Another themed crossword from Gaff, but this time I was at a disadvantage, as one had to at least be following British politics during a certain period to get it. Thanks to my English crossword expert for enlightening me. And thanks to Gaff, though I couldn’t do justice to his well-constructed puzzle. Nevertheless, non-knowledge of the theme did not prevent one from finishing and parsing, except for explaining 1 down’s definition. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
This crossword, on the 1st anniversary of her death, is themed round Margaret Thatcher, as indicated by the additional note, though I don’t get the “improbable manoeuvre” bit (unless it’s to do with trying to snatch her handbag?). I have listed as many connections, including quotes, as I could find on the theme, but might still be missing some.
Across
1 Soaring out of control, missing capital Spanish city (6)
GIRONA : Anagram of(out of control) “Soaring ” minus(missing) its 1st letter(capital).
4 Gushing American in oath-making (8)
EFFUSING : US(abbrev. for things American) contained in(in) EFFING(oath-making;swearing, definitely not on the Bible, but from “f***ing”).
9 Meeting Billy Connolly? (5)
ASCOT : [A SCOT]( an example;? of which is Billy Connolly, the Big Yin).
Defn: A race meeting, at the famous English racecourse.
The Thatcher connection is here.
10 What builders like to make – good stone art (6,3)
STRONG TEA : Anagram of(to make) [ G(abbrev. for “good”) + STONE ART].
Defn: Cryptic reference to the inexpensive, strongly brewed, milky and very sweet beverage, colloquially named after construction workers, who supposedly like it, and which supposedly increases their output.
And Thatcher worked in J.Lyons, which had a chain of teashops and cafes. See also 8 down.
11 Street music leads to cacophony (7)
DISCORD : RD(abbrev. for “road”;a street) placed after(… leads, in an across clue) DISCO(dance music of the 70s).
Quote: “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.”
12 Agreement to early morning roll in the long grass (7)
HARMONY : Anagram of(… roll) MORN(dawn:early morning) contained in(in) HAY(grass cut and dried for fodder – I guess it could be long).
See 11 across.
13 Extract of Tamil knowledge (4)
MILK : Hidden in(of) “Tamil knowledge “.
See 14 across
14 Thief returns belts to singer (8)
SNATCHER : Reversal of(returns) TANS(belts;beats, with a belt maybe) plus(to) CHER(singer, who started as a duo with Sonny Bono).
Defn: … who seizes an opportunity.
13 and 14 across: Nickname for Thatcher after she removed free milk from the schools.
17 Plays containing ten small scenes (8)
DIORAMAS : DRAMAS(staged plays) containing(containing) IO(letters that look like 10;ten).
Defn: … made up of three-dimensional model figures against a background.
19 Just open a grate (4)
AJAR : A + JAR(to grate on the ears).
22 Club once highly tuned (7)
SOCIETY : Cryptic defn: Reference to the 1956 tune “High Society” by Louis Armstrong.
Quote: “They’re casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society…..”
24 Changing allegiance of codebreaker without name (7)
TURNING : TURING(Alan, considered the father of computer science, and who, during WW2 was a codebreaker in Britain’s Bletchley Park) containing(without;outside of) N(abbrev. for “name”).
Defn: … eg. spies.
Quote: “… The lady’s not for turning”, referring to herself. A re-working of the title of Christopher Fry’s play “The Lady’s Not For Burning”, an ironic reference to what many would have liked to do instead.
25 Star pilot (4-5)
HIGH-FLIER : Double defn: 1st: One with great ability and ambition, going to or in high positions; and 2nd: …, literally.
26 A hundred remaining from division (5)
CLEFT : C(Roman numeral for a hundred) + LEFT(remaining;unused or not taken).
Defn: A split in something, say, a chin or palate.
27 Stopped on the way to . . . ? (8)
ARRESTED : Double defn: 2nd: The next step after this could be;? prison(the answer to the next clue).
See 28 across.
28 . . . . cooler advertising works (6)
PRISON : PR(abbrev. for “public relations”;activities and material serving to advertise and promote) + [IS ON](is working, eg. an electric appliance).
Defn: …, in slang.
Thatcher’s son Mark was arrested, tried, fined and given a suspended jail sentence in South Africa.
Down
1 Ce que nous sommes – there’s money in sport (8)
GRANDAME : RAND(unit of currency;money in South Africa) contained in(in) GAME(a sport).
Defn: Translated to: “We are what we are”. I am probably missing the French connection here.
Answer: A grandmother, as in this Thatcher quote: “We have become a grandmother”, on the birth of her first grandchild. The use of the royal “we” did not endear her to many.
2 Guaranteed to support note to oneself (4-5)
ROCK-SOLID : ROCK(a support;a person or thing that can be depended on or provides a firm foundation) + SOL(so;the syllable for the note in the diatonic musical scale).
Defn: … to withstand and not change, fail or collapse.
