S & B York – puzzle by Egbert

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As far as I know, this is Egbert’s third ever contribution to a S&B event.
For those who haven’t tried it yet, here’s another chance:  Egbert @ York 2016


Egbert uses a very unusual grid with many three and four letter words, increasing the enumeration up to 40.

The puzzle contains a fair number of references to the City of York and its tourist attractions.
There is also a nina around the perimeter to celebrate the organiser of what was another wonderful crossword do.

At the end of the blog the completed grid is added.
Both thematical clues and the nina are highlighted in full colour.

Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.

Across
8 DESERTER Soldier under pressure, leaderless, loses heart and retreats – he goes AWOL (8)
RE (soldier, Royal Engineer) + [s]TRE[s]SED (which is: STRESSED (under pressure) minus the first letter [leaderless] and the middle letter [loses heart], together reversed [retreats]
9 CASTLE Local structure moulded by the French (6)
CAST (moulded) + LE (the, in French)
More about York Castle here.
10 OUSE Local channel showing latter parts of Dynasty (4)
The last part of HOUSE (dynasty)
11 OVERSELL Exaggerate the value of poetry in origins of oriental legends and literature (8)
VERSE (poetry) inside the first letters [origins] of  “Oriental Legends [and] Literature”
13 LAM Hitman returns briefly (3)
Reversal [returns] of MAL[e] (man, briefly)
To get the definition one has to split “Hit/man”.
15 RAILWAY Guard with a year to create a transport system (7)
RAIL (guard) + W (with) + A + Y (year)
18 VIKING Jorvik resident keeps one family in first class accommodation (6)
I (one) + KIN (family), together inside VG (first class, i.e. Very Good)
A nod to York’s Jorvik Viking Centre [for more information, see 31d].
19 ESSO Oil company’s infamous security force infiltrates energy company – it’s not new (4)
SS (infamous security force) inside {EON (energy company) minus N (new)}
21 MINSTER Name included in title for local edifice (7)
N (name) inside MISTER (title)
Here’s some tourist information:  York Minster.
For more controversial news, see the blog of Margrave’s crossword.
24 PLECTRA Picks exotic place outside Turkey (7)
(PLACE)* around TR (Turkey, IVR)    [* = exotic]
27 ASTI Wine hidden when one gets tipsy after Christmas (4)
“tipsy after Christmas” becomes “Christmas tipsy” in which the solution is hidden
28 IFFIER Hesitation after back-to-back conditions make outcome riskier (6)
IF/FI (conditions (IF, IF)), back to back) + ER (hesitation)
30 EMPEROR Powerful ruler’s representative in phone company gets round in luxury car (7)
{MP (representative) inside EE (phone company)} + {O (round) inside RR (luxury car, Rolls Royce)}
34 FLU Viral infection when affecting fine fellow gets one down (3)
When one’s adding [‘affecting’ in the sense of ‘taking on’]  F (fine) + F (fellow) to the solution, one will get FLUFF (down)
35 NATIONAL Typically, Italian on manoeuvres is missing Italy (8)
(ITALIAN ON)* minus I (Italy)    [* = manoeuvres]
“Italian is doing double duty here.
This solution when linked to 15ac and 31d gives another one of York’s features [for more information, see 31d].
38 DATE Determine the age of fruit (4)
Double definition
39 TEAPOT Potter briefly gets involved with a brewer (6)
(POTTE[r] + A)*    [* = gets involved with]
40 TRUNNION Mounting shaft not run in properly (8)
(NOT RUN IN)*    [* = properly]
Down
1 BELUGA Whale with mottled blue head and silver back (6)
(BLUE)* at the beginning [head]  + reversal of AG (silver)
2 REVEAL Show a handle turning round (6)
A with reversal [turning] of LEVER around it
3 ATTILA Barbarian army raised and landed to the north (6)
Reversal [raised] of TA (army) + reversal [to the north] of ALIT (landed)
4 VROOM Computer simulation of old motor starting to rev (5)
VR (computer simulation, i.e. Virtual Reality) + first letters [starting] of “of old motor”
5 OCHE General and diplomat in the firing line? (4)
OC (general, i.e. Officer Commanding or, alternatively, Officer in Charge) + HE (diplomat, i.e. His Excellency)
6 ISIS Egyptian goddess apparently reincarnated? (4)
If she reincarnates, she lives twice: IS (lives) + IS (lives)
7 OLD-LINER American conservative describes Titanic (3-5)
Double definition
12 RSI Typist’s complaint perhaps – addressee in formal letter is misspelt (3)
(SIR (addressee in a letter, as in “Dear Sir”))*    [* = misspelt]
14 AYERS Those in favour of Australian rock? (5)
Double definition
For me, AYERS is Kevin Ayers, but here it is not.
It’s that well-known landmark down under:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru .
16 INN Accommodation with dinner included (3)
Hidden solution [included]:   dinner
17 WIT ‘M’ overturned by core of Military Intelligence (3)
W (overturn the letter M and you’ll get W) + [mil]IT[ary]
18 VOL In heraldry, wings inverted denote endless devotion (3)
Reversal [inverted] of LOV[e] (devotion, without the last letter)
20 SPIEL Soft individual taken in by interminable trade talk (5)
P (soft) + I (individual), together inside SEL[l] (trade, minus the last letter)
Perhaps, the definition is ‘trade talk’ but then ‘trade’ is doing double duty.
22 INFLATES When blowing force 10, sail balloons (8)
(F (force) + TEN (10) + SAIL)*    [* = when blowing]
23 EAR Be paid no close attention (3)
EARN (be paid) minus the last letter N [no close]
25 ESP Part of The Shambles possibly evokes emotions beyond the norm (3)
Hidden solution [part of]:  The ShamblES Possibly
26 TAR Pitch-perfect aria is enthralling (3)
Hidden solution [is enthralling]:   perfect aria
One has to (further) split “pitch / perfect” to isolate the definition.
29 EGO I leave after end of performance (3)
[performanc]E + GO (leave)
31 MUSEUM Say nothing about exercise in educational institution such as 9, 18 or 35/15 locally (6)
MUM (say nothing) around USE (exercise)
The Castle (9ac) has its own museum.
And as promised above, here’s some more tourist information:
Jorvik Viking Centre (see 18ac)
National Railway Museum (see 35,15ac).
32 ENDING Leading diplomat to feature in up-coming G-9 finale (6)
D[iplomat] inside reversal [up-coming] of G-NINE
33 OCTROI Riot breaks out after company raised city import tax (6)
Reversal [raised] of CO (company) + (RIOT)*    [* = breaks out]
34 FLOTA Spanish commercial fleet starts to ferry Libyan outcasts to Andalucia (5)
First letters [starts to] of  ” Ferry Libyan Outcasts To Andalusia”
36 IMPI African warriors‘ army policeman held by naval verbal agreement (4)
MP (army policeman, i.e. Military Police) inside I,I which is a homophone [verbal] of AYE-AYE (naval agreement)
37 NETT Lifting 10 tons (excluding packaging) (4)
Reversal [lifting] of TEN (10) + T (tons)

