This is our 300th blog for 225 – but amazingly this is only the 7th Morph we have had the pleasure of blogging in the five years since we started. We hope that we will meet some of you at the S&B in Nottingham in May (see Announcements).
As usual for Morph, this was all good fun, but we’re not too sure about 17ac and we can’t find the theme or nina that we have come to expect from Morph – are we missing something (again)?
| Across | ||
| 1 | Extremely summary trial for scoundrel? (7) | |
| CURTEST | CUR (scoundrel) TEST (trial) | |
| 5 | Hint of balsamic in salad saucer for tossing (7) | |
| FRISBEE | B (first letter or ‘hint’ of ‘balsamic’) in FRISÉE (salad) | |
| 9 | Stock of pieces about a politician (9) | |
| REPERTORY | RE (about) PER (a) TORY (politicial) | |
| 10 | Clock element of wordplay (crossword hints for beginners) (5) | |
| PUNCH | PUN (element of wordplay) C H (first letters or ‘beginners’ of Crossword Hints) | |
| 11 | Animal artist left out for good when front-runner for Turner’s introduced (7) | |
| WARTHOG | WARHO |
|
| 12 | Entering feverish rut time, I will be in my flipping element (7) | |
| YTTRIUM | An anagram of RUT T (time) – anagrind is ‘feverish’ with I ‘entering’ in MY reversed or ‘flipping’ | |
| 13 | Cry in anguish by woman clasping Casablanca bar owner as path to better things (6,5,4) | |
| YELLOW BRICK ROAD | YELL OW (cry in anguish) BROAD (woman) round or ‘clasping’ RICK (bar owner in the classic film ‘Casablanca’) | |
| 17 | Prepare to enter case perhaps for murder (4,9,2) | |
| MAKE MINCEMEAT OF | This one doesn’t seem to work – we think that ‘perhaps’ you might ‘prepare’ or MAKE MINCEMEAT to ‘enter’ or put in a pie ‘case’ but we can’t really parse the ‘OF’ – it doesn’t seem to be a synonym for ‘for’ – any thoughts out there? | |
| 19 | Mix up salt with a kitchen utensil (7) | |
| SPATULA | An anagram of UP SALT (anagrind is ‘mix’) + A | |
| 21 | Covering a blemish with mother’s make-up (7) | |
| MASCARA | A SCAR (blemish) in or ‘covered by’ MA (mother) | |
| 23 | News provider covered up threat to plant (5) | |
| APHID | AP (Associated Press – news provider) HID (covered up) | |
| 24 | Practitioner reset toes during operation at hospital (9) | |
| OSTEOPATH | An anagram TOES (anagrind is ‘reset’) in or ‘during’ OP (operation) + AT H (hospital) | |
| 25 | On the fringes of old part of forest covering miles (7) | |
| EXTREME | EX (old) TREE (part of forest) round or ‘covering’ M (miles) | |
| 26 | Start melody à la “Singin’ in the Rain”? (4-3) | |
| OPEN-AIR | OPEN (start) AIR (melody) – ‘Singing in the Rain’ implies being outside | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Source of seed capital for Asian investing in coach route (7) | |
| CARAWAY | A (first letter or ‘capital’ of Asian) ‘investing’ in CAR (coach) WAY (route) | |
| 2 | What’s my line? Producing those! (5) | |
| ROPER | Cryptic definition – A ROPER’s job or ‘line’ is to make ropes or ‘lines’ | |
| 3 | Poor creature who’s boring in bed? (9) | |
| EARTHWORM | An EARTHWORM could be described as being a burrowing or ‘boring’ creature in a garden plot or ‘bed’ | |
| 4 | You’ll hear it if Violet Elizabeth has a thing for undergarment (5) | |
| THONG | Violet Elizabeth is a character with a lisp in Richmal Crompton’s ‘Just William’ stories – she would ‘thing’ a THONG | |
| 5 | Following instrument around past West Indies under computer control (3-2-4) | |
| FLY-BY-WIRE | F (following) LYRE (instrument) round BY (past) WI (West Indies) | |
| 6 | President’s put down contribution to discussion (5) | |
| INPUT | PUTIN (president Vladimir) with ‘put’ moved down, or to the back | |
| 7 | I’m surprised outlaw’s captured marsupial (9) | |
| BANDICOOT | COO (‘I’m surprised’) in or ‘captured by’ BANDIT (outlaw) | |
| 8 | Dug up old philosopher, dead (7) | |
| EXHUMED | EX (old) HUME (David Hume – philosopher) D (dead) | |
| 14 | Eagerly enjoy a tipple (4,1,4) | |
| LIKE A SHOT | LIKE (enjoy) A SHOT (short drink or ‘tipple’) | |
| 15 | Brains intermittently in abundance in old Indian city (9) | |
| BANGALORE | BrAiNs (alternate or ‘intermittent’ letters) GALORE (in abundance) | |
| 16 | Takes heart, getting record win, perhaps? (4,5) | |
| KEEP SCORE | KEEPS (takes) CORE (heart) | |
| 17 | What’ll relax and invigorate? Say, tea when served up (7) | |
| MASSAGE | EG (say – for example) ASSAM (tea) all reversed or ‘served up’ | |
| 18 | One making obscene exhibition more bling (7) | |
| FLASHER | Double definition | |
| 20 | University’s sculpted nude is inappropriate (5) | |
| UNDUE | U (university) + an anagram of NUDE – anagrind is ‘sculpted’ | |
| 21 | Slogan encapsulated by ‘Bottoms Up!’ (5) | |
| MOTTO | Hidden or ‘encapsulated’ and reversed or ‘up’ in bOTTOMs | |
| 22 | Clothing for Arab horse on the wagon? (5) | |
| ABAYA | BAY (horse) ‘on the wagon’ by being in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) | |
Too good for me. Completely defeated by the NW corner and didn’t know 22d. I wasn’t sure about 17a either and just bunged it in from the def. Thanks for explaining 4, the wordplay for which also passed me by. I liked WARTHOG and the ‘saucer for tossing’.
