Independent 9106 by Hoskins

by
  • () = abbreviation e.g. a(mpere)
  • hom = homophone
  • [] = letters removed

    • An interesting puzzle from Hoskins which has a NINA (right and left side of puzzle), which you appear to have to spot in order to parse one of the clues. There were a few slightly controversial definitions like “half crown” for tiara, but also some nice deceptive clues. I quite liked the clever use of Es in 15 and both 2 down and 5 have well disguised definitions.

    Across
    1. What may follow brides up the aisle? Grooms(6)
    Trains DD
    5. When aristocrats on coke discarded gear?(4-4)
    Cast Offs As(=when) + toffs on c(oke)
    9. See adopting a new Catholic religious ritual?(10)
    Observance Observe around a n(ew) C(atholilc)
    10. Food that can be reasonable, I’m told(4)
    Fare Hom of fair
    11. Something providing access to transport(8)
    Entrance DD
    12. Humble head of faculty punched by yours truly(6)
    Demean Dean around me
    13. Thought this setter had élan? On occasion!(4)
    Idea I’d + odd letters of elan
    15. Victor and Oscar came up with plenty of Es?(8)
    Vowelled V(ictor) + O(scar) (both phonetic alphabet) + welled
    18. Most simple home inhabited by a grand editor(8)
    Nakedest Nest around a K + ed
    19. West Country city in which Hoskins is currently stranded?(4)
    Bath I can only assume this a reference to the NINA – Hoskins is stranded in the bath with his toe stuck in the tap
    21. Old reservists hanging around Tiller Girl(6)
    Thelma TA around helm. The crossword compiler’s staple the Territorial Army is now called the Army Reserve, so reservists has to be prefixed with old (damned governments just don’t think about crossword compilers when making these changes).
    23. Think too highly of backward vicar in lecture(8)
    Overrate Rev< in orate
    25. Good men abandoning sons are not common(4)
    Aint [S]aint[s]
    26. Police invite deal based on testimony(10)
    Evidential (Invite deal)* – police can mean to keep in order, so maybe just about cuts it as an anagram indicator.
    27. Some compete routinely and come to nothing(5,3)
    Peter out Hidden in “comPETER ROUTinely”
    28. Coarse material from British address old man sent back(6)
    Burlap B + URL (internet address) + pa<

    Down
    2. Chuck follows vacuous Radio One tweets(5)
    Robin Bin(=chuck) after r[adi]o
    3. One with a beer in the local, sloshed(9)
    Inebriate &lit of (i + a beer in t’)*
    4. French wine boards to talk about economy(6)
    Saving Vin in gas<
    5. One wanting to preserve unusual Victorian stones(15)
    Conservationist (Victorian stones)*
    6. Tread on David’s foot and have to resign(4,4)
    Step down Step + [Davi]d + own(=have)
    7. Charity ball raised a fine ten million(5)
    Oxfam O + (a f(ine) X)< + m(illion)
    8. Strong chaps holding a type of bar – heavens!(9)
    Firmament Firm men around a + T(-bar)
    14. Heading for Dales, late hike turned deadly(9)
    Deathlike D[ales] + (late hike)*
    16. Party with The Queen on a hill in Lincoln?(9)
    Liberator Lib + ER + a tor
    17. Feel connection with a letter about love(6,2)
    Relate to (A letter)* + o
    20. Echo part of speech supporting engineers(6)
    Reverb RE + verb
    22. Time to tuck into last-minute drink(5)
    Latte T(ime) in late
    24. Bit of income sailor collects, a half-crown?(5)
    Tiara Tar around i[ncome] + a

15 comments on “Independent 9106 by Hoskins”

  1. I really enjoyed this. I clocked the Nina down the left side fairly early on and found the penny-drop moment upon discovering exactly why “BATH” had to be BATH genuinely funny.
    Thanks to Hoskins and NealH

  3. First day of my Christmas break, so I thought I’d buy a second paper to complement my regular Guardian, and was rewarded with this treat. Annoyingly both the Nina and the parsing of BATH eluded me, but there was plenty else to enjoy.

    Thanks to Hoskins and NealH

  5. We live and – even after 50 years solving X-words – evidently fail to learn. NINA is a new girl on the block for me. What does she stand for?

  8. I would like to echo the praise for this puzzle.
    Hoskins fully deserves his place in the Indy – and that after only three very enjoyable and precisely clued crosswords!

    I did see the nina but did not make a connection with it in 19ac (BATH).
    Yes, as others said, it’s witty.

  9. Splendid crossword – It has taken all year but my 2015 resolution to be better at spotting Ninas is definitely working now and I did laugh out loud at this one.

    Thanks to Hoskins and NealH.

  10. Thank you, Geebs. On Ninas I am now, as they say, none the wiser but better informed. This is the more shaming because I did once meet Al Hirschfeld, its inventor, one of whose party tricks was to draw a perfect & beautifully linear caricature of someone present, blind, literally in his pocket. Breathtaking.

  11. When I got an RSS notification this morning that this post was here, I saw in the introduction that there was a Nina.

    By the time I started solving the puzzle, a few minutes later, I had totally forgotten the fact and failed to spot it (and wondered about the parsing of 19ac).

    Had a brain failure with 18ac, which I was sure was NAIEVEST, but I now realise you don’t spell it that way. 🙁

  12. I met Hoskins at the S&B thing the other day and told him that I hadn’t come across his crosswords but would keep an eye open. It was worth doing so. Quite missed how 19ac worked even though I saw the Nina. Very nice.

  13. Many thanks to NealH for the blog and all who took the time to solve – was especially nice to be remembered by WR from the recent London S&B and receive so many kind comments. Thanks also to MH and JC (not that JC!).

    Hope everyone has a great Xmas and a lovely 2016.

  14. BATH was the first and only city we could think of and everything else fitted in but we coouldn’t see why. When Bert spotted the LH column, Joyce suddenly saw what could go in the RH side and laughs all round.

    An amusing start to the week and some great clues. A super anagram in 5d and as NealH says, some clever misdirections. More like this please!

    Thanks Hoskins and NealH.

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