[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here
Phi has provided us with a good Friday workout.
I wondered if there was a bit of a food and drink theme in here, but I’m not really sure. I started off thinking about herbs with BOUQUET at 5 across, BASIL in the entry at 13 across and THYME nearly spelled across the two entries in the bottom row. Then we’ve got POP and RUM as drinks in two across entries (10 and 24) with BEEF TEA down at 19. Then we have FLOUR at 3 down. Not enough for a definite theme though.
As I wrote the blog, I noticed I was typing ‘exclude’ many times. There are 15 clues [nearly half] where a letter or letter has to be removed from a word or phrase to form a constituent part of the wordplay. That seems quite a high percentage although I realise that the exclusion device is often used with some other form of wordplay in the second or additional elements of wordplay.
LINEAMENT at 14 down was a new word to me and was my last one in. I had heard of DACTYLIC (20 down) but it’s not a word I use in everyday conversation.
I liked the clues for LUNAR (11 across) with the definition being simply ‘of the moon’, EVERLASTING (26 across) with it’s relevant surface also involving the wordplay and ARCHANGEL with its use of CHARLIE in more than one way.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Dwarf boxer may feel so … (7)
|
BASHFUL (cryptic description of a boxer’s feelings after he has received many punches [BASHes] during a fight)
|
BASHFUL (the name of one of the seven dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
|
|
5
|
..quite losing it in fight, as shown by nose (7)
|
(QUITE excluding [losing] IT) contained in (in) BOUT (fight) BOU (QUE) T |
BOUQUET (perfume of wine [nose])
|
|
9
|
Spit, being in reflective mood? … (6,5)
|
MIRROR IMAGE (a MIRROR being reflective it can show one’s mood)
|
MIRROR IMAGE (an IMAGE with right and left reflected, perhaps not quite a spitting image or exact replica but very close)
|
|
10
|
… as evidenced by this musical style? (3)
|
POP (example of a palindrome; a MIRROR IMAGE of itself when spelled in either direction)
|
POP (musical style)
|
|
11
|
Star missing debut in God of the Moon (5)
|
(SUN [star] excluding [missing] the first letter [debut] S) contained in (in) (LAR [the God of a house]) L (UN) AR |
LUNAR (relating to the moon; of the moon)
|
|
12
|
Piano – bench site potentially (9)
|
Anagram of (potentially) BENCH SITE BECHSTEIN* |
BECHSTEIN (a brand name of high quality pianos)
|
|
13
|
Graduate taking on quartz church (8)
|
BA (Bachelor of Arts; graduate) + SILICA (silicon dioxide or silicic anhydride, occurring in nature as quartz)
|
BASILICA (a magnificent church formed out of large oblong hall, with double colonnades and commonly a semicircular apse)
|
|
15
|
Rupture? Woman’s recalled discomfort, with loss of power (6)
|
HER (descriptive of a woman) + ([PAIN {discomfort} excluding {with loss of} P {power}] reversed [recalled]) HER NIA< |
HERNIA (rupture)
|
|
18
|
Front of woven material falling off and falling back (6)
|
WEBBING (woven strip hemp; woven material) excluding (falling off) the first letter (front) W
|
EBBING (falling back)
|
|
20
|
City lad upset about $100, working from the digits (8)
|
Anagram of (upset) CITY LAD containing (about) C (American slang for 100 dollars) DA (C) TYLIC* |
DACTYLIC (zoological term referring to a vertebrate having digits) I’m not really sure here whether the definition is ‘working from the digits’ or just ‘from the digits’
|
|
23
|
One working on film canisters getting sacked (9)
|
Anagram of (getting sacked) CANISTERS SCENARIST* |
