(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) It’s been some time since I last blogged a Tramp. Today’s is just as tricky and just as enjoyable, with many clues having Muppets references. Thanks to Tramp. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8 It went into space in newspaper feature, leaning characters on right missing (8)
COLUMBIA : [ “column”(a newspaper feature) + “bias”(a leaning;a tendency towards)] minus(… missing) their respective rightmost letters(characters on right).
Defn: One of the US space shuttles.
9 See 23 down
10 Just after leg and jacket for creature (4)
ONCE : ON(in cricket, the leg side;the side of the field to the left of a right-handed batsman as he faces the bowler ) plus(and) the outermost letters of(jacket for) “creature “.
Defn. and Answer: As in “call me just after/once you arrive”.
11 Swedish chef’s starter: an order for food (10)
SANDWICHES : Anagram of(… order) [SWEDISH + the 1st letter of(…’s starter) “chef ” + AN].
12 Fish – one on bed? (6)
KIPPER : Double defn: 1st: A cured fish, especially a herring; and 2nd: Crytically, one who kips;sleeps.
14 Ways Muppet calls for cuddles (8)
PASSAGES : ASS(a muppet;a stupid person) contained in(… cuddles) PAGES(calls for, over the public address system, say).
16 Then beat bad grade after one term in chemistry (7)
ISOTOPE : [ SO(then, as in “and so/then to bed” + TOP(to beat;to surpass) + E(a bad grade, in any alphabetical grading system) ] placed after(after, in an across clue) I(Roman numeral for “one”).
Defn: … for one of two or more forms of the same element with atoms containing a different number of neutrons.
18 Brown hesitant about growth (7)
SWARTHY : SHY(hesitant) containing(about) WART(a growth on the skin caused by certain viruses).
Defn: … or dark-complexioned.
21 Head couples to nose – Gonzo’s arm’s easy section with restricted movement (2-2,4)
NO-GO AREA : The 1st two letters, respectively, of(Head couples to) “nose – Gonzo’s arm’s easy “.
23 Cutting Muppets, originally outstanding (6)
MOWING : The 1st letter of(…, originally) “Muppets ” + OWING(outstanding;unpaid).
24 One calling helper, confused with tone (10)
TELEPHONER : Anagram of(…, confused …) [HELPER
plus(with) TONE].
Defn: … on the telephone.
26 Top margin on book (4)
BRIM : RIM(a margin;an edge) placed after(on, in an across clue) B(abbrev. for “book”).
Defn: As in “fill me up to the top”.
27 Smart one controlling puppet? Not right (5)
STING : “string”(one of those controlling a puppet’s movements) minus(Not) “r”(abbrev. for “right”).
28 Left Fozzie, perhaps, to produce too many? (8)
OVERBEAR : OVER(in surplus;left) + BEAR(an example of which;perhaps is Fozzie of the Muppets).
Down
1 Mostly Jim Henson animating chaps (8)
JOHNNIES : Anagram of(… animating) [ “Jim ” minus its last letter(Mostly) + HENSON].
Defn: Men;fellas.
2 Blow up big bird, female upset (4)
FUME : Reversal of(… upset) [EMU(a big Australian flightless bird) + F(abbrev. for “female”) ].
3 Old live series more 25 (6)
OBESER : O(abbrev. for “old”) + BE(to exist;to live) + SER(abbrev. for “series”).
Answer: If you were more obese, you’d be more huge(answer to 25 down).
4 Animal tastes plants (7)
CATNIPS : CAT(animal) + NIPS(tastes;takes a bite).
Like what the clue and answer says:
5 Sick records written up by week (4)
SPEW : Reversal of(… written up, in a down clue) EPS(abbrev. for “extended plays”, old sound recording and playback formats) plus(by) W(abbrev. for “week”).
Defn: and an0 To vomit or what is vomited.
6 Ring posh school for one working on a farm? (4,6)
DISC HARROW : DISC(a flat circular plate, like a ring with a solid centre) + HARROW(posh English public school).
7 Cancel date, turn over TV before endless sex (6)
DELETE : [ D(abbrev. for “date”) + reversal of(turn over, in a down clue) TELE(short for the television) ]placed above(before, in a down clue) “sex ” minus its 1st and last letters(endless).
13 Notice gap in organisation – hospital cuts could cause disease (10)
PATHOGENIC : Anagram of(… in organisation) NOTICE GAP containing(… cuts) H(abbrev. for “hospital”).
Defn: Descriptive of pathogens;disease-causing agents, especially micro-organisms.
15 Watched Statler and Waldorf’s opening sequence (3)
SAW : The 1st letters, respectively, of(…’s opening sequence) “Statler and Waldorf “.
17 A quiet couple in Bert and Ernie (3)
PER : P(abbrev. for “piano”, the musical direction to play softly) + the 2 letters common to both(couple in … and …) “Bert ” & ” Ernie “.
Answer: As in “price per/a piece”.
