A very enjoyable Sunday puzzle from Poins once again, with plenty to think about and work through. Surface readings are remarkably smooth, resulting in some very well-hidden definitions.
I faltered a bit in the top left corner, where I hadn’t heard of a COURT CARD, but wouldn’t have had too much trouble figuring it out, had I not failed to spot the seemingly quite tractable 1 across.
| Across | ||
| 1 | Small pot (6) | |
| Two definitions. Think of “pocket-sized” and also snooker. | ||
| 4 | STRIPPER | The sort of worker who barely makes a living (8) |
| Cryptic definition. | ||
| 9 | TRUSTY | Hear about American president finally being faithful (6) |
| (US + [presiden]T) in TRY. | ||
| 10 | HIGH MASS | Service area in Mississippi sheltered by lofty trees at the rear (4,4) |
| (A in MS) in (HIGH + [tree]S). | ||
| 12 | ENTANGLE | Catch fish with cast net (8) |
| NET* + ANGLE. | ||
| 13 | ORDEAL | Desai ignoring the odds during amazing Lord’s test (6) |
| [d]E[s]A[i] in LORDS*. I had to Google it, but I guess this is a reference to Ramakant Desai. | ||
| 15 | NEAR | Almost new organ (4) |
| N + EAR. | ||
| 16 | AGGRANDISE | Advance of one thousand pounds is received in time (10) |
| (GRAND + IS) in AGE. | ||
| 19 | INDEFINITE | Not certain to get home on it after steering device gets stuck in river (10) |
| IN + ((FIN + IT) in DEE). | ||
| 20 | SPAR | Concealed in this particular box (4) |
| Hidden in [thi]S PAR[ticular]. | ||
| 23 | SACRED | Holy city located in Swaziland (6) |
| ACRE in SD. | ||
| 25 | ENCOMIUM | Praise for ideas originally introduced to troubled commune (8) |
| I[deas] in COMMUNE*. | ||
| 27 | ELEVATOR | It’s essential to compel Eva to refuse a lift (8) |
| Hidden in [comp]EL EVA TO R[efuse]. | ||
| 28 | ARCANA | American soldiers withholding container’s secrets (6) |
| CAN in (A + RA). | ||
| 29 | TROLLOPE | Writer‘s old lines filled with irony – maybe just the opposite (8) |
| (O + L + L) in TROPE. | ||
| 30 | REVERE | Always cutting about this American patriot (6) |
| EVER in RE. This chap. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PATTERN | Girl with Bird is a typical example (7) |
| PAT + TERN. | ||
| 2 | COURT CARD | Curry favour with eccentric queen perhaps (5,4) |
| COURT + CARD. | ||
| 3 | EXTANT | Surviving without Brown to face Tory leader (6) |
| EX + TAN + T[ory]. | ||
| 5 | TRIP | Band’s pointless journey (4) |
| [s]TRIP[e]. South and East being compass points. | ||
| 6 | INHERENT | It’s natural at this time to support trendy conservationists (8) |
| IN + HERE + NT. | ||
| 7 | PLACE | Identify soft fabric (5) |
| P + LACE. | ||
| 8 | RESOLVE | Ever so large rum bottle (7) |
| (EVER SO L)*. | ||
| 11 | ELEGANT | Graceful animal deprived of watering hole for good (7) |
| From ELEPHANT, but with G in place of PH. | ||
| 14 | PRETEND | Extremely popular energy minister to make a false claim (7) |
| P[opula]R + E + TEND. | ||
| 17 | IMPLICATE | Involve one with power to stop climate change (9) |
| I + (P in CLIMATE*). | ||
| 18 | AFTER ALL | In spite of expectations of support Rex is abandoned completely (5,3) |
| [r]AFTER + ALL. | ||
| 19 | INSPECT | Vet discovering ill-treated pets in Cuba (7) |
| (PETS IN C)*. | ||
| 21 | RAMPAGE | A politician appears in Vogue causing storm (7) |
| A MP in RAGE. | ||
| 22 | COERCE | Force Frenchmen out of business (6) |
| CO[mm]ERCE. | ||
| 24 | CREDO | Colombia’s incorporating socialist beliefs (5) |
| RED in CO. | ||
| 26 | LOOP | Failing to complete crazy flying stunt (4) |
| LOOP[y]. | ||
* = anagram; < = reversed; [] = removed; underlined = definition
Does anyone know if this is available on line, please.
Good point – the Independent site doesn’t seem to be updated yet.
Often the best way around that is to use the free Crossword Solver program (http://www.crosswordsolver.info/), and then tell it to “Download Puzzle” and paste in this URL:
http://www.independent.co.uk/independent.co.uk/editorial/xword/c_030814.bin
It works for other days too, if you modify the numbers at the end to represent the date you require.
That is odd. 1275/Poins was displayed when I visited the Indy website at about 7am and it was still there when I checked again a few minutes ago.
Thanks very much. I do use crossword solver to get the daily one but didn’t know the URL.
Got it now.
Like Simon I both enjoyed this puzzle a lot and finished in the NW corner, which didn’t really open up for me until I finally twigged POCKET, one of the better DDs I’ve seen of late. The PATTERN/NEAR crossers were my last ones in.
Pocket was my LOI. Took a minute or two to see it. Also liked 21d.
Thx
Forgot to ask. Why is PH a watering hole?
almw3 @ 7.
It’s the standard map abbreviation for Public House.
Oh thanks I didn’t think of that.