Silvanus and I shook hands on Fifteensquared with his debut puzzle a few weeks ago, and we meet again today. I thought that this one was well-constructed and witty on occasions, but there were a number that I found tricky to parse. However, he has given me a bird link, so I’m a happy bunny. What did you think?
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Dislike why actor tends to reject every other part
HATRED
Every other letter of wHyAcToRtEnDs
5 Representative is key when holding Georgia
DELEGATE
I’ve already used the DELETE key when typing the first clue, and you need to insert GA in that to get your answer.
9 Appearance of married couple losing weight attracts TV channel
MANIFESTATION
I did like this one; it’s cleverly constructed. MAN [W]IFE followed by STATION.
10 Poet spending significant time in the sun
BROWNING
A dd, referencing Robert BROWNING, the poet from the Victorian era.
11 Examine Latin papers – it’s beneficial to pupil
EYELID
A charade of EYE, L and ID. Good surface, but I’m not convinced by the definition. We’re never pleased, are we?
12 Plant tree beyond outskirts of Arundel
ALPINE
A charade of AL for the outside letters of ‘Arundel’ and PINE.
14 Elusive quality ultimately behind comfortable footwear
SLIPPERY
A charade of SLIPPER and Y for the last letter of ‘quality’.
19 Young winger, one’s used to make an impression, we hear
CYGNET
The ‘winger’ is not referring to a footballer, but to a bird. Excellent. It’s a homophone of SIGNET (RING), which in past days was used to make an impression to authorise a document, for example. Here’s the obligatory Pierre bird link. Cute, no? And of course CYGNE is French for ‘swan’, so as usual, English has nicked a word and given it a slightly different definition. SWAN comes from Old English and is cognate with zwaan in Dutch and Schwan in German. English is crazy, but it’s great for cryptic crosswords.
21 Measure of what certain sportsmen hope to win
LEAGUE
Twenty thousand LEAGUES under the sea for the ‘measure’; then what Chelsea are hoping to do this year. Far too much footie in the Indy crosswords. A dd.
23 Extremely garrulous, both failing to finish drink
VERMOUTH
I liked this too (once I’d solved it). It’s VER[Y] MOUTH[Y]
25 Somehow China means to implement initial move to fully-automated processes?
MECHANISATION
A charade of (CHINA MEANS TO I)* with I for the first letter of ‘implement’ inserted into the anagram fodder.
26 Imitates birds outside, like the Norwegian Blue parrot?
EMULATES
An insertion of LATE in EMUS. Because the Norwegian Blue in the Monty Python sketch had ‘shuffled off this mortal coil’ and was ‘no more’ and ‘bereft of life’ So he would be LATE. If you don’t know what all that is about, then let’s move on.
27 A number having great influence after giving up work
EIGHTY
[W]EIGHTY
Down
2 Foremost academic student carrying endless respect for Nelson, say
ADMIRAL
Since it’s a down clue, it’s ADMIR[E] on top of A and L. ‘Kismet, Hardy’ or ‘Kiss me, Hardy’? The jury’s out, I think.
3 Serving up American sausage I omitted to replenish
RENEW
W[I]ENER reversed. I discovered (today, because I had to check the spelling) that the reason they’re called this is that they originally came from Vienna. I think (and perhaps one of our US contributors can confirm) that it’s also what little boys in the States call their willy.
4 Modest identity for monarch in novel
DIFFIDENT
The setter is inviting you to insert ID instead of ER in DIFF[ER]ENT.
5 Condescends, capturing son in sketches
DESIGNS
An insertion of S in DEIGNS.
6 Holiday couple a Venetian takes in
LEAVE
Hidden in coupLE A VEnetian.
7 Country spring regularly is the subject of tests
GUINEA PIG
A charade of GUINEA for the ‘country’ and sPrInG. For those of you that solve in Another Place, the setter Hectence’s pet of choice.
8 Port tasting sharper than usual
TANGIER
A dd, referencing the Moroccan ‘port’.
