A puzzle from Nestor is always an enjoyable challenge
There were a number of clues with complex wordplay. Regular readers of my blogs will know that I am partial to this type of clue. 1 across for WOLLSTONECRAFT was a splendid example of the type, as was CHOCOHOLIC at 6 down
There were two entries that I had never come across before – PALAEOCLIMATIC, but it was gettable from the anagram fodder once all the crossers were in place, and JADE at 25 down in that particular meaning. I thought JADE was a tad difficult for a daily crossword given that the entry was blank A blank E which is probably the most unhelpful template for a four letter entry. OUTCASTE at 15 across raised an eyebrow in that spelling, but the wordplay was very clear.
I liked the definition at 16 across [(part of a Chinese), it was well hidden in the surface reading.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Feminist writer reversed time line in ludicrous comedy fast presumably (14)
|
(T + [L {line} contained in {in} [FARCE {ludicrous comedy} + NOT SLOW {fast presumably}]) all reversed (reversed) (WOL (L) S TON ECRAF T)< |
WOLLSTONECRAFT (reference Mary WOLLSTONECRAFT [1759 – 1797], English writer, philosopher and advocate of women’s rights; feminist writer)
|
|
10
|
Tango inscribed in bizarre annotated scratching over page (9)
|
T (Tango is the international radio communication code word for the letter T) contained in (inscribed in) (an anagram of [bizarre] ANNOTATED excluding (scratching) O (over in cricket scoring notation) A (T) TENDANT* |
ATTENDANT (page boy/girl)
|
|
11
|
Hardy familiarly abridged archaic fiction (5)
|
OLD (archaic) excluding the final letter (abridged) D + LIE (falsehood; fiction)
|
OLLIE (familiar name for Oliver Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy fame – Stan and OLLIE)
|
|
12
|
Briefly straighten out satirical character (3,1)
|
ALIGN (regulate by line; straighten out) excluding the final letter (briefly) N |
ALI G (reference ALI G, satirical character played by Sacha Baron Cohen)
|
|
13
|
Complain excessively about dull, large fruit (4,6)
|
BEEF (complain) + (TOO [excessively] containing [about] MAT [of a surface] dull]) BEEF TO (MAT) O |
BEEF TOMATO (example of a large fruit)
|
|
15
|
Open University discrimination involving Conservative social reject (8)
|
OU (Open University) + (TASTE [discrimination] containing [involving] C [Conservative]) OU T (C) ASTE |
OUTCASTE (someone who is of no CASTE or has lost CASTE; social reject)
|
|
16
|
Possible part of a Chinese request for delay that’s rebuffed? (3,3)
|
NOT NOW (request for delay) all reversed (that’s rebuffed) (WON TON)< |
WON TON (in Chinese cookery, a spicy dumpling containing minced pork, esp served in soup; possible part of a Chinese [meal])
|
|
19
|
Poet doing play in need of an ending (6)
|
LARKING (doing play) excluding (in need of|) the final letter (ending) G
|
LARKIN (reference Philip LARKIN [1922 – 1985], English poet)
|
|
20
|
Black, gay emblem cropped by someone bright (8)
|
B (black, when describing pencil lead) + (RAINBOW [gay emblem] excluding the final letter [cropped] W) + X (times, by, as in multiply 7 by 4)
|
BRAINBOX (very clever person)
|
|
22
|
I’m facing changes, attending an evensong feature? (10)
|
Anagram of (changes) I’M FACING + AT (attending) MAGNIFIC* AT |
MAGNIFICAT (a song of praise or thanksgiving; possibly a feature of evensong)
|
|
24
|
Part of garden absorbing a spot of water? (4)
|
BED (part of the garden) containing (absorbing) A BE (A) D |
BEAD (a spot of water; e.g. a BEAD of sweat)
|
|
26
|
Settled course only covered by right back (5)
|
(ONE [only] contained in [covered by] RT [right]) all reversed (back) (T (ENO) R)< |
TENOR (general run or course; settled course)
|
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27
|
Phone card prepared by one company on the same wavelength? (9)
|
SIM (a removable electronic card inside a mobile phone that stores information about the subscriber) + PAT (prepared) + I (one) + CO (company)
|
SIMPATICO (sympathetic in the sense of congenial.; on the same wavelength)
|
|
28
|
All in, supplied with cheeseboard accompaniments? (5-9)
|
CREAM-CRACKERED (given CREAM CRACKERs; supplied with cheeseboard accompaniments)
|
CREAM-CRACKERED (rhyming slang for knackered; all in) double definition
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
2
|
More suitable to get dismissed over Top Gear producer (9)
|
OUT (dismissed) + (over top of) FITTER (more suitable)
|
OUTFITTER (producer of clothes; gear producer)
|
|
3
|
Air bag reduced sudden forward movement (4) |
LUNGE (sudden forward movement) excluding the final letter (reduced) E
|
LUNG (a respiratory organ in animals that breathe atmospheric air; air bag)
|
|
4
|
Peevish about artist, against misrepresentation (8)
|
TESTY (irritable; peevish) containing (about) (RA [Royal Academician; artist] + V [versus; against]) T (RA V) ESTY |
TRAVESTY (a ridiculously inadequate representation [of something])
|
|
5
|
