It’s the last Wednesday of the month so Dac’s regular slot is filled by Quixote.
This was a puzzle without any serious obscurities. A bit of general knowledge was required for the poet Walt WHITMAN at 10 across and Captain Matthew FLINDERS, the explorer at 8 down.
The puzzle had Quixote’s regular references to the church together with a bit of history and literature.
Apart from one clue (1 across) I didn’t have a huge amount of difficulty solving this. For 1 across, I can see the definition clearly and I think BADGE is involved somewhere in the word play but I can’t come up with a parsing that makes sense.
There were quite a few long anagrams and I particularly liked the reference to HAY[on-Wye] with its strong book connections in the clue for THE FORSYTE SAGA [19 across]. The clue for AMERICAN ENGLISH at 6 down also took my fancy.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 1
|
By implication a badge bringing witty conversation (8)
|
I’m not sure of the wordplay here. A and BADGE form six of the letters of BADINAGE but I can’t see an anagram indicator and can’t see how the remaining letters IN relate to ‘by implication’. If we look at BADGE alone, it contains IN A to form BAD (IN A) GE, but I can’t see a containment indicator in the clue either.
I look forward to being told how the wordplay works here. Thanks to Muffyword at comment 1 for explaining how it all works. The two words A BADGE can be read as (by implication) BAD in AGE or A (BAD) GE |
BADINAGE (light playful talk; witty conversation)
|
| 5
|
Bachelor attending quiet party (4)
|
BA (Bachelor [of Arts]) + SH (quiet!) I think ‘attending’ is just a link as I can’t find a dictionary giving A as an abbreviation for ‘attending’.
|
BASH (party)
|
| 10
|
Poet and wife meeting murderer (7)
|
W (wife) + HITMAN (someone employed to kill or attack others; murderer)
|
WHITMAN (reference Walter WHITMAN [1819 – 1892], American poet, essayist and journalist)
|
| 11
|
With hot drink to be imbibed call for splash of milk (7)
|
TEA (hot drink) contained in (to be imbibed) an anagram of (for splash) CALL
LAC (TEA) L* |
LACTEAL (of milk)
|
| 12
|
What agent offers is English gift – within permitted allowance (14)
|
(E [English] + PRESENT [gift]) contained in (within) RATION (permitted allowance)
R (E PRESENT) ATION |
REPRESENTATION (what an agent offers)
|
| 13
|
Fight as expected by back of school (4)
|
DUE (expected) + L (last letter of [back of] SCHOOL)
|
DUEL (fight)
|
| 14
|
Common folk will have been pals, I suspect (9)
|
Anagram of (suspect) BEEN PALS I
PLEBEIANS* |
PLEBEIANS (common people)
|
| 16
|
Parson set out to get female supporter (9)
|
Anagram of (out) PARSON SET
PATRONESS* |
PATRONESS (female supporter)
|
| 18
|
Scottish island – island lacking large plant (4)
|
TIREE (Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides) excluding (lacking) I (island)
|
TREE (large plant)
|
| 19
|
Hay stage set for new series of books (3,7,4)
|
Anagram of (new) HAY STAGE SET FOR
THE FORSYTE SAGA* |
THE FORSYTE SAGA (series of novels by John Galsworthy)
|
| 22
|
Praise that is less emotional (7)
|
FLATTER (praise)
|
FLATTER (less emotional) double definition
|
| 23
|
Rumbling as a result of having veg with fish (7)
|
PEA (vegetable) + LING (fish)
|
PEALING (rumbling as in rumbles of or PEALs of thunder)
|
| 24
|
Period of inactivity sees three learners outside university (4)
|
(L[ learner] + L [learner] + L [learner] giving three learners) containing (outside) U (university)
L (U) L L |
LULL (period of inactivity)
|
| 25
|
Old rocker suffering setback longed to be alone (8)
|
TED (teddy boy; old rocker) reversed (suffering setback) + ACHED (longed to be)
DET< ACHED |
DETACHED (alone)
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 1
|
This shout is heard in dance (4)
|
BAWL (sounds like [is heard] BALL [dance])
|
BAWL (shout)
|
| 2
|
Infuriated when dull private gets out of step (6,2,3,4)
|
Anagram of (gets out of step) WHEN DULL PRIVATE
DRIVEN UP THE WALL* |
DRIVEN UP THE WALL (infuriated)
|
| 3
|
Symbol of rule man redesigned (7)
|
Anagram of (redesigned) RULE MAN
NUMERAL* |
NUMERAL (symbol representing a number)
|
| 4
|
Kind and generous man of the ‘our disappearing (5)
|
GENEROUS excluding (‘ERO [hero; man of the ‘out])
|
GENUS (taxonomic group of closely related species; type; kind
|
| 6
|
Form of language in some respects non-U (8,7)
|
AMERICAN spelling of ENGLISH words often omit the U [non-U], for example HONOR, COLOR for HONOUR and COLOUR.
