If the editor has decided to continue in 2018 with the tradition of an accessible puzzle in the Monday Indy slot, then he has chosen well here. A very pleasing cryptic from Vigo this morning, with nothing to frighten the horses.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
9 Trivial study in order to follow inner mind
INCONSEQUENTIAL
I’m in the slightly anal ‘must try the first across clue first’ camp, so am always pleased to find a well-constructed offering in that position, like here. Vigo is asking you to put SEQUENTIAL after CON for ‘study’ and precede that by IN for the ‘inner’ letters of mINd.
10 Worker dropping dead with joint complaint and chill
HANG OUT
A charade of HAN[D] and GOUT.
12 Algae offspring holds in wonder
SEAWEED
An insertion of AWE in SEED.
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)
13 Quietly consult socialist that’s more highly valued
PREFERRED
A charade of P for the musical instruction for ‘quietly’, REFER and RED.
14 Commonplace section of last rites
TRITE
Hidden in lasT RITEs.
15 Second go to secure love
SWEETIE
A charade of S, WEE and TIE gives you a term of affection. Love, Sweetie, Darling, Pet, Duckie … take your pick. Some folk take offence at being thus addressed by, for example, shop assistants, but I don’t mind it – it’s always friendly.
18 Deputy of diminished reputation
STAND IN
STANDIN[G]
21 Modify commercial apartment
ADAPT
A charade of AD and APT.
23 Identify with English shipmate at sea
EMPATHISE
(E SHIPMATE)*
25 Draw large aquatic mammal at head of Yangtze
LOTTERY
A charade of L, OTTER and Y for the first letter of ‘Yangtze’.
26 Hiker, artist, doctor and queen crossing line
RAMBLER
An insertion of L in RA, MB and ER for the ‘artist, doctor and queen’.
29 US period when a puritan monk cut loose?
PUNCTUATION MARK
(A PURITAN MONK CUT)*
Down
1 Plate of inedible toasted aphid hearts
DISH
The middle letter(s) or ‘hearts’ of ineDIble toaSted apHid.
2 Image caught inside hospital
SCAN
An insertion of C in SAN for sanitorium or ‘hospital’.
3 Rude, popular and very fast
INSOLENT
A charade of IN for ‘popular’, SO for ‘very’ and LENT, the annual Christian ‘fast’. This year’s special offer is that it starts on St Valentine’s day, so be careful what you agree to give up for 40 days.
4 Something outstandingly good Lieutenant found in drink
BELTER
An insertion of LT in BEER.
5 Drops reserve at parties
SUBSIDES
A charade of SUB and SIDES.
6 During tango performance is unimpaired
INTACT
A charade of IN, T for the phonetic alphabet ‘tango’ and ACT.
7 Uniformed fiend concealing rage on rise
LIVERIED
Since it’s a down clue, it’s IRE inserted into DEVIL reversed.
8 Bachelor lounged around club
BLUDGEON
(B LOUNGED)*
11 Missile taking tip off part of bone
ARROW
[M]ARROW
15 Shellfish brand found in concessions
SCALLOPS
An insertion of CALL in SOPS. ‘She branded him hopeless in matters of love.’
16 Challenging dramatic performance by divorcee
EXACTING
A charade of EX and ACTING.
17 Journalist with a yen to cover up – exceedingly common
EVERYDAY
An insertion of VERY for ‘exceedingly’ in ED and A Y. ‘Yen’ is the currency and not the longing, of course.
19 Worker with one day to get unknown element
ANTIMONY
A charade of ANT, I, MON and Y gives you the metalloid with atomic number 51.
20 Produce offspring
ISSUE
Plenty of offspring this morning. A dd.
22 Large plant leaves whispered in concord
TREATY
A homophone of TREE for ‘large plant’ and TEA for ‘leaves’. The homophone indicator is ‘whispered’.
