Independent 8,569 / Dac

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Dac returns to his spiritual home of the Wednesday slot this week.

After the difficulties I had penetrating last week’s wordplay, I was somewhat relieved to find that I could parse most, if not all, of these clues to my satisfaction. I am not totally sure of 2, 10 and 19, so comments from fellow solvers would be welcome.

There are tightly crafted clues and smooth surfaces in abundance here, as is Dac’s wont. If I had to pick out some personal favourites, I would plump for 15, for its surface and for making me smile; and 9 and 20, for the thematic link between clue and answer in both.

I only hope others enjoyed this one as much as I did.

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in double-definition clues

Across    
     
01 MISER One reluctant to spend money on phone card during recession

RE (=on) + SIM (=phone card); “during recession” indicates   reversal
     
04 DIVERSION Would-be swimmer is going backwards and forwards for fun

DIVER (=would-be swimmer) + SI (IS; “going backwards”   indicates reversal) + ON (=forwards)
     
09 COURT CASE Right to accuse criminal in trial

*(R (=right) + TO ACCUSE); “criminal” is anagram indicator
     
10 DEFOE Without doubt minor English author

DEFO (=without doubt, i.e. slang for definitely) + E (=English; “minor” indicates abbreviation); the reference is to English writer Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)
     
11 ON FIRE I’ll bring in some wood for burning

FIR (=some wood) in ONE (=I, i.e. the number one)
     
12 OF COURSE Odd characters banned from golf links, as expected

<g>O<l>F (“odd characters banned” means odd letters are dropped) + COURSE (=links, i.e. for golf)
     
14 HAVE A FLING What caber-tossing adulterer will do?

To toss is to fling, throw
     
16 HAND A little orphan demanded help

Hidden (“a little”) in “orpHAN Demanded”; to give a hand is to offer help
     
19 PONY Shipping line going to NY for £25

PO (=shipping line, i.e. P&O) + NY; “pony” is slang for £25
     
20 OSTEOPATHS Some practitioners love reorganisation of state hospital? Not half

O (=love, i.e. zero score) + *(STATE + HOSP<ital>); “not half” means half of letters are dropped; “reorganisation” is anagram indicator
     
22 MEATHEAD One’s stupid to consume hot drink outside

[EAT (=to consume) + H (=hot)] in MEAD (=drink)
     
23 SCRAPE Small portion with last of the pickle

SCRAP (=small portion) + <th>E (“last of” means last letter only)
     
26 PHOTO Picasso’s tips for framing attractive picture

HOT (=attractive) in P<icass>O (“tips” means first and last letters only)
     
27 REAR LIGHT Come down again, clutching middle of torch as source of illumination

<to>R<ch> (“middle of” means middle letter only) in RE-ALIGHT (=come down again)
     
28 PASSENGER Traveller about to go on break round loch, proceeding westwards

RE + [NESS (=loch) in GAP (=break)]; “proceeding   westwards” indicates reversal
     
29 DINAR Foreign currency not quite enough for Breton resort

DINAR<d> (=Breton resort); “not quite enough” means last letter dropped
     
Down    
     
01 MICROCHIP I’m upset about brief swaying motion in part of computer

MI (I’m; “upset” indicates vertical reversal) + C (=about) + ROC<k> (=swaying motion; “brief” means last letter dropped) + HIP (=in, i.e. fashionable)
     
02 SNUFF According to some, has sufficient amount of tobacco

Homophone (“according to some”) of “ ‘s enough” (=has sufficient)
     
03 ROTARIAN Terribly arrogant, one’s no good as fund-raiser

*(ARRO<g>ANT + I (=one)); “no good (=G)” means letter “g” is dropped; “terribly” is anagram indicator; a Rotarian is a member of the Rotary Club
     
04 DRAM Lacking energy, fancy a quick drink

DR<e>AM (=fancy, i.e. imagine); “lacking energy (=E)” means letter “e” is dropped
     
05 VIEWFINDER Gallup employee’s camera accessory

Cryptically, someone conducting opinion polls could be described as a “view-finder”!
     
06 RED-TOP Tabloid editor supporting Republican chief

R (=Republican) + ED (=editor) + TOP (=chief)
     
07 INFORMANT Teacher in class with a set of books for RE

IN + FORM (=class) + A + NT (=set of books for RE, i.e. New Testament)
     
08 NIECE Member of family in brownie ceremony

Hidden (“in”) in “browNIE CEremony”
     
13 CLASS A DRUG Bounder on the carpet, involving girl in illegal substance

LASS (=girl) in [CAD (=bounder) + RUG (=carpet)]
     
15 VINDALOOS French wine old boy knocked back with unusually large curries

VIN (=French wine, i.e. the French word for wine) + DALO (O=old + LAD=boy; “knocked   back” indicates reversal) + OS (=unusually large, i.e. outsize)
     
17 DISSENTER Noncomformist Norfolk town register

DISS (=Norfolktown) + ENTER (=register, i.e. record, as a verb)
     
18 SPECKLED Spotted Gregory being transported in winter?

PECK (=Gregory, i.e. US actor) “in SLED” (=being transported in winter); speckled is “spotted” as an adjective
     
21 THRONE Seat of power moved north-east

*(NORTH + E (=east)); “moved” is anagram indicator
     
22 MOP UP Clean hair standing on end?

MOP (=hair) + UP (=standing on end)
     
24 ARGON Gas badly affected organ

*(ORGAN); “badly affected” is anagram indicator
     
25 PARR Standard recipe for fish

PAR (=standard) + R (=recipe)
     
     

 

6 comments on “Independent 8,569 / Dac”

  1. I did enjoy this one, thank you. But I always enjoy Dac’s puzzles. Nicely crafted, with everything there if you go looking for it.

    I think you are right with your parsing of 2, 10 and 19, RR, although ‘minor English’ for E seems a bit odd, if that indeed is what the setter intended. And SNUFF works if you think about the expression ’nuff said’.

    Thanks to S&B.

  2. Was slightly puzzled by 7D. If Teacher is the definition and INFORMANT the answer, perhaps there should be a ? somewhere in the clue, as the answer is a whimsical definition, at best, of a teacher (unless there’s something I’ve missed about the clue).

    Thanks to Dac and RatkojaRiku

  3. Another enjoyable Dac puzzle. I also agree with RR’s parsing of 2, 10 and 19. I finished this puzzle in the NE quadrant and INFORMANT was one of my last entries. In light of gwep@2’s comment I just checked my Chamber and its first definition of “inform” is “to pass on knowledge to”, and for “informant” it says “someone who informs or communicates information”, so Dac’s definition of “teacher” works for me. RED TOP was rather inexplicably my LOI after DEFOE.

  4. An IN-FORM ANT would be a worker in the class or the teacher too 🙂

    Thanks RR & Dac as ever

  5. The only one I had trouble with in this typically excellent puzzle was DEFOE: didn’t know this abbreviation for ‘definitely’ and thought that it was OE = Old English which in some way was minor English. Very doubtful, but then ‘minor’ as a term for abbreviation does also seem, as K’s D says, a bit odd.

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