Independent 9085 / Tyrus

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Tyrus appears on average once a month.  I first came across him when blogging Independent Saturday puzzles.  I have always found his puzzles tending towards the harder end of the Independent spectrum.. I put this one well to the harder end.  

 

 

 

Having said that I found it a very pleasant challenge.  The definitions were often disguised very well – e.g. ‘One managing’, ‘Kent in a different role’, ‘Australia last year’, ‘That’s up’, ‘They won’t fly’, ‘Darling’ and ‘cannot stand’ in particular.’

This certainly took me a while to solve and I had to return to it a few times before I got everything.  Writing the blog, I can see now that it was all very fair, but it’s much easier to see the wordplay when the answer is in front of you.

I have noticed before that Tyrus has a sports bent in his entries and clues.  Today we ventured into boxing, horse racing, football and cricket in the across clues.

Horse racing is not at the top of my list of favourite sports so I had check what was eventually obviously going to be DERBY WINNER (13 across).

I ventured that last week’s Phi puzzle was on the easy side and got challenged immediately in the first comment.  Perhaps lots of people will say that this was an easy puzzle.  Well done to anyone who found this easy!

Thanks Tyrus.

Across
No. Clue Wordplay Entry

1

 

One managing to keep quietly busy (6)

 

COPER (one who gets by, deals with or manages) containing (to keep) P (piano; quietly)

COP (P) ER

COPPER (‘busy’ is a slang tem for a detective or policeman)

 

5

 

Plumber leaves city for North Kent in a different role (8)

 

SUPER MARIO (reference the Nintendo video and computer games series based on the plumber SUPER MARIO) replacing [leaves … for] RIO (RIO de Janiero [city in Brazil]) with N (North)

SUPERMA N

 SUPERMAN (reference the fictional character SUPERMAN, the alter ego of Clark KENT)

9

 

Annoying elements to scheme (10)

 

Anagram of (scheme) ELEMENTS TO

NETTLESOME*

NETTLESOME (annoying)

 

10

 

Talked a little of Selby’s left jab (4)

 

SPOKE (talked) excluding (left) S (first letter of [a little of] SELBY)  Wikipedia lists two British boxers with the surname SELBY who are active at the moment.

 

POKE (jab)

 

11

 

Vermin back in kitchen – consult landlord (8)

 

LICE (vermin) + N (last letter of [back in] KITCHEN) + SEE (consult)

 

LICENSEE (landlord [of a public house])

 

12

 

Guarantee nurse’s administered tablet (6)

 

Anagram of (administered) NURSE + E (ecstasy tablet)

ENSUR* E

ENSURE (guarantee)

 

13

 

Function with top royal next to wife in Australia last year (5,6)

 

DINNER (function) containing (with …in)  (ER [Elizabeth Regina; Queen; top royal] + BY [next to] + W [wife])

D (ER BY W) INNER

DERBY WINNER (AUSTRALIA was the name of the WINNing horse in the Epsom DERBY in 2014 [last year])

 

17

 

Striker’s through pass turned Arsenal’s back four … here? (7,4)

 

(RAM [striker] contained in [through] BALL [pass] as expressed by a sports commentator saying ‘that was a good ball’ meaning ‘that was a good pass’]) + (ENAL [the last four letters of{[back four} ARSENAL] reversed [turned])

B (RAM) ALL LANE<

BRAMALL LANE (The Home Ground of Sheffield United, Football Club currently in English Football League one.  Arsenal could play Sheffield United in the FA Cup or the League Cup or whatever that competition is called in any given year)

 

20

 

Stumped, one adopts new point of view? (7,4)

 

ST (stumped in cricket scoring notation) + (ACE [one] containing [adopts] N [new])

ST A (N) CE

STANCE (point of view)

 

21

 

Roll over a Dutch car (8)

 

ROSTER (roll of names) containing (over) (A + D [Dutch])

RO (A D) STER

ROADSTER (car suitable for ordinary use on the road)

 

23

 

Way in right approaching roundabout (4)

 

PATH (hidden word reversed [roundabout] in [in] RIGHT APPROACHING)

PATH<

PATH (way)

 

24

 

It compensates for loss of childhood (extremely reasonable in your case) (5,5)

FAIR (extremely reasonable) contained in (in) TOOTHY (descriptive of a child who may have good reason to be looking for a present from the TOOTH FAIRY)  I’m not sure if I have got this exactly right.  I assumed that TOOTHY meant having gaps in the teeth, but I find that it means attractive and with wholesome teeth.

TOOTH (FAIR) Y

Andrew at comment 1 has come up with a far better parsing: TOO + (FAIR contained in (in … case) THY)

TOO TH (FAIR) Y

TOOTH FAIRY (a fairy who substitutes a coin for a milk tooth placed under a child’s pillow)

 

25

 

That’s up to Rupert’s people (8)

 

SKY (reference SKY Television owned by Rupert Murdoch) + WARDS (body of guards; patients; children under the care of a guardian; descriptive of group of people)

 

SKYWARDS (up)

 

26

 

Take on American bank to an unusual degree (6)

 

R (recipe [Latin]; take) + A (American) + RELY (depend; bank)

 

RARELY (not often; to an unusual degree)

 
Down
No. Clue Wordplay Entry

2

 

Unfair over poverty – blooming IDS should be locked up! (3-5)

 

