I have blogged a few Eccles puzzles recently and have no complaints about working on another one.
There is one clue where I’m struggling with the wordplay That’s the one for RECOMMEND at 8 down.
It’s a while since I blogged a crossword with three hidden words in the clues.
One word I only come across in crosswords is PRIAL – used in the clue for PRIMEVAL.
There’s a few references in the clues and entries to kinky porn, pimps, tarts, uplifting bras and sex which gets us close to a theme.
I found this tricky in places, but enjoyable overall.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
They are inclined to bound aboard ship (6)
|
LOPE (run with a long stride; bound) contained in (aboard) SS (steamship) S (LOPE) S |
SLOPES (inclined surfaces) |
|
5
|
Useful tips obtained from kinky porn site (8)
|
Anagram of (kinky) PORN SITE POINTERS* |
POINTERS (hints; useful tips)
|
|
9
|
Amount prostitute charges for acid derivative (8)
|
TART (prostitute) + RATE (price or cost) TART RATE |
TARTRATE (salt [derivative] of tartaric acid)
|
| 10 | Grab several chickens? (6) |
CLUTCH (grasp) CLUTCH |
CLUTCH (brood of chickens) double definition
|
| 11 | Brings back the teaching of religion in Alabama and Tennessee? (10) |
RE (religious education) + IN + STATES (Alabama and Tennessee are American states) RE IN STATES |
REINSTATES (restores to a former position; brings back) |
|
12
|
Solicitor is very good politician (4)
|
PI (sanctimonious; holy; very good) + MP (Member of Parliament; politician) PI MP |
PIMP (one who solicits for a prostitute)
|
|
13
|
Got wind on a bidet (8)
|
Anagram of (wind) ON A BIDET OBTAINED* |
OBTAINED (got)
|
| 16 | Vulgar Republican claiming Democrat is in control (6) |
(RUDE [vulgar] + R [Republican]) containing (claiming) D (Democrat) RUD (D) E R |
RUDDER (steering apparatus; control mechanism)
|
| 17 | Accused ran tours in the morning (6) |
BLED (ran) containing (tours; goes around) AM (ante meridiem; before noon; in the morning) BL (AM) ED |
BLAMED (accused)
|
| 19 |
Notepad adjusted to hide piece of information? Exactly the opposite (8)
|
Anagram of (adjusted) NOTEPAD containing (to hide) I (first letter of [piece of] INFORMATION) ANT (I) PODE* |
ANTIPODE (exact opposite of a person or thing)
|
| 21 | Look closely at biblical rock, lacking time (4) |
PETER (PETER was an important Saint in the Bible. The meaning of the name PETER is ‘rock’ according to Chambers annex of first names) excluding (lacking) T (time) PEER |
PEER (look closely at) |
| 22 | Cold patient is desperate for treatment to prevent infection (10) |
Anagram of (desperate) C [cold] and PATIENT IS ANTISEPTIC* |
ANTISEPTIC (chemical treatment for the destruction, or inhibition of growth, of bacteria; treatment to prevent infection)
|
|
25
|
It moves across the sky, lower than should be possible, heading west (6) |
(SUB [below] + MIN [minimum; lowest possible] so SUBMIN is lower than should be possible) all reversed (heading west) (NIM BUS)< |
NIMBUS (rain-cloud which moves across the sky) |
|
26
|
Ancient trio of kings, maybe enthralling me and Victor (8)
|
PRIAL (pair-royal [three cards of the same denomination which could be Kings, especially in cribbage]) containing (enthralling) (ME + V [Victor is the international code word for the letter V) PRI (ME V) AL |
PRIMEVAL (belonging to the earth’s beginnings; primitive; ancient)
|
| 27 | Great apes trying to display work of art (8) |
TAPESTRY (hidden word [display] in GREAT APES TRYING) TAPESTRY |
TAPESTRY (ornamental textile used for the covering of walls for example and also created as a work of art) |
| 28 | Again takes sister flying (6) |
Anagram of (flying) SISTER RESITS* |
RESITS (takes an examination again) |
|
Down |
|||
| No | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
2
|
The French welcome permission to be absent from work (5)
|
LE (one of the French forms of ‘the’) + AVE (hail!; welcome) LE AVE |
LEAVE (permission to be absent from duty)
|
| 3 | Russian scrum-half’s job (3-2) |
PUTIN (reference Vladimir PUTIN [born 1952], President of Russia) PUT-IN |
PUT-IN ( a scum-half PUTs the ball IN to the scrum) |
|
4
|
Plain brown box on top (7)
|
SPAR (box) + TAN (brown) This is a down entry so SPAR is placed on top of TAN SPAR TAN |
SPARTAN (simple; plain)
|
| 5 | Folded coat containing earth and a bit of dirt (7) |
