- * = anagram
- [] = removed
- A(mpere) = abbreviation
A puzzle themed on freedom and democracy, as epitomised by the Magna Carta, which appears on the left and right side of the grid. There are also references to the Anti-Apartheid struggle and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a tough puzzle to get started with, but became easier once the theme was revealed.
Today is the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Pig-like animal’s not quiet on board flight? (6) | ||
| Stairs | Ta[p]ir in SS | ||
| 4. | Some of those who formed left and right working in pubs (6) | ||
| Barons | On in bars | ||
| 8. | Satisfying event at 3d (7) | ||
| Meeting | DD | ||
| 9. | Person leaves enthusiast on French bridge with American car (7) | ||
| Pontiac | [Man]iac on pont | ||
| 11. | Questionable royal chap arranged to arrest priest (10) | ||
| Apocryphal | (Royal chap)* around p(riest) | ||
| 12. | Spanish pot found in Holland (4) | ||
| Olla | Hidden in hOLLAnd | ||
| 13. | Courageous academician leaves for Spain with Mark (5) | ||
| Breve | Brave with A replaced by E | ||
| 14. | One seeking 20d maybe a person training sappers! (8) | ||
| Reformer | RE-former i.e. someone who forms Royal Engineers | ||
| 16. | Bakers go bananas for flier (8) | ||
| Grosbeak | (Bakers go)* | ||
| 19. | Conclude port is stolen from menial (5) | ||
| Infer | Infe[Rio]r | ||
| 21. | River ebbing through pipeline (4) | ||
| Nile | Hidden, rev in pipeELINe | ||
| 22. | The motions re-drafted for Archbishop Langton presumably (10) | ||
| Monotheist | (The motions)* – Langton was an archbishop who attended the Magna Carta signing. | ||
| 24. | Transmitters picking up angel beginning to sing (7) | ||
| Aerials | I think this is a hom of Ariel, an angel in some religions + s[ing] | ||
| 25. | I left cook on isle for one who received and brought 20d (7) | ||
| Mandela | Del[i]a (Smith) on Man | ||
| 26. | Allow to undergo (6) | ||
| Suffer | DD | ||
| 27. | Lady’s with German recluse (6) | ||
| Hermit | Her(=lady’s) + mit (German for with) | ||
Down |
|||
| 1. | Pious person has to go up to bathe (5) | ||
| Steep | St + pee<, steep as in steep something in water. | ||
| 2. | For example a section of left and right (7) | ||
| Article | DD – a is an indefinite article. | ||
| 3. | Nun with remedy cured spot for left and right (9) | ||
| Runnymede | (Nun remedy)* | ||
| 5. | Small key left and right said could not be taken without representation? (5) | ||
| Atoll | The Magna Carta forbade the taking of a toll without representation | ||
| 6. | Run rings around troops in the open air (7) | ||
| Outdoor | Outdo + OR | ||
| 7. | Unimportant prophet tours second shopping centre! (5,4) | ||
| Small beer | Seer around mall B | ||
| 10. | Old character scratching bottom finds god (4) | ||
| Thor | Thor[n], thorn being a Runic character with the bottom scratched(removed) | ||
| 13. | Rebels in revolt initially supply some of those who obtained 20d in 1989 (9) | ||
| Berliners | (Rebels in + r[evolt])* | ||
| 15. | An economic form of 20d selling candy floss? (4,5) | ||
| Fair Trade | CD, candy floss being something that might be sold at a fair | ||
| 17. | One given authority by left and right with novel musical flourish (7) | ||
| Sheriff | She + riff | ||
| 18. | Financial transactions without prohibition for one involved with left and right (4) | ||
| King | [Ban]king, King John being the party reluctantly involved in Magna Carta | ||
| 20. | Play beginning with capturing on-line journalist (7) | ||
| Freedom | From (=beginning with) around E (online) + ed (journalist). Play can mean freedom of movement in some contexts. | ||
| 22. | Noisy fight results from introductory declaration of martial arts exponent? (5) | ||
| Melee | “Me, Lee” being a greeting Bruce Lee may have given | ||
| 23. | What left and right avoided in part of Croatia (5) | ||
| Split | Referring to Split in Croatia and the civil war which was avoided by the Magna Carta | ||
I did not enjoy this puzzle, sorry, Kairos. It seemed to be trying to be too clever. Most of my answers were only pencilled in because I couldn’t be certain of them. I gave up with two answers left blank. Well done for finding some meaning in this, NealH.