19 Restrict saucy thing – tart not available to climb inside (8)
HANDICAP : HP(the brand name of the brown sauce most popular in the UK) containing(… inside) reversal of(… to climb, in a down clue) [ ACID(tart;sharp to the taste) + N.A.(abbrev. for “not available”) ].
20 Sky might feature this children’s programme (7)
RAINBOW : Double defn: 2nd: … on British television.
22 Too many drugs and tablets going to South American port (6)
ODESSA : OD(abbrev. for “overdose”;intake of too many drugs) plus(going to) E(slang for Ecstasy, the drug commonly in tablet form, from which comes the nickname “tab”)S + S.A.(abbrev. for South American).
23,9 Current figure in caper shot with Kermit (6,5)
MARKET PRICE : Anagram of(… shot …) [CAPER plus(with) KERMIT].
25 Cuddle close to Cookie Monster (4)
HUGE : HUG(a cuddle) + the last letter of(close to) “Cookie “.
Defn: Descriptive of very big things, as in “monster truck”.
26 Perhaps attractive Miss Piggy in film? (4)
BABE : Double defn: 1st: Slang for a young woman (or man) perceived as being sexually attractive; and 2nd: The baby pig in the film of the same name.
… Also a term of endearment, as here.
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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)
First picture is of erasers, or as they are commonly called in England ‘rubbers’. In the U.S., rubbers are condoms, and a rather dated term for condoms in the U.K. is ‘johnnies’ which, thankfully, Tramp (or perhaps the editor) refrained from using tastelessly in the clue.
The lady in picture 2 is clearly South African, and the late lamented Nelson Mandela sought to make post Apartheid South Africa the Rainbow Nation.
A bit of a long shot, but the record on the old gramophone in Picture 2 is an HMV 78rpm, and the label features the dog whose name was ‘Nipper’.
Sorry, @3, should read Picture 4.
I think that Picture 9 shows the character Columbia in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
#6 is Russ Hamilton – a, not-many-hit wonder, who had a hit with RAINBOW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyDvBmvFGPY
Picture 4, I think, refers to Columbia Records.
#3 looks like Gloria Hunniford, who I see won £5,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for a charity named in honour of her daughter, who died of breast cancer. If any of that is relevant, though, I’ll leave it for others to spot for the time being.
Ditto for #8, which is Emma Watson, no doubt in a Harry Potter film.
#3 is Frederick Forsyth who wrote The ODESSA File’
Emma Watson went to Brown University (18 ac)
#7 There is a place called ODESSA, Missouri and they make white wines in MO and in Odessa.
Is #7 the optimum or maximum or something amount of wine one should drink PER day.
@Robi #11 – we crossed – I think I prefer yours – looks like they do a generous échantillon.
Is this anything to do with #5? Hawaii’s athletic department is scrapping a plan to drop the word “RAINBOW” from its men’s teams’ nicknames.
The university announced Tuesday it is changing its football, baseball and other men’s team nicknames to the Rainbow Warriors — a name previously used by the football team but dropped in 2000.
Hi all, the score so far:
Pic1: Rubbers/JOHNNIES
Pic2: South Africa/RAINBOW nation
Pic3: Frederick Forsyth/The ODESSA File
Pic4: COLUMBIA Records, a pioneer in the music industry
Pic6: Russ Hamilton/RAINBOW
Pic9: COLUMBIA, the groupie, in The Rocky Horror (Picture) Show.
Pic8 is Emma Watson/Hermione Granger but what’s the link?
Er, you need to get back on track with the others.
HP is of course Harry Potter
#8 The author said that “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was about:
“going over one’s most harrowing ordeals and coming to terms with them”
so HARROW.
It’s available on Blue-Ray so DISC too.
#7: Pouilly-Fumé white wine [FUME]
#5 Hawaii is known as the rainbow state – on account of the frequent occurrence of that phenomenon there.
Or at least touristic promotions make use of that idea.
I thought Shirl @10’s Emma Watson connection was a good one – here’s another rather obscure link: she stars in ‘The Bling RING’ [6d]
Pretty tenuous, but Hermione’s name comes from the character in A Winter’s Tale, which has the famous line: ‘Exit, pursued by a BEAR.’
I’ll get me coat…..
Allegedly Hermione Granger wears a RAINBOW loom bracelet.
Emma Watson has, allegedly, had her phone hacked. Is that it?
Hi all,
Robi, right that Pouilly-Fumé is a white wine, and there’s also Fumé Blanc, another name for Sauvignon Blanc in the New World wine regions.
Pic5: You’re on the right track with Hawaii.
Pic8: Set aside Emma Watson.
5) Three BABEs performing the Hula dance?
8) Emma Watson was rumoured to have enrolled at COLUMBIA University?
After some googling, I found out that in “The Goblet of Fire” Hermione founs S.P.E.W., the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare
Sorry, should be “founds”
Pic 5: Hawaii was originally called the Sandwich Islands.
Shirl and Rullytully, yes, that wraps it up! Thanks all.