Typical Bradman fare this Friday. Thanks Bradman for a mostly straightforward challenge with just a few twists that pushed the finishing line out a bit.
More than average number of anagrams for a single grid I thought. I needed some internet help to parse 25ac.
FF:8 DD: 8
| Across | ||
| 1 | SOCIAL | Sixty per cent of left-wingers in the party (6) |
| SOCIALists (left-wingers, 60% of ) | ||
| 4 | TRIPPING | One very quietly enters Herts town, making a short journey (8) |
| [ I (one) PP (very quietly) ] in TRING (herts town) | ||
| 9 | DRAGON | What dolled-up pantomime dame has, as fiery character (6) |
| cryptic clue ( read as DRAG ON) | ||
| 10 | PLANTAIN | Insect tucked into unattractive banana-like fruit (8) |
| ANT (insect) in PLAIN (unattractive) | ||
| 12 | APPELLANT | Plan plate to be prepared for party in court (9) |
| PLAN PLATE* | ||
| 13 | TWINE | The alcoholic drink he avoided – it gives wind (5) |
| { The [WINE (alocholic drink)] without letters of ‘HE’ } | ||
| 14 | MODEL AEROPLANE | One male leopard, ill- constructed sort of toy (5,9) |
| ONE MALE LEOPARD* | ||
| 17 | WEATHER STATION | It’s another wet start to afternoon, possibly? Get that info from here (7,7) |
| ITS ANOTHER WET A* (start to Afternoon) | ||
| 21 | OZONE | Oxygen region – it’s in a layer high up (5) |
| &lit, O (oxygen) ZONE (region) | ||
| 22 | SHIP CANAL | Cash plan I worked out for waterway (4,5) |
| CASH PLAN I* | ||
| 24 | ANIMATED | Excited adult, chum in row bouncing back (8) |
| A (adult) [ MATE (chum) in NID (row = DIN, reversed) ] | ||
| 25 | MORRIS | Rock singer not performing as a craftsman (6) |
| MORRISon (rock singer, jim morrison from the doors, without ‘ON’ i.e. not performing) – the craftsman is the name of a type of reclining chair called morris chair. | ||
| 26 | CRASSEST | Most idiotic twerp put in top position (8) |
| ASS (twerp) in CREST (top position) | ||
| 27 | BELDAM | Old hag gives a smile, having trapped lord heartlessly (6) |
| BEAM (smile) containing LorD (heartlessly) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SIDE ARMS | Team members getting weapons (4,4) |
| SIDE (team) ARMS (members) | ||
| 2 | CLAPPED | Acclaimed Oxford course third- rate boy’s kept outside (7) |
| PPE (oxford course, philosophy, politics and economics) with [ C (third-rate) LAD (boy) ] outside | ||
| 3 | ATOLL | Chain of islands in a ring? (5) |
| A TOLL (ring) | ||
| 5 | RELATIONSHIP | Dodgy hotel in Paris for love affair (12) |
| HOTEL IN PARIS* | ||
| 6 | PANATELLA | Severely criticise mischievous goddess with everything going up in smoke (9) |
| PAN (severely criticize) ATE (mischievous goddess) LLA (everything = ALL, reversed) | ||
| 7 | ITALIAN | A Latin, I fancy, could be someone from Lazio (7) |
| A LATIN I* | ||
| 8 | GANDER | A bird, look! (6) |
| double def | ||
| 11 | CARELESSNESS | Classes sneer nastily, showing a lack of attention (12) |
| CLASSES SNEER* | ||
| 15 | LUTHERANS | Thus learn about Martin’s followers (9) |
| THUS LEARN* | ||
| 16 | UNCLE SAM | Male family members upset mum in America (5,3) |
| charade of UNCLES (male family members) AM (reverse of MA, mum) | ||
| 18 | EROTICA | Pornography in old books collected by Heather? (7) |
| OT (old books, old testament) in ERICA (heather, a flowering plant) | ||
| 19 | IGNORED | 7 fellow, losing head, little chap to be pushed aside (7) |
| sIGNOR (man, in italian) ED (little chap, short for edward) | ||
| 20 | MOSAIC | Art of man leading his people from bondage (6) |
| cryptic def, related to moses | ||
| 23 | CLOSE | Near where the bishop may live (5) |
| double def | ||
*anagram
Not too difficult although a few gave pause for thought. I thought the ‘craftsman’ in 25 was William MORRIS, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. Yes, I’ve been watching too much “Bargain Hunt” and the “Antiques Roadshow” – I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I liked BELDAM – yet another to add to the list of words for “old hag”. Far more than for the male equivalent I’m afraid.
Thanks to Bradman and Turbolegs.
This was like a cleansing sorbet after doing battle with Bonxie.
Too many anagrams for us. They gave so many crossers that even the mildly problematic ones gave themselves up readily. Looking forward to Bonxie at lunch.
Regardless of the number of anagrams, the grid for this puzzle is very helpful in terms of checking — words on all the perimeter squares and 50% checking throughout. By contrast some of the Guardian grids (and as Pasquale I use them myself) make things harder for the solver, quite apart from any trickier clue constructions. By now I know pretty well the range of views of Guardian solvers, but feedback on FT puzzles is pretty sparse and I will tend to be on the easier side of things for the most part.
After a welcome reappearance for TRING in 4 ac., I was hoping for LING at 18 dn., but apart from that minor disappointment I thought this was a lovely end to the weekday puzzles. Not too diffcult but did have to use the grey matter. Appreciated the generous grid. Agree with Wordplodder @ 1 re Morris.
Thanks TL & Bradman.
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
I too went for William Morris as the craftsman, but a quick search reveals that the Morris Chair was adapted and marketed by William Morris and his company from someone else’s prototype.
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
Took a couple of sittings last week to get this one out – more time constrained than difficulty though from memory. Lots of anagrams of the long clues certainly helped the cause.
I’m another who went for William MORRIS as the craftsman but Jim MORRISON is probably more appropriate than my Van MORRISON as the rock singer in what was my last clue in. Thought that the MOSAIC clue was one of the better ones.