I was very pleased to see I’d drawn a Morph puzzle this time as I always find them entertaining.
Seeing 1D mentioned in several clues I naturally tried to crack that first, but didn’t solve it cold. First clue answered was 9A ECUADOR, which lead to considering 2D, 3D and 4D, all three with their reference to 1D. It was the MADE reversal that lead to the CHEESE theme and most of those clues were answered quickly, plus 1A.
It seemed like this was going to be a doddle – just slotting the cheeses in where they would fit – then the initial rush slowed to a stop. First pass (when I have attempted all clues) came with 13 answered, 17 to go – well before half way. What was more worrying was that there was already one (11A) where I had all the crossing letters and still couldn’t see it.
The rest took a lot longer. Even after a break, I struggled. Most turned out to be decent clues with well wrought traps to mislead; others are just plain hard (e.g. 11A) and there are a couple where I still cannot fully justify the wordplay: 10A and 26A.
So in the end it proved more tricky than the first taste and worthy of the prize slot. Cheers, Morph.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAMEMBERT | Whip grabbing MP’s 1D (9) MEMBER (MP) inside CAT (whip) |
| 6 | CHALK | Writer, one that’ll appear on cue (5) DD: Chalk is used on the end of a snooker cue, and on a blackboard |
| 9 | ECUADOR | Cue hopeless, pointless love for country (7) CUE* ADOR[e] The clue that gave me the flying start |
| 10 | FROMAGE | Across or down, one of maturity (7) FROM AGE (one of maturity) The grid has plenty of cheeses in both Across and Down lights but I still wonder how we were supposed to get this – I needed all the (correct!) crossing letters Edit: “Across or down, one” refers to 1A and 1D Camembert Cheese, which gives us the indication that the answer should be French, as explained by Muffyword in comment 3, then FROM AGE (of maturity) |
| 11 | SLEW | Greatly amused a great many (4) DD Last answer – it had to be a double def. As a noun Slew can refer to a large number; As past participle of the verb to Slay it has the sense of affecting an audience especially by making them laugh. In fact the whole clue could be taken as a Cryptic Def. |
| 12 | PLAYED BALL | After dalliance, shadow minister getting end away was cooperative (6,4) PLAY (dalliance) ED BALL[s] Kicked myself for not getting this sooner as Ed Balls is a frequent visitor to the Private Eye crossword |
| 14 | BRIEF ENCOUNTER | 1D, 27 contains something soft and watery – get film (5,9) BRIE (1D cheese) COUNTER (27 Board) around FEN (something soft and watery) |
| 18 | APPRENTICESHIP | Work experience application is attractive, knowing to include essential expertise (14) APP[lication] ENTICES (attractive) HIP (knowing) around R from [expe]R[tise]. |
| 20 | ACT THE GOAT | Get coat and hat, shambolic fool (3,3,4) (GET COAT HAT)* AInd: shambolic |
| 23 | FETA | Relocation of A&E could spell doom for this 1D (4) FATE (doom) with the A and E swapped |
| 25 | OCEANIA | Back green motoring group touring part of UK island region (7) ECO< (back green) AA (motoring group) around (touring) NI (part of UK) |
| 26 | OILIEST | Extremely smug art misleading with attempt to attract attention? (7) Cannot fully explain: OI (attempt to attract attention) LIES (misleading) but where do we get the T from? I liked the definition though. Oils are supposed to be the pinnacle of high art and I can imagine the “Oiliest” being extremely smug about it Edit: The “art” here is nothing to do with oil paintings, it is the archaic second personal of the verb “to be” as explained by Kettledrum in comment 1. I have corrected the underlining for the definition too – art is part of the wordplay. |
| 27 | BOARD | Where you might find 1D and 6A, though very different, get on (5) 6A and 1D, Chalk and Cheese, may both be found on a Board |
| 28 | DISPERSAL | Intended effect of riot act policeman’s heartlessly reading (9) DI’s (policeman’s – Detective Inspector) PER[u]SAL |
| Down | ||
| 1 | CHEESE | Food that’s said to make models happy, superficially (6) DD Food, and what is said when having your photo taken as this is supposed to make you smile |
| 2 | MOUSETRAP | Master pours tea out, supplying some 1D (9) M[aster] (POURS TEA)* AInd: out |
| 3 | MADE | Produced 1D the wrong way (4) EDAM< |
| 4 | ENROLMENT | Mustering ends of 1D in grater, melt on toast (9) [chees]E [i]N [grate]R (MELT ON)* AInd: toast. Tricky, using a clear Anagram indicator (melt) as anagram fodder. I had thought of enrolment earlier but did not see the wordplay and did not even pencil it in till I had most of the crossers. |
