It’s been a while since I blogged a Raich puzzle on a Sunday, so this was a pleasant surprise. And a very pleasant puzzle it was too.
It looks as though we have a mini theme as suggested by the county name in the top row and a number of references in the across clues.
Some very nice clueing throughout here. I particualarly enjoyed the clues for DISOBEDIENTLY and FREE SPIRIT.
Many thanks to Raich for a nice Sunday morning solve
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 7 | LITTLE MERMAID – (TIME + TREADMILL)* |
| 8 | NEWEST – WE in NEST |
| 9 | COUNTY – COUNT + Y(en) |
| 12 | INFUSER – (REFUSIN[-g])* |
| 14 | TRADUCE – ART rev. + DUCE |
| 15 | CHESTER-LE-STREET – (TESTS HERE RE[-f]LECT)* |
| 18 | MISSING – S(ingular) + SIN (error) in MIG (plane) |
| 20 | PLEASED – PL(ace) + EASED |
| 22 | TITTLES – T(ense) in TITLES |
| 23 | TREBLE – B(ritish L(ecturer) in TREE |
| 25 | DISOBEDIENTLY (SIDELINED + BOY + T[-roubled)* |
| Down | |
| 1 | DINE – ENID rev. |
| 2 | UTTERS – [-p]UTTERS |
| 3 | RESTORER – REST + OR[-d]ER |
| 4 | HEPCAT – P(olitically) C(orrect) in HEAT (race) |
| 5 | AMBULANT – A + M.B + U[-pbraid) L[-azy] + ANT |
| 6 | MINT JULEPS – (J + SPILT + MENU)* |
| 10 | SITCOMS – S(outhern) + IT(alian) + CO(mpany) = M.S |
| 11 | TESTUDO – Hidden in privaTE STD Operation |
| 13 | FREE SPIRIT – RE: in (SPITFIRE)* |
| 16 | TRILLION – T(ime) + RILL (stream) + IO (satellite) + N[-etwork’s] |
| 17 | EMPATHIC – Hidden in problEM PATH I Circumvented |
| 19 | GASKET – ASK in GET |
| 21 | EXEUNT – EXE + [-p]UNT |
| 24 | LILT – L(ong) I(sland) + L(ietutenan)T |
Thanks Ali
You seem to have a few too many Ts in 22ac. 😉
To expand on the theme for those who don’t know, in 1991 Durham became the 8,9 in first-class cricket. They play their home matches at a ground in 15ac and have won the championship three times (22,23), 2008, 2009 & 2013. There may be more thematic material of which I’m unaware but no doubt Raich will tell us if there is.
Well, that theme completely missed me, never even noticed the name in the top row and I used to live in the county – grew up there – and knew all about their cricket team (not that I’ve ever been to a game). 🙂
I saw DURHAM along the top row and it obviously tied in with CHESTER-LE-STREET, but I missed the rest of the cricket references. I found this an enjoyable if fairly quick solve. TITLES was my LOI.
Many thanks, Ali, for the excellent blog and to all for their comments. Yes, I confirm that the thematic material is DURHAM in the top row and the symmetrical placed rows 4, 8 and 12 giving the details referred to in comment #1.
Always look forward to a Raich Sunday puzzle. I enjoyed this one as usual, with plenty of variety in the clues and it being a good example of the setter ‘losing gracefully’. Thanks to him and to Ali for the blog.
DURHAM did shout out in the top row even to a theme-blind solver like me, and then CHESTER-LE-STREET and the TITLE TREBLES became apparent. The titles are in no small part due to their captain Paul Collingwood, who – like me and Raich – is a mad keen Sunderland supporter. Thought I’d slip that in after our immense 1-0 win over non-league Kiddiminster Town yesterday in the FA Cup.
Can anyone please explain the significance of the first word “Seeing..” in the clue for 21d?
The word “eyeing” will also fit the space and could be construed as seeing (but could not justify based on the rest of the clue).
I agonised for some while trying to decide which was the correct answer.
I will try, hashertu. (Is this your first comment? If so, welcome.)
‘Seeing river boat heading off, they go out’ The definition is EXEUNT (stage directions to leave the set). The river is the EXE, and then UNT is ‘punt’ missing its first letter. The ‘seeing’ bit is just the setter’s way of guiding you to the answer: if you ‘see’ a river and a boat with its first letter missing, then you’ll get your answer.
Hope that helps.
KD. Second I think.
Thanks for reply.
If Raich intended it that way, and he knew that “eyeing” would fit the space, then he is a very devious man indeed (compliment).
Re #8, I can assure you that was not intended (or even noticed). TBH, I think it’s a wee bit unlikely ‘seeing’ would be used as a definition to clue ‘EYEING’ as they are too similar. Tks for comments.
‘Seeing’ in that sense is like using ‘having’, a more common one. Azed could have deployed the ultra-simple ‘in’ too! Or swapped it about:
They go out in river boat, heading off
which probably changes the sense for the worse, but heigh-ho.
Link, or extra words that facilitate surfaces.
(Raich is Azed now. Sorry about that.)
Nice crossword as usual from Raich and the theme was pleasant. A couple of queries: I can’t see the anagram indicator in 25ac — you’d think it would be ‘troublesome’ but that is only there to give you the t; and in 15ac I suppose the anagram indicator is ‘expressed’, but really?
Wil@12: Is 25ac one of those & lit. clues, with “in such a rebellious way” as the anagram indicator? Similarly, in 15ac, the anagram indicator is “changes” I think, with “expressed” indicating the the removal (forcing out) of the letter ‘f’.
Thanks to all for the further comments. Dormouse’s comments at #13 correctly describe what was intended re the queries at #12.
Very silly of me with 15ac, excellent clue. I’m probably wrong re 25ac, but it looks to me as if ‘in such a rebellious way’ is doing double duty, as the definition and also as the anagram indicator: it doesn’t seem to me to be an &lit. because the whole thing doesn’t define ‘disobediently’.
Hi Everyone.
At the risk of going off-topic, can I point out to K’s Dad @5 that, while Paul Collingwood undoubtedly played a major role in captaining Durham to the 2013 championship, he did not have much to do with the previous two, playing only two championship matches in 2008 and none in 2009?
You are right, Pelham, but he’s a canny lad all the same.
Re comment # 15 the clue to DISOBEDIENTLY was “Sidelined boy troublesome to begin with in such a rebellious way”. I considered the whole clue served as a (perhaps expanded) definition all leading back from ‘such’. The whole clue also serves as the wordplay as the blog explained.