Independent 9310 / Crosophile

by

Crosophile has given us what I think is a theme and message free crossword today.

 

 

 

The first few acrosses went in very quickly but it then took me a while to get into the down clues. There were at least two pauses before I finally solved the complete grid.  

One of the entries gave me some difficulty with wordplay, USURPER (28 across) and one definition I struggled with in relation to the words in the clue, VICE CHAIR at 2 down.

 

Across
No. Clue Wordplay Entry

1

 

Wading bird stopped over halfway in difficulty – one might go in for a dip (7)

 

AVOCET (wading bird) excluding the last two letters such that the word is curtailed after 4 of 6 letters (stopped over halfway) ET + ADO  (difficulty)

 

AVOCADO (pear shaped fruit whose flesh is used in a guacamole dip)

 

5

 

Criminal lost bet and chickens out (7)

 

Anagram of (criminal) LOST BET

BOTTLES*

BOTTLES (loses ones nerve; chickens out)

 

10

 

Basic food keeps a lecturer going back for tasty cake? (6)

 

(RICE [a basic food] containing [keeps] [A + L {lecturer}]) all reversed (going back)

(EC (L A) IR)<

ECLAIR ( a word defined by one of Chambers quirky phrases as: a cake, long in shape but short in duration, with cream filling and usually chocolate icing; tasty cake)

 

11

 

Alcoholic drink for when you’re legless? (4-2-2)

 

PICK ME UP (a phrase you might utter if you had no legs or when you were drunk [legless])

 

PICK-ME-UP (stimulating drink, usually alcoholic)

 

12

 

Where bangers end up measured in metric? (9)

 

SCRAP YARD (a call to abandon the imperial measurement of a YARD, perhaps to be replaced by metric measurements)  When I was a young land surveyor the conversion factors 3.28084558 feet in a metre and 0.30479947 metres in a foot were indelibly etched in my mind and remain there till this day)

 

SCRAPYARD (where old bangers [ old cars] may end up)

 

13

 

Was on a horse beside the ring here? (5)

 

RODE (was on a horse) + O (ring shape)

 

RODEO (an exhibition of cowboy skill where the participants are likely to be on a horse)

 

15

 

Head of state’s mature wise man (4)

 

S (first letter of [head of] STATE) + AGE (mature)

 

SAGE (wise man)

 

16

 

Without aid for housing start getting unsettled – sacrifices to be made here (10)

 

ALONE (if you do something ALONE you do it without aid) containing (housing) (an anagram of [unsettled] START)

AL (TAR ST*) ONE

ALTARSTONE (STONE serving as an ALTAR, where sacrifices may be made)

 

18

 

Nothing to stop angry radicals in decisive moment (10)

 

O (zero; nothing) contained in (to stop) (CROSS [angry] + RADS [radicals])

CROSS R (O) ADS

CROSSROADS (a point where a decision has to be made; decisive moment)

 

20

 

Chalky substance in two sorts of tree (4)

 

LIME (another name for LIMEstone which contains calcium carbonate; chalky substance)

 

LIME (term used for both a tropical citrus tree and the linden tree); two distinct sorts of tree)

 

21

 

Son goes to a supermarket to get some ice cream (5)

 

S (son) + CO-OP (Co-operative Society which runs supermarkets among other services)

 

SCOOP (a measurement of a quantity of ice cream)

 

23

 

One needs to watch what one says (3-6)

 

LIP-READER (one who detects what is being said by READing [watching] the movement of the speakers LIPs)

 

LIP-READER – this clue is a cryptic definition explained in the wordplay column

 

25

 

Spare salesman always turns up when first person goes in (8)

 

REP (representative [salesman]) + (I contained in [goes] [EVER [always]  reversed [turns up])

REP (R (I) EVE<)

REPRIEVE (spare)

 

26

 

Likely lad with no partner? (4-2)

 

ODD (unpaired; with no partner) + SON (lad)

 

ODDS-ON (if an outcome attracts an ODDS-ON price from a bookmaker then it is considered likely to happen)

 

27

 

Gemstone redeemer sees 50% off all cut diamonds (7)

 

EMER (four of the eight [50%] the letters in REDEEMER) + ALL excluding the final letter (cut) L + D (diamonds)

 

EMERALD (gemstone)

 

28

 

Cold war powers one pitted against every leader of new regime (7)

 

US (United States) + USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) excluding the middle letters (pitted) SS + PER (every)  The Cold War was an intense, remorseless struggle for the upper hand by all means short of actual fighting, originally and especially as between the Communist (e.g. USSR) and non-Communist powers (e.g. United States) after World War II.

 

 USURPER (one who assumes authority, often by force or devious means, to take the  place of a previous leader; leader of new regime)
Down
2

Person standing for president is the seat of corruption? (4-5)

VICE (corruption) + CHAIR (seat)

VICE-CHAIR (the CHAIR presides over a meeting, so the CHAIR could be termed the president.  If the CHAIR [president) is absent then the VICE CHAIR stands in for [person standing for] the CHAIR [president])

That’s the best I can come up with – it seems a bit tortuous.

