Once again, as we have come to expect on a Wednesday, an excellently constructed puzzle from Dac with the usual smooth surfaces.
We solved this with a friend (‘Joyce II’) – and we completed it more quickly than usual, but it was no less enjoyable for that!
| Across | ||
| 1 | Guide for driver reversing vehicle at end of test | |
| SATNAV | VAN (vehicle) reversed after SAT (test – Standard Assessment Test) | |
| 4 | Put forward on behalf of poet | |
| PROPOUND | PRO (on behalf of) + POUND (poet – Ezra Pound) | |
| 9 | Trader supplying venison, not quite all for consumption | |
| DEALER | DEER (venison) around, or ‘consuming’ AL |
|
| 10 | So-called gangster rarely spotted without female on arm, for a start | |
| SCARFACE | SCARCE (rarely spotted) around F (female) A (first letter, or ‘start’ of arm) | |
| 11 | Letter card | |
| CHARACTER | Double definition | |
| 13 | Challenging piece for orchestra | |
| HALLE | Hidden in, or a ‘piece’ of cHALLEnging | |
| 14 | Reconvenes rebel masses after revolution | |
| REASSEMBLES | An anagram of REBEL MASSES – anagrind is ‘after revolution’ | |
| 18 | A Liberal returned to House of Commons, elected PM | |
| CHAMBERLAIN | A L (Liberal) reversed or ‘returned’ after CHAMBER (House of Commons) + IN (elected) – reference to Neville ‘Peace for our time’ Chamberlain, Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940 | |
| 21 | Fish consumed after request to skip starter | |
| SKATE | ATE (consumed) after |
|
| 22 | Surprisingly not like a river boat | |
| OIL TANKER | An anagram of NOT LIKE A (anagrind is ‘surprisingly’) + R (river) – although as Saga Noren from ‘The Bridge’ would probably point out – an oil tanker is more likely to be a ship than a boat! | |
| 24 | Fashionable blue retro little numbers now available | |
| IN SEASON | IN (fashionable) + SEA (blue) + NOS (‘little’ numbers) reversed | |
| 25 | Objected to daughter wearing denim pants | |
| MINDED | D (daughter) in, or ‘wearing’ an anagram of DENIM (anagrind is ‘pants’) | |
| 26 | A lawyer ultimately interrupts hearing, using delaying tactics? | |
| TARRYING | A R (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of lawyer) in, or ‘interrupting’ TRYING (hearing, as in a law suit) | |
| 27 | About noon, like having giant drink | |
| EGGNOG | N (noon) in EG (like) GOG (giant) | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | On board ship, I hurried over for cocktails | |
| SIDECARS | I + RACED (hurried) reversed, or ‘over’ in, or ‘on board’ SS (ship) | |
| 2 | Might I stir up trouble after a drink? Yes | |
| TEARAWAY | Cryptic definition – WAR (trouble) reversed, or ‘stirred up’ after TEA (drink) + AY (yes) | |
| 3 | Regularly carried near stadium | |
| ARENA | Alternate or ‘regular’ letters of cArRiEd NeAr | |
| 5 | Feel dizzy, holding rope attached to dog having name on disc | |
| RECORD LABEL | REEL (feel dizzy) around, or ‘holding’ CORD (rope) and LAB (dog – short for Labrador) | |
| 6 | Customer turned up before ‘Archers’ broadcast | |
| PURCHASER | UP reversed, or ‘turned up’ + an anagram of ARCHERS (anagrind is ‘broadcast’) | |
| 7 | Not vain, presumably, in posh fur | |
| USABLE | U (posh) + SABLE (fur) – we weren’t sure about the definition here, but ‘vain’ can be synonymous with ‘useless’, and Dac has included ‘presumably’ clue, so this seems perfectly acceptable | |
| 8 | Put off entertaining one person unlikely to eat much | |
| DIETER | DETER (put off) around, or ‘entertaining’ I (one) | |
| 12 | Youngster tapes American hit on particular 5 | |
| TAMLA MOTOWN | TOT (youngster) around, or ‘taping’ AM (American) LAM (hit) + OWN (particular) – a reference to the solution to 5d | |
| 15 | PA getting confidential note from Mr Barlow | |
| SECRETARY | SECRET (confidential) + |
|
| 16 | Stopped at home after announcement of treaty | |
| PACKED IN | IN (at home) after a homonym (‘announcement’) of PACT | |
| 17 | In French a barbed comment is demeaning | |
| INFRA DIG | IN + FR (French) + A + DIG (barbed comment) | |
| 19 | In class, is teacher providing help? | |
| ASSIST | Hidden in clASS IS Teacher | |
| 20 | Frightful scare about a ruler | |
| CAESAR | An anagram of SCARE (anagrind is ‘frightful’) around A | |
| 23 | Getting on, and coping without man | |
| AGING | ||
The usual sound and pleasing puzzle from Dac. I couldn’t quite understand USABLE, so thanks for explaining that. HALLE was my last in – it’s staring you in the face, for goodness’ sake.
And your mention of SAT as the Standard Assessment Test prompts me to two thoughts: it’s a tautology, since an assessment is a test; and it’s mildly annoying when people – even journalists and education professionals – refer to SATs tests. About as annoying as when the youth on the supermarket checkout asks me to enter my PIN number.
I know, I should find more important things to get annoyed about.
Thanks all three (or perhaps four on this occasion if the solving involved Joyce’s identical twin).
Yes, a good one, this. I had to come here to get 12D but no complaints and thanks to everyone (!) involved in the blog. Excellent, as always.
First solve post-op so was quite pleased to finish, took a while to see (!) the hidden HALLE and missed the reference to Gary in SECRETARY.
Thanks B&J&J and DAC as ever.
Maybe I was on Dac’s wavelength more than usual today, but I raced through this one. It was a very enjoyable solve nonetheless and contained plenty of Dac’s trademark tight cluing. I saw SATNAV immediately and CHARACTER, ARENA and REASSEMBLES shortly after. I then completed the rest of the puzzle before returning to the NW, where DEALER, of all answers, was my LOI.
Your site is fantastic. We look at it when we get stuck and even when we don’t, just to see what you will say. We wonder if your post today is from Bert and Joyce or from two people who live in Burton Joyce (Notts).
Christina Jones – are you Chris and Tina?
We’re really pleased to hear from lurkers – we were two such people for quite some while! As to your question your guess is as good as ours. Just come and meet us at the next 225 get-together in Derby and we’ll answer your question!
I really enjoyed ‘usable’.
I wish some of the bloggers would parse the weekend puzzles after the solutions come out.
Hi Heather – we’re not quite sure what you mean. As far as we are aware, weekend puzzles are scheduled to appear after the solutions are published in the papers. Can you give us an example of what worries you?