SCENARIST (one who writes the outline of a dramatic work or film)
|
|
24
|
Difficulty restraining male American in dance (5)
|
(RUB [difficulty] containing [restraining] M [male]) + A (American) RU (M) B A |
RUMBA (a dance)
|
|
25
|
Sulphur absolved from damage to metal channel (3)
|
RUST (corrosion; damage to metal) excluding (absolved) S (chemical symbol for Sulphur)
|
RUT (channel)
|
|
26
|
This … possibly gives ‘eternal no end to life‘? (11)
|
Anagram of (possibly) GIVES ETERNAL excluding (no) E (last letter of [end to] LIFE) EVERLASTING* |
EVERLASTING (eternal; no end to life)
|
|
27
|
Rich, complex tale called into question (7)
|
(Anagram of [complex] TALE) contained in (called into) WHY (example of a question) W (EALT*) HY |
WEALTHY (rich)
|
|
28
|
Case badly handled, one being released? That’s a blow (7)
|
MISTRIAL (a trial [case] void because of error) excluding (being released) I (one)
|
MISTRAL (violent cold dry north-east wind [a blow] in southern France)
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Drone: one who wouldn’t give more over competition (9)
|
BUMBLE (reference Mr BUMBLE in the Dicken’s novel Oliver Twist. Mr BUMBLE was party to the decision to refuse Oliver more gruel when he asked for it) + BEE (competition, e.g. a Spelling BEE)
|
BUMBLEBEE (a drone is the male honey-bee; BUMBLEBEEs are closely related to honey-bees)
|
|
2
|
Part of orchestra I start to retract from early movement (7)
|
STIRRINGS (early movements) excluding (from) (I + R [first letter of {start to} RETRACT])
|
STRINGS (section of an orchestra)
|
|
3
|
Baking staple, one very lacking in taste (5)
|
FLAVOUR (taste) excluding (lacking in) (A [one] + V [very])
|
FLOUR (a staple ingredient in baking)
|
|
4
|
Face up to sponsor with little evident concern (4-4)
|
(DIAL [face] reversed [up; down clue]) + BACK (sponsor) LAID< BACK |
LAID BACK (relaxed; with little evident concern)
|
|
5
|
Prevent church suppressing Rector’s subsection (6)
|
(BAN [prevent] containing [suppressing] R [rector]) + CH (church) B (R) AN CH |
BRANCH (subsection)
|
|
6
|
Endless nausea, nasty, that is keeping daughter away, most alarmed (9)
|
(Anagram of [nasty] NAUSEA excluding the final letter [endless] A) + (ID EST [that is] excluding [away] D [daughter]) UNEAS* IEST |
UNEASIEST (most alarmed)
|
|
7
|
Parliamentarian, tense, interrupting monarch facing decapitation quite a lot (7) |
(MP [Member of Parliament; parliamentarian] + T [tense]) contained in (interrupting) (QUEEN [monarch] excluding the first letter [facing decapitation]) U (MP T) EEN |
UMPTEEN (an indefinitely large number; quite a lot)
|
|
8
|
Easy shot picked up at the flag (3-2)
|
AT reversed (picked-up; down clue) + PIN (the rod of a golf flag) TA< P IN |
TAP-IN (easy shot in many sports)
|
|
14
|
Feature left one conclusive about end of prayer (9)
|
L (left) + I (one) + (NET [final] containing (about) AMEN [word said at the end of a prayer]) L I NE (AMEN) T |
LINEAMENT (feature)
|
|
16
|
Something greater than Charlie’s girls? Charlie’s heart’s about to alter (9)
|
ARL (the three middle letters of [heart] CHARLIE) containing (about) CHANGE (alter) AR (CHANGE) L |
ARCHANGEL (an ANGEL of the highest order; also reference the TV Series Charlie’s ANGELs)
|
|
17
|
Metal worker almost entirely engaged by corporation (8)
|
(ANT [worker] + ALL [entirely] excluding the last letter [almost]) L contained in (engaged by) TUM (belly; corporation) T (ANT AL) UM |
TANTALUM (metallic element)
|
|
19
|
Complaint over players dismissing latest nourishing broth (4,3)
|
BEEF (complaint) + (TEAM [players] excluding [dismissing] the final letter [latest] M)
|
BEEF TEA (nourishing drink)
|
|
21
|
