Radian has set the Tuesday puzzle this week for our entertainment.
I found this to be a medium-difficulty puzzle, which unfolds gradually around the theme of transport. The transport theme is referenced explicitly in some clues (4, 6, 7, 20 …) and alluded to in the solutions to many others (5, 8, 16, 17, 22, 23 …), which the solver can often solve oblivious to the connection.
I solved the puzzle unaided, although I needed Chambers to verify “en” at 19 and “hob” in 1D. My favourite clues today were 1D, for misdirection; and 2 and 8, both for smoothness of surface.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 09 | OVERSHOOT | Drive off in Open but go too far
SHOO (=drive off, make go away) in OVERT (=open, as adjective) |
| 10 | APACE | Fast car avoids Shell
<car>APACE (=shell, e.g. of tortoise); “car avoids” means letters “car” are dropped |
| 11 | BUS FARE | Book American food and cost of travel
B (=book) + US (=American) + FARE (=food, as in Christmas fare) |
| 12 | ATLASES | In his element, old sailor recalled lots of maps
SALT (=old sailor) in SEA (=his element, i.e. sailor’s natural environment); “recalled” indicates reversal |
| 13 | HENGE | Layer, say, reflected old enclosure
HEN (=layer, i.e. of eggs) + G.E. (E.G.=say, for example; “reflected” indicates reversal); a henge is an old enclosed area, often containing burial chambers, a back formation from Stonehenge in Wiltshire |
| 14 | CATACOMBS | Calcium current in graves? Lots of those here
CA (=calcium, i.e. chemical formula) + [AC (=current, i.e. alternating current) in TOMBS (=graves)] |
| 16 | RAILWAY CARRIAGE | Romeo has trouble with a Yankee bearing 17 perhaps
R (=Romeo, in radio telecommunications) + AIL (=trouble) + W (=with) + A + Y (=Yankee, in radio telecommunication) + CARRIAGE (=bearing, deportment); a wagon-lit (=entry at 17) is an example of a railway carriage |
| 19 | ENLIGHTEN | Brief answer to clue “Cracking nuts”
LIGHT (=answer to clue, in crosswords) in [EN EN (=nuts, i.e. 2 x EN, in printing)]; to brief (someone) is to enlighten, inform |
| 21 | COACH | Train, or part of one
Double definition: to COACH is to train, teach AND a coach or carriage is part of a train |
| 22 | CHANNEL | When out of cash girl left station
C<as>H (“when (=as) out of” means letters “as” are dropped) + ANNE (=girl) + L (=left); a channel is a station on TV |
| 23 | THITHER | Strike stops the queen getting to that place
HIT (=strike) in [THE + R (=queen, i.e. regina)] |
| 24 | RADII | Supporters-in-arms notice Republican units gathering
R (=Republican) + AD (=notice, i.e. advert) + II (=units, i.e. 2 x I); radii are bones in the forearm, hence “supporters-in-arms” |
| 25 | SPARE TIME | When to throw parties with this setter?
*(PARTIES) + ME (=this setter, i.e. Radian); “to throw” is anagram indicator; & lit. |
| Down | ||
| 01 | HOBBYHORSE | Bag ferret beside bay maybe
HOB (=(male) ferret) + BY (=beside) + HORSE (=bay maybe); one’s bag is one’s particular interest, hence “hobbyhorse” |
| 02 | HELSINKI | Henry likes tanks going round in European capital
H (=Henry) + [IN in *(LIKES)]; “tanks (=fails)” is anagram indicator |
| 03 | ESCAPE | Get free headgear in English Home Countries
CAP (=headgear) in [E (=English) + SE (=Home Countries, i.e. south east)] |
| 04 | RODE | Went by horse and by boat, as stated
Homophone (“as stated”) of “rowed” (=went by boat) |
| 05 | STEAM TRAIN | Struggle to control side that’s chuffed
TEAM (=side, in sport) in STRAIN (=struggle); a steam train is a train that has chuffed its way along the track |
| 06 | CABLE-CAR | Taxi left people over for gondola
CAB (=tax) + L (=left) + ECAR (RACE=people, nation; “over” indicates reversal) |
| 07 | HANSOM | Afghan sometimes reserves old vehicle
Hidden (“reserves”) in “afgHAN SOMetimes”; a hansom is a light two-wheeled horse-drawn cab |
| 08 | JETS | First person in Paris meets Rolling Stone and gushes
JE (=first person in Paris, i.e. the French word for I) + TS (ST=stone, i.e. measurement of weight; “rolling” indicates reversal) |
| 14 | CRYSTALISE | Make clear fancy articles to engage youths on vacation
Y<outh>S (“on vacation”, i.e. when emptied, means all middle letters are dropped) in *(ARTICLES); “fancy” is anagram indicator |
| 15 | SHEPHERDED | What Bo-Peep didn’t do? Record her day in Slough
[EP (=record, i.e. extended-play) + HER + D (=day)] in SHED (=slough, of a snake’s skin); Little Bo-Peep lost her sheep, so she didn’t shepherd them well |
| 17 | WAGON-LIT | Sleeper with new books acquired earlier
AGO (=earlier) in [W (=with) + N (=new) + LIT (=books, i.e. literature)] |
| 18 | ARACHNID | Amateur artist rebuked about northern web designer, say
A (=amateur) + RA (=artist, i.e. Royal Academician) + [N (=north) in CHID (=rebuked, told off)]; cryptically, as a spinner of webs, an arachnid can be described as a “web designer” |
| 20 | LUANDA | State capital‘s landau in need of repair
*(LANDAU); “in need of repair” is anagram indicator; Luanda is the capital of the African state of Angola |
| 21 | CRIKEY | Keen to defend old president’s goodness
IKE (=old president, i.e. Dwight Eisenhower) in CRY (=keen, wail) |
| 22 | CART | Tom, say, boxes right lug
R (=right) in CAT (=Tom, say); to lug is to cart, drag heavily |
| 23 | TRAP | Start to take blame for ambush?