3 Against foot massage in enhancing nerve centres (3,3)
NOT FOR : Anagram of(massage) FOOT contained in(in) middle letters, respectively, of(… centres) “enhancing nerve “.
See 24 across.
5 Keep note producer entertained by mad party host as well (3,4,6)
FOR THAT MATTER : FORT(a keep;a fortified building) + [ ATM(abbrev. for “Automated Teller Machine”;a banknote “producer”) contained in(entertained by) HATTER(the Mad, tea party host in “Alice In Wonderland”) ].
Quote: “I will never be one of those women, who stay silent and pretty on the arm of her husband. Or remote and alone in the kitchen doing the washing up for that matter.”
6 Elevated cardinal in Londoner’s guide to Manchester, for example (2,5)
UP NORTH : UP(elevated;in a higher position) + NORTH(one of the 4 cardinal points on the compass).
Defn: The direction to go;guide, to get from London to Manchester, for example.
Thatcher supposedly created, or at least widened, a north-south divide in British politics.
7 Lead in first titanium-iron mixture (5)
INTRO : 1st letter of(first) “titanium ” + anagram of(… mixture) IRON.
8 Knight maybe sly gad-about (6)
GLADYS : Anagram of(about) SLY GAD.
Defn: An example of which;maybe is Gladys Knight, soul singer, who started out with the Pips.
Thatcher at one time worked for J.Lyons but not as a Gladys, the name once for the waitresses that worked in the company’s teashops and cafes.
10 Lot of office workers reportedly maintained way in essence (9,4)
SEDENTARY LIFE : Homophone of(reportedly) [ “said”(maintained verbally, as in “she maintained she was right”) + “entry”(a way in) ] + LIFE(the essence;something that exists, especially a spiritual or intangible entity).
Defn: The fate of workers who are bound to their desks with minimal physical activity.
15 Celebrants raucously jeer choirs lacking a bit of holiness (9)
REJOICERS : Anagram of(raucously) “jeer choirs ” minus the 1st letter of(lacking a bit of) “holiness “.
Quote: “Just rejoice at that news and congratulate our forces and the marines. .. Rejoice.” during the Falklands War.
16 Coastal city ship’s 28 right from 6 (8)
BRIGHTON : BRIG(a lockup;a prison;answer to 28 across, on board a ship) + “r”(abbrev. for “right”) deleted from(from) reversal of(UP;the 1st part of the answer to 6 down, in a down clue) NORTH(the 2nd part of the answer to 6 down).
Site of an assassination attempt on Thatcher.
18 Gang member‘s obligation to hold enemy back (3,2,2)
ONE OF US : ONUS(an obligation;a responsibility, usually burdensome) containing(to hold) reversal of(… back) FOE(an enemy).
Title of a biography of Thatcher.
20 A maths problem inspiring trouble (6)
ASTHMA : Anagram of(… problem) A MATHS.
Defn: A medical condition causing difficulty breathing;inspiring. Nice defn.
21 Retailer raised some Pembrokeshire corgis (6)
GROCER : Reversal of(raised) and hidden in(some) “Pembrokeshire corgis “.
The occupation of Thatcher’s father.
23 Sad time gone up in smoke (5)
CIGAR : Reversal of(up, in a down clue) “tragic” minus(gone) “t”(abbrev. for “time”).
Defn: Something you smoke.
Another barnstorming tour de force from the always excellent Gaff, and my congratulations scchua on negotiating your way through it.
Just a small correction vis a vis 22. High Society, 1956 version, was performed by Louis Armstrong but actually written by Cole Porter.
To most people of my predilections, however, High Society is a multi-themed march, a warhorse in the repertoire of New Orleans jazz, featuring an obligatory and supposedly virtuosic clarinet solo, based on one originally played by Alphonse Picou.
(It’s Ok, I’m back in my box now.)
Thanks scchua and Gaff,
I think the “improbable manoeuvre” is the turn (to the left) that she who is not for turning makes from THAT to CHER.
Thanks for explaining GRANDAME.
Well, the theme was completely wasted on me.
However, it didn’t prevent me from completing the puzzle which is a good sign and which enhances the quality of the puzzle.
Gaff has his own style of setting which is at times highly original.
In this crossword it wasn’t different.
What about “early morning roll” for (MORN)*? Not sure whether I like it or not but I got it anyway.
All in all, lots of clever stuff (but not as hard as usual with a Gaff).
The only clue that I found really contrived was BRIGHTON (16d). Especially since ‘right’ = R here while the word RIGHT is part of the solution too.
Many thanks to scchua and Gaff.
Thanks Muffyword. Now I get it. Ingenious.
Well done scchua for finding almost all the references, including a couple that had not actually occurred to me! Nor had it registered, Muffyword, that the improbable turn was to the left – a happy bit of serendipity!
1 across and 8 down taken together reveal the final reference.
On the first anniversary of her departure. Doesn’t time fly!