This morning saw what I hope will be the first of many Dac solves and blogs in 2014.
This was a medium-difficulty puzzle by Dac standards, in my humble opinion. I completed the top half fairly quickly, but then faltered in both the SE and SW quadrants. I was blinded by WIPE OUT for 20, but once I realised my mistake, that corner fell into place. The SW quadrant proved more stubborn, since 16 was new to me, as indeed was the nickname of Southampton Football Club in 18, though neither stopped me from completing the puzzle.
Singling out particular favourites is never easy with a Dac puzzle, but the pick of the bunch for me were 2 and 19, both for their surface reading, and 17, for its topicality.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in double-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | SATURATE | Wet day before Sunday: vicar’s caught out
SAT (=day before Sunday) + <c>URATE (=vicar; “caught (=C) out” means letter “c” dropped); the definition is “wet” as a verb |
| 05 | ABJECT | Note British plane circling about base
A (=note, i.e. in music) + B (=British) + [C (=about, i.e. circa) in JET (=plane)]; the definition is “base” as an adjective |
| 09 | AVAILING | A covering, we’re told, is helping
A + homophone (“we’re told”) of “veiling” (=covering) |
| 10 | BOPPER | Dancer’s very quiet in flowing robe
PP (=very quiet, i.e. pianissimo in music) in *(ROBE); “flowing” is anagram indicator |
| 12 | KIND-HEARTEDNESS | Editor carried in neat drinks he’s ordered, showing generosity
ED (=editor) in *(NEAT DRINKS HE’S); “ordered” is anagram indicator |
| 13 | MEA CULPA | It’s my fault copper has interrupted restaurant date with secretary?
CU (=copper) in [MEAL (=restaurant date) + PA (=secretary, i.e. personal assistant)] |
| 15 | AISLE | Part of supermarket is patrolled by man, but not the entrance
IS in <m>ALE (=man; “but not the entrance” means first letter dropped) |
| 17 | LUCRE | There’s money in badger cull? Quite the reverse
Reversed (“quite the reverse”) and hidden (“in”) in “badgER CULl” |
| 19 | NIGHT OWL | One out late near London’s West End, on the pull
NIGH (=near) + TOW (=(the)pull) + L<ondon> (“West End” means first letter, where East End would mean last letter) |
| 22 | BREAKFAST CEREAL | With cut baguette perhaps eat KFC’s amazingly substantial dish first thing?
BREA<d> (=baguette perhaps; “cut” means last letter dropped) + *(eat KFC’S) + REAL (=substantial); “amazingly” is anagram indicator |
| 24 | OSTEAL | Bony bird of great size
OS (=of great size, i.e. outsize) + TEAL (=bird) |
| 25 | EDITIONS | Edison bewildered about modern technology issues
IT (=modern technology) in *(EDISON); “bewildered” is anagram indicator; “issues” are “editions” when talking about e.g. magazines |
| 26 | AIRMEN | Pilots remain in the air
*(REMAIN); “in the air” is anagram indicator |
| 27 | SECRETLY | Clever, going round European island mostly under cover
[E (=European) + CRET<e> (=island; “mostly”)] in SLY (=clever) |
| Down | ||
| 01 | SLACKS | Son has no trousers
S (=son) + LACKS (=has no) |
| 02 | TRAINEE | Pupil endlessly stressed before start of exams
<s>TRAINE<d> (=stressed; “endlessly” means first and last letters dropped) + E<xams> (“start of” means first letter only) |
| 03 | RALPH | Man taken in by amoral philosopher
Hidden (“taken in by”) in “moRAL PHilosopher” |
| 04 | TEN-GALLON HAT | English completely against wearing the aforementioned headgear
[ENG (=English) + ALL (=completely) + ON (=against)] in THAT (=aforementioned) |
| 05 | BROADCAST | American woman given part in programme
BROAD (=American woman, i.e. woman in American slang) + CAST (=given part, i.e. in play) |
| 07 | EXPRESS | Transport once heading out of Belgian town close to Brussels
EX (=once) + <y>PRES (=Belgian town; “heading out of” means first letter dropped) + <brussel>S (“close to” means last letter only used) |
| 08 | THRUSHES | Birds fly through the south
RUSH (=fly, i.e. move quickly) in [THE + S (=south)] |
| 11 | STRAIGHTEDGE | Not indulging in drug-taking, as a rule
STRAIGHT EDGE (=not indulging in drug-taking, i.e. of subculture of hard-core punk”); a rule(r) is a straightedge for drawing lines |
| 14 | CHECKMATE | Friend from Prague said the game’s up now
Homophone (“said”) of “Czech mate” (=friend from Prague) |
| 16 | CLUB SODA | Fizzy drink beats cordial on a regular basis
CLUBS (=beats) + <c>O<r>D<i>A<l> (“on a regular basis” means alternate letters only needed); club soda is soda water |
| 18 | CHESTER | City supporter’s shout about a Southampton player?
ST (=Southampton player?, i.e. one of The Saints) in CHEER (=supporter’s shout) |
| 20 | WEED OUT | Eliminate slight suspicion, you say?
Homophone (“you say”) of “wee (=slight) doubt (=suspicion)” |
| 21 | CLASSY | Elegant female in Milan perhaps, losing it
LASS (=female) in C<it>Y (=Milan perhaps; “losing it” means letters “it” are dropped) |
| 23 | ENTER | Go into hospital department with hesitation
ENT (=hospital department) + ER (=hesitation) |
Lovely puzzle! My favourite was the humorous surface reading ‘Son has no trousers’ at 1d, which is how it reads online, though oddly it seems you have a slightly different version.
Minor typo: in 7d of course the last letter of BRUSSELS is taken, not dropped.
Excellent stuff as always from Dac. I got stuck in the NE corner: couldn’t see EXPRESS or ABJECT for ages, and they were my last in. You can never really pick a favourite clue with this setter, because they’re all good.
Even Dac is referencing footie now. There’s too much of it in the Indy crosswords these days, I feel. However, mentioning The Saints is perhaps a nod to another regular Indy setter who’s a supporter. But there’ll only be one team in red and white stripes progressing to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on 15th February, and it won’t be Southampton.
Thanks for blogging, RR.
Another very enjoyable Dac puzzle.
At 18dn I wasn’t overly happy with “St” for “a Southampton player” when they are known as “The Saints” and it is never shortened in that context, although the “?” at the end of the clue probably makes it acceptable.
EXPRESS was my LOI after I finally saw the wordplay. I initially thought “transport once” was the definition rather than just “transport”.
Thanks to Mr A Writinghawk for highlighting the glitch and the inconsistency, both now put right.
I too had wipe out for 20, thinking it was a hom of “why pout”. I didn’t entirely follow 11 as I hadn’t come across the subcultural meaning and didn’t think a ruler could be all one word.