A serpentine challenge today.
I note that there is at least one C in every entry. Serpent will no doubt have a reason for putting them in, but I don’t know enough to speculate why, so I won’t. I can’t see any obvious Nina or theme elsewhere in the clues or puzzle although there are few medical references.
I took a while to solve this but everything parsed well in the end.
I got off to a good start in the North West corner, but then slowed down for a while before finishing towards the bottom. I’m not very good with cryptic definitions so HEALTH INSURANCE took some time to fall.
I liked the clues for AFRICAN ELEPHANT for its surface and the one for CHIVALRY which maintained a chess allusion all the way through.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Football club accepts what manager did in foreign capital (5)
|
FC (football club) containing (accepts) RAN (what a manager did [in a business or a club]) F (RAN) C |
FRANC (foreign currency)
|
|
4
|
Old rocking chair put in empty attic (7)
|
(anagram of [rocking] CHAIR) contained in (put in) AC (letters remaining in ATTIC when the central letters TTI are removed [empty]) A (RCHAI*) C |
ARCHAIC (old)
|
|
9
|
Lap dancing in a ring? That’s foremost way to get fit (7,8)
|
CIRCUIT (lap) + (an anagram of [dancing] IN A RING and T [first letter of {foremost} THAT]) CIRCUIT TRAINING* |
CIRCUIT TRAINING (a method of getting fit)
|
| 10 | Brief success extinct, once Essex town is abandoned (8) |
SUCCESS EXTINCT excluding (once … is abandoned) ESSEX and T (town) I can’t find T as an abbreviation for town in any of Chambers, Collins or the ODE but it seems a reasonable association. SUCCINCT |
SUCCINCT (brief) |
|
11
|
Rush job (6)
|
CAREER (rush) CAREER |
CAREER (job) double definition
|
|
13
|
Spotty coverage in area of East London on phone network (4)
|
ACNE (sounds like [on the phone] [H]ACKNEY [an area of East London where native Eastenders would drop the leading H) ACNE |
ACNE (skin disease resulting spots)
|
|
14
|
He shouldn’t be trusted with editing their copy (9)
|
Anagram of (editing) THEIR COPY HYPOCRITE* |
HYPOCRITE (a person who pretends to be better than one is, or to be what one is not; someone not to be trusted)
|
|
15
|
Those leading accurate radius curvature lenses supply clarity (9)
|
Anagram of (supply; derivative of supple) (ACR [first letters of {leading} each of ACCURATE, RADIUS and CURVATURE] and LENSES) CLEARNESS* |
CLEARNESS (clarity)
|
|
17
|
Unpleasant matter is something to chew over, right? (4)
|
CUD (something that ruminants chew) containing (over) R (right) C (R) UD |
CRUD (anything dirty, filthy, disgusting or worthless; unpleasant matter)
|
|
20
|
Look forward to Bar overturning limits on censorship (6)
|
EXCEPT (exclude; bar) with the letters C and P (outer letters of [limits on] CENSORSHIP) being swapped (overturning) EXPECT |
EXPECT (think of as likely to happen in the future; look forward to)
|
|
21
|
Doctors backing Republican Party achieve success (2,6)
|
GOP (Grand Old Party, a phrase used to describe the Republican party in the United States of America) + LACES (doctors, as in LACES a coffee with brandy or an alcoholic drink with something unpleasant) GO P LACES |
GO PLACES (achieve success by personal advancement)
|
|
23
|
What makes conditions better and speeds up complaints procedures for customer? (6,9)
|
HEALTH INSURANCE (a policy that helps holders receive treatment to address medical conditions) HEALTH INSURANCE |
HEALTH INSURANCE (policyholders often get speedy access to medical staff to help ease [medical] complaints) cryptic definition
|
|
24
|
Ignored lice all over skin (7)
|
CUT (ignored) + an anagram of (all over the place) LICE CUT ICLE* |
CUTICLE (the outermost or thin skin)
|
|
25
|
Gutsy piece by company performing around London’s West End (5)
|
(CO [company] + ON [performing]) containing (around) L (left hand letter of [west end of] LONDON) CO (L) ON |
COLON (large intestine; apiece of gut; gutsy piece)
|
| Down | |||
|
1
|
Plant recreated such an interior for timeless Italian car (7)
|
Anagram of (recreated) SUCH contained in (an interior for) FIAT (Italian car brand) excluding (less) T (time) F (UCHS*) IA |
FUCHSIA (plant)
|
|
2
|
Jazz fan can help irate trumpeter (7,8)
|
Anagram of (jazz) FAN CAN HELP IRATE AFRICAN ELEPHANT* |
AFRICAN ELEPHANT (an animal that makes a trumpeting sound)
|
|
3
|
Relative taking care of you and me at home (6)
|
CO (care of) + US (you and me) + IN (home) CO US IN |
COUSIN (relative)
|
|
4
|
Pack boot of car in service area (4)
|
R (last letter of [boot of] CAR) contained in (in) ACE (descriptive of an excellent serve in tennis; service) AC (R) E |
ACRE (measurement unit of area)
|
|
5
|
Knight’s path is an L, in welcome change introduced by chess principally (8)
|
C (first letter of [principally] CHESS) + (L contained in [in] [HI {welcome} + VARY {change]) C HI VA (L) RY |
CHIVALRY (usages and qualifications of chevaliers or knights)
