Independent 8401 / Alchemi

Alchemi seems to be a ‘once a month’ contributor to Independent Daily crosswords at the moment.

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this as a challenge to identify all the historical leaders clued in the puzzle.  The theme was well developed beyond history though.  I suppose to a crossword compiler the juxtaposition of REVOLUTIONARY [anagram indicator; reversal indicator] and LEADER [first letter indicator] is some sort of manna from heaven.  Alchemi made good use of his tools today.

Having said that, there were a couple of clues that raised my eyebrows, e.g. the contruction involving the removal of ‘external groups’ in 6 across and the use of AIRHEAD to indicate the first letter of AIR in 6 down.  I could see what Alchemi meant, but neither seemed quite right to me at least.

There were many clues though that I did like, e.g the ones for MAO ZEDONG (1 across), YUGOSLAVIA (18 across) and the hidden NKRUMAH at 7 down.

There was a lot of thematic material in the puzzle which probably led to the inclusion of the slightly obscure OBLASTS at 2 down and the use of NEAT VODKA at 15 down.

Across

No. Clue Wordplay

Entry

1

 

Labyrinth concealing nothing to trick no-good revolutionary leader (3,6)

 

(MAZE [labyrinth] containing (concealing) O [zero; nothing]) + DO (cheat; trick) + NG (no good)

MA (O) ZE DO NG

MAO ZEDONG (Chinese revolutionary leader [1893 – 1976], formerly referred to as Mao Tse-tung))

 

6

Revolutionary leader to replenish absinthe when external groups leave (5)

LEN (the middle letters of REPLENISH when the external (beginning and ending) groups of letters REP and ISH are removed) + IN ((the middle letters of ABSINTHE when the external (beginning and ending) groups of letters ABS and THE are removed)

LENIN (Soviet revolutionary leader Vladimir Illych LENIN [1870 – 1924])

9

 

Revolutionary leader a pig in ’54?  Just the opposite! (7)

 

LIV (Roman numerals for 54) contained in (in) BOAR (a pig).  Hence the opposite of  "a pig in  ’54"

BO (LIV) AR

BOLIVAR (reference Simon BOLIVAR [1783 – 1830], revolutionary South American politician, active in the struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire)

 

10

 

Comments about someone said to inspire revolutionary leader? (7)

 

RE (about) + MARKS (sounds like [said] MARX [reference Karl MARX [1818 – 1883] whose writing and teachings inspired many revolutionary leaders worldwide)

 

REMARKS (comments)

 

11

 

Throw essentially throws revolutionary leader (6)

 

CAST (throw) + RO (middle letters of [essentially] THROWS)

 

CASTRO (reference Fidel CASTRO [1926 – date], revolutionary leader of Cuba from 1959 until his retirement in 2008)

 

12

 

Strange to see Australian operatic heroine in the British Library (8)

 

A (Australian) + (NORMA ([operatic heroine in opera of the same name by Bellini] contained in [in] BL [British Library])

A B (NORMA) L

ABNORMAL (strange)

 

13

 

Second copy found around recess (4)

 

APE (copy) containing (found around) S (second)

AP (S) E

APSE (a semicircular or polygonal recess, especially at the east end of a church choir)

 

14

 

Relaxes as relation moves slowly without one (10)

 

UNCLE (relation) + INCHES (moves slowly) excluding (without) I (one)

 

UNCLENCHES (relaxes)

 

18

 

Old country fellow, back disguised as Viola (10)

 

GUY (fellow) reversed (back) + an anagram of (disguised) AS VIOLA

YUG< OSLAVIA*

YUGOSLAVIA (a country that no longer exists following disintegration that stemmed from a form of revolution starting in1991; old country)

 

20

 

Revolutionary leader regularly seen in Algeciras (4)

 

LEIA (letters 2, 4, 6 and 8 [regularly seen in] of ALGECIRAS)

 

LEIA (reference Princess LEIA a character in Star Wars, who led a form of revolution)

 

23

 