Congrats to B&J for your 300th blog – here’s to the next triple century – and thanks to Morph.
Congratulations, B and J! Time flies, doesn’t it?
I can’t get my head round 17ac, either – or see a theme / nina, which, as you say, is unusual for Morph.
Lots of good clues – my top favourite is the excellent OSTEOPATH.
Many thanks to setter and bloggers.
Thanks B&J
I saw no problem with 17ac, for example: “I need to prepare/MAKE MINCEMEAT OF the pork before I put it into the sausage case”.
Congrats B&J. 300 in 5 years implies more than one a week. Wow!
I found this a bit more accessible than the others this week, with just a stumble in the NW corner. And of course my Trumpian knowledge of Arab clothing was on display for 22D.
What a treat to be able to write in BANDICOOT- I’ve never seen it in a crossword before, and wouldn’t know one if I tripped over it, but it’s just such a wonderful word. The person who dreamed it up should take a bow, as should our setter and bloggers.
Felicitations vous deux. Tempus certainly fugit, as Eileen says (I expect my Latin to be corrected. 🙁 )
Thought it was a bit odd to have ‘put’ in both clue and answer at 6, but otherwise much to relish, as always with Morph.
As KD (mentioned on yesterday’s blog) suffers a hopefully temporary loss of crossword mojo (solver’s block?), I seem to be hitting a purple patch as the majority of this went in fluidly – though I was held up at the end in the NW and by the new-to-me 22d (the latter very clever, I thought). COD honours split between 5a, 24a, 3d so cheers to Morph for an enjoyable puzzle. Thanks also to B&J for enlightenment past and present and many happy returns on their 300th blogday.
Very enjoyable thank you Morph. Thank you and congratulations to B&J too. Sorry I can’t be with you in Nottingham but I’d be longer on trains than I would be at the ‘do’, not to mention the fact that my ‘crossword entertainment’ budget is already committed elsewhere. Have fun!
I recall Eimi tweeting recently that Morph’s 100th puzzle was due up at some point soon, so could this be a double celebration?
Great puzzle and congrats all round either way!
Thanks to Morph for the usual excellent puzzle and to B&J for the blog; congrats on the milestone.
Won’t be in Nottingham, alas,but hope to see you at another event soon
Some excellent clues including WARTHOG, YTTRIUM and YELLOW BRICK ROAD, but I thought 17ac didn’t quite deliver, though the answer was clear from the crossing letters.
GeordyGordy@4: You’re unlikely to trip over a bandicoot unless you’re in Australia or nearby islands, but should that be the case you can see what it looks like here.
Thanks, Morph; thanks and congratulations to B&J.
Congratulations to the cluesome twosome and, yes, to Morph, whose 100th Indy puzzle this is – hopefully he’ll pop in later to plug his new book of historical limericks.
Many thanks Eimi, and congratulations to Morph on his centenary – here’s to the next 100!
Just adding congratulations to the thanks already expressed to Morph.
Well, I obviously can’t resist an invitation like that! This was indeed my 100th puzzle… no theme this time, unless you count bandicoot and warthog – two funny-looking snouty animals. And congrats to Bertandjoyce for blogging three times as many puzzles as I’ve set in just over half the time!
As for the book, it’s out next week – available for pre-order here (or at Waterstones, Guardian Books etc if you don’t like Amazon) https://www.amazon.co.uk/There-Once-Was-Man-Wives/dp/1911042238
Catch me at a crossword drink session with a copy and I can usually be induced to produce a customised limerick dedication!
Many thanks Morph
For the get-together in Nottingham
The numbers – we’re gradually totting ’em
From the south and the norf
Perhaps even Morph
If you come, there’s a good chance of spotting ’em!
Bravo!
Many thanks morph, and congratulations on your centennial – sheesh. I was impressed by all the whimsical definitions, quite different but yet solvable (in time).
I was lucky to remember ABAYA but missed parsing REPERTORY, I always get caught out by the per. Guessed THONG but didn’t know violet, could have looked her up I guess.
Favourite has to be OSTEOPATH, very tidy.
Great seeing you in London, great day, I am just beginning to recover…
Thanks also B&J
Morph hit one-hundred today
though does he look old, I say nay!
with his boyish good looks
he’ll sell loads of books
well before turning wrinkled and grey
morph @24 – ordered and looking forward to getting it signed /adorned at an S and B before long. 😉 Thanks again.
Dutch – you’re just too young. And I’d have thought Morph was, too. [Well put, Hoskins @28]
[I’ll thcream and thcream and thcream till I’m thick’. 😉 ]
Thanks to everyone for making this a blog to remember!
Seconded – what a lot of limericking talent there is out there!
Eileen, I remember my great-grandmother reading me William books when I was ill – and she was born in the century before last! Look forward to signing your book.