Hard to get into but I did enjoy it, even though I had the theme way before seeing what ‘left and right’ was all about. 22d – ME-LEE was a TEE-HEE moment.
Thanks S & B
Too hard for me as well, but thanks to both. (Re 6d Outdo + or.)
Great stuff – I enjoyed this. The lightbulb moment came with 3dn when I realised what ‘left and right’ referred to and I actually spotted the nina before completing the grid.
And a minor point: leaving aside the old chestnut (Where was Magna Carta signed? – At the bottom!), Magna Carta wasn’t signed – it was sealed.
Thanks, Kairos and NealH
Thanks for the blog, NealH.
I disagree with Emrys @1. Like Paul A, I enjoyed this puzzle and didn’t think it was ‘trying to be too clever’ at all. I was hoping one of today’s puzzles would have this theme and I thought this was a very entertaining and interesting treatment of it, with its additional ‘freedom’ allusions and the play = freedom definition. [As a Fairtrade campaigner, I enjoyed the ‘candy floss’ clue!]
Many thanks to Kairos for an enjoyable puzzle.
[Neil, I haven’t been able to find Arial as an angel, so I presume it’s a typo for ‘Ariel’ – and you’ve entered the wrong answer for 18dn. I know how easily it’s done!]
Thanks NealH, I thought that needing to see the Nina was a bit OTT for a week day, but MC has been so heavily in the news anyone who comes here regularly should really have expected a theme on it.
Nicely done Kairos.
Yes, I was aware that the Magna Carta wasn’t signed in the modern sense but, as this article explains, the definition of signed can be broader than that:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-30879124
Must have been thinking of the typeface when I put Arial – that and the other things mentioned have been corrected. Thanks all.
This was a delightful, and thoughtful, puzzle that I much enjoyed. I twigged the ‘left and right’ bit early on, so put in MAGNA CARTA around the perimeter and then teased out the theme-related clues. I think the FREEDOM element is a nice touch, referencing the more recent events that Neal mentions.
There are other nods to the Magna Carta as well, with BARONS and SHERIFF both being mentioned in the text.
To add to another minor point to Allan’s: there is no right to trial by a jury of twelve in the document (the twelve came later) but the principle was established: ‘No free man shall be … imprisoned … but by the lawful judgment of his peers.’
Was hoping there would be some documentary on the Magna Carta on the box tonight, but no channel seems to have picked up on it.
Anyway, thanks to Kairos for flagging up the anniversary.
I’m with those who thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle. I realised that MAGNA CARTA was the main theme fairly early on, but I didn’t notice the nina until just before I completed the puzzle, which is muppetry in the extreme. I’d put a stupid “free trade” in at 15dn and it wasn’t until just before the end that I corrected it and entered the correct FAIR TRADE, and INFER was then my LOI.
Add me to those who enjoyed it, interesting but not arduous after the Nina appeared early. Also stuck in FREE TRADE before realising I couldn’t parse it.
13D is (Rebels in r{evolt})* with “supply” as the anagrind.
Thanks to Kairos and NealH.
@11 That’s gwep.
@11 – I didn’t notice the misparsing in the blog for BERLINERS, but you are correct. If I’m 100% sure of a parsing I tend not to read the explanation in the blog. Usually I’m more interested in what other solvers have to say about a puzzle.
My thanks to NealH and to all for the comments. I know that themed crosswords are not to everyone’s tastes – and more so on a Monday – so I’m glad that most of you enjoyed it.
As a lawyer and resident in Runnymede, the opportunity to set a Magna Carta themed crossword was too good to miss and Mike Hutchinson was kind enough to allow me poach Monday’s slot to do so.
When I read the first response to this I thought “Oh no, Kairos is going to be unfairly slated”. But I was pleased to see that then peo-le became positive. And rightly so, in my opinion, for I thought this was a very good crossword. It took me a while to see what was going on but then it all became clear and was a thoroughly enjoyable exercise.
My only criticism is the use of ‘with’ before the definition, as in 9ac and 13ac, but that’s a rather pedantic and quite possibly unnecessary grumble; and it’s very minor, anyway.