Well a busy time of year – so it would be nice for a nice gentle puzzle to relax on a Saturday. Then I read the words “By Bannsider” – not much hope of that then!
Of all the regular Independent compilers, Bannsider was always the one I have had the most trouble with. Many panic when seeing Schadenfreude’s name – I did once but now positively relish the challenge now seeing many of the tricks that used to daunt me. But as to Mr “Bannsider” I haven’t got there yet. What is even more beguiling is that when I see the word play they are generally obvious, unfortunately it usually takes me some time to see the word play.
Two clues I really liked – 3 dn and 4dn – short, sweet and amusing.
One that does need a mention is 23ac – first time I have seen such a reference in a clue (happy to be corrected) – but a very interesting device which opens up a whole host of possibility to use similar devices.
Many thanks Bannsider – you win with 2dn – can’t quite see it.
Key: *Anagram; DD Double definition;Rev Reversed;Underline definition
ACROSS
1 Mayo, perhaps, meeting possible GAA opponents in tie? Probably not (8,4)
Dressing (Mayo) + Down (Irish county – GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association)) = DRESSING DOWN (As in smart dress)
9 Fuel to finish – and plug boxes call for attention (6, 3)
Die (finish) + sell (plug) around Oi (call for attention) = DIESEL OIL
10 Lively one Klitschko finally cut down to size (5)
Vitali (Klitschko – Ukrainian Politician) – I = VITAL
11 Get back at the conclusion of work and settle (3, 3)
Triple definition = PAY OFF
12 Suite, for example, that’s over still spoken of (3-5)
Homonym of too (over ) + peace (still) = TWO-PIECE
14 Wife burns tongue shifting man’s potion (7, 4)
W (wife) + itches(burns) + Hebrew (tongue) – he (man) = WITCHES BREW
16 This flower arrangement certainly would be easy (3)
Leisure (easy) – sure (certainly) = LEI
17 Can’t stand after removal of a flipping thorn? Something like that! (3)
Rev (hate (can’t stand) – a) = ETH
18 Monsters of Rock is restored with Alice Cooper initially etc. (11)
(Rock is ac etc)* = COCKATRICES
19 Poet cycling in photograph like old woman? (5)
Pic (photograph) around Dante (Poet) cycling e to start = PEDANTIC
20 Accessible series of Jonathan Dimbleby’s (2, 4)
Hidden (JonATHAN Dimbleby) = AT HAND
23 Reading down at one point score twice instead in this? (5)
Forty (score twice) = FOOTY – Forty is displaced 1 cell down
24 Politician’s one time to talk cases with Holmes briefly (9)
Gas (talk) about it (one time) + Kelly (Holmes) – y = GAITSKELL
26 Points said to upset Christian heretics (12)
(Points said to)* = ADOPTIONISTS
DOWN
1 Pop article in with large cups (3)
DD (large cups as in bra size) around a (article) = DAD
2 Calling time? (5, 2, 3, 4)
ENEMY AT THE DOOR (Is this a reference to Old father time?)
3 Woman left, initially forgotten here? (5)
She (woman) + l (left) + f (initially forgotten) = SHELF
4 Time off in Scotland? (4)
No on (off in Scotland) = NOON
5 Light lifted and switched on by a North American (10)
Rev (Led (light)) + aware (switched on) + a + n = DELAWAREAN
6 Roller might if harnessed? (4, 5)
Wave (roller) + power (might) = WAVE POWER
7 Not easy: when to stop men pestering women athletes (14)
Steep (not easy) lechers (men pestering women) around as (when) = STEEPLE CHASERS
8 Like Barnet for Conservative Women’s Red Line Bus excursion (4-6)
(red line bus)* = BLUE-RINSED
11 Weak captive bloodshot after rising blow (6, 4)
POW (captive) + Rev red (bloodshot) + puff (blow) = POWDER PUFF
13 Agent, quietly raising gym exercise without good mental preparation (8, 2)
Spy (agent) moving p (quiet) + Chin up (gym exercise) around g (good) = PSYCHING UP
15 Over-familiar, rough and cheeky (9)
(and cheeky)* = HACKNEYED
21 Fighter mounted on horse, yet disappearing every second (5)
Rev. hidden (oN hOrSe YeT) = TYSON
22 Caribbean houses provided that internet facility (2-2)
WI (Caribbean) around if (provided that) = WI-FI
25 Man has feet in bowl – pure bliss! (3)
Ends of bowL purE blisS = LES
This one defeated me. Only got half a dozen answers all week.
