Phi’s latest puzzle graces the last of the mid-week slots for this week. I am currently in Helsinki in temperatures of around +30, but I have found a quiet and relatively cool corner in one of the city’s many libraries to type up this blog – and to shelter from the elements, of course!
I enjoyed this puzzle very much, especially the challenge of having so many 15-letter entries to contend with. Indeed, there were as many as seven in the grid, and I suspect that this is what is particular about this puzzle, rather than any ghost theme.
I am happy with my parsing of all but 1, where I am not sure how “admitting” fits in. My favourite clues today were the & lit. at 2, for its concision and smooth surface; and 23, for the inclusion of the dog-related terms “breeder” and “trainer” in the wordplay of a clue to a breed of dog.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 09 | A CHILD OF OUR TIME | Unusually methodical, I will include quartet in oratorio
FOUR (=quartet) in *(METHODICAL I); “unusually” is anagram indicator; the reference is to the oratorio A Child of Our Time by British composer Michael Tippett, first performed in 1944 |
| 10 | SOLVENT | Very engaged in waterway, experiencing liquidity
V (=very) in SOLENT (=waterway, i.e. between the south coast of England and the Isle of Wight) |
| 11 | BONANZA | Graduate welcoming grandma into Australia in stroke of good fortune
[NAN (=grandma) in OZ (=Australia)] in BA (=graduate, i.e. Bachelor of Arts) |
| 12 | ON THE MAKE | Looking to benefit where some car purchase discussions focus?
Cryptically, car purchase discussion may sometimes focus on the make (Ford, BMW, ..) of car to be bought |
| 13 | COMET | Company encountered reindeer?
CO (=company) + MET (=encountered); Comet is one of Santa’s eight reindeer! |
| 14 | NEAT AS NINEPENCE | Nineteen canapés ordered in a tidy way
*(NINETEEN CANAPÉS); “ordered” is anagram indicator; the expression may be a corruption of ninepins, from the neatly lined up skittles used in this game |
| 17 | TIGHT | Fast // up the pole?
Double definition: tight can be “fast”, as in to pull a rope tight/fast AND “up the pole” in the sense of drunk |
| 19 | MNEMONIST | No soldiers returned in film – my recollection’s very clear
NEMON (NO + MEN (=soldiers); “returned” indicates reversal) in MIST (=film, haze); a mnemonist has an outstanding memory |
| 21 | ELEGIAC | Mournful English cricket side, by one account
E (=English) + LEG (=cricket side) + I (=one) + AC (=account) |
| 22 | NUMBEST | Least able to sense university doctor entering home
[U (=university) + MB (=doctor, i.e. Bachelor of Medicine)] in NEST (=home) |
| 23 | ABERDEEN TERRIER | Dog‘s energy restrained by perturbed breeder/trainer
E (=energy) in *(BREEDER/TRAINER); “perturbed” is anagram indicator; the Aberdeen terrier is a coarse-haired kind of Scottish terrier |
| Down | ||
| 01 | PASS ROUND THE HAT | Ask for contributions to authorise admitting boater
PASS (=authorise) + ROUND (=admitting, enclosing??) + THE HAT (=boater) |
| 02 | CHALET | One in Switzerland hired out?
A (=one) in [CH (=Switzerland, in IVR) + LET (=hired out)]; & lit. |
| 03 | ALOE VERA | A sexual partner receiving drug and a healing plant
{E (=drug, i.e. Ecstasy) in [A + LOVER (=sexual partner)]} + A |
| 04 | MONT SAINT MICHEL | Mark hint: coastline getting rocky around top of major French commune
M (=mark, i.e. former German currency) + [M<ajor> (“top of” means first letter only) in *(HINT COASTLINE)]; “rocky” is anagram indicator |
| 05 | DOUBLE INDEMNITY | Repeated hostility, switching pair of characters around in film
IN in [DOUBLED (=repeated) + EMNITY (ENMITY=hostility; “switching pair of characters around” means letter “m” and “n” swap places!)]; the reference is to the 1944 US film Double Indemnity, directed by Billy Wilder and set in the world of insurance |
| 06 | IRONIC | Press Conservative about one of some satirical comments
I (=one) in [IRON (=press, e.g. clothes) + C (=Conservative)] |
| 07 | CINNAMON | Wrong, we hear – no guy picked up spice
Homophone (“we hear”) of “sin (=wrong)” + NAMON (NO + MAN (=guy); “picked up” indicates vertical reversal) |
| 08 | DEPARTMENT STORE | Leave tents to be set out in further shop
DEPART (=leave) + [*(TENTS) in MORE (=further)]; “to be set out” is anagram indicator |
| 15 | ANGLESEY | Views you picked up in part of Wales
ANGLES (=views, perspectives) + EY (YE=you; “picked up” indicates vertical reversal) |
| 16 | PROMMERS | Concertgoers in favour of silent performers? Not I
PRO (=in favour of) + M<i>MERS (=silent performers; “not I” means letter “i” is dropped) |
| 18 | TRIADS | Flying Tardis? Here’s lots of notes
*(TARDIS); “flying” is anagram indicator; a triad is a chord of three notes |
| 20 | IBERIA | Area of Europe resembling part of Russia within its borders
<s>IBERIA<n> (=resembling part of Russia); “within its borders” suggests that first and last letters are to be discounted |
If admitting can be used in crosswords as an insertion indicator, then I’m sure round, which is used in the same way (despite what the Word spell/grammar checker thinks) works as a synonym
I really enjoyed this – I know someone who’ll definitely pick 15d has her favourite – so thank you to Phi and RR
Yes, the theme today seems to be long words. Very impressive to get seven 15ers in a grid and avoid obscurities.
CINNAMON didn’t really work for me but not a problem.
Up the pole (TIGHT) was unfamiliar, and only dimly remembered NEAT AS A NINEPENCE.
ANGLESEY, which took me far too long to get, was my favourite.
Thanks to Phi and RatkojaRiku.
I was glad to see A CHILD OF OUR TIME, a work I was introduced to in my teens. I briefly thought there might be a current thematic connection with PROMMERS. but it was last performed at the Proms in 2016.
I’m more familiar with the expression “Nice as ninepence”, but I see that Neat as.. seems to be the original version.
Very enjoyable. A CHILD OF OUR TIME was a write-in for us from the enumeration, but some of the other long answers took a bit of teasing out. ANGLESEY also took us a while as initially we just had the two E’s and thought they could lead to ‘ewe’ as a homophone from ‘you picked up’. And we are more familiar with ‘Right as ninepence’, often in the context of having recovered from a minor injury, etc.
Thanks, Phi and RatkojaRiku.
Also for me, 9ac was a write-in. As soon as I first opened up the crossword this morning and read the first clue, I got the answer. In a previous life as a PROMMER, I attended a performance conducted by Tippett, with the granddaughter of the conductor of the first performance standing nearby.
In the end, I needed help to get 15dn/17ac.