This has been a week where the traditional setter’s rota has been thrown away so it’s no surprise to find Math rather than Phi today.
The puzzle has a theme but I didn’t notice the key title in the unchecked letters in column 1 until I had only a couple of clues to solve. I then noticed other entries that related to the theme.
LA LA LAND is a drama/ romance/musical film that won many awards at the Golden Globes ceremony on 8th January. The film is set in LOS ANGELES (17 across) and starts Ryan GOSLING [20 down], Emma STONE (6 down) and John LEGEND (1 across). The film is a MUSICAL (5 down) and features SONG AND DANCE (7 down).
I enjoyed this and solved it steadily in one sitting. I thought some of the definitions were well hidden – e.g. ‘they treat poorly [5 across], ‘they have lots’ [9 across] and ‘having’ [10 across], all of these occurring in three of the first four clues.
My 500th blog on fifteensquared – not the most prolific blogger since the site records began in November 2006, but well in the leading ten.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Caption can say in advance (6)
|
E.G. (for example; say) contained in (in) LEND (advance) L (EG) END |
LEGEND (explanatory words; caption)
|
|
5
|
They treat poorly young lady, a drug addict that’s been admitted (8) |
USER (drug addict) contained in (that’s been admitted) MISS (young lady) MIS (USER) S |
MISUSERS (people who treat things badly)
|
|
9
|
They have lots of empty cans after getting gold can-opener! (8)
|
AU (chemical symbol for gold) + C (first letter of [opener] CAN) + (TION – I’m struggling a bit here. I think ’empty cans’ may refer to TIN [can] containing O [nothing, therefore empty] but TIN is singular and cans is plural. I can see why the clue requires the plural ‘cans’. Perhaps TIN can be plural in the sense ‘there is a lot of scrap TIN over there?) AU C TI (O) N |
AUCTION (sale where the items being sold are gathered together in lots)
|
| 10 | Having gown in for slight alteration (6) |
GOWN IN with the first letter G being moved to the end to give OWNING as the result of a this slight alteration. Alternatively we have an anagram (slight alteration) of GOWN IN. I prefer the first parsing. |
OWNING (having) |
|
11
|
Sick, mostly after having fast pulse (6)
|
LENT (period of fasting) + ILL (sick) excluding the final letter (mostly) L
|
LENTIL (seed of leguminous plant; pulse)
|
|
12
|
Detective is with a luxury car that’s flipped over and burnt (8)
|
(DET [detective] + A + MERC [Mercedes, example of a luxury car brand]) all reversed (that’s flipped over) (CREM A TED)< |
CREMATED (burnt)
|
|
13
|
They increase the power of current measures (4)
|
AMPS (amplifiers, device for increasing current or sound)
|
AMPS (units of electric current)
|
|
15
|
Nonsense! This race isn’t so hairy! (10)
|
BALDER (not so hairy) + DASH (race)
|
BALDERDASH (nonsense)
|
|
17
|
Galleons at sea arrive finally at South American city (3,7)
|
Anagram of (at sea) GALLEONS + E (last letter of [finally] ARRIVE) + S (south) LOS ANGEL* E S |
LOS ANGELES (American city)
|
|
20
|
Pauses and quietly breaks wind (4)
|
P (piano; quietly) contained in (breaks) GAS (wind) GA (P) S |
GAPS (pauses)
|
|
21
|
Bill and Edward go round to smell cut rose (8)
|
(AD [poster; advert; bill] + ED [Edward]) containing (to go round) SCENT (smell) excluding the last letter (cut) T A (SCEN) D ED |
ASCENDED (rose)
|
|
23
|
Scandalmonger turns to drink (6)
|
GOS (turns in a game) + SIP (drink)
|
GOSSIP (scandalmonger)
|
|
25
|
Country home to accommodate Old King Cole first (6)
|
NAT (reference the musician NAT King Cole [1919 – 1965]) + (IN [home] containing [accommodating] O [old]) NAT I (O) N |
NATION (country)
|
|
26
|
Thrilled to get one pound in return for kiss that’s drawn out (8)
|
EXCITED (thrilled) with LI (£1, one pound) replacing (for) X (symbol for a kiss) ELICITED |
ELICITED (drawn forth)
|
|
27
|
Airline after boarding puts off those who argue (8)
|
BA (British Airways; airline) contained in (boarding) DETERS (puts off) DE (BA) TERS |
DEBATERS (people who argue for or against all opinions on an issue)
|
|
28
|
In a strong wind, horse carried a group of 20 Down (6)
|
GG (gee-gee; child’s word for a horse) contained in (carried) GALE (strong wind) GA (GG) LE |
GAGGLE (collective noun for geese or GOSLINGs [20 down])
|
| Down | |||
|
2
|
Former lover cuddles regularly just for show (5)
|
EX (former lover) + UDE (letters 2, 4 and 6 [regularly] of CUDDLES)
|
EXUDE (show)
|
| 3 | Parks cars in residential areas (7) |
ESTATES (landed properties; country parks) ESTATES (types of cars) |
ESTATES (residential areas) triple definition |
|
4
|
After leaving college, messy bed could go for a bomb (9)
|
Anagram of (messy) BED COULD GO excluding (leaving) C (college) DOODLEBUG* |
DOODLEBUG (World War II flying bomb)
|
|
5
|
Show with numbers: fifty one plus one hundred and one add up (7) |
(L [Roman numeral for 50] + A [one] + CI [Roman numerals for one hundred and one] + SUM [add]) all reversed [up; down clue]) (MUS IC A L)< |
MUSICAL (show with numbers [pieces of music or song])
|
