(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) Quite a tricky end to the year. Spent just as long figuring out the parsing of a couple of the answers, succeeding with the last one just before pressing the publish button. Thanks to Enigmatist. And the very best wishes to all for the New Year – may it bring you good health and happiness. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Behaviour, typical of fools (rather than angels), bearskin disguises (8)
INBREAKS : Anagram of(bearskin …) BEARSKIN.
Defn: Invasions. Reference to the line “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”, first penned by poet Alexander Pope.
5 “Twisted” Jack going after call girl? It’s funny you should say that! (3,3)
BON MOT : Reversal of(Twisted) [ NOB(the Jack of the same suit as the turn-up card in the game of cribbage) placed after(going after) TOM(slang for a prostitute;a call girl) ].
Defn: A witty, funny remark.
9 Demigod is one who can’t stop drinking tea with a little bit of rum in it (9)
THEANDRIC : THEIC(one who can’t stop drinking tea;the;a tea;the addict, cf. an alcoholic) containing(… in it) [ AND(with) + the 1st letter of(a little bit of) “rum ” ].
Defn: Existing through the joint agency of the divine and human nature, like a demigod is.
11 “Labiate” – how date may be spoken of? (5)
THYME : Homophone of(how … may be spoken of) “time”(date;a specific point in time).
Defn: One of a family of plants, including mint, thyme, etc. with parts that are shaped or arranged like lips (from the Latin “labium”).
12 Head for Irish church’s best sward to sit with a refreshing drink (3-5,4)
ICE-CREAM SODA : The 1st letter of(Head for) “Irish ” + C.E.(abbrev. for the Church of England) + CREAM(the best) + SOD(sward;a section of grass-covered soil) plus(with) A.
15 Jack’s lean (he left a fat-free order) (4)
HEEL : Anagram of(… order) [“he left a ” minus(…-free) “fat “].
Defn: A nautical term, as Jack the seaman would use, relating to a vessel, meaning to lean over;to tilt.
16 Put in residence for men only, one details home (7,3)
ADDRESS TAG : ADD(to put in something extra) + RES(abbrev. for “residence”) + STAG(descriptive of a function for men only to attend).
18 Test centre backs American buying and selling safety structure (10)
BALUSTRADE : Reversal of(… backs) LAB(a facility;centre for testing;experimentation) + US(abbrev. for things American) + TRADE(the buying and selling of stuff).
19 Jack’s lean and fantastically fit (salt is fat-free) (4)
LIST : Anagram of(fantastically) “fit (salt ” minus(is …-free) “fat “.
Defn: Another nautical term, cf. 15 across.
21 Impresario’s game changing direction for 25’s accompaniment? (7,5)
RUNNING SHOES : “running shows”(an impresario’s game;what he/she does for the theatre) with “w”(abbrev. for “west”) replacing(changing …) “e”(abbrev. for “east”).
Defn: Gear to accompany a tracksuit, cf. 25 across.
24 Organ transplants within body cavities (5)
ANTRA : Hidden in(… within) “Organ transplants “.
Defn: …, in bones.
25 Retiring Welsh runner pursuing clubs in characteristic warm-up gear (9)
TRACKSUIT : [ Reversal of(Retiring) USK(a river;runner in Wales) placed after(pursuing) C(abbrev. for “clubs”, the suit in card games) ] contained in(in) TRAIT(a distinguishing characteristic).
26 Stake fixed by partners in French city (6)
NANTES : ANTE(the stake put into the pool by a poker player before cards are dealt) contained in(fixed by;put in position) N,S(abbrev. for the pair of partners arbitrarily designated “north” and “south”, in a bridge game).
27 After time, gets down ski run, crashing into old pro’s midriff … (6,2)
DRINKS UP : Anagram of(…, crashing) SKI RUN contained in(into) the central 2 letters of(…’s midriff) “old pro “.
Defn: Reference to closing time in a pub when alcohol can no longer be sold for the night, and patrons then down their last drinks.
Down
1,13 … almost completely ruining airbag clutched by faint-heart as well (4,3,7)
INTO THE BARGAIN : [IN TOTO](completely, from Latin) minus its last letter(almost …) + anagram of(ruining) AIRBAG contained in(clutched by) HEN(a chicken, as in a coward;a faint-heart).
2,14 Rise in appearance money’s in black and white – it’s great jazzman’s fare (4,10)
BEEF WELLINGTON : Reversal of(Rise in, in a down clue) FEE(appearance money;fee paid to a celebrity by a promoter of an event for the former’s participation) contained in(…’s in) BW(abbrev. for “black and white”) + ELLINGTON(Duke, a jazz great).
3 Energy required, perhaps, to thaw this woman? (6)
EUNICE : E(abbrev. for “energy” in physics) plus(required) UN-ICE(whimsical;perhaps interpretation of “to thaw”).