Tell end of story, unless starting? (6)
|
NOT IF (unless) + Y (last letter of [end of] STORY)
|
NOTIFY (tell)
|
|
6
|
During endless selection, special school dismisses head who may be addicted to bars (10)
|
(anagram of [special] SCHOOL excluding [dismisses] S [first letter {head}]) contained in (during) (CHOICE excluding the final letter [endless] E) CHO (COHOL*) IC |
CHOCOHOLIC (one addicted to [bars of] chocolate)
|
|
7
|
Central Scottish location of more than half of wartime sitcom(5)
|
Five of the eight [more than half] letters of ‘ALLO ‘ALLO (wartime sitcom)
|
ALLOA (town in Scotland, a few miles east of Stirling; central Scottish location)
|
|
8
|
Nobody special from male cast of Neighbours (3,3,4,4)
|
THE BOY NEXT DOOR (a male neighbour; male cast of Neighbours)
|
THE BOY NEXT DOOR (ordinary young man; nothing special – a phrase usually used in a description of a romantic partner)
|
|
9
|
Melting ice cap and atoll I am relating to planet’s past conditions (14)
|
Anagram of (melting) ICE CAP ATOLL I AM PALAEOCLIMATIC* |
PALAEOCLIMATIC (relating to changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth)
|
|
14
|
Lifted lid on whether island villain supplies countries around ocean (7,3)
|
CAP (lid) reversed (lifted; down clue) + IF (whether) + I (island) CRIM (criminal; villain) PAC< IF I C RIM |
PACIFIC RIM (descriptive of Countries around the PACIFIC Ocean)
|
| 17 | Reserves arrived breezily on English sommelier’s recommendation, say (5,4) | TA (Territorial Army; reserves) + BLEW IN (arrived breezily) + E (English) | TABLE WINE (something a sommelier may recommend, although I suspect he/she is more likely to suggest something more expensive) |
|
18
|
Very exciting men chat with Mike (8)
|
OR (Other Ranks; men) + GAS (chatter) + MIC (microphone; mike)
|
ORGASMIC (immoderately [very] exciting)
|
|
21
|
Skiers churning mush (6)
|
Anagram of (churning) SKIERS KISSER* |
KISSER (mouth; mush [Chambers and Collins define mush as ‘face’ alluding to the soft part of the face which would cover the mouth)
|
|
23
|
Tool to apply lubricant coat of grease and slime (5)
|
GUN (tool to apply lubricant) + GE (first and last letters of [coat of] GREASE)
|
GUNGE (any dirty, messy or sticky substance., e.g.slime)
|
|
25
|
Chatterer would audibly nag (4)
|
JADE (sounds like [audibly] JAY’D [jay would]) I think the connection with chatterer is through passerine birds. A jay is a crow which is related to the passerine order and a chatterer is a cotinga which is also a member of the passerine family. That was the product of a bit of research, I certainly didn’t know it.
|
JADE (pitiful worn out horse; nag)
|
I ran into exactly the issues you described, duncanshiell, thanks for confirming my normality! “Jade” completely stopped me, it was not even one of the dozens of words I mentally listed while trying to imagine an answer. I started by seeing a 14-letter feminist writer and thinking instantly of Wollstonecraft, and finished by seeing a 4-letter nag and thinking of nothing at all useful.
I did love palaeoclimatic and chocoholic, and I think I will go to my grave unable to spell Wollstonecraft. Thank you for all this, Nestor. Except 25D.
And I cannot help thinking that Punk might have provided an earthier clue for 18D!
Thanks duncanshiell, for the splendid blog, and Nestor for the challenge. I had JADE as a kind of dd – disreputable woman (nag) and horse – but that doesn’t account for the “would audibly”, so your explanation must be correct.
Held up on 11ac thinking it had to include TOM (Thomas Hardy, poet and novelist) so I was heading for another fine mess before I found the right Hardy. Biffed JADE knowing it as a tired old horse, but couldn’t parse it, apart from thinking one might become jaded if one had to listen to a chatterer. WON TON took a bit of teasing out as I failed to lift and separate ‘Chinese request’. WOLLSTONECRAFT was my LOI.
Great clue for 17dn, though.
Thanks, Nestor and Duncan
Very nice puzzle and blog!
I needed the wordplay to spell WOLLSTONECRAFT correctly, otherwise I might have misbiffed it as “Wool……”. I enjoyed the puzzle for the most part with the exception of 25dn which I thought was a pig of a clue with ?A?E checkers. I lost the will to solve unaided in the end and resorted to aids, and even then it took me ages to come up with the correct JADE. Classing a JAY as a CHATTERER didn’t occur to me, JAY’D certainly wouldn’t have sprung to mind as a homophone from the clue, and JADE=NAG isn’t the most common definition. Grumble over.
Beautiful. Thoroughly enjoyable, but with 25dn first (as far as I can recall) gap of the year! Time for tmesis – congratubloodylations, Nestor and Duncan!
Well …….. we are glad that we weren’t blogging this as we were defeated by 1ac and 25d and a number of others caused us a few headaches. We only solved about 6 last night and decided to complete this over tea this evening!
Thanks for the blog Duncan – we needed you today and thanks Nestor for a good Thursday challenge.