We found this a little easier than we have come to expect from Klingsor, but it was a great work-out all the same. Given the hectic activities at this time of year, a little less time scratching our heads was much appreciated!
As usual, excellent surfaces throughout, and only one solution we’d not come across before.
| Across | ||
| 1 | It’s used to attach leaves and possibly petals close to flower | |
| STAPLER | An anagram of PETALS (anagrind is ‘possibly’) + R (last letter or ‘close’ of flower) | |
| 5 | Islander requires a short time in hospital | |
| SAMOAN | A MO (a short time) in SAN (hospital) | |
| 8 | US enduring struggle to oust Government with no policies | |
| UNINSURED | An anagram of US ENDURIN |
|
| 9 | ‘Brief Encounter’ seriously enthrals | |
| TERSE | Hidden, or ‘enthralled’ in ‘encounTER SEriously’ | |
| 11 | After Victor leaves, club is more dull | |
| DRIER | DRI |
|
| 12 | Imagine the volume of some pop on the radio! | |
| FANTASIZE | Homonym (‘on the radio’) of FANTA’S SIZE (volume of pop) or is the answer FANTASISE? We’ve just checked the solution and the answer is FANTASISE as nmsindy suggested. Given that the homonym still seems to need double S we still wonder if the solution could have been with a Z!! | |
| 13 | Nationalist, say, bamboozled by philosopher? He refuses to agree | |
| NAYSAYER | N (Nationalist) + an anagram of SAY (anagrind is ‘bamboozled’) + AYER (philosopher – A J Ayer, who promoted logical positivism) | |
| 15 | Powerful businessman? | |
| COGENT | CO (business – company) + GENT (man) | |
| 17 | Missing Barnet, soundly wept | |
| BAWLED | Homonym (‘soundly’) of BALD (without or ‘missing’ Barnet – hair) | |
| 19 | One hushes up an incriminating report? | |
| SILENCER | Cryptic definition – the ‘report’ referring to a gunshot which, if it was part of a crime may need to be silenced, not a dodgy dossier! | |
| 22 | Police act on lead based on hearsay | |
| ANECDOTAL | An anagram of ACT ON LEAD (anagram is ‘police’) | |
| 23 | Cook to get very excited about recipe | |
| BROIL | BOIL (get excited) around R (recipe) | |
| 24 | A depressing number are into drug? That’s about right | |
| DIRGE | DIG (are into) E (drug) around R (right) | |
| 25 | Old Balt sits in dress circle for opera | |
| RIGOLETTO | O (old) LETT (Balt – as in Latvian) in RIG (dress) O (circle) | |
| 26 | Red setter needs lead for example, having gone away previously | |
| LEFTIE | I (setter) + E (first letter or ‘lead’ of example) after LEFT (gone away) | |
| 27 | Regularly visited dirty room of one inside for battery | |
| DRY-CELL | Alternate or ‘regular’ letters of D |
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | One whose opinion is sought is talking wearily on the phone? | |
| SOUNDING-BOARD | Homonym (‘on the phone’) of SOUNDING BORED (talking wearily) | |
| 2 | Being nimble is talent that’s good for ballet, primarily | |
| AGILITY | A |
|
| 3 | A no-hoper, one concludes first off | |
| LOSER | ||
| 4 | Esoteric artist’s cultured but nameless | |
| RAREFIED | RA (artist) + REFI |
|
| 5 | I had to come in to do vocals for short track | |
| SIDING | I’D (I had) in SING (to do vocals) | |
| 6 | Police tolerated a certain drug | |
| METHADONE | MET (Metropolitan police) + HAD (tolerated) + ONE (a certain) | |
| 7 | SAS perhaps needs to reveal chain of command | |
| AIRLINE | AIR (reveal) + LINE (chain of command) | |
| 10 | List of people getting local teller working with returning officer, for starters | |
| ELECTORAL ROLL | An anagram of LOCAL TELLER and RO (first letters or ‘starters’ of Returning Officer) – anagrind is ‘working’ | |
| 14 | Travelling around meant carrying correct change | |
| AMENDMENT | An anagram of MEANT (anagrind is ‘travelling’) around MEND (correct) | |
| 16 | Sacked, having called in sick? On the contrary | |
| PILLAGED | ‘On the contrary’ indicates that this is PAGED (called) around ILL (sick), not the other way round | |
| 18 | Minority member of Scottish Church gets to use toilet without charge? | |
| WEE FREE | WEE (to use toilet) + FREE (without charge). We couldn’t believe that this was correct until we checked in Chambers!! | |
| 20 | Emperor finally dons new clothes, mostly getting a laugh | |
| CHORTLE | R (last, or ‘final’ letter of emperor) in (‘dons’) an anagram of CLOTHE |
|
| 21 | Writer Hemingway perhaps promoting good man | |
| STERNE | ERNEST (Hemingway) with the ST (saint – ‘good man’) ‘promoted’, or brought to the front | |
| 23 | It’s weaker than bloody Bass, mate! | |
| BALLY | B (bass) + ALLY (mate) | |
I think it’s probably FANTASISE (though I’ve not seen the solution), as (1) the clue suggests a homophone of SIZE and (2) -ise rather than -ize is generally used in the UK (as distinct from US). Thanks for the blog B&J.
Thanks nmsindy! We’ve just checked the solution and you are correct. We’ve added a comment to the blog – actually we are pleased that it wasn’t the American spelling!
I thought this was definitely towards the easier end of Klingsor’s spectrum, but that didn’t stop me entering a careless “potent” at 15ac (an imaginary back-construction from potentate), and I only saw what the correct answer should be after I didn’t get the congratulatory message when I entered my LOI, DIRGE (nice definition). Ho hum.
Like Andy B I went for “potent” but the check button put me right. Re 12ac (which I couldn’t parse myself) I think it works just as well as a homonym of “Fanta size”, i.e. doesn’t need to be “Fanta’s size”.
Some nice cluing in this one; my CoD was CHORTLE, closely followed by RIGOLETTO.
Thanks, Klingsor and B&J
Another “potent” here, using exactly the same reasoning as Andy. Doing this in the paper there was no negative feedback, so probably wouldn’t have questioned it had I not read the comments here.
Sorry another one for the experts, I think these compilers are only trying to beat the regulars, not give enjoyment to the general readership
The tortoise VM@6 – the original crossword was actually a Prize Crossword from 2013. We were expecting it to be somewhat difficult!