Cinema pioneer mostly accepting piano, accommodating more pieces? (7)
|
(LUMIÈRE [reference French brothers Louis and Auguste LUMIÈRE, pioneers of the cinema] excluding the final letter [mostly] E) containing (accepting) P (piano) LUM (P) IER |
LUMPIER (having more bits; accommodating more pieces)
|
|
22
|
Bright flower around edges of verge (6)
|
LILY (flower) containing (around) VE (first and last letters of [edges of] VERGE) LI (VE) LY |
LIVELY (bright)
|
|
23
|
Animal‘s crafty, saving tail (5)
|
SHREWD (crafty) excluding (saving) the last letter (tail) D
|
SHREW (small animal)
|
|
24
|
Flowers eaten by horse sorta coming up (5)
|
ROSES (hidden word [eaten by] reversed [coming up; down clue] in HORSE SORTA) ROSES< |
ROSES (flowers)
|
Ah, a crossword I could complete, as opposed to yesterday’s exercise! Thank you kindly, duncanshiell, for explaining all at which I merely guessed. At 1D Bumblebee, shouldn’t there be a “?” in there somewhere, since drones are only one kind of bumblebee? I didn’t understand 11A at all, never having heard of a Lar. And, as for 21A Scenarist, well, words fail me. Favourites 1D Bumblebee, for referencing a bit of Dickens I could actually remember, and 28A Mistral, for a nice construction and for reminding me of Avignon where we were a few weeks ago. Last answer 9A Mirror Image, which caused me great frustration until the penny dropped. Lovely puzzle, Phi, thanks.
Thanks Phi, it was very nice to have something approachable but still challenging. I particularly liked the extended definitions in 3d and 8d. I couldn’t parse the ST at the end of 6d, so my thanks to Duncan for clearing that up.
Same here, Emrys. I actually finished before 11, before coffee, in fact. A record. Thanks PHI and DS.
A nice quick workout – can’t see any theme or nina apart from Duncan’s food/drink suggestion, although from BASHFUL and MIRROR IMAGE I wondered if there might turn out to be a Snow White theme, but nothing else seems to support that idea.
SCENARIST was new to me, but easily got from the clue and crossing letters; obviously someone who writes a scenario.
Thanks, Phi and Duncan.
Yes, indeed. Nice puzzle and clarifying blog (for the ones we got but didn’t ‘get’!). What could be better?
Enjoyed this one; defeated only by LINEAMENT. Thanks to S&B.
I did say to the editor that I would be seriously concerned if anyone spotted this one, as it’s a bit off the wall. Did you know that FLOUR in Hungarian was LISZT or that STRAUSS is German for BOUQUET?
There are six more examples – French, German and more Hungarian required if anyone is interested. Poor old Max Bruch is what I say.
I puzzled over Phi’s riddle, and then, suddenly, the penny dropped: I once had to explain my hernia in German – ein Bruch. Poor Max, indeed. The others, especially the Hungarian, are beyond me.
Thanks Phi for a fun puzzle and duncanshiell for a helpful blog.
Perhaps BRANCH gives the French composer Rameau, but I doubt MIRROR IMAGE gives the Hungarian composer DOPPLER, the name probably being German.
Just remembered, Hummel is BUMBLEBEE in German, the composer was Austrian but born in Hungary.
That’s most of them, then – the three 5-letter R words remain – Reich is WEALTHY, Reger is LIVELY and Rozsa is ROSES (in one Hungarian declination at least)
Thanks again Phi, I had thought of putting Gold in for WEALTHY. By the way, did you know that Liszt’s family name was originally List, meaning SHREWd, but his grandfather, or great-grandfather, ‘Magyarized’ it?
Didn’t know that, but the Hungarian composer Gyorgy Ligeti claimed to be related to the violinist Leopold Auer because both surnames meant ‘meadow’ or thereabouts