The puzzle can be found here.
It is 100 years since the end of World War One on 11 November 1918. To mark this Armistice Day, Eimi has included some thematic clues and grid entries, and a nina too (see the bottom of the post). In particular, we have a line from the third stanza of For the Fallen, by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943).
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
The crossword as a whole proved an interesting mix. Could the fallen ever have imagined that one day they would be rubbing shoulders in a crossword grid with rappers, actors and Trojan queens? I won’t pick out favourite clues today, but just add the famous fourth verse of the featured poem:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Across
7a Cruise line possibly having problem with icy gents’ loo (11)
SCIENTOLOGY
An anagram of (having problem with) ICY GENTS LOO. Tom Cruise, of course
8a Baronet’s returning for drama (3)
NOH
The reversal (returning) of HON (Hon., prefix to the names various people as a courtesy title — but not, it seems, baronets. Edited, with thanks to gwep @9 for the correction). It’s the traditional Japanese drama which turns up frequently in crosswords
10a Like the fallen, able to see clearly your feet moving before end of dance (4,2,3)
TRUE OF EYE
An anagram (moving) of YOUR FEET before the final letter (end) of dancE
11a Like an ode delivered by Joely Richardson (5)
LYRIC
Hidden in (delivered by) JoeLY RIChardson
12a/13a This Bogart film shot is not affected by age, like the fallen (8,2,4)
STRAIGHT OF LIMB
An anagram (shot) of THIS BOGART FILM
13a See 12a
15a In my opinion, end of war is past (6)
FORMER
FOR ME (in my opinion) + R (end of waR)
17a Lots of headless lackeys (6)
OODLES
[p]OODLES (lackeys, devoted followers) without the first letter (headless)
20a One believing opposite of 29 to some extent (6)
THEIST
The opposite of first two words of (to some extent) 29a, “the last” = THE IST
22a Lawrence of Arabia’s standing around making laws (8)
STATUTES
TE (T.E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia) has around it (‘s … around) STATUS (standing)
26a Some flag lowered, gleaming, like the fallen (5)
AGLOW
Some of flAG LOWered
27a Heartless ungrateful person following soldiers in war memorial (5,4)
MENIN GATE
ING[r]ATE (heartless ungrateful person) following MEN (soldiers)
28a Truly literary for the first nine months? (3)
YEA
Poetic form of indeed or truly. YEA[r], the first three quarters of (a) year being nine months
29a Article mislaid about Taps, perhaps, or another bugle call (3,4,4)
THE LAST POST
THE (grammatical article) LOST (mislaid) about an anagram (perhaps) of TAPS
Down
1d One beating, we hear, the demon drink (6)
LIQUOR
This sounds like (we hear) licker (one beating)
2d English noncommissioned officer silent about current eulogy (8)
ENCOMIUM
E (English) NCO (noncommissioned officer) plus MUM (silent) about I (symbol of electrical current)
3d Thus, cry in this place – any place (9)
SOMEWHERE
A charade of SO (thus), MEW (cry) and HERE (in this place)
4d Some piteous emotions turning up in books (5)
TOMES
Contained in (some) piteousS EMOTions, reversed (turning up)
5d Fugees rapper with unknown symbol for musicians (6)
WYCLEF
A charade of W (with), Y (mathematical unknown) and CLEF (symbol for musicians). Wyclef Jean, rapper with the Fugees
6d Give life to soldiers in space before (8)
ENERGISE
GIS (soldiers) in EN ERE (space + before)
7d Shift keys regularly found in such places (5)
SITES
Alternate letters of (regularly) ShIfTkEyS
9d Trojan queen‘s elementary coupling (6)
HECUBA
HE + CU + BA, three symbols for chemical elements He (helium), Cu (copper) and Ba (barium). I had to use a wordfinder for this, as I couldn’t bring any Trojan queens to mind
14d Brigitte Bardot’s less upset with silver fashion accessory (6,3)
BOSTON BAG
BB (Brigitte Bardot, apparently widely referred to by her initials) contains (‘s = has) NOT SO; this is all reversed (upset) and followed by AG (silver, Ag, another chemical symbol). I’d never heard of this bag, and once I’d searched it out had to think long and hard about the parsing
16d On the other side, as Joaquin Phoenix is now, presumably (8)
OVERLEAF
Joaquin Phoenix called himself Leaf during his days as a child actor. Having gone back to his birth name, he could be said to be “OVER LEAF”
18d Set off for appointment in school? Just the opposite (8)
DETONATE
DATE around (in … just the opposite) ETON
19d Stayed unusually dependable, like the fallen (6)
STEADY
An anagram (unusually) of STAYED
21d Introduce rent boy occasionally, somewhere in South Africa (6)
SOWETO
SOW (introduce) and alternate letters (occasionally) of rEnTbOy
23d Brown Betty possibly starts to take ecstasy, amphetamines and marijuana (6)
TEAPOT
Initial letters of (starts to) Take Ecstasy Amphetamines, and POT (marijuana)
24d Soldier to position around Western Front (5)
SWEAT
SEAT (position) around the first letter (front) of Western
25d One possibly 26, getting to the heart in remembering (5)
EMBER
26a is “aglow” – the heart of remEMBERing
I love your comment on rubbing shoulders. I am not sure that my general knowledge has been usefully enhanced by learning the name of the rapper or that the very fine actor once wanted to be known as Leaf. I am glad he has since branched out 🙂
Thanks Kitty
I would just like to mention the Nina in the top and bottom rows: LEST WE FORGET.
