We’re celebrating our 400th blog today with a typically enjoyable Hoskins offering.
Actually we were a little disappointed with a few of the clues, but that didn’t spoil the solve overall. We felt that one or two surfaces weren’t up to Harry’s usual standard and the cryptic definition at 23 was a little iffy. However, the standard Harry sets for himself is so high that a few lapses are excusable (and maybe it’s just us!!).
It was only after we had finished the puzzle that we noticed the nina in the side columns – but we’re not sure of the relevance! Are they coming to get him?
Across
1 Fish with a twist dons blanch okay (8)
PASSABLE
BASS (fish) reversed or ‘with a twist’ in or ‘donning’ PALE (blanch)
6 Avoid page in How Hollywood Takes Colonics? (6)
BYPASS
P (page) in BY ASS (how Hollywood takes colonics) – only Harry could come up with a clue like this!
9 Comic word-muddler delivering a group of goats? (5,8)
BILLY CONNOLLY
A group of (billy) goats could fancifully be described as a BILLY COLONY – a ‘word-muddler’ might mispronounce ‘colony’ as ‘connolly’
10 Men embarrassed around small religious groups (6)
ORDERS
OR (other ranks – ‘men’) + RED (embarrassed) reversed or ‘around’ + S (small)
11 Old statesman dailies shot hugging royal (8)
DISRAELI
An anagram of DAILIES (anagrind is ‘shot’) round or ‘hugging’ R (royal)
13 Bolt one Bud? That’s reasonable (10)
LEGITIMATE
LEG IT (bolt, as in run away) I (0ne) MATE (bud) – Thanks to Paul A@1 for pointing out the omission.
15 Row concerning sex in retirement (4)
TIER
RE (concerning) IT (sex) all reversed or ‘in retirement’
16 Hoskins had support cut back on the dole (4)
IDLE
I’D (Hoskins, the setter, had) LEg (support) without the last letter or ‘cut’
18 As herb pie and large bananas? (10)
PERISHABLE
Cryptic definition – An anagram of AS HERB PIE and L (large) – anagrind is ‘bananas’ – Herb pie and bananas are PERISHABLE
21 Shrink to get in touch with grasping Republican (8)
CONTRACT
CONTACT (to get in touch with) round or ‘grasping’ R (Republican)
22 Season fresh tuna without hesitation (6)
AUTUMN
An anagram of TUNA (anagrind is ‘fresh’) round or ‘without’ UM (hesitation)
23 Where one can see a giant mug sculpture? (5,8)
MOUNT RUSHMORE
A cryptic definition – very large (giant) faces (mugs) of four US Presidents are carved in the mountainside at MOUNT RUSHMORE. We visited Mount Rushmore last year ago but were more impressed by CRAZY HORSE
25 Coveted post left by head, compete to fill it? (6)
ENVIED
sEND (post) without the first letter or ‘left by head’ round or ‘filled by’ VIE (compete)
26 Kent society welcomes very southern accents (8)
STRESSES
SE (‘Kent’ – in the South-East of England) S (society) round or ‘welcoming’ TRES (very) S (southern)
Down
2 Nice inn over in Germany? Time to go round it! (7)
AUBERGE
UBER (‘over’ in German) with AGE (time) ‘going round it’
3 Obvious time to support poor defensive line (4-7)
SELF-EVIDENT
T (time) after or ‘supporting – in a down clue) an anagram of DEFENSIVE – anagrind is ‘poor’
4 Cry about nursing year-old males from Wales? (5)
BOYOS
SOB (cry) reversed or ‘about’ round or ‘nursing’ Y (year) O (old)
5 Initial sections of cortex or diaphragm (7)
EXORDIA
Hidden in (‘sections of’) cortEX OR DIAphragm
6 They might offer support to people on a flight (9)
BANISTERS
Cryptic definition – the ‘flight’ being a staircase
7 Revolutionary drink in China (3)
PAL
LAP (drink) reversed or ‘revolutionary’
8 A shade obscene? Heavens above! (3,4)
SKY BLUE
BLUE (obscene) with SKY (heavens) above (in a down clue)
12 Excitement found in exotic tart’s charms? (11)
ATTRACTIONS
ACTION (excitement) in anagram of TARTS – anagrind is ‘exotic’
14 Impressed by confession of goalie unable to get off grass? (9)
IMPLANTED
A goalie might conceivably confess ‘I’M PLANTED’ if he couldn’t ‘get off the grass’ – rather fanciful, Harry!
17 Over hampered by shocking random bouncer (7)
DOORMAN
O (over) in or ‘hampered by’ an anagram of RANDOM – anagrind is ‘shocking’
19 Race blocking damn time-saving commuter routes? (3,4)
RAT RUNS
RUN (race) in or ‘blocking’ RATS (‘damn’ – a minor exclamation)
20 Where I’m ultra-happy showing up film pioneer (7)
LUMIERE
Hidden and reversed (‘showing up’) in whERE I’M Ultra-Happy – a reference to Auguste or Louis Lumiere, pioneering film-makers
22 A rampant do in which husband can’t stand (5)
ABHOR
A + ROB (do) reversed or ‘rampant’ round H (husband)
24 Place to study marriage that’s not working? (3)
UNI
UNIon (marriage) without ‘on’ (working)
*anagram
Minor omission in 13a, missing out the ‘I’ for one. I finished this in record speed for one of Harry’s, 6a being the only one of his specialities really. Thanks all.
Thanks, B and J – and congratulations! Time flies, doesn’t it?
I think I agree with your preamble but I’d still prefer Harry on a slightly off day than one or two others on form. 😉
Favourites today were BYPASS and AUBERGE.
Many thanks, Harry – what’s the nina about, then?
All pretty straigtforward and enjoyable with some flashes of Hoskins’ trademark humour. 13ac was our LOI; we’d got as far as _E_I_IMATE when we spotted there was nina and were able to finish.
Interesting that ‘Hollywood’ turned up in a clue yesterday as well as today – and both times we wondered if the setter was being devious and indicating a ‘Bake Off’ presenter rather than the place. Obiously we were the devious ones.
In 16ac the indicator for dropping the last letter of ‘leg’ is ‘cut back’ rather than simply ‘cut’. ‘Back’ a deliberate misdirection to look for a reversal maybe?
We did wonder if ‘tres’ for ‘very’ in 26ac was fair without indicating it is French, but we see it’s in Chambers, so no problems there.
Lots to like but our favourite was AUBERGE.
Thanks, Hoskins and B&J.
“Oskins?
Yeah?
“Youre nicked!”
Police siren goes Ni-Na Ni-Na ….
Flashling @5 – like it!
I share the sentiments of Eileen @2. Harry remains a favourite, and I enjoyed this one.
Thanks Hoskins, and thanks and congratulations on the milestone to B&J.
DOH! Thanks flashling and Harry – can’t believe we missed it!!
Crosophile did a similar trick on a blog of mine a couple of years ago.