Quixote is occupying this last Wednesday slot of the month, when Dac typically enjoys a well-earned break.
I found this puzzle towards the easy end of the Quixote, and indeed Indy, spectrum. There were a good few write-ins, which provided plenty of letters for the more challenging clues. I ultimately ended up with two crossing entries missing in the SE quadrant – 18 and 24 – and spent as long scratching my head over these two as over the rest of the crossword. 24 came first, with a more unusual word for “film director” having held me up, leaving 18 to be my last one in. The latter was a clever clue, as it was easy to mistake “in a row” for wordplay, i.e. letters to be placed within “tier” (=row). Thus, for such misdirection, 18 is my clue of the day, jointly with 23, for its clever construction and smooth surface.
(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | STRAW | Thatcher could make use of this // Labour politician
Double definition: the “Thatcher” is not PM Margaret but rather a craftsman putting a thatched roof on a cottage; the reference is to former Labour MP, home and foreign secretary Jack Straw (1946-) |
| 04 | NEIGH | We hear no beastly sound
Homophone (“we hear”) of “nay” (=no) |
| 09 | IMPULSE | Force troublemaker to attend upper-class school in London
IMP (=troublemaker) + U (=upper-class) + LSE (=school in London, i.e. London School of Economics); an impulse is a force, urge, drive |
| 10 | LOW-DOWN | Information on the bottom shelf?
For example, a book on the bottom shelf would be low down in the bookcase |
| 11 | TERMINATE | Finish period at school to get at home at ease finally
TERM (=period at school) + IN (=at home) + AT + <eas>E (“finally” means last letter only) |
| 12 | PIANO | Instrument renders a number with very good introduction
PI (=very good, pious) + A + NO (=number) |
| 13 | MASTERPIECE | Great work from team with precise manoeuvring
*(TEAM + PRECISE); “manoeuvring” is anagram indicator |
| 17 | LAP OF HONOUR | Extended run due to earlier success?
Cryptic definition: a successful runner makes a lap of honour, thus extending his run, after winning a race |
| 20 | ROTOR | Men dealt with corrosion initially in part of machine
ROT (=corrosion) + OR (=men, i.e. other ranks) |
| 21 | DRACONIAN | A trick by man going to doctor is very cruel
DR (=doctor) + A + CON (=trick) + IAN (=man, i.e. a man’s name) |
| 23 | CHIGNON | Child moaning terribly – mum’s cut hair
CH (=child) + *(<m>O<a>NING); “mum (=MA) cut” means letters “ma” are dropped from anagram, indicated by “terribly” |
| 24 | HAUTEUR | Pride of film director with additional aspiration
H (=aspiration, i.e. “h” sound) + AUTEUR (=film director, often one considered creator/author of a particular genre) |
| 25 | LISLE | Material is left, but not all material
Hidden (“not all”) in “materiaL IS LEft”; lisle is a hard-stapled, hard-twisted cotton yarn |
| 26 | NURSE | Australian shark in // harbour
Double definition: to harbour e.g. a grudge, regrets is to nurse, hold |
| Down | ||
| 01 | SHINTO | Religion thus contains a bit of advice
HINT (=a bit of advice) in SO (=thus) |
| 02 | REPORT | Journalistic item about drink
RE (=about) + PORT (=drink) |
| 03 | WILLIAM OF ORANGE | A king I am following – era with revolution
*(I AM FOLLOWING ERA); “with revolution” is anagram indicator; the reference is to William of Orange (1533-84), the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Hapsburgs |
| 04 | NEWSPAPER COLUMN | Independent feature that stands up when scrutinised?
Cryptic definition: a column in architecture would “stand up” |
| 05 | ISOLATED | Being nasty to ladies gets ostracised?
*(TO LADIES); “being nasty” is anagram indicator |
| 06 | HANDOVER | Transfer from Germany having entered one of its cities
D (=Germany, i.e. Deutschland) in HANOVER (=one of its, i.e. Germany’s, cities) |
| 07 | FETA | Cheese is part of buffet always
Hidden (“is part of”) “bufFET Always” |
| 08 | ALTER EGO | Trusted friend almost transformed, gaining energy
ALTERE<d> (=transformed; “almost” means last letter dropped) + GO (=energy, as in get up and go) |
| 14 | SCOLDING | Carol receiving wintry rebuke
COLD (=wintry) in SING (=carol) |
| 15 | CLERICAL | Priestly // office
Double definition: an office job is clerical work |
| 16 | UPSTAIRS | As purist working to be at a higher level
*(AS PURIST); “working” is anagram indicator |
| 18 | LINEAR | Leader of agitators aboard ship is in a row
A<gitators> in LINER (=ship) |
| 19 | UNTRUE | A foreign diplomat ultimately having regret for double-dealing?
UN (=a foreign, i.e. a foreign, here French, word for a) + <diploma>T (“ultimately” means last letter only) + RUE (=regret); a double-dealing individual is untrue, unfaithful, disloyal |
| 22 | ACHE | Pain excellent hospital suppressed
H (=hospital) in ACE (=excellent) |
Thanks, RatkojaRiku, bottom right was hardest for me too, 24A-4D-26A being my last answers. 23A Chignon and 25A Lisle were the unfamiliar words for me. But, for all that, this was definitely at the easier end of the spectrum. Thanks, Quixote, it’s nice to be able to complete a puzzle with confidence at least some of the time! Very clear clueing indeed, no hesitant answers today for me.
“William of Orange” also refers to William III of Great Britain and Ireland, who (with his wife Mary II) succeeded the deposed James VII/II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, as described here.
Another quick solve – my second in two days!
Thanks, Quixote and RatkojaRiku
I’m sure that the WILLIAM OF ORANGE referred to in 3dn is William III as described by allan_c@2.
Count me as another who found this towards the easier end of the Don’s spectrum, but it was an enjoyable solve. LAP OF HONOUR was my LOI.
Thanks for feedback. I usually aim to use Everyman-type grids and write fairly straightforward clues for The Indy, while feeling free to spice up one or two to present a challenge
I will next be in the Indy with a bonus puzzle next Tuesday — and not just the Indy.
Linear was the clue I found most difficult as well – I’m probably too used to in a ship meaning inside SS and found it a struggle to think of anything else. But overall it was a very easy puzzle that I finished in under fifteen minutes, which is unusually fast for me.