The puzzle can be found here.
I found this one quite tough, and stuggled to complete the SW corner until LOBBYIST slotted in, giving me HOBNOB and then the rest eventually.
In some cases, the answer was more obvious than the parsing, but I think I’ve succeeded in parsing all the answers.
There was a mini-theme, with the word “support” appearing in many clues.
I’m sure I’ve seen 23dn before, and I think there’s an extra unnecessary word in 12a, but other than that, I can’t find fault with the puzzle.
Thanks, Alberich.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BRAHMS | Musician from Queen surrounded by supporters (6) |
| HM (Her Majesty, so “Queen”) surrounded by BRAS (“supporters”) | ||
| 4 | DISCARDS | Insult outside club maybe leads to scraps (8) |
| DISS (“insult”) outside CARD (“club maybe”) | ||
| 9 | SILENT | Mum is regressing fast (6) |
| <=IS (regressing) + LENT (“fast”) | ||
| 10 | PLANKTON | They drift in the ocean, not going back on board (8) |
| <=NOT (going back) on PLANK (“board”) | ||
| 12 | NEST | Retreat from scene, staggering somewhat (4) |
| Hidden in “sceNE STaggering” | ||
| 13 | LEG-SPINNER | Bowler hat shunned by scruffy English parent (3,7) |
| *(englis pren) (“english parent” minus “hat”) | ||
| 15 | STOUT-HEARTED | Brave, like pugilist outwardly? (5-7) |
| “pugiliST OUTwardly” has STOUT at its HEART | ||
| 18 | STEAL THE SHOW | To get the best hand towels, he has to wander around Tunisia’s capital (5,3,4) |
| *(towels he has) around T(unisia) | ||
| 21 | PROPORTION | Support playwright nursing one relation (10) |
| PROP (“supporter”) + (Joe) ORTON (“playwright”) nursing I (“one”) | ||
| 22 | BOON | New online community member returns gift (4) |
| <=NOOB (“new online community member” returns) | ||
| 24 | RENDERED | Aim to stop case of Rhine wine getting delivered (8) |
| END (“aim”) to stop R(hin)E + RED (“wine”) | ||
| 25 | PISTOL | Pilot’s shot – using this? (6) |
| *(pilot’s) | ||
| 26 | LOBBYIST | Campaigner has inclination to grab ’Arry’s interest (8) |
| LIST (“inclination”) to grab ‘OBBY (” ‘Arry’s interest”) | ||
| 27 | REHEAR | The woman’s turned attention to judge again (6) |
| <=HER (“the woman’s”, turned) + EAR (“attention”) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BUSINESS | Doctor Seuss book about hot affair (8) |
| *(seuss b) (B is short for “book”) about IN (“hot”) | ||
| 2 | ALLUSION | Reference is a deception – not the first one (8) |
| A (i)LLUSION (“deception” without its first (initial)) | ||
| 3 | MONK | Mark bandages leg for brother (4) |
| Mk. (“Mark) bandages ON (“leg” think cricket) | ||
| 5 | ILLUSTRATION | One with desire to eat large helping, for example (12) |
| I (“one”) with LUST (“desire”) to eat L(arge) + RATION (“helping”) | ||
| 6 | CANTILEVER | Am I not able to celebrate rising support? (10) |
| CAN’T I (“am i not able to”) + <=REVEL (“celebrate”, rising) | ||
| 7 | RATING | Evaluation is harsh, first off (6) |
| (g)RATING (“harsh”, with its first (initial) off) | ||
| 8 | SENTRY | Soldier primarily positioned in front of gate? (6) |
| S(oldier) positioned in front of ENTRY (“gate”) and &lit. | ||
| 11 | BENEFACTRESS | Sponsor has complaint about new performer (12) |
| BEEF (“complaint”) about N(ew) + ACTRESS (“perfomer”) | ||
| 14 | STATIONERY | Writing articles still for The Listener (10) |
| Homophone of STATIONARY (“still”) | ||
| 16 | THROSTLE | In the right over lost exotic bird (8) |
| In THE, R(ight) over *(lost), so TH-R-OSTL-E | ||
| 17 | SWINDLER | Conman from Cornwall perhaps less active around November (8) |
| SW (south-west, so “from Cornwall perhaps”) + IDLER (“less active”) around N(ovember) | ||
| 19 | SPIRAL | Paris shuffled last off mortal coil (6) |
| *(paris) + (morta)L | ||
| 20 | HOBNOB | Toff’s after top of range? Hang about! (6) |
| NOB (“toff”) after HOB (“top of range”, such as an Aga) | ||
| 23 | FINE | Capital punishment (4) |
| Double definition | ||
*anagram
Always enjoy an Alberich. Tough, but fair. Managed to finish but with 1 error at 22a. I initially thought BOON but wasn’t aware of this meaning of ‘noob’. Settled for ‘loan’ (n for new + AOL for America Online, all reversed) but didn’t like it since to gift something is not to loan it.
Didn’t know the bird at 16d but got it from the wordplay. Thought the clue for BUSINESS was tremendous and 18a, 5d were also great clues.
Thanks to Alberich and loonapick.
Apparently an OOB is a person so experienced in online game playing, they are a complete pain! Didn’t know that.
I’ve come across “noob” (often written n00b) on various online forums. I guess it’s a contraction of “newbie”?
Stumped as to what the extra word could be in 12 across, as “somewhat” is surely there to show that not all of SCENE STAGGERING is needed.
cruciverbophile@3
The word I was referring to was “somewhat” as “from” does the same job. The surface doesn’t need “somewhat” in my opinion.
Loonapick, I saw the parsing as answer(NEST)/comes from/ sceNESTaggering to a certain extent (somewhat). Never mind, we can agree to differ!
Thanks Alberich and loonapick
Took nearly 10 minutes to make my first entry with REHEAR and progress remained pretty slow throughout two sittings. Had BOON but didn’t work out about the ‘noob’ – was able to fully parse the rest of them though. Took way too long to see the subtraction anagram at 13a.
Funny how we all solve differently – LOBBYIST and HOBNOB were amongst my early entries and finished up in the NE corner with SENTRY and DISCARDS my last couple in.
Was pleased to remember Joe ORTON (with his dark comedies and even darker ending himself). No real favourites, but enjoyed the overall challenge that he presented here.