4 Sparkling wine drink to avoid when climbing above Scots town (13)
KIRKCUDBRIGHT : BRIGHT(sparkling) placed below(…. above, in a down clue) [ KIR(a drink made from sparkling wine or champagne and cassis) + reversal of(… when climbing, in a down clue) DUCK(to avoid) ].
6 I stay positive once eliminated from rough competitions (8)
OPTIMIST : “once ” deleted from(eliminated from) anagram of(rough) “competitions “.
7,22 Consumer warning seen on toolbox? (3,7,4)
MAY CONTAIN NUTS : Cryptic defn: Reference to the common consumer warning to those with an allergy to nuts of the plant kind, but could, possibly, warn of nuts of a metallic kind in a toolbox.
8,23 Following scrap, obstreperous types viewed here? (3,7,4)
THE NAUGHTY STEP : THEN(following;later) + AUGHT(nothing;zero, but also “any least part;whatever bit there is” equivalent to “scrap”;a little bit) + anagram of(obstreperous;unruly;naughty) TYPES.
Defn: The place to which naughty children are figuratively or literally sent to, say after a fight;scrap. A WIWD(wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.
10 Modifying article header removed hard feelings (7,3,3)
CLEARED THE AIR : Anagram of(Modifying) ARTICLE HEADER.
13 See 1 down
14 See 2 down
17 ‘ook doesn’t have what it takes to succeed thus (8)
ASPIRATE : “‘ook” with the aspirate, “h”, in front = Hook, Captain James in Peter Pan, who succeeded (or not) “as (a) pirate”.
20 Dullard sporting a sleeveless jacket (6)
JERKIN : JERK(a dullard;a stupid person) + IN(sporting;wearing, as in “she was in short shorts”).
22 See 7 down
23 See 8 down
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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.)
Knowing your penchent for obliquity, I suspect #1 indicates [Beef] WELLINGTON, as a Nelson (Napoleon’s other great nemesis) is a hold in wrestling — possibly even the one depicted, though it’s been too many years for me to recall), and #2 indicates KIRKCUDBRIGHT by showing an example of Paisley, another town in Scotland.
#3 is obviously a reference to TAHITI[ans], but there must be more to it than that. #4 and #5 are mysteries.
Penchant, even.
A little cheating enabled me to identify #5 (better known by other names), who suggest a link to part of the wordplay (but not the answer) in one of the clues. I won’t say more, yet, but am I barking up the right tree?
Ah, no, it’s a word in one of their well known (even to me) songs (though it’s not originally theirs), isn’t it?
Hi Ian SW3, yes, you’re absolutely right with your @4.
Pic 3, Tahiti and KIRKCUDBRIGHT are/were both popular with artists…
Pic 2, Paisley is a ‘vegetable’ pattern, THYME…
Pic2: It’s not the pattern…
A bit obvious, but is 2 a JERKIN?
The knights joust in LISTS?
Paul Simon composed “Bridge over troubled water” while waiting for a train on KIRKCUDBRIGHT Station?
(Oh, hang on, it was “Homeward bound” at Widnes.)
Pic 3, French is the official language of Tahiti, BON MOT…
Pic 5, S&G, “Are you going to Scarborough Fair”, parsley, sage, rosemary,THYME…
I think that was what Ian was alluding to @4, Cookie. If it wasn’t perhaps he has another possibility?
btw the English folksinger Martin Carthy taught Scarborough Fair to Paul Simon, and is still a bit miffed that he didn’t get any credit. It was a traditional song, though…………………
muffin, right about the knights and LISTs.
Pic3: Think beyond Tahiti!
And 2 of the pics link to the same crossword answer.
Ah, yes, muffin, there is also a mention of a cambric seamless shirt…
Pic 1, a HEEL in professional wrestling is a villainous wrestler who is booked to be booed by fans…
also to JERK the curtain refers to the first wrestler IN the ring, i.e. for the first match of the card.
Cookie, right at @18, and I presume your @17 means you’ve got the answer.
And then there weree 2.
Pic 3 might be Polynesian trade routes – linked to balusTRADE?
Pic 4 pizza MAY CONTAIN NUTS?
No more ideas, scchua – thanks for the entertainment. Happy New Year to everyone here!
Pic 4, rather OPTIMISTic, aren’t they…also they must have had to ASPIRATE a lot to blow up the Lilos, the pizza probably has THYME in it and the pepperoni BEEF…
pic 4) pool floats: an ICE-CREAM SODA is also known as an ice cream float.
pic 3) has echoes of Gauguin and World Cup from the previous puzzle: it is a map used by Brazil in world cup advertising: world cup football implies TRACKSUITS and RUNNING SHOES.
BTW, pic 5) is a photo of Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon taken in their high school days where they formed a duo call Tom and Gerry!
Hi all, hope last night’s celebrations went well!
Pic4 is as Freddy says.
Pic3: In the musical South Pacific, Nellie Forbush sings A Cockeyed OPTIMIST.
Thanks scchua for all the fun last year, and all the best for this year.