grid-egbert

 

4 comments on “S & B York – puzzle by Egbert”

  1. A tour de force from Egbert – not only local references but a nina as well! Congratulations to Egbert.

    I slipped up on 8ac, though: I had DEFECTOR – no wonder I couldn’t parse it.

    Thanks, Egbert and Sil

  2. Thanks, Sil, for great blogs of all the puzzles – and for getting them out so quickly.

    As with the Margrave puzzle, I enjoyed having company to solve this with – and none of us saw the Nina! I enjoy Egbert’s innovative cluing and, along with the clever inclusion of the local references in this one, I was particularly impressed by the clues for so many three-letter words. [And I loved the novel cluing of the ubiquitous ASTI when Andrew explained it to me!]

    Thanks again,[Eg]bert.

  3. This must be the first time I’ve ever solved 40 across in a 15×15 grid! This puzzle has an amazing construction, and some excellent clues. Huge fun.
    Thanks to Egbert and to Sil for the blog. Great stuff.

  4. Thanks Egbert and Sil – I’m amazed that you managed to get the blogs up so quickly (and I share your like of Kevin Ayers).

    I thought that was tremendous, despite being completely oblivious to the nina. A real tour de force.

    Let’s drink some wine
    And have a good time
    But if you really want to come through
    Let the good time have you

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