I haven’t had a Punk to blog for ages, so I was pleased to see his name come up in the Monday slot, because I like his puzzles.
Cars were the theme for this one, both in the clues and the solutions. We have LINCOLN, FERRARI, AUDI, JAGUAR, MASERATI, OPEL, MINI, BRISTOL, FORD, SAAB, SKODA and BENTLEY. Good theme, since there aren’t that many makes of car, and most solvers will have come across all the above names. Otherwise, fairly gentle stuff, so perfect for an accessible Monday puzzle.
And although I know that not all solvers appreciate Punk’s puerile sense of humour, we have one bum and one tit this morning.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) missing
definitions are underlined
Across
8 Green car?
LINCOLN
A dd, with the first bit referencing LINCOLN GREEN, the shade of choice of Robin Hood.
9 Smith has flogged Ferrari
FARRIER
(FERRARI)*
10 Dodge every vulgarity and double entendre, initially
EVADE
The first letters of the middle five words of the clue.
11 Where GPs meet patients, doctor ignores user? No no!
SURGERIES
(IG[NO]RES USER)*
12 Cutter fine at sea, secured by anchor
KNIFE-EDGE
(FINE)* in KEDGE, a word for an ‘anchor’ that I didn’t know, but do now. Good surface.
13 Sound car outstanding originally
AUDIO
A charade of AUDI and O for the first letter of ‘outstanding’.
15 Jaguars, say, reversing a little fast accidentally
CATS
Hidden reversed in faST ACcidentally.
16 Chest broken
BUST
A dd.
21 A division contracted to be proficient
ADEPT
A and DEPT for an abbreviation of DEPARTMENT or ‘division’.
23 Hard act to follow retro imitation – fraud
HYPOCRITE
An insertion of COPY reversed in H and RITE.
24 Plant – Maserati touring around one
ARTEMESIA
A charadee of (MASERATI)* and A.
26 Divided European city
SPLIT
A dd.
27 “Sport“, author unknown
ARCHERY
A charade of Jeffrey ARCHER, the author and disgraced peer, and Y for the mathematical ‘unknown’.
28 Support limit or some extremes
ENDORSE
A charade of END, OR and SE for the outside letters of ‘some’.
Down
1 Visionary down – what’s up?
BLUE-SKY
A charade of BLUE and SKY. Most often heard in BLUE-SKY THINKING.
2 Cancel appointment after misbehaviour of heartess villain
INVALIDATE
A charade of (VIL[L]AIN)* and DATE, with ‘misbehaviour of’ as the anagrind.
3 Inefficient car impounded by Nazi
HOPELESS
OPEL inserted in HESS.
5 Central American leader, toerag unfortunately
ORTEGA
(TOERAG)* gives you the Nicaraguan president. Whether Punk intended to slight him with this clue, I couldn’t possibly say.
6 Not much room in infinitesimal car
MINI
Hidden in rooM IN Infinitesimal.
7 Endless stiff hair covering roof of odd car
BRISTOL
An insertion of O for the first letter of ‘odd’ in BRISTL[E].
9 Chrome wings in car, compulsory
FORCED
The outside letters of ‘chrome’ inserted into FORD.
14 Spirited establishment quieter during putting up of shelves etc?
DISTILLERY
An insertion of STILLER in DIY. Nice misdirection.
16 Seat of second party
BACKSIDE
A charade of BACK and SIDE.
17 Bad actor in car travelling north for holiday destination
BAHAMAS
Since it’s a down clue, it’s HAM in SAAB reversed.
18/4 Wife greeting Sandy drunk in car – it’s the drink
WHISKY AND SODA
A charade of W, HI and an insertion of (SANDY)* in SKODA. I’ve just replaced my Skoda with another one, as it happens. Top cars.
19 One dispensing deodorant to rear of malodorous priest?
SPRAYER
A charade of S for the last letter of ‘malodorous’ and PRAYER, which a ‘priest’ could be described as.
20 Car distorted straight line
BENTLEY
A charade of BENT and LEY (LINE) for the posh motor.
22 Soften mood
TEMPER
A dd.
25 Beat sucker
TICK
And another.
Many thanks to Punk for a fine start to the Indy week.
I struggled with the spelling of ARTEMISIA as well – I had to look up the dictionary as the anagram didn’t give enough Es for the way I [and you] wanted to spell it.
I’m no statistics guru, but this puzzle must be close to a record for Punk/Paul/Mudd in terms of fewest words used in the clues for a 15×15 cryptic. Rufus eat your heart out.
Thanks to Pierre and Punk.
baerchen@2-also three puzzles in a week!!
@baerchen-I think this site is a safe place to say that you’ll have a chuckle over Big E(slight 1a from Anto)
A nice coffee-time diversion; no aids required apart from checking in the dictionary that ARTEMISIA is indeed a plant. No complaints about Punk’s “puerile sense of humour” – remembering it helped get 16 across and down (actually, Pierre, I make it three tits: 7dn + 16ac).
Favourites, though, were KNIFE EDGE and HYPOCRITE.
Thanks, Punk and Pierre.
Also DODGE.
Very enjoyable. Ta both …