24 Cake made by mean relative
PARKIN
A charade of PAR and KIN gives you the cake found almost exclusively in Yorkshire and Lancashire. This word came up a few years ago on the blog and resulted in a protracted exchange about what exactly is and isn’t parkin. I will stay out of that one this time round and leave it to a reader from said areas to elucidate.
27 Head of the French after Christ’s arrival
LEAD
A charade of LE for one of the French words for ‘the’ and AD for Anno Domini.
28 Philanderer about to embrace a king
RAKE
An insertion to finish: of A and K in RE.
Many thanks to Vigo for the start to the Indy crosswording week.
I really enjoy Vigo’s puzzles but I didn’t think this was up to the usual standard.
There are two uses of performance=act/acting in 6 and 16, and two very similar ideas using “common” and “commonplace” in TRITE and EVERYDAY.
I not entirely convinced by the “in wonder” insertion in SEAWEED, either.
A dish of aphid hearts? Nah; I’ll stick with the king prawn vindaloo thanks.
Sorry to sound negative;normally a big fan. Not a red letter day in GIFT-land, tbh.
Thanks to V&P
sorry for the pidgin English….”I’m not entirely convinced”, I should say
Morning, baerchen.
For SEAWEED, I had ‘holds in’ as the insertion indicator, so I think that works fine. Can’t argue with your point about the repetition.
GIFT-land is too cryptic for me. What does that mean?
ahoy @Pierre
yes of course,”holds in” make sense – apols all round.
By GIFT-land I mean Guardian, Indy, FT. The Brave New Monday World ex-Rufus has begun with a bit of a whimper, what with missing clues in Pan and so forth
All solved fairly quickly. SEAWEED and SUBSIDES were our last two in – partly because we thought ‘parties’ in 5dn might indicate it ended in -DOS. And we couldn’t parse TREATY, although we decided it had to be that. Didn’t really notice the repetitions, though now they’re pointed out we are a bit surprised – but, as they say, even Homer nods.
Favourites were ANTIMONY (one of us being a chemist) and EMPATHISE.
Thanks, Vigo and Pierre.
Unlike Baerchen I really enjoyed this one – luverly stuff from one of my favourite lady setters.
Tried to select a favourite but gave up the unequal struggle after the first 7 ticks had been awarded.
Many thanks, Vigo, hope to see you again at the end of January when I reckon a lot of 5d will be in evidence!
I liked this plenty, particularly INSOLENT and SUBSIDES.
PARKIN is found somewhere other than Yorkshire and Lancashire: crosswordland, which is the only place this southerner had previously encountered it.
Thanks Vigo and Pierre.
Firstly – forgot to thank Pierre for the blog, many apologies. Secondly, I wonder if anyone has ever analysed blog comments (here or on any other site) to determine whether the work of female setters has particular appeal for female solvers? I suspect that it might but would be very interested to know for a fact.
Thank you to Pierre for the review and to all solvers and comment posters.
@ baerchen – sorry about the repetition. 6 was originally “Fashionable diplomacy is faultless” but I changed it after it was identified by one of my test solvers as being an old chestnut (I was trying to avoid being 14a!) and obviously failed to check for repetition. I also changed 2d, 3d, 20d and 22d for the same reason but luckily avoided repeating myself in those instances. Hopefully, with time, I will begin to recognise constructions that have been done to death…
All best wishes to everyone for 2018.
vigo
Thanks Vigo for a lovely puzzle. My favourite is definitely PUNCTUATION MARK. Unusually, I had to work out the anagram on paper.
I had never heard of the cake and was trying to force parsis. Took me a while to get 7d because I had misread the clue as “uninformed” – amazing how once your mind decides something, evidence in your face does not help.
Some simple charades actually not quite so simple, eg 5d, 6d, well done.
In 23a I didn’t have e(nglish) as part of the anagram, obviously that is 9a.
Thank you Pierre as well.
A gentle offering to start the week. No complaints from us – we didn’t notice the repetition.
Thanks to S&B.