Revolutionary leader of vegetarians in disturbing Tao rite (8)

 

V (first letter of [leader of] VEGETARIANS) contained in (in) an anagram of (disturbing) TAO RITE

ROTATI (V) E*

ROTATIVE (capable of being turned; revolutionary)

 

24

 

Spinner to cut back for revolutionary leader (3,3)

 

(TOP [spinner] + LOP [cut]) all reversed (back)

(POL POT)<

POL POT (POL POT [1925 – 1998] was a Cambodian revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death. From 1963 to 1981, he served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea)

 

26

 

It gives a bit of a kick seeing traitors sent back covered in sludge (7)

 

(RATS [traitors] reversed [sent back]) contained in (covered in) MUD (sludge)

MU (STAR<) D

MUSTARD (a pungent condiment; it gives a bick of a kick)

 

27

 

Male lecturer I see devoted to pleasure (7)

 

HE (male) + DON (lecturer) + I + C (see)

 

HEDONIC (devoted to a life of pleasure-seeking)

 

28

 

A mother’s revolutionary leader (5)

 

A + DAM’S (mother’s)

 

ADAMS (reference Gerry ADAMS [1948 – date], one-time leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, a group of revolutionaries.  ADAMS is now a Sinn Fein politician)

 

29

 

Revolutionary leader follows sloth with small dogs (9)

 

AI (three-toed sloth) + an anagram of (revolutionaty) LEADER + S (small)

AI REDALE* S

AIREDALES (a breed of large terriers; dogs)

 

Down

1

 

Whale chewing a croc, perhaps what revolutionary leader is accused of fomenting (9)

 

MOBY (reference MOBY Dick or The Whale by Hermann Melville) containing (chewing) an anagram of (perhaps) A CROC

MOB (OCRAC*) Y

MOBOCRACY (rule or ascendancy exercised by the mob, something that revolutionary leaders may be accused of fostering [fomenting])

 

2

 

Explosion in large Soviet provinces (7)

 

BLAST (explosion) contained in (in) OS (outsize; large)

O (BLAST) S

OBLASTS (administrative districts/provinces in some republics of the former Soviet Union)

 

3

 

Coward spirit for the Spanish against former revolutionaries (6)

 

EL (Spanish form of ‘the’; the Spanish) + V (versuse; against) + IRA (Irish Republican Army.  The original IRA was dissolved in 1922, but many offshoots were created in later years)

 

ELVIRA (an important character in Noel Coward’s play Blithe Spirit)

 

4

 

Rows as revolutionary leader replaces king in classic race (4)

 

OAKS (classic horse race in England) with R (first letter of [leader] REVOLUTIONARY) replacing K (king)

OARS

OARS (rows)

 

5

 

Revolutionary leader heard to taunt Lineker’s hair-loss? (9)

 

GARI (sounds like [heard to] GARY [reference GARY Lineker, a sports presenter on BBC television) + BALDI (sounds like [heard to] BALDY [a taunt addressed at p[eople with little hair)

 

GARIBALDI (reference Giuseppe GARIBALDI [1807 – 1882], Italian General and politician, regarded as a revolutionary leader of Italy)

 

6

 

Satirises airhead parliamentarian wearing 70s hippy gear (8)

 

(A [first letter of {head of} AIR] + MP [Member of Parliament; parliamentarian]) contained in (wearing) LOONS (casual trousers that flare widely from the knee, a style favoured by hippies in the 1970s)

L (A MP) OONS

LAMPOONS (satirises)

 

7

 

Some think rum a handicap for the revolutionary leader (7)

 

NKRUMAH (hidden word in [some] THINK RUM A HANDICAP)

 

NKRUMAH (reference Kwame NKRUMAH [1909 – 1972], leader of Ghana and its predecessor The Gold Coast from 1951 – 1966.  NKRUMAH led the struggle for independence from Britain; revolutionary leader)

 

8

 

Commercial regulator in Holland getting nosy (5)

 

