Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water …
… and that we were all done and dusted with the 2015 election, along comes Knut with a post-election themed puzzle. And a very good puzzle it was too, although if politics isn’t your bag then you might not have appreciated all the references. A crossword that was easier to solve than parse in some places. I think I’ve nailed it all, but would appreciate confirmation on 23dn.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) missing
definitions are underlined
Across
7/8 Nicola and Nick both hoped to hold this outstanding amount of energy
BALANCE OF POWER
A straightforward charade to get us going with the political theme. Nicola is probs more pleased than Nick about the outcome.
10 Pay Gilbert to take Nigel far away
WAGES
Many would pay Gilbert a large sum of money to take this Nigel far away and leave him there. He can’t even resign, for goodness’ sake. An insertion of [FAR]AGE in WS (Gilbert) of Gilbert and Sullivan fame.
11/12 Calmer negotiation with Clegg essentially wrought demise of LibDems thanks to this?
COALITION AGREEMENT
(CALMER NEGOTIATION E)* ‘Clegg essentially’ gives you the E and ‘wrought’ is the anagrind. Art imitating life in this clue, I think.
14 Perfect start to independent accord
IDEAL
A charade of I and DEAL.
15 Run in vain, as election has delivered a blow
CHASE ONE’S TAIL
(AS ELECTION HAS)*
20 Crappy London housing “an eyesore“
PYLON
Hidden in crapPY LONdon. Some would consider it an eyesore, therefore the inverted commas. Wind turbines have a certain beauty, imho.
22 Plaid challenge, according to Spooner, to take a seat here?
DECK CHAIR
The double bluff. Setters are naughty sometimes, and they know it. It’s the Scottish ‘plaid’ that you need to think about: it’s a Spoonerism of CHECK DARE.
24 It’s a mess – Knut’s little brother knocked half of one down!
IMBROGLIO
A charade of I’M (‘Knut’s’), BRO and GLIO, which is an anagram (‘knocked’) of OLIG[ARCH], which is the solution to 1dn. Phew.
25 To reduce risk, Harman’s first to move sideways
HEDGE
Very topical, although I’m not sure Harriet saying that she won’t stand for leader will reduce the risk. H plus EDGE.
26 A problem in picking up a fix in this place, as reported by a 7D split in two
GLUE EAR
A charade of GLUE for ‘fix’ followed by EAR, which is how a cockney would pronounce HERE, ‘in this place’. Why a cockney? Because 7dn is BOWMAN and if you split that into two, you’ve got BOW MAN. And if you were born within hearing distance of Bow Bells …
27 Little Ships debut of Billy Crystal, producer extraordinaire
BARQUES
A charade of B for the first letter of ‘Billy’ and ARQUES for the French crystal glass producer. I suppose the ‘extraordinaire‘ is giving us a hint that the company is French.
Down
1 A girl melts, captivated by Salmond’s expression – he’s so rich and powerful
OLIGARCH
An insertion of (A GIRL)* in OCH. OCH is a throwaway Scottish expression, which Alex Salmond, being Scottish, would use. It’s roughly equivalent to ‘well’, often used as a sentence starter. That’s my best interpretation of it, but a Scot who’s lurking can give you a better explanation of its usage.
2 We’re paying for responsibility
ONUS
A dd, the first one being ON US, if you were offering to pay for a meal, say.
3 Come to regret holding key for delivery
RESCUE
An insertion of ESC for the ‘key’ that’s in front of you if you are reading this on your laptop in RUE.
4 Work begun at the Savoy Hotel in a storm
IOLANTHE
(HOTEL IN A)* The Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera which was premiered at the Savoy theatre (I discovered). Isn’t Wikipedia wonderful?
5 Upbeat Farron is into a fair measure of spirits
OPTIMISTIC
An insertion of TIM IS in OPTIC. Referring to Tim Farron, whom no-one has heard of but who is likely to be leader of the LibDems following Clegg’s resignation.
6 A deceit to take heroin for some time
AWHILE
An insertion of H in A WILE.
7 Archer? Show some respect, dude!
BOWMAN
If you were asking a bloke to show some respect, you might say BOW, MAN! Another political reference, I suppose, to Geoffrey Archer, who’s most famous for having committed perjury.
9 Put in order last two appearances of Uncle Fester from years ago
RANKLE
A charade of RANK and LE for the last two letters of uncLE. Good surface, referring to Uncle Fester from The Addams Family, for those of you old enough to remember it.
13 Spain is nowhere special, Mr President
EISENHOWER
A charade of E and (IS NOWHERE)* with ‘special’ as the anagrind.
16 Unusual gold parrot; it’s flown over the pond
OLD GLORY
A charade of (GOLD)* and LORY for the Stars and Stripes.