| 6 | Rock and roll single not selling without sleeve (5) |
(ONE [single] + TS [letters remaining in NOT SELLING when the outer letters [sleeve] NO….ELLING are removed [without]) all reversed (roll) (ST ONE)< I think I’ve got the parsing right here but the first two letters may be derivable in some other way. |
STONE (rock) |
|
7 / 22
|
Lied, say, with boy about drug, causing a fuss (5,3,5)
|
SONG (lied or lieder [German lyric SONG]) + AND (with) + DAN (boy’s name) + C (circa; about) + E [ecstasy; drug]) SONG AND DAN C E |
SONG AND DANCE (unnecessary fuss)
|
|
8
|
Mo Farah, for example, has drink with those he beat (7-2)
|
RUNNER (Sir Mo Farah is an example of a runner) + SUP (drink)
|
RUNNERS-UP (descriptive of most of the people who finish behind Mo Farah although he was himself only a RUNNER-UP in his most recent cross country race in Edinburgh last weekend)
|
|
14
|
Shows bottom and head in scene shown on satellite (9)
|
MOONS (shows bare buttocks) + CAPE (headland)
|
MOONSCAPE (scene showing the surface and sky of a satellite)
|
|
16
|
Relaxed with a walk in the park before working (4-5)
|
EASY (the phrase ‘ a walk in the park’ describes something very EASY to do) + GOING (on; working)
|
EASY-GOING (relaxed)
|
|
18
|
First person to be queen in charge? Anne’s first for this land (7)
|
AM (first person singular of the verb ‘to be’) + ER (Elizabeth Regina; queen) + IC (in charge) + A (first letter of [first] ANNE)
|
AMERICA (country; land)
|
|
19
|
Boy, turning scarlet, close to girls, runs (7)
|
LAD (boy) + (RED [scarlet] reversed [turning]) + S (last letter of [close to] GIRLS) LAD DER< S |
LADDERS (runs [of a fabric])
|
|
20
|
Walk off over pitch to have a little gander (7)
|
GO (leave; walk off) + SLING (throw; pitch)
|
GOSLING (small goose, gander being a male goose)
|
| 22 |
See 7 down
|
|
|
| 24 |
The best members of Countryside Alliance (5)
|
IDEAL (hidden word in [members of] COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE)
|
IDEAL (best conceivable))
|
Thanks Duncan
The solution to 9ac is AUCTIONS so it is O in TINS for the ’empty cans’.
I wondered why Phi had been moved to tomorrow (according to his website), now I have found the reason. According to Wikipedia “La La Land is due for release in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2017.” hence Math’s appearance today.
Completely missed the theme/nina.
Loved the clue for LADDERS. Very clever surface.
Thanks Math and Duncan.
Gaufrid @ 1
Doh! – I had used a highlighter pen on the word MUSICAL in my grid as one of the theme words and then failed to notice the S in AUCTIONS under the highlighting when I wrote the blog
Congratulations, Duncan. Possibly not the most prolific, but you set new standards for beautifully laid-out, colourful and informative blogs.
Nice puzzle that really welcomed the solver in, I thought.
Despite the recent plaudits, I’d not heard of the film – I did, however, clock the half-nina, the US references and that something to do with a musical was afoot. Loads of nice clues here with 9a being my fave.
Many thanks to Math for the puzzle, and many happy returns to DS for reaching the head-scratching-solver enlightening 500th blog anniversary.
Candle in lush fancy for him? (6,6)
Isn’t 6 down just a reversed hidden in singlE NOT Selling?
As ever, I failed to spot any theme or Nina!
I spotted the nina once I’d completed the puzzle but not being a film buff I failed to connect it to the themed answers.
But no matter, there was no need to know the theme or even spot the nina, this was an excellent stand-alone crossword. Some really great clues, MISUSERS, AUCTIONS, NATION and MUSICAL to name but a few, and a handful of easy ones to get anyone started.
I couldn’t parse STONE, but I think @7cruciverbophile’s suggestion must be right.
Congratulations, Duncan on your 500th blog, and thanks to you and Math.
It is the imperative isn’t it? ‘Roll’ all that stuff ‘without sleeve’ i.e. the bits not needed, as ‘singleelling’ is not anything we know of.
cruciverbophile@7 and NHS@9
I think you are both right with a more elegant parsing than mine.
I was thrown by the ‘word’ single which led me the ONE bit before I thought about the ST bit.
I got the ST bit using the same principle that you used more sensibly to get the whole entry
Goodness, Duncan – five hundred blogs. That’s a serious number, and I always enjoy them because you explain things so clearly, for both new solvers and those more experienced.
Enjoyed this one: it went in steadily and there were some elegant clues. I didn’t get the theme, but once Duncan had pointed out LA LA LAND, then I saw some of the other references because its launch was featured in the i today. There’s also a recycled Math puzzle in said paper, which I may well have a crack at later on.
Thanks to S&B and good weekend to all.
I saw MUSICAL and LOS ANGELES and thought of La La Land but dismissed that as a theme as too preposterous. Failed to spot the Nina.
There’s a show I watch on ITV that has some sort of sponsorship deal with the film and it seems like I’ve been seeing trailers for it since forever, so it seems odd that it has just come out.