(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) A tougher than average Cryptic I reckon; 4 down is Prize-worthy, not to mention 22 across, whose definition eluded me for quite a while. Thanks to Orlando for an enjoyable puzzle. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
7 A nameless sentimentalist – like Basil? (8)
AROMATIC : A + “romantic”(a sentimentalist) minus(…less) “n”(abbrev. for “name”).
Defn: A characteristic of;like, basil the herb.
9 What astronomers must do to improve (4,2)
LOOK UP : Cryptic defn: Reference to those who look into outer space.
10 22 down set the ball rolling (4)
OPEN : Double defn.
11 Small mammal with horn, active at sea (10)
CHEVROTAIN : Anagram of(… at sea) HORN, ACTIVE.
Answer: Aka the mousedeer.
12 Specialist in the Middle East has no time for rockery plant (6)
ARABIS : “Arabist”(a specialist in things MiddleEastern) minus(has no) “t”(abbrev. for “time”).
14 Preserve core for Curie in French-Polish setting … (8)
ENSHRINE : The middle letter of(core for) “Curie” contained in(in … setting) [ EN(French for “in”) + SHINE(polish;sheen) ].
15 … college VIP retaining a core here? (7)
REACTOR : RECTOR(a college VIP;principal) containing(retaining) A.
Answer: A nuclear reactor which has a core, the chamber where the reaction takes place.
17 Credit for 22 down, say (7)
ANAGRAM : An example of which;say, is “credit” for “direct”(answer to 22 down).
20 Salt can’t stand and is back first (8)
SULPHATE : HATE(can’t stand;can’t tolerate) placed after(… first) reversal of(… is back) PLUS(and;additional to).
Defn: … from sulphuric acid.
22 When small, I should be with short people (6)
DOTTED : DOT and TED(short forms of “Dorothy” and “Edward” respectively, the names of two people).
Defn: What the written small;lower case letter “I” should be.
23 One’s out to make reductions (10)
DISCOUNTER : Anagram of(out to make) REDUCTIONS. A WIWD(wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.
Answer: … who reduces prices.
24 Predator about to move freely (4)
FLOW : Reversal of(… about) WOLF(a predator).
25 Chap, say, with a wine store (6)
BODEGA : BOD(a chap;fellow, from short for “body”) + EG(abbrev. for “exempli gratia”;for example;say) plus(with) A.
Defn: … especially in Spanish-speaking countries.
26 French dramatist’s singular Rabelaisian quality (8)
RACINESS : RACINE(Jean Baptiste, French dramatist)‘S + S(abbrev. for “singular”).
Defn: … pertaining to Francois Rabelais’ bawdy jokes and songs.
Down
1 Ripe bananas in an American restaurant (8)
CREPERIE : Anagram of(… bananas) RIPE contained in(in) CREE(a native American).
2 Sign captain up (4)
OMEN : Reversal of(… up, in a down clue) NEMO(fictional captain in Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea).
3 River heard in wood (6)
STICKS : Homophone of(… heard i) “Styx”(the river in Hades).
4 Downtown, say, having dismissed last presenter (8)
CLARKSON : “Clark song”(an example of;say, a song sung by Petula Clark was the 60s hit “Downtown”) minus its last letter(having dismissed last).
Answer: Jeremy, recently dismissed (contract not renewed) presenter of the TV series “Top Gear”. Another WIWD clue.
5 22 down river, OK? (10)
FORTHRIGHT : FORTH(a river in southern Scotland) + RIGHT(okay!).
6 African member of order importing skirts from Burundi area (6)
NUBIAN : NUN(a female member of a religious order) containing(importing) [ the 1st and last letters of(skirts from) “Burundi ” + A(abbrev. for “area”) ].
Defn: … from an ancient region of NE Africa.
8 Smart card’s first used by machine operator (6)
CLEVER : The 1st letter of(…’s first) “card” + LEVER(a device used to operate machinery).
13 Angel holding stuff for traveller (10)
BACKPACKER : BACKER(aka an angel, who comes to the rescue of those/that with financial problems, but at a price of course) containing(holding) PACK(to stuff;to cram into).