ASA (Advertising [e.g. commercials] Standards Authority; commerical regulator) contained in (in) NL (International Vehicle Registration for The Netherlands; Holland)

N (ASA) L

NASAL (related to the nose; nosy)

 

15

 

Cross-dresser round in the midst of a naked orgy for strong drink (4,5)

 

(TV [transvetsite [cross-dresser] + O [round shape]) contained in (in the midst of] an anagram of [orgy] A NAKED

NEA (TV O) DKA*

NEAT VODKA (strong drink)

 

16

 

Section in Strategic Air Command confronting American revolutionary leader (9)

 

(PART {section] contained in [in] SAC [Strategic Air Command]) + US (American)

S (PART) AC US

SPARTACUS (reference SPARTACUS (c109-71 BC) the leader of a revolution of gladiator slaves against the Roman Empire.  There is a 1960 film starring KIrk Douglas that depicts the life of SPARTACUS)

 

17

 

Drunkards’s lost direction for smokers’ necessities (8)

 

ASHTRAY (a drunkard’s pronunciation of ASTRAY [lost]) + S (south; direction)

 

ASHTRAYS (necessities for smokers)

 

19

 

Waterfowl active – about time to set sail (2,2,3)

 

(GOOSE [one of a group of birds of the duck family; water fowl] + A [active]) containing (about) T (time)

GO (T) O SE A

GO TO SEA (set sail)

 

21

 

Corrupt placeman without a shred of credibility select jurors (7)

 

Anagram of (corrupt) PLACEMAN excluding (without) C (first letter of [shred of] CREDIBILITY)

 

EMPANEL (select jurors)

 

22

 

Forested court finished without one (6)

 

WOO (court) + (DIED [finished] excluding [without] I [one]))

 

WOODED (forested)

 

23

 

Sailor character coming up to revolutionary leader for a dance (5)

 

(AB [able-bodied seaman; sailor] + MU [character of the Greek alphabet] + R [first letter of [leader of] REVOLUTIONARY) all reversed (coming up; down clue)

(R UM BA)<

RUMBA (dance)

 

25

 

Dear French revolutionary leaders (4)

 

CHE (reference CHE Guevara; Argentinian Marxist evolutionary leader) + R (first letter of [leader of] REVOLUTIONARY) to give two revolutionary leader

 

CHER (French for ‘dear’)

 

19 comments on “Independent 8401 / Alchemi”

  1. Thanks, Duncan.

    I really liked this one, although I was slightly daunted by the theme at first, thinking it would be a whole bunch of proper names. And there were some of these, but all clearly clued and apart from LEIA and NKRUMAH I had heard of them.

    GARIBALDI made me smile, and I also liked MOBOCRACY. For ADAMS, I was thinking Samuel ADAMS and the American Revolution, but I guess Gerry works as well.

    I was okay with both your quibbles. AIRHEAD, GATESHEAD, EGGHEAD, ROUNDHEAD, DICKHEAD … all fine by me.

    You are right: Alchemi has used his tool box well this morning. Thank you to him.

  2. OBLASTS was a guess for me but despite being initially daunted by the thought of so many names to be found it wasn’t that bad and quite a few smiles as some of the wordplay unwound.

    Like K’sD I have no problem at all with the likes of airhead and find it strange that cryptic solvers think them somehow wrong, I thought CHER would have caused more grumbles.

    Thanks Duncan, and Alchemi that was quite a damn fine puzzle.

  3. While the theme was almost too helpful in solving many of the clues, I really enjoyed this puzzle. I particularly liked 1a, 23d, 15d, 6a, 24a and my favourites were 5d GARIBALDI, 12a ABNORMAL, 16d SPARTACUS, 9a BOLIVAR & 3d ELVIRA

    New words for me were LOONS = flared trousers, ASA = Advertising Standards Authority, NKRUMAH, OBLASTS.

    I couldn’t parse 17d & 29a (I was searching for a revolutionary named REDALE!)

    Thanks Alchemi and Duncan. (I was fine with “removal of external groups in 6 across, and AIRHEAD = A).

