Standard fare from Armonie
This was what I have come to expect from Armonie; safe and comparativelty straightforward. A few simple anagrams and containers, and only one clue that held me up for any length of time, although I’m not altogether sure why as it was easy enough (1 ac).
Only one quibble – see 20ac.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CIRCLE | Ring student beset by siren (6) |
| L beset by CIRCE (“siren” as in The Odyssey) | ||
| 4 | ACID TEST | Doctor dictates critical essay (4,4) |
| *(dictates) | ||
| 10 | NOSTRUM | New ’otelier’s strange potion (7) |
| N + ‘OST + RUM | ||
| 11 | TESTATE | Willing to cut landed property (7) |
| T(o) + ESTATE | ||
| 12 | RARE | Make a mistake holding American back? That’s unusual! (4) |
| A in <=ERR | ||
| 13 | ASTONISHED | Shocked by a dishonest organisation (10) |
| *(a dishonest) | ||
| 16 | ELATED | Drink turned Eddie joyful (6) |
| <=ALE + TED | ||
| 17 | CONSIST | Scams first to be made up (7) |
| CONS + 1st | ||
| 20 | TIDDLER | Workman eats divine little fish (7) |
| D.D. in TILER
Am I missing something? D.D. is short for Doctor of Divinity, so not the same as “divine” |
||
| 21 | AVERSE | Opposed to Gaelic bible in the beginning (6) |
| A.V. (Authorised Version of the “Bible”) + ERSE | ||
| 24 | KENSINGTON | Know Carol’s not back in London (10) |
| KEN + SING (“Carol”) + <=NOT | ||
| 25 | GOUT | Complaint of German leader? Impossible! (4) |
| G(erman) + OUT | ||
| 27 | THOUGHT | Time husband should care (7) |
| T + H + OUGHT | ||
| 29 | REALISE | Become aware that lies are risky (7) |
| *(lies are) | ||
| 30 | RETIRING | Quiet soldier’s getting worn out (8) |
| R.E. + TIRING | ||
| 31 | AMUSES | A fabulous Greek nonet entertains (6) |
| A + MUSES (there were nine of them in Greek mythology) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | CANARIES | Preserve house in archipelago (8) |
| CAN + ARIES (astrological “house”) | ||
| 2 | RESERVATION | Hesitancy in booking (11) |
| Double definition | ||
| 3 | LARK | Escapade of sovereign on old vessel (4) |
| L (“sovereign” = £) + ARK | ||
| 5 | COTTON ON | Understand working in yarn (6,2) |
| ON in COTTON | ||
| 6 | DISMISSIVE | Is girl in sleazy bar, sneering? (10) |
| IS MISS in DIVE | ||
| 7 | ERA | Some under arrest for years (3) |
| Hidden in “undER Arrest” | ||
| 8 | TRENDY | Latest result in evaluation (6) |
| END in TRY | ||
| 9 | AMASS | A scholar’s shillings pile up (5) |
| A + M.A. + SS (“shillings”) | ||
| 14 | HISTRIONICS | Insist choir deployed staginess (11) |
| *(insist choir) | ||
| 15 | DEAD RINGER | Quasimodo’s identical twin? (4,6) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 18 | HEIGHTEN | Number taken in by flighty female is to increase (8) |
| EIGHT in HEN | ||
| 19 | HEATHENS | Savages cook fowl (8) |
| HEAT HENS | ||
| 22 | SKATER | Society girl runs to become a sportswoman (6) |
| S + KATE + R | ||
| 23 | COBRA | Crawler is a firm supporter (5) |
| Co. + BRA | ||
| 26 | FARM | Cultivate key member (4) |
| F + ARM | ||
| 28 | OPT | Oscar has drill and pick (3) |
| O + P.T. | ||
*anagram
‘Divine’ has the sense of ‘one who is divine’ also. So a ‘Doctor of Divinity’ could yield ‘divine’, I think.
According to Chambers, a divine (noun) is “a person skilled in divine things” which, I think, describes a DD.
Thank you Armonie & loonapick.
Thanks, loonapick. As you say, good solid fare from Armonie. 1ac held me up, too — I was convinced it was Cartel, but couldn’t see why. Thanks, Armonie, for your usual brain-MOT.
COED gives divine n. 1 a cleric, usu. an expert in theology.
Thanks Armonie and loonapick.
What neat clues, and fun – DEAD RINGER!
Thanks Armonie and loonapick
The second puzzle by this setter in as many days – following his appearance in the Monday Guardian. Found this one a little tougher, but still relatively straightforward to get finished.
Had no problem with 1a, but did get held up with TIDDLER for a while – because my BELL RINGER was not right at 15D (still not sure why Quasimodo is actually referred to as a DEAD ringer). Did like NOSTRUM and CIRCLE.
brucew@aus @6, in Victor Hugo’s book, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Quasimodo, the bell ringer, dies at the end (not sure what happens in the film or TV version), thus he is a “dead ringer”, but a DEAD RINGER also means someone who is identical to another person, which identical twins are to each other.
Not sure why ‘out’ is ‘impossible’ but it’s probably just me. And I’m also probably too late asking. Very enjoyable crossword.
Thanks loonapick and Armonie.
A pleasant if not too taxing jaunt.
I thought ACID TEST was particularly good.
But can a COBRA really be said to crawl?
XJ, I thought of OUT in terms of not permissible, allowable or achievable so I think it’s OK.