Independent 9,291 by Knut

by

Knut has left me feeling like singing the blues today…

Well no I’m not cheering too much about the Tory leadership theme but we don’t really want a political storm in the blog. A very nice little crossword from the master of the quick turn arounds even if turns of events have actually busted some of the surfaces beyond his otherwise uncanny abilities.

Thanks Knut for a grand start to the week,

completed grid

Across

7 Try to organise a party? (4,1,4)
HAVE A BASH
Double definition

9 See 20 Down

11 Stick around for unlimited love (3)
ROD
Love=adore, un-limited becomes DOR and then reversed (around)

12 Whip: “I’m entering government, bringing order” (11)
REGIMENTING
[IM ENTERING]* whipped & G(overnment)

13 Chair let off Washington constituent (7)
SEATTLE
SEAT (chair) & LET* off. City in Washington

15 Wise goddess starts to spell “aesthete” (6)
ATHENE
The first two letters of aesthete are A THEN E

17 Likely damage for domestic state output? (9,4)
ESTIMATED COST
Initially I thought this might be some sort of cryptic def then realised it’s [DOMESTIC STATE]* put out

21 Something’s come up in Cagliari, senator (6)
ARISEN
Hidden (in) answer

22 Puzzling images note 6’s more common container (7)
REBUSES
RE (sol fa note) & BUSES rather than BUSSES as used in 6D

25 One-time Arafat comrade, one about to be left in reserve? (11)
UNEXPLOITED
EX – P.L.O. in UNITED (one)

26/26D One hears excessively vulgar blare; sounds like a car horn (3,4)
TWO TONE
Homophone time, Sounds like (one hears) TOO (excessive) & TON(E/y) (BLAIR/BLARE). No I’m not utterly convinced here either.

27 A pound, not a krona, is better (5)
NICER
K(rona) missing from NIC(k)ER – somewhat dated (to me anyway) slang for a pound

28 Dolly bird visiting hilltop temple (9)
PARTHENON
HEN (bird) in (visiting) (dolly) PARTON

Down

1/19 May Queen entertained another Queen in Zola’s work (7,6)
THERESE RAQUIN
Emile Zola book and play, misleading may queen, it’s E.R. (queen) in THERESA (may) & QU(een) & IN

2 Eager to top Cameron (4)
AVID
(d)AVID topped. Wishful thinking perhaps

3 Inducement to bed a bishop (6)
CARROT
At first I suspected this was a little naughty with no inclusion indicator but the verb TO BED is to put in a bed, so it’s A & (RR -Right Reverend- a bishop) put inside a COT (bed)

4 11’s song Girls at No.10 (6,3)
MAGGIE MAY
11 = ROD (stewart), his song was MAGGIE (thatcher) & (Theresa) MAY. Girls might be pushing it a bit!

5 Call it up, Charlie, in this alphabet (8)
PHONETIC
PHONE (call) & IT up reversed & C(harlie)

6 Firms‘ coaches transport Spanish girl (10)
BUSINESSES
INES (a spanish girl) in BUSSES. Unusual plural of BUS, see 22

8/16 Racy threesome cavorting “not for me any more” – Theresa May (4,9)
HOME SECRETARY
[RACY THREESOME]* cavorting. Thanks Knut, that’s an image I really don’t want in my mind.

10 Fledgling Labour challenger: “it’s time” (6)
EAGLET
(angela) EAGLE & T(ime). Alas Knut’s timely puzzle is overtaken by events and so the clue isn’t entirely accurate anymore.

14 Cabinet’s reshuffled to tackle Northern English deprivation (10)
ABSTINENCE

N(orthern) in CABINETS* reshuffled & E(nglish). Suspect the surface might be a little over optimistic….

16 See 8

18 Pinter play featuring Vivien Merchant “amateurish” (8)
INEXPERT
Vivien Merchant was married to Pinter so his EX –  in PINTER* played

19 See 1

20/9 Victorian pile, until recently No.11? (7,5)
OSBORNE HOUSE
George OSBORNE’s place, although I believe actually Cameron lived at number 11.

23 An inspirational figure? Oh that Zola – of course! – LOL! (6)
BUDDHA
(zola) BUDD who was parachuted into the British squad in somewhat dubious circumstances, famous for running barefoot  & HA  (laugh – LOL)

24 Attempt on Corbyn “shambles”; centre gives way (4)
COUP
Not entirely convinced for the ON CORBYN bit, it seems to me it’s likely to fail. Anyway it’s the centre missing from CO(ck) UP

26 See 26 Across

13 comments on “Independent 9,291 by Knut”

  1. Quite hard but satisfying in the end, with many clues bringing a smile. When I saw all the political references, not to mention ‘Zola’, a couple of times I thought I was sunk, but it was a sign of the quality of the clueing that my skimpy knowledge of current UK politics was still sufficient to just about complete the puzzle. Couldn’t parse ATHENE (v. good) and wasn’t quite sure about TWO TONE (missed the ‘blare’ homophone), but the rest were pretty clear. The first Zola clue was guessed incorrectly on the wordplay but the second brought back memories of that race and fall in the LA Olympics back in 1984, a big event at the time. Last in was UNEXPLOITED and favourites were HOME SECRETARY, CARROT and the ‘Dolly bird visiting…’ for PARTHENON.

    Thanks to Knut and flashling.

  3. Thanks, flashling.

    Stunning stuff – Knut’s puzzles just keep getting better. The Pinter clue is just brilliant, as are the two Zolas and the racy threesome [though not a pretty picture] was a wonderful spot.

    Bravo again, Knut – I don’t know how you do it but keep them coming!

  4. Knut always makes me laugh and this was no exception. Almost too many favourites to mention, but THERESE RAQUIN, MAGGIE MAY, PARTHENON and HOME SECRETARY have to be in there.

    Thanks Knut

  8. Another top class puzzle from Knut, as full of wit, ingenuity and topicality as ever…

    Thanks to Knut and flashling

  9. I had to use wiki to get 1/19, but I remember the other Zola. The punch line in the joke at the time was “It’s a long way to trip a Mary”.

  10. Enjoyed this; and a fairly rapid solve to boot. Liked the ingenious working in of the two Zolas, and thought OSBORNE HOUSE was quite clever, but there was lots more to savour.

    Eileen @6: – and in the current Radio Times

    Thanks, Knut and flashling.

  11. hello folks,

    Many thanks to flashling for the blog and to those who took the time to comment.
    Funnily enough, I did email Eimi when it became clear that the Eagle hadn’t even taken off, but, as he pointed out, she started the whole thing so it seemed fair enough.

    warmest regards,
    Rob/Knut

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