realised there was only one anagram – I tend to just write the clue that seems right at the time. I might adjust the completed puzzle if I feel there’s too many of a particular type, but it’s not likely to occur where there’s fewer than usual.
Anyway, there’s a blog on the puzzle accessible via ‘Setter’s blogs’ if you click through my name above.