13 Silly dogs lick salt, essentially lacking sense
ILLOGICAL
It had to be ILLOGAL, but again, it took me for ever to parse. Silvanus is asking you to take the middle letters (‘essentially’) of sILLy dOGs lICk sALt.
15 Typified little girl being accepted into the responsibility of Social Services
INCARNATE
An insertion of NAT for a diminutive of NATALIE or NATALIA in IN CARE.
17 Have parent stay silent
KEEP MUM
A cd cum dd.
18 Theatrical types, posh and very, very immersed in stories
LUVVIES
An insertion of U for ‘posh’ and VV in LIES gives you the theatrical word for actors.
20 Lost for good unlimited texting, source of cheap time
EXTINCT
The middle letters of tEXTINg and the first two letters of ‘cheap time’. Should it be ‘sources’?
22 Precise legislation upholds the borders of Essex
EXACT
ACT supporting EX for the outside letters of ‘Essex’.
24 Portion of Lotto win goes unpaid
OWING
Hidden in LottO WIN Goes.
Many thanks to Silvanus for this Monday’s Indy puzzle.
My Lords, I concur with the noble Lord’s judgment and have nothing to add, save perhaps that I was rather looking forward to the picture of the emu (again). The swans are lovely though.
Thanks to both.
I actually enjoyed this, a rare event. The headaches have usually started again after ten minutes useless thrashing around, but on this occasion the answers went in smoothly almost from the start. 9A was my favourite today, what a cleverly constructed clue.
Many thanks to setter and blogger.
Was just about to cheat on LEAGUE when it suddenly came to me, not sure why that was eluding me for quite so long.
Silvanus has managed to utilise nearly every construction and device in the book, most enjoyable.
Thanks both
I enjoyed it rather a lot, although Ifound it a very quick solve, except for 15, where I don’t like typified = incarnate as definition, or Nat as little girl.
Or the poet in 10ac might be Elizabeth. Conversely in 15 down I associate Nat with men (or in crosswords “boys”) more readily than women. In 20 down I don’t think source needs to be in the plural as t = time is pretty standard. Thanks S & B for the entertainment.
Of course, you are right about EXTINCT, jmac. Thank you.
Nice and easy stuff today for me. Everything went in pretty quickly save for my LTI 21a & 5d, and 19a which my brain saw as ‘whinger’ instead of ‘winger’ for a while. No particular fave today so my honours go to the smooth and enjoyable solve. Thanks to Silvanus for a nice puzzle and to Pierre for the amusing blog and obligatory bird linkage.
Setter here, many thanks to Pierre for his interpretations and to everyone who took the time to comment. Much appreciated.
I’ve been glumpy (sic) today, so when I say that I enjoyed this one muchly you can infer high praise.
An early action of mine was to blithely shove in a wrong answer at 21a. (DOUBLE if you must know … and I was expecting it to go nicely with 23a. League Vermouth doesn’t sound quite as appetising.) It was lucky that KEEP MUM was clear or I’d have been in a pickle. As it was I never did find my way to the right answer before “accidentally” peeping at comments here.
So Silvanus won today but I concede unbegrudgingly. I noted big smiles at 9a, 26a and 27a as well as smaller ones elsewhere.
Many thanks to Silvanus and Pierre.
P.S. By the way, in case anyone who sees this is in the vicinity of central London this Wednesday some crosswordy types (me, some Timesy peeps, and an Indy setter or two) will be in The George in Southwark from about 6ish. Do join us :).
All very good I thought, except for one clue: 15dn: Typified = incarnate, and Nat = little girl, have both been criticised already, but my problem was with ‘the responsibility of Social Services’ = ‘in care’. Surely the responsibility of Social Services’ = ‘care’?
#10
if you are unfortunate enough to be ‘in care’ you are ‘the responsibility of Social Services’
I printed this off and saved it to do later. I’m so glad I did! It was a super puzzle. I, too, liked CYGNET and MANIFESTATION. I had a big chuckle at the idea of BROWNING being a sunbather. I did manage to parse all the clues; some took a little longer than others but fell into place in the end with many a smile along the way. Most enjoyable.
Thanks to Silvanus and Pierre.