T<ake> (“start to” means first letter only) + RAP (=blame) |
Thanks, RR, for a helpful blog.
This solver was certainly oblivious to the transport theme. Sounds stupid, I know, since now that you’ve explained it, it is not so much staring you in the face as slapping you very hard in the face. As we have said many times before, if you miss the theme it’s not a national disaster; it’s a pleasing puzzle which was fun to solve.
I liked OVERSHOOT (I know, shock/horror, it’s to do with g**f) and also liked the use of ‘web designer’ for ARACHNID.
Doesn’t the definition of 15dn lead to SHEPHERD and not SHEPHERDED?
Never knew that ‘nut’ was another word for EN; nor that ‘henge’ was a back formation. You learn stuff, don’t you?
Bravo, Radian.
Only spotted the theme at the end, but enjoyed this anyway. I didn’t understand a few bits including the def. for 1d and the two EN’s in 19a so thanks for the explanation. I could vaguely remember having seen ‘hob’ before somewhere in cryptic-land. Otherwise nothing too devious and some good clues including the ‘Supporters-in-arms’ and ‘web designer’ defs.
Thanks to Radian and RR.
This was a shared solve so hard to gauge difficulty. Fun though.
En meaning nut was new to me too – happy to be ENLIGHTENed. I also had my doubts about whether what Bo Peep didn’t do was SHEPERDED.
Thanks to Radian and RatkojaRiku.
Like others, I didn’t know NUT was an alternative for EN and felt that the definition in 15d was for SHEPHERD. Also didn’t know HOB in 1d. As a side note, I always found it interesting that CHUFFED can mean very pleased and also very displeased according to dictionaries, although I haven’t met anybody that uses it in the latter sense. In my old Chambers, displeased is the main definition but this seems to have changed.
Good crossword, well blogged so thanks to all.
Here’s another one who was unfamiliar with EN, just like I didn’t understand why Radian used ‘tanks’ as anagram indicator in 2d – I was too lazy to check a dictionary.
I tend to agree with Kathryn’s Dad (and Kitty, and Hovis) about SHEPHERD/ED at 15d.
But on the whole, this was another very good crossword from one of my favourite setters in all his guises (this one, Crucible, Redshank).
For some reason, 22ac (CHANNEL) was a real standout for me.
Thanks to setter & RR.
I did actually spot there were many forms of transport involved and it helped. I also didn’t know NUTS for EN. I’m a bit puzzled by 2answer for clue = light” too. Is it that one sees the light when a clue is solved? HOBBYHORSE and HENGE were my last 2 in. Nice puzzle. Thanks Radian and RR.
Thanks Radian for a very enjoyable puzzle and RR for the blog.
JD @ 6: LIGHT is a reference in mundus cruciverbailisticus for the parts of a grid you write the solutions in. I gather that the origin is nebulous, but may be based on LIGHTS where you can write, and DARKS where you can’t.
hth
We spotted the theme early on and it did help a little bit, but everything was solvable without knowing it. We too didn’t know nut = en but we realised 19ac was ENLIGHTEN and didn’t bother parsing it.
We didn’t think too closely about 15dn at the time, but we see the point that’s been made. It’s all to do with the vagaries of English grammar and syntax and this is not the forum for it so we’ll say no more.
An enjoyable and fairly quick solve – thanks, Radian and RatkojaRiku.
Simon @ 7
Thanks for the enlightenment Simon 🙂
I came across en=nut sometime ago, possibly in a Beelzebub, and someone here pointed out that it is in Chambers. That has stuck in my memory ever since.
Conversely, on spotting themes. It seems that once I’ve solved a clue, I forget about it. Therefore I tend not to notice associations between answers.
Well, that was my fastest Indie solve ever, as proven bý my appearance here, since I managed to complete at bedtime rather than over breakfast next morning. No doubt my travel trade background helped (including my first job working at the Wagons-Lits office in London). Now I’ve nothing to do over breakfast at 3am tomorrow!
Hovis @4 – I remember reading somewhere that Americans (I’m one) don’t have any idea what “chuffed” means. Of course I ran straight to a dictionary – and ended up just as baffled.
Very late here I’m afraid. Only just done the crossword.
I wasn’t comfortable with CRYSTALISE at 14dn and only entered it when it had to be. Surely it’s CRYSTALLISE? I can’t find justification in either Chambers or Collins for the single L.
Wil @13
My electronic version of Collins has “crystallize or crystalize or crystallise or crystalise”. Only the last option is underlined by the site’s spell checker as being incorrect.