Independent on Sunday 1246/Poins

People are going to be talking about me and Poins soon.  Seems like every time he has a slot in the IoS, it’s my turn to blog.  But there’s nothing going on between us, I assure you, although I will put on record that I thought this was an excellent puzzle.  His surfaces are exemplary.  This means the parsing is sometimes tricky, but I would still put this down as ‘accessible’, which is what the IoS crossword is meant to be.  And after all, you can win the prize without necessarily having parsed all the clues.  That said, there are one or two where I’m not quite sure I’ve worked it all out.

 

The top and bottom rows read EXPOSE BOTTOM, NEARLY CHASTE.  Is this a hidden message?  You tell me.

 

 

Abbreviations

cd  cryptic definition
dd  double definition
(xxxx)*  anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x]  letter(s) missing

definitions are underlined

Across

1  Show up former partner in front of model
EXPOSE
An easy charade to get us going: EX plus POSE for ‘model’.

4  Behind when explosion interrupts races – just the opposite
BOTTOM
BOOM is an explosion and TT is the Isle of Man races.  It’s not BOOM in TT, but just the opposite.

8  Continue to play around
CARRY ON
A dd.

9  Call soldiers from the rear to contain Nationalist parade
PAGEANT
A charade of PAGE for ‘call’ and N in TA reversed.  TA is the Territorial Army, or ‘soldiers’.

11  Drake perhaps coming to the queen after game is over
ADVENTURER
Really clever surface, referring broadly, although not historically accurately, to Sir Francis Drake, Queen Elizabeth and the famous game of bowls.  It’s a charade of ADVENT for ‘coming’ (think of the calendar), UR for a reversal of RU (Rugby Union or ‘game’) and ER for our current Queen.  When she does pop her clogs, I fancy CR will be less helpful to setters.

12  Starts to tip messily over each side
TEAM
An insertion of EA for ‘each’ in TM for the first letters of ‘tip’ and ‘messily’.

13  Theologian introduced to drink becomes muddled
ADDLE
An insertion of DD for Doctor of Divinity in ALE.  I can’t quite get the cryptic grammar to work here, since neither ‘becomes muddled’ or ‘muddled’ would equate to ADDLE.

14  American writes about the onset of despair after son hangs
SUSPENDS
Another lovely – if slightly macabre – surface.  S for ‘son’ followed by US and an insertion of D for the first letter of ‘despair’ in PENS.

16  Prevalent in a long adventure movie featuring Ms Moore
EPIDEMIC
There are lots of Ms Moores, but Poins has helpfully given us a hint in the surface with ‘movie’.  It’s DEMI Moore; put her in EPIC for ‘a long adventure movie’ and there you go.

18  Wise to follow university’s customary practice
USAGE
A charade of U and SAGE.

20  Somewhat rare artefacts discovered in field
AREA
Hidden in rARE Artefacts.

21  Musical brought back to tour region is arousing interest
ATTRACTIVE
EVITA is the musical; you need to reverse it (‘brought back’) and then insert TRACT for ‘region’ to get your answer.

23  Conservationists keeping a river chemical-free
NATURAL
The conservationists are the National Trust or NT.  Then it’s an insertion of A in that followed by URAL for the ‘river’.

24  Piece from Iran set in irregular frame
FIREARM
An insertion of IR for ‘Iran’ in (FRAME)*  ‘Piece’ is underworld slang for a gun.

25  Almost producing note too soon
NEARLY
A simple charade of N and EARLY.

26  He acts differently when restrained
CHASTE
(HE ACTS)* for our first anagram in the across clues.

Down

1  Animal found in earth at end of chase
ELAND
The antelope is a charade of E for the last letter of ‘chase’ and LAND.

2  Finish wine before making forecast
PORTEND
A charade of PORT and END.

3  Arrange to take in Henry and Hilary say for a limited period
SHORT-TERM
An insertion of H for ‘Henry’, the unit of inductance in SORT for ‘arrange’ followed by TERM, of which Hilary is an example – if you went to Oxford, at least.  If you didn’t go to Oxford, get over yourself; and get ready for MICHAELMAS and TRINITY for ‘term’ as well.  Unless it’s a Cambridge ‘term’, in which case you’ll also need to remember LENT and EASTER.  Don’t say I never learn you nothing.  And no, I didn’t go to Oxford myself.

5  Against song being broadcast
ON AIR
A charade of ON for ‘against’ and AIR for ‘song’.  Nine times out of ten ‘broadcast’ will be an anagrind or a homophone indicator.  Poins is using a triple bluff.  These setters have no end of tricks.

6  Reproduced letters of support
TRESTLE
(LETTERS)*

7  Knock around with workers near the centre of Hartlepool
MANHANDLE
The workers are MAN and HAND, and LE are the central letters of HartLEpool.  Monkeys are advised to avoid Hartlepool altogether.

10  Practise with Sue
PROSECUTE
My Collins has ‘to continue to do a task’ and ‘to bring a criminal action against’, so I think it’s a dd.

13  Concern for a forward in agony
APPERTAIN
An insertion of PERT for ‘forward’ in A PAIN.

15  Easily offended members of sect supporting girl without question
SQUEAMISH
Sue’s having a busy time this morning.  Since it’s a down clue, it’s Q for ‘question’ in SUE followed by AMISH for the ‘sect’.

17  Laura playing around caught by daughter in this novel
DRACULA
It’s (LAURA)* with ‘playing’as the anagrind around C for ‘caught’ after D for daughter.  Bram Stoker’s Gothic horror novel.

19  One playing right back blocking passes easily at start of season
ACTRESS
The surface is a lovely story-telling one, but the parsing is a bit complicated: it’s an insertion of TR for ‘right’ reversed (‘back’) in ACES for ‘passing easily’ (think tennis) followed by S for the first letter of ‘season’.  I think.

21  One hardly to be believed in any circumstances
AT ALL
I think Poins is whimsically suggesting that ‘one hardly to be believed’ would be A TALL (STORY), so it’s a dd.  Unless anyone has a better idea.

22  Vicar upset by extremely seductive poetry
VERSE
The ‘vicar’ is REV.  Reverse that and add SE for the outside letters of ‘SeductivE’ and you get VERSE for ‘poetry’.

This was good fun, which is what crosswords are supposed to be.  Thank you to Poins.