Klingsor has provided today’s cruciverbal workout, as he often does on a Thursday.
I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle, which I found to be of medium difficultly and very high in the entertainment stakes. I think that I have parsed everything to my own satisfaction at least, having needed Chambers to confirm the canopy at 1D and the cheer at 6.
It is not easy single out any particular clue here as there was much to admire. That said, particular mention goes to 8, 10 and 19, all for smoothness of surface; and 26, for its ingenious construction around “Red Square”. 19 is a prime example of the compiler using words that have one grammatical form in the surface reading of the clue, but another form when you break down the clue into its wordplay and definition, e.g. “fit” is an adjective in the surface reading and yet a noun in the wordplay.
After today’s experience, I am looking forward to solving and blogging my next Klingsor puzzle already.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | TITICACA | Tailless tree bird seen around lake
ACACI<a> (=tree; “tailless” means last letter dropped) + TIT (=bird); “seen around” indicates reversal |
| 05 | THURSO | A day to get round Scottish town
THURS (=a day, of the week) + O (=round, i.e. pictorially) |
| 09 | SCHUMANN | Composer‘s friend breaking largely sad news
CHUM (=friend) in [SA<d> (“largely” means last letter dropped) + NN (=news, i.e. 2 x N=new)]; the reference is to German composer Robert Schumann (1810-56) |
| 10 | GRILLE | Cook needs last of cheese grating
GRILL (=cook, as verb) + <chees>E (“last of” means last letter only) |
| 12 | EXTRA | Stretch of Spandex tracksuit is wide
Hidden (“stretch of”) in “spandEX TRAcksuit”; a wide is an extra in cricket |
| 13 | EINDHOVEN | I need empty house, just outside Dutch city
[I + N<ee>D (“empty” means middle letters are dropped) + HO (=house, i.e. abbreviation)] in EVEN (=just) |
| 14 | BOTTLE-BLONDE | Naturally she’s not fair to belle, mostly – don’t be upset
*(TO BELL<e> (“mostly” means last letter dropped) + DON’T BE); “upset” is anagram indicator; a bottle-blonde is a woman whose blonde hair is not natural but has come out of a bottle of peroxide! |
| 18 | PARATROOPERS | Soldiers desert with Joey, wearing rags
[RAT (=desert, abandon) + ROO (=joey, i.e. young kangaroo)] in PAPERS (=rags, i.e. tabloids) |
| 21 | SPIN A YARN | How to make Aryan tell story?
The answer is a cryptic clue to the wordplay, in that “a yarn” is an anagram of “Aryan”! |
| 22 | HELOT | One enthralled the man a great deal
HE (=the man) + LOT (=a great deal); a helot was a Spartan serf held in thrall, bondage, hence “one enthralled” |
| 24 | ACIDIC | Detectives tucked into excellent cold tart
CID (=detective, i.e. Criminal Investigation Department) in [A1 (=excellent) + C (=cold, on tap)]; “tart” as an adjective means “acidic”, sharp |
| 25 | AIRTIGHT | Impenetrable island shelters right criminal
*(RIGHT) in AIT (=island); “criminal” is anagram indicator |
| 26 | ENGINE | Machine gun originally seen in middle of Red Square
G<un> (“originally” mean first letter only) in [<r>E<d> (“middle of” means middle letter only) + NINE (=square, in maths, i.e. 3 x 3)] |
| 27 | KEROSENE | In Kentucky, got higher energy fuel
ROSE (=got higher) in [KEN (=Kentucky, in US) + E (=energy)] |
| Down | ||
| 01 | TESTER | One examines // a canopy
Double definition: a tester is someone who examines e.g. products AND a canopy, especially over a bed |
| 02 | TAHITI | Thanks to strike is stuck on island – this one?
TA (=thanks) + HIT (=to strike) + I (=island) |
| 03 | COME ABOUT | Happen to be a locum working without licence initially
*(TO BE A <l>OCUM); “without licence initially (=L)” means letter “l” is dropped from anagram, indicated by “working” |
| 04 | CONVENTIONAL | Usual residence for sisters overlooks island on lake
CONVENT (=residence for sisters) + IONA (=island, in the Inner Hebrides) + L (=lake) |
| 06 | HARSH | Cheer up, Mum! That’s unkind
HAR (RAH=cheer, from hurrah; “up” indicates vertical reversal) + SH (=mum, i.e. be quiet) |
| 07 | RELEVANT | Virginia’s brought in to soften material
VA (=Virginia, in US) in RELENT (=to soften, abate); material as an adjective means relevant, apposite |
| 08 | OLEANDER | Ground elder on a shrub
*(ELDER ON A); “ground” is anagram indicator |
| 11 | UNRESPONSIVE | Not answering mobile so unnerves one holding power
P (=power, in physics) in *(SO UNNERVES + I (=one)); “mobile” is anagram indicator |
| 15 | LARGHETTO | Northbound rail out of one poor city district is rather slow
LAR (RA<i>L; “out of one (=I)” means letter “i” is dropped; “northbound” indicates vertical reversal)) + GHETTO (=poor city district); “larghetto” is rather slow, in music |
| 16 | APOSTATE | Prone to lose rights, supporting a renegade
A + P<r>OST<r>ATE (=prone, of position; “losing rights (=Rs)” means both letter “r”s are dropped) |
| 17 | TRAINING | Time to chuck it in, having good education
T (=time) + RAIN (=to chuck it, i.e. pour with rain) + IN + G (=good) |
| 19 | PLAGUE | Place fit for dog
PL (=place) + AGUE (=fit, of shivering); to “dog” is to “plague”, beset |
| 20 | STATUE | Uniform feeds public image
U (=uniform, in radio telecommunications) in STATE (=public, as in public administration) |
| 22 | ALIGN | Speak ill of topless dress
<m>ALIGN (=speak ill of; “topless” means first letter is dropped); to “align” is to “dress”, straighten |
Bit spoiled today with this fantastic offering together with his excellent FT crossword (under the alias ALBERICH). I thought PLAGUE was particularly good with its wordplay on both ‘fit’ and ‘dog’. Didn’t know THURSO or LARGHETTO but both were clued well enough to construct.
Thanks to Klingsor and RatkojaRiku.
We must be on Klingsor’s wavelength as this is the second one of his we’ve solved without problems and fairly quickly – not that we noted the actual time it took. Needed to check in Chambers for the meaning of HELOT, though it was obviously right. That and ALIGN were our favourites.
Thanks, Klingsor and RatkojaRiku.
Incidentally, Klingsor appears as his alter ego ALBERICH in today’s FT.
Sorry, Hovis, re Alberich – I went off to do something else without posting and then didn’t check for earlier posts when Icame back.
Excellent stuff from Klingsor. Fell at the last with PLAGUE which was probably the pick of the lot.
A bit of a break, then off to Alberich in the FT.
Thanks to Klingsor and RR
Fairly easy – for a Thursday. 🙂
All went in fairly smoothly, although I was held up assuming KY for Kentucky at 27ac. I don’t think I’ve seen Ken. before, but it is in Chambers.
There was an article in the news today about the dearth of music by women composers in classical concerts, so it must be said that 9ac could refer to Clara Schumann, wife of Robert and a distinguished composer in her own right.
Thoroughly enjoyed here too, and very much what allan @2 said – with my earlier Klingsor of the day being in the i.
So, along with his alter-ego in the FT that’s three on the same day… I wonder how often that happens?