Defn: … on the cheap, carrying stuff on his back.
16 Visual artist’s taken in – like Sibyl? (8)
ORACULAR : OCULAR(visual;seen by the eye) containing(…’s taken in) RA(a member of the UK Royal Academy of Arts;an artist).
Defn: …, the oracle.
18 What stops a good-for-nothing boozer? (8)
ALEHOUSE : EH(an expression equivalent to the query “What?”) contained in(stops) [A + LOUSE(a good-for-nothing person).
19 Safe container for tungsten alloy (6)
PEWTER : PETER(a safe;a cash box) containing(container for) W(the chemical symbol for the element tungsten, aka wolfram).
Defn: … of tin, lead, and sometimes amounts of other metals such as copper and antimony.
21 Workers collectively embracing socialist leader to show solidarity (6)
UNISON : UNION(workers collectively) containing(embracing) the 1st letter of(… leader) “socialist “.
22 Frank‘s guide (6)
DIRECT : Double defn.
24 Discover stuff in detached houses (4)
FIND : Hidden in(… houses) “stuff in detached “.
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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)
Pic 4 Doctor Who and Torchwood are ANAGRAMS of each other
Pic 1, SULPHATE ? Sulphide particles released by the hydrothermal vent…
Wow, that sounds great, Shirl !
Pic 5 not displaying on my IPad Scchua
I’m off for a reunion lunch, hope all are solved on my return!
#3 he’s reading “the dots” which may themselves contain many DOTTED notes.
You’re right Shirl about the ANAGRAMs. Cookie, you don’t need sulphide in the equation. And JollySwagman, the other person plays a significant role.
And I’ve repasted pic5.
#3 she (his piano teacher) is hoping to make beautiful music *with* him – but he just wants to play the pieces he’s been practising.
O – MEN she sighs.
That’s if it’s from the film The Piano Teacher.
Pic 1, those are tube worms around the base, and they excrete SULPHATEs
pic 3 Does it refer to the raciness in the movie The Piano Teacher
Pic 1, I suppose REACTOR could also be relevant, the tube worms have sulphide-oxidizing symbionts that produce sulphates, SULPHATE reduction providing a form of anaerobic respiration.
pic 6 Is it a discount store?
pic 7 sulphates used in hair care products
pic 6 How many of the printers are DOT matrix?
Pic3 is from The Piano Teacher, though it’s not the racy beautiful music that’s the answer.
Cookie, you’re close enough with Pic1: Microbes living around hydrothermal vents reduce seawater SULPHATEs to provide them with energy.
Kevin, you’re right in remembering the DOT matrix printer.
pic 2 is a bullet proof vest. is bodyguard close enough in sound to BODEGA?
Pic 2: body armour is made from material manufactured by DuPont, who have also been involved in making REACTORs
Pic 3: presumably Isabelle Huppert has appeared in productions of works by RACINE(ss)?
scchua @15, yes, but the tube worms at black smokers have the bacteria inside them to do this. The ones in the photo have red tips which contain haemoglobin, this passes hydrogen sulphide to the bacteria inside the body cavity. In return the sulphide-oxidizing bacteria nourish the worm with carbon compounds and the SULPHATE residue is passed out by the worm.
Completely stumped, no ideas at all. Thanks scchua for all the fun, especially today when you were so busy.
Pic 7: are AROMATICs used in hair gel?
Pic 3, PIANO (Paraffins, Isoparafins, AROMATICs, Naphthenes, Olefins) analyses shows relative concentrations of the major hydrocarbon groups in fuels.
Perhaps Freddy is now up, plenty of fun left for him!
Hi all.
Pic2: Bullet-proof vests are commonly made of Kevlar, a fibre consisting of AROMATIC polyamides
Pic3: One of the first pieces a piano student might be taught is “ChopSTICKS”
Pic5: Remember the old mothballs to prevent moth-eaten clothes? They were made from naphthalene, another AROMATIC compound
Pic7: CREPE is from the French, in turn from the Latin “crispus”, meaning “curled”.