|
AMERICAN ENGLISH (a form of language) |
| 7
|
Hindu festival head demonstrates religious quality (8)
|
HOLI (Hindu Spring Festival) + NESS (headland)
|
HOLINESS (religious quality)
|
| 8
|
English explorer revealing little bits and pieces (8)
|
FLINDERS (a rare word for small fragments; little bits and pieces)
|
FLINDERS (reference Captain Matthew FLINDERS RN [1774 – 1814] was an English navigator and cartographer, who was the first to circumnavigate Australia) double definition
|
| 9
|
Time locked in old chamber is eight days (6)
|
T (time) contained in (locked in) (O [old] + CAVE [chamber])
O C (T) AVE |
OCTAVE (eight days from a church festival)
|
| 14
|
Quiet meadow certain to bring happiness (8)
|
P (piano; quiet) + LEA (meadow) + SURE (certain)
|
PLEASURE (happiness)
|
| 15
|
Nasty fuels spilt outside mine (8)
|
Anagram of (spilt) FUELS containing (outside) PIT (mine)
S (PIT) EFUL* |
SPITEFUL (nasty)
|
| 17
|
European city has nothing left – nothing! (6)
|
O (zero; nothing) + PORT (left side of a ship) + O (zero; nothing)
|
OPORTO (city in Portugal; European city)
|
| 18
|
Little child, girl, eating second pancake (7)
|
(TOT [little child] + ADA [girl’s name]) containing (eating) S (second)
TO (S) T ADA |
TOSTADA (a tortilla [Mexican form of pancake] fried until crisp and served with a savoury topping of e.g. beans, minced meat and vegetables.
|
| 20
|
Peg is given school exercise in tent (5)
|
TEE (peg) containing (is given) PE (physical education; school exercise)
TE (PE) E |
TEPEE (tent)
|
| 21
|
Getting on in prison, about to be released (4)
|
CAGED (in prison) excluding (to be released) C (circa; about)
|
AGED (getting on)
|
a badge is “bad” in “age”
Muffyword @ 1
Thanks – I should have seen that. I have updated the blog.
I thought both FLINDERS and HOLI (in HOLINESS) were fairly obscure. The former stumped me completely – I didn’t know either the word or the explorer.
The woods are still ringing with my confident barks up the wrong trees today. Rueful respect therefore to Quixote & thanks to D for the blog. BADINAGE is a thing if beauty.
@4Grant: “The woods are still ringing with my confident barks up the wrong trees” – what a beautiful turn of phrase. I couldn’t do better myself so I shall refrain from further comment apart from thanking setter and blogger.
Hurrah! I got this one out without any aids! But then, my husband is Australian (Flinders University was a talking point.) Favourite clue: 14a. Thanks to both.
Something went wrong when I tried to post my comment. 5th try now! Hurrah! I got this one out without any aids! But then, my husband is Australian (Flinders University was a talking point.) Favourite clue: 14a. Thanks to both.
Double thanks to Heather. Strong South Australian link. Flinders Ranges; Flinders Island; Flinders Street in the city and my sister head medical librarian at Flinders Uni. Off topic, will now stop.
Also couldn’t see BADINAGE parsing; 2D beautifully worded clue. Last one in TOSTADA, barely heard of.
Thanks to Quixote and duncanshiell.