O (over) + (NEED [poverty] containing [should be locked up] an anagram of [blooming] IDS)  IDS reference Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work & Pensions

O NE (SID*) ED

ONE-SIDED (of a competition, etc with one person or side having a great advantage over the other; unfair)

 

3

 

Final thought about more b—— vegetables (8)

 

PS (postscript; final thought) containing (about) (OTHER [additional; more] + B)

P (OTHER B) S

POTHERBS (vegetables)

 

4

 

They won’t fly Ryanair to begin with while that man’s involved (5)

 

(HE (that man) contained in (involved) (R [first letter of {to begin with} RYANAIR] + AS [while])

R (HE) AS

RHEAS (flightless birds)

 

5

 

Morrison’s marked for development?  That’s not the way it is (5,3,7)

 

Anagram of (for development) MORRISONS MARKED

SMOKE AND MIRRORS*

SMOKE AND MIRRORS (the use of deception, especially to achieve one’s aims in spite of being in a weak position; that’s not the way it is)

 

6

 

Rest of report lame, having been edited by degrees (9)

 

PIECE (sounds like [report] PEACE [rest]) + an anagram of (having been edited) LAME

PIECE MEAL*

PIECEMEAL (bit by bit; by degrees)

 

7

 

Have gone with soldiers for meal (6)

 

RE (Royal Engineers; soldiers) + PAST (having gone)

 

REPAST (meal)

 

8

 

Supporters start off giving money (6)

 

BACKERS (supporters) excluding (off) the first letter (start) B

 

ACKERS (slang for money)

 

14

 

Bird soaring over trees around cathedral (9)

 

CROW (bird) reversed (soaring; down clue) + an anagram of (around) TREES

WORC< ESTER*

WORCESTER (a cathedral city)

 

15

 

Darling, look at those really famous celebs! (8)

 

A-LIST (famous celebrities) + AIR (look)

 

ALISTAIR (reference ALISTAIR Darling MP. former Chancellor of the Exchequer)

 

16

 

Whole of tin used over-generous (8)

 

Anagram of (used) TIN + (LARGE [generous] reversed [over])

INT* EGRAL<

INTEGRAL (whole)

 

18

 

Article on Thailand’s largely in bad taste and offensive (6)

 

A (indefinite article) + T (International Vehicle Registration or Thailand) + (TACKY [in bad taste] excluding the final letter [largely] Y)

 

ATTACK (offensive)

 

19

 

One boat provides emphatic confirmation (3,3)

 

AN (one) + DHOW (sailing vessel from the Indian Ocean)

 

AND HOW (very much indeed; emphatic confirmation)

 

22

 

After assault soldiers cannot stand (5)

 

ABH (Actual Bodily Harm; assault) + OR (other ranks; soldiers)

 

ABHOR (loathe; can’t stand)

 

16 comments on “Independent 9085 / Tyrus”

  3. Fine puzzle – very enjoyable solve. I didn’t fully understand 5a – I could see N had to go in but I couldn’t work out what it was replacing. Not knowing that Super Mario was a plumber I would never have got there anyway in a month of Sundays.

    But now I do. Education – a lifelong process.

    Many thanks S&B.

  4. knew it had to be alistair but was unfamiliar with alistair darling having lived down under for some time.
    Thanks for blog. Excellent puzzle.

  5. what pleasure to tackle a Tyrus puzzle, even one I can’t finish……many thanks to Duncan for filling in a couple of gaps.
    Too many witty clues to mention, but the surface of 17 is implausible, alas (a Sheffield Utd. supporter writes)

  6. @Swagman-I didnt know that Super Mario was a plumber but my printer is so old (over 6 months!} that the word plumber was very smudged in my printout and when I had some crossers, I saw Kent -plus the answer to 6d- and there it was.

  7. Great stuff as usual from Tyrus.

    2 down is a real laugh out loud one. Too many other gems to single individual ones out.

    I only knew about Supermario because of the film (which Bob Hoskins wished he had never made – although I enjoyed it a lot) which I watched to pass the time while on a ferry to visit my son in Brittany.

  8. I felt this was a really tough challenge and I was very pleased to complete it, although it took me quite a time. Loved Bramall Lane, Superman and Derby Winner – such imaginative clueing.

    Thanks to setter and blogger (who I definitely didn’t envy …)

  9. Very engaging tussle that had me coming back for more even when beaten! Favourites were 11a, 17a, and the excellent 2d.

    Cheers to Tyrus for puzzle and duncanshiell for blog.

  10. Many thanks to Duncan for his excellent blog and to others for their comments.

    Wordplay in 25a was intended as WARDS (to =in the direction of) SKY (Rupert’s people).

  11. I found this impossible! I tentatively entered 4dn on my first pass this morning but that was it all day. Nothing suggested itself for the rest. Worst I’ve done on an Indie weekday crossword for years.

  14. Superb. In the words of that great literary genius who is Sir Bruce – “my favourite” type of puzzle….and no better way to bridge the early morning November dawn.
    Thought 2dn a wonderful surface – and COPPER (my FOI) a mini artwork/poem. When a crossword starts like that, you know you’re in for some pleasure.
    So thanks to Tyrus.
    And thanks to Duncan.

    That’ll do me.
    Take care, all.

  16. Stood the test of time as a great challenge. The i did remember to change Australia to Anthony van Dyck in 13A!

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