Independent 8,591 by Quixote

by

Monday morning and as is usual every fortnight a mostly easy crossword with a few zingers from Quixote.

Some nice anagrams, hints of Science & religion and a couple of obscurities, yep its Quixote doing what he does best.

 

Across

1 Not be taken in by description of flimsy underwear? (3-7)
SEE-THROUGH
Double-cryptic definition

9 Morgan‘s supporters? (5)
PIERS

Hmm the rather less than beloved ex newspaper editor and TV host and a double definiton

10 Spread out when receiving message — activity ‘foiled’? (9)
SWORDPLAY
WORD – message in SPLAY, activity “foiled” or epée-d perhaps

11 Regret about ending of the money hangers-on? (7)
RETINUE

(th)E and TIN (money) all in RUE for regret

12 Only one of the eleven incompetent? That can be defended (7)
TENABLE
If 1 in 11 can’t, then TEN are ABLE

13 First sign of miracle has to transform doubter (6)
THOMAS
[M(iracle) HAS TO]*

14 Seaman danced excitedly round Hong Kong after return (4,4)
DECK HAND
HK reversed in DANCED*

17 Hated activity being interrupted by assessment (8)
DETESTED
TEST assessment in DEED activity

19 A team’s comments for limited audience (6)
ASIDES
A & SIDE’S

22 Rodent‘s droppings round old pile of rocks (7)
POTOROO
TOR rocks & Old in POO for this Marsupial rodent

23 Vehicle to stay in compound (7)
CARBIDE
CAR & BIDE

24 Religious type excited by antechoir (9)
ANCHORITE
ANTECHOIR*

25 Fear, hatred? Some of that edges off for enlightened Buddhist (5)
ARHAT
Hidden in feAR HATred. Had to check this one on line but wordplay clear enough

26 Thrifty type once, terrible old Scrooge (10)
ECONOMISER
ONCE* & Old & MISER

Down

1 First hint of Providence at Red Sea — surprisingly it’s this! (9)
SEPARATED
[P(rovidence) AT RED SEA]*

2 Reconvened as circle to test some bit of physics (14)
ELECTROSTATICS
[AS CIRCLE TO TEST]* Quixote does create some nice long anagrams

3 Start of hymn with huge girl giving shout of praise (7)
HOSANNA

H(ymn) * OS huge & ANNA

4 Oxford University’s young rebel once thrown out (6)
OUSTED
O(xford) U(university)’S & 1950’s bad boy TED

5 Caves with little piggies buried under rubbish (8)
GROTTOES

GROT rubbish & TOES (piggies as in This little piggy went to market, that has tickled children for generations…)

6 Old tribe’s housed in Greek city (6)
GDANSK
DAN (a Tribe of Israel but I’m sure you all knew that, I didn’t) & ‘S all in G(ree)K

7 Lunch basics — we’d supply food with toast or bread (4,10)
CLUB SANDWICHES
[LUNCH BASICS WE’D]* supply

8 Evil personality put out of sight reportedly (4)
HYDE
Mr HYDE, sounds like HIDE

15 Nonconformist‘s insult put on record (9)
DISSENTER
DISS insult & ENTER

16 Violent maid once seen as devil-possessed individual (8)
DEMONIAC
[MAID ONCE]*

18 Address delivered by wiser Monsignor (6)
SERMON
Hidden in wiSER MONsignor

20 Mockery scars a suffering maiden (7)
SARCASM
[SCARS A]* & M(aiden)

21 Mass of rocks, any number forming a barrier (6)
SCREEN
SCREE rocks & N any number

22 Hear victim beg (4)
PRAY
Hom of PREY

*anagram

12 comments on “Independent 8,591 by Quixote”

  1. Enjoyed this a lot – thank you, Quixote! And to flashling for a clear and concise post.

    Got Gdansk through “housed in Greek” and the crosses from 10 and 12 – had to then confirm that there was indeed an old tribe called Dan!

  3. Actually I *do* have a quibble about the clueing for POTOROO. “Rodent droppings…” would have worked well enough as the surface and would have been truer to the answer. Why “Rodent’s droppings…” – what does that possessive apostrophe achieve?

  5. Guardian unavailable today so I’ve spent a bit of a train journey with the Indy instead. Given I’m not a great Rufus fan, it’s a fair exchange. A lot of fun here, if perhaps a few too many anagrams, with PIERS taking a long time to feature in my list of famous Morgans.

  6. For me, quickest solve of all time. A littler different to last Monday.

    Thanks to Quixote and flashling.

  7. Great stuff for a little mental exercise after lunch (no 7s though). Hadn’t heard of POTOROO or ARHAT but they were clear enough from wordplay and crossing letters. Favourites were SWORDPLAY, TENABLE and GDANSK.

    Thanks, Quixote and flashling.

  8. Once I’d established at 24ac that there is no such religious type as a HECTORIAN, this came along nicely. A little religious mini-theme, perhaps, but no particular specialist knowledge required. Liked PIERS, but it took the crossers before I could get it.

    Thanks to S&B.

  9. Neat puzzle and blog.
    An unrelated query: Does Quixote favour Quay-hoh-tay OR Quicks-oat? Anyone know. Every time I do one of his/her puzzles my brain buzzes back and forth between the two pronunciations. Thanks!

  10. Thanks for the blog.

    I wasn’t happy with Potoroo defined as rodent – there is no such thing as a ‘marsupial rodent’ – although it’s common name is rat-kangaroo it is a marsupial (as in your wikipedia link) & so in a different order of mammals from the rodents.

  11. @heather, having talked to him it was key ho tay. @shikasta, i agree but if the dictionary Don used says rodent then that’s what he can use.

  12. Thanks for the blog flashling. We’re with skikasta in thinking that a potoroo is a marsupial although it looks very much like a rodent!

    Apart from that, an enjoyable solve tonight. We didn’t know DAN either but it was easy to guess.

    Thanks Quixote!

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