| 5 | TUFTY | Stout fatty regularly locked up? (5) Alternate letters sToUt FaTtY – if a bit of your hair (a lock) is sticking up, then it is a tuft and you are probably, like Freddie Emsworth from Blandings below, in the tufty club. |
| 6 | CLOUDBURST | Could perhaps shower? (10) Inverse wordplay with the answer to be used as a clue (CLOUD* AInd: burst. = COULD) I really liked this, though in my delight at solving it I quickly wrote in COULDBURST which snookeered me getting 10A a while longer |
| 7 | AQABA | In Iraq, a bazaar’s Jordanian hangout (5) Hidden in irAQ A BAzaar |
| 8 | KNEELERS | Bargees with new fitted cushions (8) N[ew] inside KEELERS (bargees) |
| 13 | TELEPHONED | Called to help, need mobile (10) (TO HELP NEED)* AInd: mobile |
| 15 | COCKATOOS | Australian fliers prepare to fire at fowl with wings clipped (9) COCK () AT [g]OOS[e] |
| 16 | TRITENESS | Dubious interests being stock? (9) (INTERESTS)* AInd: Dubious |
| 17 | CATACOMB | Alternative to 2 perhaps having a search in underground network (8) CAT (Alternative to 2 – mousetrap – both catch mice) A COMB (a search) I was mislead into thinking about cheese (i.e. Alternative to mousetrap) as the def. |
| 19 | CANTAL | Is Rev Green unable to get 10? (6) CANT AL (Is Rev Green unable) This took me ages to understand because I naturally thought it referred to Cluedo’s Rev Green – who doesn’t have a first name as far as I can tell, (though there is a hint that he is Jonathon), but searching I found this Rev Al Green that fits the bill |
| 21 | THETA | Character in Greek drama not concerned with altered ending (5) THEATRE – RE (not concerned) and with the last two letters swapped (altered ending) |
| 22 | GLAND | Government over nation, a source of blood, sweat and tears (5) G[overnment] LAND |
| 24 | BLUE | Sexy 1D like this may be Danish (4) DD: Blue = sexy; Danish Blue is a cheese |
Thanks beer magnet.
I think the way 26a works is (thou) liest = (thou) art misleading.
I had the same problems with 10a and 26a.
The best I could come up with for 10a is that the definition is “across or down one” (cheeses) with the wordplay “of maturity” somehow giving “from age”, but I’m far from convinced. As for 26a I thought the definition was just “extremely smug” with “art” and “misleading” giving “oil” and “lies”, but then I’m lost.
Thanks beermagnet, and to Morph for the challenge
Thanks Morph and beermagnet,
I think 10ac is a reference to ONE across or ONE down (Camembert Cheese) with “of maturity” as the definition.
I enjoyed this puzzle greatly, and I like the way you tell the story of your solving experience in the blog.
I realise that my wordplay for 26a doesn’t work (too many “l”s), but I would still like “art” to belong to the wordplay and not the definition. I can’t share beermagnet’s enthusiasm for the definition as he identifies it.
Thanks to setter and blogger – both v. enjoyable,
Grr! Only missed out on one of those pesky 4 letter clues, in this case 11. Somewhat comforting to know that you found it hard too, beermagnet. Yes, I couldn’t fully parse 26 either, and I think you’re correct Kettledrum, with that archaic use of the verb ‘to be’ which occasionally crops up and which I always miss. “Brief Encounter” (and therefore Rachmaninov for that matter) ‘soft and watery’ – sacrilege!
Yes – I’m sure Kettledrum is right about 26a. In my early morning stupor I hadn’t realised it when writing my responses @2 and @4
My main memory of this is relief that it was easier than the previous week’s. Once I discovered the cheese theme, it filled in quickly, except for 11ac, which took me ages to see. I agree with Kettledrum for 26ac.
Kettledrum: Thank you for clearing up 26A OILIEST. Archaic grammar strikes again.
Muffyword: For FROMAGE the main thing that troubled me was a lack of indication that the word should be French, so your suggestion that it refers to 1A and 1D fits the bill. Thank you too.
I enjoyed this puzzle a lot. I thought I was going to be in for a fast solve because I saw 1ac and 1dn right away, but I slowed down towards the end. CANTAL was my LOI because I didn’t know the cheese and it took me a while to see that the wordplay was referring to Al Green. I agree with Kettledrum@1 and Muffyword@3’s parsings of 10ac and 26ac.
Thank you Morph – the usual fun time was had with this lovely cheesy themed crossword.
Thanks to beermagnet for the blog too.
Flew through this until 11ac stopped me dead for an hour or so but quite enjoyed the chalk and cheese puzzle, thanks Morph.
More like this please.