    One little typo@21d, it is an anagram of PLACEMEN minus the C.

  4. One of the quickest solves. I didn’t mind the unusual constructions in 6A and 6D, but some of the word play produced very contrived clues and sentences that one would never hear – 23A and 1D are just two.

    Thanks to Alchemi and duncanshiell.

  5. KsDad@1
    For 28a I was thinking of John Adams and his involvement in the American Revolution. Seem to be a few revolutionaries named ADAMS!

  6. I really like crosswords where a recurring phrase almost, but not always, means the same thing.

    AIREDALES was my favourite.

    Thanks Alchemi and Duncan

  7. Enjoyed this, with the theme and the varied means of wrongfooting us once we’d seen it being part of the fun. CHER was last in as it didn’t sit very comfortably with me but overall a witty and enjoyable solve, so thanks to Alchemi and for the really splendid blog.

    I also thought of Sam Adams and Gerry didn’t even occur to me. I don’t see the latter as being in the same league as the other examples but perhaps that’s just me.

  8. Very enjoyable crossword. Thanks Alchemi & duncanshiell.

    The revolutionaries were all fairly well known, although I forgot [Princess] Leia.

    I thought airhead and CHER were fine. I particularly liked LAMPOONS and NKRUMAH, which was superbly hidden.

  9. I liked CHER and am also happy with airhead. Thanks to Alchemi for a very entertaining and educational puzzle. Had to google a few answers as my general knowledge is a little on the weak side: NKRUMAH, ELVIRA, OBLASTS, BOLIVAR and MOBOCRACY (I love the word mobocracy and will endeavour to use it conversationally sometime). AIREDALE was my favourite.

  10. A fun solve. An amazing achievement both in terms of the number of characters in the grid and the cryptic use of the theme. We couldn’t parse AIREDALES last night so thanks Duncan and what a DOH moment we had this morning when we checked the blog!

    No quibbles about any of the clueing …. Thanks Alchemi, we didn’t know who you were on Crossword Solver last night. This was brilliant!

  11. we didn’t know who you were on Crossword Solver last night.

    If you maximise the window you can drag the edge of the clue column to the left and the setter’s name will appear.

    Enjoyable puzzle.

  12. Thanks Sidey, we’ve been solving them on our ipad and your trick doesn’t seem to work. However, we’ve just checked on the laptop and noticed the setter’s name is there!

  13. Thanks to everyone for their comments.

    Duncan was right about the genesis of the puzzle. I saw the RL phrase in someone else’s clue, realised its multiple possibilities and set about seeing what I could do with it. I decided that since most solvers look at the first few across clues first, it would be good to start those off with a solid block of general knowledge to set a tone which could then be punctured later when it became apparent that the other possible meanings were also in play. So I particularly appreciate PJ@9 having noted that the desired effect was achieved for at least one solver.

    I understand why some people might find CHER a bit dubious, but in the context of this particular puzzle I thought it was a nice little bow on the ribbon to have RL do double duty as definition and cryptic indicator wordplay in the final clue (in standard clue order).

    Though I say it myself, I’m really rather pleased with how well-shaped the puzzle is as a whole package.

  14. I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle. My GK was sufficient for all of the actual revolutionaries, although like Michelle@5 I thought the Adams was John.

    I couldn’t parse AIREDALES because I had either forgotten or never knew in the first place that an AI is a three-toed sloth. I’m in the camp of those who think that CHER was a good clue, and UNCLENCHING was my LOI.

    The reference to LOONS brought back a lot a memories. I remember thinking when they first came out that they were the coolest trousers ever. The folly of youth.

  15. That was fun. Thanks to Alchemi and Duncan. Initially daunted. by so many proper nouns, eventually only AIREDALES defeated me. I guess you have to be a scrabble buff to have AI in your active vocabulary. Almost too many really good clues to pick a winner but. NKRUMAH and UNCLENCHES are certainly in the framework with the latter a narrow favourite.

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