(PLATE [coat one metal with another] containing [containing] E [earth]) + D (first letter of [bit of] DIRT) PL (E) ATE D |
PLEATED (folded)
|
| 6 | In fragment of cloth is gold tooth (7) |
IN + C (first letter of [fragment of] CLOTH) + IS + OR (in heraldry, the tincture gold or yellow) IN C IS OR |
INCISOR (tooth)
|
| 7 | Bogus president, terrible dupe (7-2) |
TRUMP (reference Donald TRUMP [born 1946] + an anagram of (terrible) DUPE, current President of the United States) TRUMP ED-UP* |
TRUMPED-UP (false; bogus) |
| 8 | Advise communist to take another name? Not I (9) |
I’m struggling here. For a while I got nowhere and started writing that I could see two communists – RED and COM but I couldn’t do anything with the remaining letters when using either of them It then dawned on me that both could be used as one containing (to take) another, so that gives me RE (COM) MEN D so how do I parse MEN? The best I can come up with is MENTION (name) excluding TION but the clue only tells us to exclude [not] the I. RECOMMEND |
RECOMMEND (advise) |
| 14 | Pavlova, say, eaten by footballer in Accrington (9) |
BALLERINA (hidden word in [eaten by] FOOTBALLER IN ACCRINGTON) BALLERINA |
BALLERINA (reference Anna Pavlova [1881 – 1931], Russian prima ballerina) |
| 15 | Notice I go for a walk with male at higher altitude, which is exquisite (9) |
AD (advert; notice) MIRABLE (I RAMBLE [I go for a walk) with M [male] moved up the this down entry [at a higher altitude]) AD M I RABLE |
ADMIRABLE (exquisite) |
| 18 | Absolutely determined to be unresponsive in front of crowd (4,3) |
DEAD (unresponsive) + SET (crowd) DEAD SET |
DEAD SET (determined) |
| 19 | Analysis of gold crown by head of Scotland Yard (7) |
AU (chemical symbol for gold) + TOP (crown) + S (first letter of [head of] SCOTLAND) + Y (yard) AU TOP S Y |
AUTOPSY (post-mortem examination of a corpse; analysis of)
|
| 20 | Uplifting brassiere – it’s a treat, enthralling, more attractive (7) |
TASTIER (hidden word [enthralling] reversed [uplifting; down clue] in BRASSIERE ITS A TREAT) TASTIER< |
TASTIER (informal word for more attractive)
|
| 23 | Secretly watches diarist on the phone (5) |
PEEPS (sounds like [on the phone] PEPYS [reference the diarist Samuel PEPYS [1633 – 1703]) PEEPS |
PEEPS (looks slyly)
|
| 24 | To snooze during sex is awkward (5) |
NAP (snooze) contained in (during) IT (sex) I (NAP) T |
INAPT (ill-fitted; awkward)
|
8d I think is RED outside COMMIE + N without the I. A pleasant solve from Eccles, sort of Hoskins-lite. Thanks to S&B
I think 8d is RED for communist including COMMIE + N (another name) without the I
Agree with others for parsing of 8d. Thought it was a bit clumsy to have 2 answers beginning with ANTI, especially when so close together. I couldn’t help but notice that 11a, 13a and 24d also contain these 4 letters. A coincidence I would guess. Favourite clue was 13a for its humorous surface. Thanks to Eccles and Duncan.
Delightfully witty clues – thanks Eccles!
Always enjoy a puzzle from Eccles and my top marks today went to PIMP and TRUMPED UP. TARTRATE would have made the list if I’d known the acid derivative without having to look it up!
Couldn’t help but notice the number of answers where the definition was a single word coming at the beginning of the clue.
Thanks to Eccles for the fun and to Duncan for the blog.
Yes, 8d is RED (communist) to take another (COMMIE) +N[ame] minus the I.
great fun, very witty, thanks Eccles and thanks Duncan.
Good fun, but a very quick solve.
Knew PRIAL from playing brag almost 50 years ago in the 6th form common room. Didn’t know the derivation as a portmanteau from pair-royal, though.
The hidden clues were good and I own up to not seeing TASTIER which I only solved from the def. I had ‘flamed’ for BLAMED at 17a which almost works. Had no idea about the ‘trio of kings’ bit of PRIMEVAL.
I liked the ‘very good politician’ and ‘amount prostitute charges’ clues but the surface for INAPT was my favourite.
Thank you to Eccles and Duncan
Ah yes, a prial of cards – a word I’ve only ever heard/said before, but can’t remember either reading or writing.
Bit like the prial of setters this week all coming from the stable of Big Dave’s website.
Very enjoyable as ever – thanks Eccles & Duncan
Belated thanks for the blog and comments.