Radian provides the challenge today.
Today is the 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen. I suspect the Independent may not be the only paper to publish a crossword themed on her life and times.
In our grid we have some of Jane Austen’s well known titles: SENSE & SENSIBILITY, MANSFIELD PARK, PERSUASION and PRIDE & PREJUDICE in the acrosses. This, of course, constrains the letters available for some of the downs and perhaps explains the use of JOSEPH, MANDOLINE and HIERATIC, none of which are words I use regularly. I don’t think I would spell MANDOLINE that way either.
It’s a long time since I have used six colours in the parsing of a clue, so thanks to Radian for NULLIFIED with its many component parts
As is often the case, I took a while to spot a hidden word, in this case MATTHEW at 5 across.
This is the second week I have blogged a puzzle where IAMB or IAMBS is in the grid both of which used completely different types of clue.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Raise trophy, top prize (7)
|
JACK (raise, as in JACK up) + POT (trophy) JACK POT |
JACKPOT (top prize)
|
|
5
|
Swim at the weir? Some guy has dived in (7)
|
MATTHEW (hidden word in [has dived into] SWIM AT THE WEIR) MATTHEW |
MATTHEW (male name; some guy)
|
|
9
|
Understand notice Poles brought in (5)
|
NS (North, South; poles) contained in (brought in) SEE (notice) SE (NS) E |
SENSE (comprehend; understand)
|
|
10
|
Kiwi who wrote manuscript about an area (9)
|
(MS [manuscript] containing [about] AN) + FIELD (area) M (AN) S FIELD |
MANSFIELD (reference New Zealand [Kiwi] author Katherine MANSFIELD [1888 – 1923] known for her short story writing)
|
|
11
|
Camp comic operas in US (9)
|
Anagram of (comic) OPERAS IN US PERSUASION* |
PERSUASION (party adhering to a creed; camp)
|
|
12
|
A little bit of William Blake (4)
|
IAMB (hidden word in [a little bit of] WILLIAM BLAKE) IAMB |
IAMB (foot of two syllables, a short followed by a long, or an unstressed by a stressed ; a form presumably used by William Blake in his poetry)
|
|
14
|
In old age, sister conceivably shows taste (11)
|
SIB (blood relation, possibly a sister) contained in (in) SENILITY ([mental infirmity of] old age) SEN (SIB) ILITY |
SENSIBILITY (taste)
|
|
18
|
Note Scottish water’s wholesome quality (11)
|
NATURAL (musical note) + NESS (reference Loch NESS, a large body of water in Scotland) NATURAL NESS |
NATURALNESS (wholesome quality)
|
|
21
|
Position pawn next to a queen and king (4)
|
P (pawn) + A + R (Regina; queen) + K (king) P A R K |
PARK (position)
|
|
22
|
Blow is from turbulent air (10)
|
Anagram of (turbulent) IS FROM + TUNE (melody; air) MISFOR* TUNE |
MISFORTUNE (calamity; blow)
|
|
25
|
Prince and English duke admitted to fuel damage (9) |
PR (prince) + E (English) + (D [duke] contained in [admitted to] JUICE [source of power; fuel]) PR E JU (D) ICE |
PREJUDICE (damage)
|
|
26
|
Lions free to stop training (5)
|
RID (free) contained in (to stop) PE (physical education; training) P (RID) E |
PRIDE (collective noun for a group of lions)
|
|
27
|
Counter drones flying over centre of airport (7)
|
Anagram of (flying) DRONES containing (over) P (middle letter of [centre of] AIRPORT) RES (P) OND* |
RESPOND (counter)
|
|
28
|
Courses cleared of small leaves (7)
|
DESSERTS (courses [of meals]) excluding (cleared of) S (small) DESERTS |
DESERTS (leaves)
|
| Down | |||
|
1
|
Record banter about old lady’s long coat (7)
|
JOSH (banter) containing (about) EP (extended play record) JOS (EP) H |
JOSEPH (caped overcoat worn by women in the 18th century for riding (possibly in allusion to Joseph’s coat, Genesis 37) |
|
2
|
Singer keen to collect articles (6)
|
CRY (keen) containing (to collect) (AN [indefinite article] + A [in (definite article] to give articles) C (AN A) RY |
CANARY (songbird; singer)
|
|
3
|
Present courses altered to cover rare ancestors (10) |
PR (present) + (an anagram of [altered] COURSES containing [to cover] R [rare; abbreviation in Collins Dictionary]) PR ECU (R) SORS* |
PRECURSORS (predecessors; ancestors)
|
|
4
|
Fan of Queen’s inspiring European books (5)
|
TOMS (male cats who take a great interest in queens [female cats]; fans of queens) containing (inspiring) E (European) TOM (E) S |
TOMES (books)
|
|
5
|
Pick this row after staff function (9)
|
MAN (provide with staff) + DO (party; function) + LINE (row) MAN DO LINE |
MANDOLINE (round-backed instrument like a lute, sustained notes being played by repeated plucking; pick this) Probably spelled more often without the E on the end.