3

 

Daily help Independent’s left with electronic word puzzle (7)

 

CHAR (daily) + AID (help) excluding (left) I (independent) + E (electronic)

 

CHARADE (type of riddle, the subject of which is a word proposed for solution from an enigmatical description of its component syllables and of the whole; word puzzle)

 

4

 

Filthy hound in a film (5,5)

 

DIRTY (filthy) + HARRY (harass; nag; hound)

 

DIRTY HARRY (title of 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood that spawned a series of later films)

 

6

 

Self-referentially concealed in the past? (4)

 

ONCE (hidden word [concealed] in the word CONCEALED hence self -referentially concealed)

 

ONCE (in the past)

 

7

 

I am European, into everything French for a short break (4,3)

 

(I’M [I am] + E [European]) contained in (into) TOUT (French for ‘all’)

T (IM E) OUT

TIME OUT (short break during a sporting contest)

 

8

 

Bar is out of cordial at both ends – it makes you weep (5)

 

EXCLUDE (bar) excluding (out of) C and L (the letters at each end [at both ends] of the word  CORDIAL

 

EXUDE (weep)

 

9

 

Pissed off about one religious service or made more religious (13)

 

Anagram of (off) PISSED containing (about (I [one] + RITUAL [for example, a religious service])

SP (I RITUAL) ISED*

SPIRITUALISED (imbued with religious essence; made more religious)

 

14

 

Ordinary members inform and encourage society (5,5)

 

GRASS (inform [on]) + ROOT (encourage) + S (society)

 

GRASS ROOTS (ordinary members,  in a political party for example))

 

17

 

Escort vulnerable girl after chap is replaced by unfeeling boss (6,3)

 

CHAPERONE (escort vulnerable girl) with CHAP replaced by NUMB (unfeeling)

NUMB ER ONE

NUMBER ONE (boss)

 

19

 

Cleaner uniform worn by Vardy perhaps? (7)

 

U (uniform is the International Radio Communication code for the letter U) contained in (worn by) SCORER (reference Jamie Vardy, leading goal scorer for Leicester City in their Premiership winning season last year)

SCO (U) RER

SCOURER (cleaner)

 

20

 

Hero’s mate is new in directorial role (7)

 

N (new) contained in LEADER (directorial role)

LEA (N) DER

 LEANDER (reference the Greek myth telling the story of lovers Hero and LEANDER)

22

 

Take top off? This is a good laugh, taking top off (5)

 

SCREAM (good laugh) excluding the first letter (taking top off) S

 

CREAM (select the best from; take the top off)

 

24

 

Rob’s first to be out for a duck (4)

 

STEAL (rob) excluding (to be out) the first letter (first) S

 

TEAL (any of several kinds of freshwater duck)

 

11 comments on “Independent 9310 / Crosophile”

  1. A pleasant solve, as you say without the diversion of s theme (I hope). Some mishaps in your explanation column though Duncan – 1a, 3d, and 7d, at least in the iPhone version.
    Thanks to S & B

  2. Very enjoyable, with plenty of amusing clues which needed a bit of thought but which weren’t too fiendish. My favourites were AVOCADO, SCRAPYARD and the clever USURPER, my last in. I was left with the uneasy feeling of having missed a theme (eg DIRTY HARRY and LIME), as there often is one in Crosophile’s puzzles, but was reassured that our esteemed blogger didn’t notice anything obvious either.

    Thanks to Crosophile and Duncan.

  3. Paul A @ 1

    I think you are being very diplomatic and polite.

    I would describe it correctly as appalling proof reading by me at 1a, 3d and 7d – sorry about that. It’s corrected now.

  4. Thanks Crosophile and duncan

    The closest I can get to a theme is that AVOCADO, SAGE, LIME, EMERALD and TEAL are all shades of green, which GRASS generally is if it hasn’t been hot and dry for too long, and BOTTLES can also be. There’s also a connection between ECLAIR and CREAM.

  5. An enjoyable solve of a puzzle that, for me, while more or less similar in ‘style’, outshone yesterday’s by a few yards.
    USURPER was my last one in but I couldn’t see why.
    Now I know – so thanks for that, Duncan!

    Which leaves me with one more question, about 1ac (AVOCADO).
    What is (the first) ‘in’ doing in that clue? Can’t be a link word.
    But if it is, I think it’s misleading as it could have been [it’s not] something inside ‘ado’.

  6. Sil @5, it could be taken as ‘over halfway in’. Something needs to go between halfway and difficulty.

  7. A quibble about 19dn: I don’t see how “worn by” can be the same as “contained in”. That wording implies that something indicating “uniform” should be outside, not contained in, something indicating “scorer” but here it’s the other way round.

    Otherwise an enjoyable and not too difficult puzzle.

    Thanks, Crosophile and Duncan

  8. Thanks Paul A @6: that makes sense.
    allan_c @7: I am pretty sure that I have seen the use of ‘to wear’ either way.
    Usually it is indeed ‘A worn by B’ meaning A going around B.
    Perhaps, it is the meaning no 17 in Chambers (to accept, informal) that justifies its use the other way round?

  10. I didn’t like 2 down. There’s a difference between someone who stands for president and someone who stands in for him or her.

  11. Just done this in a hotel room in Kansas City. Needed some help to finish. 2dn was not obvious, and that was stopping me from getting 1ac.

    Incidentally, since 1959 the foot has been defined as exactly 0.3048 metres. Made remembering the conversion factor much easier.

Comments are closed.