Gaufrid @2 – oh of course. And I saw it too, just clean forgot to include it. I’ll add something to the blog.
Thanks to Eimi for a lovely puzzle and to Weekend Kitty, especially for the explanation re Joaquin Phoenix. The lightness of SCIENTOLOGY and WYCLEF stopped me from tearing up completely, so that was good.
Superb puzzle and blog. Thanks Eimi and Kitty.
Many thanks to Eimi for a very enjoyable and thought provoking puzzle for Armistice Day, and also to Kitty for an appropriate and moving introduction.
I echo all the above comments. A superb puzzle indeed.
Didn’t know BOSTON BAGS. This was my LOI and took a bit of thought to parse but got there in the end.
Also didn’t know “Brown Betty” for a teapot.
Lots of clues that took some parsing with a liberal sprinkling of straightforward ones that made it all doable in the end. Particularly liked SCIENTOLOGY once I eventually decoded the anagram.
Don’t remember ever seeing a crossword with the setter’s name along with the pseudonym appearing.
Many thanks to Eimi and also to Kitty for an excellent blog.
I’m in two minds on this.
Firstly, the respectful nina and the lovely 7a.
But otherwise, too much GK needed, especially of you didnt have the relevant poem handy.
never heard of Fugees let alone Wyclef.
never heard of Joaquin Phoenix either. Or Brown Betty although that was easy from the wordplay.
I’d heard of Ypres (who hasnt?) but not MENIN GATE
I dont like 1a either (reminds me of old joke How do French women hold their liquor?
So nice thought but nowhere near my fave puzzle of the week
Oh dear I’ve blown it, I was going to send this great puzzle I’ve compiled in for consideration.Another time maybe.
And thanks Kitty-great debut
A very appropriate offering, only problems were WYCLEF, never heard of him but parsing was clear and SWEAT was LOI for some reason. Took a little while to sort out the anagram at 12A/13A.
One quibble – Hon. is not used for Baronets, who are not members of the peerage, either in speech or written communication. Hon. is used for sons and daughters of Barons and Viscounts; nothing to do with Baronets, who are Sir (Fred Smith) Bt, or Bart.
Thanks to Kitty and Phi – Mike Hutchinson.
Sorry 1d.
At the risk of going against the flow, I felt rather uncomfortable about the words to Ode of Remembrance being utilised as crossword clues – seemed almost sacrilegious. I also felt that, having decided to compile a puzzle for today, the setter should have stuck more rigidly to the theme – the likes of the Fugees rapper, rent boys, Brigitte Bardot etc. had no place in here.
Apologies, Eimi, I don’t doubt that you had the best of intentions but I don’t feel that it quite worked out.
Many thanks to Kitty for the blog, the memorable verse and that poignant single poppy.
Clever and enjoyable puzzle, and, for me, an entirely appropriate theme. Driven mainly by regret that I needed help for 9d but is coupling an allowable mis-direction where there are three joined components (not two)?
A very clever grid fill and an emotional puzzle. Simple things became disturbing, like detonate and headless lackeys. Clever to get in a line from the Binyon poem, and well-impressed with the THIS BOGART FILM anagram for STRAIGHT OF LIMB.
I knew Wyclef, of course (he is very influential), but fashion accessories are not my forte. I had entered BOUTON BAG, which sounded as though it could be. I knew Mr Phoenix, but I’ll admit I expected LEAF to be some past love. Well, maybe it was.
Thank Eimi, and thank you Kitty: how very nice to see you here, and congratulations on a superb blog. You’ve probably helped me prevent a fashion faux pas.
Thanks Eimi and Kitty
I thought this was an excellent puzzle, doing a great job of linking the sombre with the lighter of heart, and bringing together strands from the early 20th and 21st centuries.
Blotted my copybook with 14 though: being a Steely Dan fan, having the crossers and nina I bunged in an unparsed BOSTON RAG and left it at that…
I’m with Jane on this one.
Thanks Eimi, Kitty
Two things surprised me during this. Not only was Farewell to Arms not the right answer, it’s not even a Bogart film.
Nicely done though, and a welcome extension to the usual two minutes silent contemplation.
Apropos of a bit of poetry, yesterday I played a version of Balderdash in which instead of choosing a word to define, you choose a first line, and everyone has to think up a second line then guess which is genuine. Quite entertaining.
A challenging puzzle, a nice tribute to Armistice Day, a good blog and thought provoking discussion to boot
Thanks to all.
Hadn’t heard of For The Fallen, Fugees, Wyclef, Joaquin Phoenix, Hecuba, Boston Bag, or Brown Betty, and I failed to spot the Nina. Failed on two, 14d and 16d.
Thanks to Eimi and to Kitty.
Thanks to Kitty and all commenters. I felt that some of the answers were a bit abstruse (the Nina and minitheme forced some difficult vocabulary) but I really wanted to get this done for today as no one else had sent anything in and this needed to be commemorated in some way.
Eimi @ 19: thanks, very glad you did it.