I did not get on with this. Although I thought there were plenty of good clues in the mix and I did in the end fill the grid correctly, there were just too many uncertainties left for me to be satisfied by it. I didn’t get even the slightest inkling of the word play for 16A, LEI, and couldn’t see how 12A and 23A worked in their entirety. I think I was happy with 11A in the end, but as with you Twencelas, I still don’t get 2D – I assumed it was some sort of literary reference.
I was delighted to renew acquaintance with Bannsider and even more so to reach the finish on Wednesday – pretty good going for me. What makes his puzzles such a struggle is the number of options and the ambiguity present in so many clues: on first reading one has no idea whether a word is literal or figurative, whether it’s necessary to lift and separate, etc etc. Even when the crossing letters make the answer obvious, it can still be quite a while before the wordplay falls into place.
Re 2 down: ‘the ENEMY’ is a way of referring to time (as in ‘How goes the enemy?’, an expression much used by one of my schoolteachers; it’s in Chambers), with AT THE DOOR indicating a caller.
You beat me to it Polly.
One of the few question mark clues which are actually hilarious.
This was hard indeed , but I still managed it in bed over my morning coffee. Welcome back Bannsider. Some of us feared we would never see you again.
Enjoyed the blog too twencelas .
This is the toughest I’ve tackled for a while but it made sense if a bit of time was spent ( a lot of time in my case).
beaten by eth and noon but pleased to get psyching up (great clue). I thought Gaitskell may have needed some GK (OK I knew Hugh and sort of guessed the answer with no clue about Kelly Holmes).Construction of 14 wicked in more ways than one. I got it but didnt twig the brew until this excellent blog.Thanks twencelas and Bannsider.
Yes, this was very hard.
I had no idea what was going on in 23ac, though I had the answer.
Surely original.
One can hardly imagine that Bannsider with his adventurous and intricate style, is also the crossword editor of The Times.
I mean, his own puzzles are far away from the house style of The Times, aren’t they?
No criticism, just a thought.
This was an enjoyable ride that took more than just the Saturday.
Thanks twenceslas for the blog.
I think in 17ac (ETH) “thorn?” should be made part of the definition.
I was just coming back to say that, on reflection, I could see how 2D works as a clue, but I see others have already explained it. I guess it is an indication of a good challenge that I’m still mulling it all over. It definitely wasn’t an instantly forgettable puzzle.
A treat from one of the setters who always made me work the hardest and this one took me quite a while to get the last few9. Thanks to Bannsider and twencelas.
We saw that time is the enemy and that “at the door” is calling, but I still don’t see anything in the clue that defines the whole phrase. Am I missing something or is there just not much to the clue?
Also powder puff for weak was not a definition I could find anywhere on the internet, though I knew it had to be right (I know, you’ll tell me its in Chambers).
Still, we got there which is more than I can say right now for today’s!
This is rather an old puzzle that Eimi had forgotten about, even before I “went away”. I had wondered if he’d done so on purpose as I realised at the time that it was on the difficult side, even for me.
Not sure where I got the POWDER PUFF definition from now, to be honest. ENEMY AT THE DOOR confused me when I looked at it again after all those years (!) but I think it works.
Given that the Bannsiders haven’t won a single game since this puzzle was scheduled, I am hoping that my enforced re-entry into non-Times exile will bring a change of fortunes …
8d…what a fantastic clue. Tough puzzle to finish, crikey.
Thanks to S&B
This defeated me. Never heard of ETH for ‘thorn’, couldn’t work out the anagram in 18 and the parsing of quite a few others was beyond me. Still, I was pretty pleased with myself as a non-Brit for getting GAITSKELL. I can just remember when he died and was replaced as Labour leader by an unknown (at least in this hemisphere at the time) called Harold Wilson. In my ignorance, I didn’t know FOOTY was a term used in the UK.
Particularly liked STEEPLECHASERS and BLUE-RINSED.
Thanks to Bannsider and twencelas.
Well done, twenceslas, and thanks Bannsider. I’ve only just “finished” this one (filled all the squares!) but some of the parsing was way beyond me. Very tough – but enjoyable.
I was simply returning to say that, on reflection, I could perceive how 2D functions as an intimation, however I see others have as of now clarified it. I get it means that a decent test that regardless i’m reflecting on everything over. It certainly wasn’t an in a flash forgettable puzzle.