17 Famous club cricketer not troubling the scorers?
IN AND OUT
A dd cum cd. The IN AND OUT club is in London; its full title is The In & Out Military and Naval club. A ‘cricketer not troubling the scorers’ is cricket-speak for getting out for a duck, in other words without scoring. So he’d be IN AND OUT.
18/19 Leaves free party?
SPRING GREENS
A charade of SPRING and GREENS. Seemples.
23 Election winner, some say, but hopelessness experienced here on Merseyside!
CROSBY
Lynton CROSBY is the Australian election guru whom Cameron recruited, and who is widely seen as being behind the surprise victory. CROSBY is a town in Merseyside which is part of the Bootle constituency, which has been a Labour stronghold since 1990, so would be a pretty hopeless target for the Tories. At least I think that’s what it’s about.
25/21 Punishing effort demanded from the far left?
HARD LABOUR
A whimsical way of saying that the ‘far left’ would be HARD (LINE) LABOUR. The clue is faulty, because Labour aren’t a left-wing party any more.
Super puzzle to start the Indy week. Many thanks to Knut, whose offerings I am enjoying more and more.
Lovely puzzle! Still a disaster of an election, but I take comfort where I can.
I thought this was very cleverly constructed. It wasn’t too hard despite its potentially esoteric theme. I’d not heard of the In and Out Club, but the wordplay was clear after a couple of crossing letters. I also hadn’t heard of Arques crystal. I didn’t understand the clues for 10A wages or 26A glue ear. However, none of these posed as much of a problem as 4D Iolanthe. I spent 10 minutes staring at that, my last answer, before finally finding a word – any word! – to fit. I did vaguely recall Gilbert and Sullivan being associated with the Savoy, after I wrote it in. (I’m not that keen on opera.) I loved the clue for 18D Spring Greens. Somebody tell Caroline Lucas!
Well done, Knut, and thanks, Pierre, for explaining everything.
Hi Pierre Is 23d a homophone of cross by , eg an election winner on a ballot paper
Thanks, Pierre and Knut.
I nearly didn’t attempt this when I saw the theme – but I’m glad I did. Great puzzle!
Re 23dn: Could ‘hopelessness’ possibly be a reference to the absence of Bing’s?
Sorry, that should be ‘Bing’s mate’.
A very enjoyable puzzle, IMHO.
I read the clue for CROSBY as a triple definition, with references to Lynton Crosby, Crosby on Merseyside, and Bing Crosby minus Bob Hope (hopelessness). Andy@2 – no, even election losers get a cross by their name unless they get no votes at all, and it isn’t a homophone because it is pronounced as if it contained a Z.
Eileen@3 – we crossed ……..
Nice puzzle; got most of it. Thanks to both – and to commentators above.
Funny thing about CROSBY, it is both SOB and CRY…
Iolanthe is part of the theme, too – involves the House of Peers and satirises British government
Thank you Pierre for your excellent blog; and thanks too for the comments.
I wrote this puzzle at a time when every publicly-available poll was pointing firmly to a hung Parliament. Some clues (obviously!) needed to be re-written in the light of the C. majority and I am very grateful to the editor for running the puzzle mutatis mutandis, as it were. The easiest thing in the world would have been to throw it in the bin.
The original clue for 23d read “Hopeless here on Merseyside, Cameron will doubtless blame him! (6) for CROSBY. The capital H of “Hopeless” would have been a fairer way to suggest the Hope/Crosby partnership.
@Menoetes #9….I’m extremely grateful to you for the assist, but I cannot claim a touch, alas.
warmest regards to all,
Knut
Excellent puzzle – extremely entertaining.
Found this a little trickier than some of Knut’s. Last in was IOLANTHE, and ARQUES was new to me but guessable. Entertaining as ever, despite the number of puzzles we’ve already had on similar themes.
Thanks to Knut and Pierre
Nice one as usual.
Totally missed ‘Hopelessness’
Merci Knut et Pierre
Swiftly solved – but very enjoyable.
Funny how crosswords evoke memories; the In and Out club is where I was introduced to Douglas Bader many years ago – he stood me a large whisky!
Thanks all.
Very entertaining – the bottom half flew in – the top somewhat slower.
4d my COTD and also LOI – some nifty cluing and some well-hidden components throughout – the broad theme made it easier than it might otherwise have been, but well worth it for the chuckles.
10d good too – same source.
17d an easy guess. Knew vaguely of the In&Out. Far too starchy for people like Chuka and me.
Oops – misprint – that should be Chucker – my Australian drinking companion – hard drinker but he doesn’t hold his beer too well.
Oops – almost forgot – murky buckets Pierre – as they say in 23d.
A great puzzle and super blog!
We didn’t finish this one until just now so everything has already been said apart from thanks to S&B.