Independent 9,040 by Vigo

by

My first blog of a Vigo crossword although I’ve solved a couple before.

A relatively easy Monday puzzle to start us off this week, can’t see anything beyond a well rounded plain crossword that fits the Monday brief to a tee.

 

Thanks Vigo

completed grid

Across

1 Abundant promises by policewoman (7)
COPIOUS

COP & I.O.U.S A bit Arachne-ish to use the feminine policewoman but it’s fair enough

5 A satellite missing initial controller (7)
ARBITER

A & (o)RBITER (like the moon)

9 Building manors without right craftsman (5)
MASON

R removed from MANO(r)S* built

10 Listen to soprano during physical exercise (9)
REHEARSAL

HEAR & S(oprano) in REAL (physical), not utterly convinced by the definition though

11 Left a party held in illicit surroundings (9)
ABANDONED

A & DO (party) in BANNED

12 Lament backing electronic network (5)
DIRGE

E(lectronic) & GRID all reversed

13 In this way ruffian’s not good (4)
THUS

G(ood) removed from THU(g)S

15 When class education is mixed (8)
ASSORTED

AS (when) & SORT (class) & ED(ucation)

18 Vie to hold left end (8)
COMPLETE

L(eft) in COMPETE (vie)

19 Lack of uneven elements in admirable face (4)
DIAL

Even letters of aDmIrAbLe

22 Provoke fisherman to ditch line (5)
ANGER

L(ine) removed from ANG(l)ER

24 Globe feature writer (9)
BALLPOINT

BALL (globe) & POINT (feature)

26 Posse dread losing single second breaking outlaw (9)
DESPERADO

S(econd) removed from [POS(s)E DREAD]* broken

27 Counterfeit drug causes disappointment (5)
SHAME

SHAM & E. Whatever did setters do before Ecstasy became well known?

28 Astronomer found in shabby motel in Paraguay (7)
PTOLEMY

MOTEL* shabbily in P(aragua)Y

29 Criminals – they’re regularly found in toilets (7)
LOOTERS

Alternate letters of ThEyRe in LOOS

Down

1 Search volunteers coming back into battle (6)
COMBAT

COMB & T.A. reversed

2 Oat chips spread over single nut (9)
PISTACHIO

1 (single) in [OAT CHIPS]* spread

3 Held up in hag-ridden woods (5)
OWNED

Hidden reversed (up) in ridDEN WOods

4 What was lost in Freudian Era? (9)
SHRINKAGE

SHRINK (psychotherapist) & AGE

5 Upwardly mobile secretary concealed bug (5)
APHID

P(ersonal) A(ssistant) reversed & HID

6 Intoxicated snake found in drained radiator (9)
BLADDERED

ADDER in BLED (as in drained a radiator in your central heating)

7 Rates poorly assembled weapon (5)
TASER

RATES* poorly assembled

8 Whistle blower conceals perjury and reveals rest (6)
RELIEF

LIE in REF(eree)

14 Replace great tennis star on the radio (9)
SUPERSEDE

SUPER & SEDE (sounds like SEED)

SUPER

16 Abrasive way fish court lovers at first (5,4)

STEEL WOOL

ST(reet) & EEL (fish) & WOO (court) & first letter of L(overs)

17 Dispose of deranged acid eater (9)
ERADICATE

[ACID EATER]* deranged

20 Youngster accepting help to get debt-free (4-2)

PAID-UP

AID inside PUP

21 Highlight son’s hair (6)
STRESS

S(on) & TRESS (hair)

23 Wind tiny bit of orange zest (5)
GUSTO

GUST (wind) & a bit of O(range)

24 Two notes sounding small and bright (5)
BEADY

Sounds like B & D (2 notes)

25 Escapes tower clutching sauce (5)

PESTO

Hidden (clutched) answer

13 comments on “Independent 9,040 by Vigo”

  1. We started off at a gallop but half way through we slowed down considerably. We also wondered about ‘EXERCISE’ but is in Chambers Thesaurus as a synonym.

    Joyce liked SHRINKAGE – her COD.

    Thanks Vigo and flashling.

  2. Generally pretty nice and gentle but some more difficult clues to keep complacency at bay. I’d never heard of BLADDERED before and I liked BALLPOINT, SHRINKAGE and BEADY. I thought EXERCISE was OK, in the sense say of a military exercise being a ‘rehearsal’ of sorts.

    Thank you to Vigo and flashling

  3. Think of exercise in the sense of a military exercise.
    An easy enough puzzle, but none the worse for that on a Monday.
    Thanks to setter and blogger.

  5. I’ve liked all Vigo’s puzzles so far, and I liked this one. After the last couple of weeks in the Indy, I am suffering from TPO (themed puzzle overload) so to have a well-constructed but simple crossword this morning hit the spot nicely.

    For no particular reason, PTOLEMY was my favourite today.

    Thanks to S&B.

  8. Thanks Vigo & flashling.

    A bit like B&J, I was left with part (the NE corner) to finish. For some reason I got stuck on ARBITER. Usual smooth surfaces from Vigo. I particularly liked BALLPOINT & SHRINKAGE.

  12. thanks to Vigo for a most enjoyable puzzle, containing extremely well-crafted surfaces.
    Thanks too to flashlight for guiding our way through the labyrinth

  13. I marked 1ac with a star. Above the grid, next to that star’s twin I wrote “Is VIGO a female setter?” (with a nod to Arachne I guess). No need to Google as Victoria herself put me out of my mystery! Being the first clue, I took it as a worthy statement from the sisterhood (translation – mine – we deserve more wimmin setters).
    A beautifully constructed crossword. Not one clumsy surface nor a single unnecessary word. Cruciverbal poetry.
    Now I await a Thursday-type Vigo so that the encounter may also be a challenge.
    Many thanks all round.

Comments are closed.