|
|
6
|
Row after mother’s abandoned dog (4)
|
MASTIFF ( thick-set, powerful breed of dog, often used as a guard dog) excluding (abandoned) MA’S (mother’s) TIFF |
TIFF (fight; row)
|
|
7
|
Priest’s greeting irregular, ignoring a rector (8)
|
HI! (greeting) + ERRATIC (irregular) excluding (ignoring) one of (a) the Rs (rector) HI ERATIC |
HIERATIC (priestly; priest’s)
|
|
8
|
Spivs start to wilfully disobey criminal (4,4)
|
W (first letter of [start to] WILFULLY) + an anagram of (criminal) DISOBEY W IDE BOYS* |
WIDE BOYS (spivs)
|
|
13
|
Bargain over attempts to import power suits (10)
|
SNIP (bargain) reversed (over) + (TRIES [attempts] containing [to import] P [power]) PINS< TRI (P) ES |
PINSTRIPES (suits)
|
|
15
|
New uni lecturer told story about fine I revoked (9) |
N (new) + U (uni[versity]) + L (lecturer) + (LIED [told story] containing [about] (F [fine] + I]) N U L LI (F I) ED |
NULLIFIED (revoked)
|
|
16
|
Stuck page in book to finish exam (8)
|
END (finish) + PAPER (examination) END PAPER |
ENDPAPER (paper at the beginning or end of a book, pasted to the binding and leaving an additional flyleaf; stuck page in book)
|
|
17
|
Novices run twice in different parts of US (8)
|
STATES (US) containing (in) two occurrences of R (run) STA (R) TE (R) S |
STARTERS (beginners; novices)
|
|
19
|
Book addict keeps one working harder (6)
|
B (book) + (USER [drug addict] containing (keeps) I [Roman numeral for one]) B US (I) ER |
BUSIER (working harder)
|
|
20
|
In which to display Ceres bust society collected? (6) |
Anagram of (bust) CERES containing (collected) S (society) RECE (S) S* |
RECESS (niche in a wall where items, including a bust, may be displayed)
|
|
23
|
Liberated female does get upset (5)
|
F (female) + DEER (a doe is a female deer) reversed (upset; down clue) F REED< |
FREED (liberated)
|
|
24
|
Cuddle old writer (4)
|
HUG (cuddle) + O (old) HUG O |
HUGO (reference Victor HUGO [1802 – 1887], French poet, novelist and dramatist)
|
This is the second Austen-themed puzzle I’ve done this month. I like that the clue for IAMB is written in iambic tetrameter.
I solved 4 before parsing it. Took me a mo to click why TOM would be a fan of Queen. Nice.
I wasn’t sure about 5dn. Like Duncan, I’ve never seen the instrument spelt with an E. I didn’t twig to the ‘pick’ reference, so having figured out the probable wordplay, looked up MANDOLINE to find it’s one of those ‘must-have’ kitchen gadgets advertised in interminable infomercials on daytime television, and so was none the wiser, but went with it anyway.
Thanks Radian for the fun and Duncan for the enlightenment.
I thought this was much neater than the the other JA theme today. And I liked the lack of instruction.
Thanks Duncan and radian.
Great puzzle, although I disagree with copmus@2 on the other themed crossword today, which I think is superb (apart from 1 weak clue imo). Head over to the FT to compare. Which one you do first may have some influence though.
I always thought mandolin was the instrument and mandoline was the kitchen slicer, but it turns out they can both be spelt either way.
Thanks to all.
I do agree with copmus@2.
Radian’s style of clueing is much ‘neater’ than Gaff’s which has some elements in it that don’t really appeal to me.
Also, Radian could fit ‘them’ all in today where Gaff couldn’t.
(that said, the latter had a couple of extras)
Overall, I did enjoy the FT puzzle, though.
Perhaps, it’s just that I did this one first, one that wasn’t signposted.
I just wondered whether it would have been possible to have EMMA instead of IAMB.
However, no word would have done the trick in 7d, meaning Radian had to re-write the whole NE corner.
The clues I liked most are two non-thematic ones: 5ac (MATTHEW) and 22ac (MISFORTUNE).
Thanks to Duncan and Radian.
Really enjoyed this. Plenty to get me going and then clocking the theme really helped. Of course, I didn’t complete – beat by 7d though perhaps should’ve got it from the clean wordplay. Fave clue was the very well concealed ‘Matthew’ so thanks to the rad setter for the puzzle and to the more multi-coloured than usual DS for the blog.
I’ve never understood why one should celebrate the death of a famous person
Lenny@6 celebrate may be the wrong word – commemorate maybe – but I understand, for example I have to distance myself from my siblings who like to comfort each other on the anniversary of the death of my mother.
Lovely puzzle where I saw the theme for once.
I thought IAMB a rather special clue – beautiful.
Many thanks radian and Duncan
I twigged the theme almost instantly after which filling the grid became a question of where do I bung pride, prejudice, Mansfield etc. so this wasn’t Radian’s finest hour (and the Lord knows there have been many fine hours) for this curmudgeonly solver.
The anniversary puzzles don’t really grab me; I still recoil at the memory of Philistine/Goliath having two Bowie first-anniversary-of-death puzzles on the same day, and both had REBEL clued twice!
Sorry to be negative, thanks anyhow to S&B
Took me a long time to get into this. I only got a handful of clues and then got stuck. When I went back to it a couple of hours later I got 14ac and realised there was a theme, which certainly helped completing this. Even then, I couldn’t get 7dn without a word search. I feared it might be an obscure Austen character.
Nice one, and I don’t have any problem with anniversary themes unless they’re too arcane (obviously).
The two hiders MATTHEW and IAMB were good, but my favourite was RECESS, very neat indeed.
Thank you Radian and Duncan.