|
|
6
|
Fare for passage? quite the opposite! (10,5)
|
ALIMENTARY CANAL (the passage down which food [fare] passes from the mouth to the anus) hence the opposite of ‘fare for passage’ ALIMENTARY CANAL |
ALIMENTARY CANAL see definition word play – cryptic definition
|
|
7
|
Its detonation involved leader of revolutionary government and CIA (5)
|
Anagram of (involved) (R [first letter of {leader of REVOLUTIONARY}] and G [government] and CIA) CIGAR* |
CIGAR (The CIA reportedly sponsored an assassination attempt on the revolutionary Cuban leader Fidel Castro by means of an exploding CIGAR)
|
|
8
|
Disaster apparently related to small branch closing (6,3)
|
STICKY (related to a STICK [small branch]) + END (closing) STICKY END |
STICKY END (disaster)
|
|
12
|
Throw up Liverpudlian stew (9)
|
LOB (send a high ball over; throw up) + SCOUSE (native or inhabitant of Liverpool) LOB SCOUSE |
LOBSCOUSE (stew or hash with vegetables or biscuit, a sea dish)
|
|
15
|
Warning about Bow being short of ecstasy and heroin? (8)
|
(NOTICE [warning] excluding [short of)] E [ecstasy tablet]) containing (about) ARC (bow) N (ARC) OTIC |
NARCOTIC (heroin is a NARCOTIC)
|
|
18
|
Detect underground particle accelerator (7)
|
DIS (name for Pluto, hence, the infernal world; underground) + CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire; site of a particle accelerator) DIS CERN |
DISCERN (detect)
|
|
19
|
Minister conveyed by bicycle rickshaw (6)
|
CLERIC (hidden word in [conveyed by] BICYCLE RICKSHAW) CLERIC |
CLERIC (minister)
|
|
20
|
Principle relating to race repulses Nationalist (5)
|
ETHNIC (relating to race) excluding (repulses) N (Nationalist) ETHIC |
ETHIC (principle)
|
|
22
|
Name faculty in report (4)
|
CITE (sounds like [in report] SIGHT (a physical capability; faculty) CITE |
CITE (name)
|
Maybe we could list Serpent puzzles alphabetically.
Anyway while “Gary”(Nathan Lyon) was claiming the scalp of our Sheffield lad, Serpent was nutmegging me with 4d.”Pack” was what led me astray-thought it might be the answer. But no-very nice deceptive surface , Serpent.
ThanCks-and to DunCansheil
After copmus commented at 1, I did some research into recent Serpent puzzles and note that he has used H and L before in the same way as he has used C today to celebrate some block shapes in the grid.
I notice that today’s grid has four X shapes as well as the four different rotations of C. There’s the next challenge then.
As with several of Serpent’s previous outings, I spotted the C shapes in the grid and so was expecting the theme – not that I needed it this time. Lots to like. Great anagrams at 2d and 14a. As copmus mentions, ACRE was deceptive and took a while to spot. Would have got there quicker if I’d remembered the theme but, in many ways, I’m glad I forgot. CHIVALRY was another favourite, as was EXPECT. Unless there is more to 23a, I don’t care for that one.
Thanks for the explanation behind CIGAR. I did know that story but still failed to cotton on.
10ac – T for town is commonly used in relation to football teams. I half expected a common letter theme again from Serpent, A, R and C were in all the first half dozen or so I solved but only C lasted the pace this time. Enjoyed the long ones. Thanks to S&B
Took a while to get SUCCINCT as I’d spelt FUCHSIA wrong and had it starting with an H. Once I’d sorted that out, I finally managed to complete the SW with CUTICLE and finally NARCOTIC. STICKY END and the HEALTH part of 23a also took a while to surface. An enjoyable puzzle. I always miss themes! Thanks Serpent and Duncanshiell.
We missed the theme but nevertheless Completed the puzzle. CIGAR raised a smile as we remembered the story – to which the response must surely be “you couldn’t make it up!” Our favourite, though, was CHIVALRY.
Re 10ac, T also appears on maps – in ‘TH’ for Town Hall.
Thanks, Serpent and Duncan
Serpent continues his tour of the alphabet with another nice puzzle. My fave today was 9a, natch so thanks to The Snake for the puzzle and to DS for the blog.
Missed the theme, very clever.
Started of with 3 of the long ones, paricularly liked ALIMENTARY CANAL, but Health Insurance evaded me for a while. Eventually could see insurance but then had TRAVEL stuck in the brain, which explained nothing.
Missed the cigar story, a great clue. Also liked HYPOCRITE and CLERIC
Many thanks Serpent, great fun, and thank you Duncan
For more on the CIGAR story click here.
Having blogged a couple of recent serpents I was on the lookout before I began and saw the Cs in the grid so knew what to expect. Did it lead to a quicker solver, well frankly I doubt it. I suspect tho’ The Constricting One will try a few more but it does make it hard for himself.
Many thanks to Duncan for the excellent blog and to everyone who took the time to solve and comment on the puzzle.
Enjoyed this but was hoping to find a more satisfactory explanation of HEALTH INSURANCE.
Thanks to Serpent and Duncan.