Dogberry provides today’s FT challenge.
A fairly straightforward puzzle with a few good clues, but some of the surfaces could have been a bit better.
No theme as such, but the bible and religion popped up in a lot of the clues.
Thanks. Dogberry.
| Across | ||
| 1 | RELISH | Delight in getting queen and priest to be quiet (6) |
| R (queen) + ELI (Biblical “priest”) + SH (“be quiet”) | ||
| 4 | DRUMHEAD | Fear inhaling hideous hum from type of cabbage (8) |
| DREAD (“fear”) imbibing *(hum) | ||
| 9 | SEQUEL | Endlessly understand and subdue Part 2? (6) |
| [endlessly] SE(e) (“undestand”) + QUEL(l) (“subdue”) | ||
| 10 | UROSCOPY | Coins not beginning to replicate medical examination (8) |
| (e)UROS (“coins”, not beginning) + COPY (“replicate”) | ||
| 12 | BOOKMARK | Gospel, perhaps – one to retain URL of? (8) |
| The BOOK of MARK was one of the Gospels | ||
| 13 | CHEESE | What to say to photographer in Wensleydale, perhaps? (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | EXIT | Leave 10 in drawback (4) |
| X (“10”) in <=TIE (“draw” back) | ||
| 16 | IMPERVIOUS | Dogberry’s devout, absorbing English Bible translation, resistant to influence (10) |
| I’M (“Dogberry’s”) PIOUS (“devout”) absorbing E (English) + RV (Revised Version of the “Bible”) | ||
| 19 | SPECTACLES | Things to see – or to see with? (10) |
| Double definition | ||
| 20 | STEM | Be derived from epistemology (4) |
| Hidden in [from] “epiSTEMology” | ||
| 23 | AMPERE | Current unit a French parent keeps quiet (6) |
| A + MERE (“French parent”, i.e. mother) keeps P (piano, so “quiet”) | ||
| 25 | PASTRAMI | Gone with artist on major road to get meat (8) |
| PAST (“gone”) with RA (“artist”) on M1 (“major road”) | ||
| 27 | DULCIMER | Instrument put Il Duce (Mussolini) initially right out (8) |
| *(il duce m r), where M = M(ussolini) [initially] and R = right | ||
| 28 | VIZIER | Minister to wit: That’s right! (6) |
| VIZ (“to wit”) + I.E. (“that is”) + R (right) | ||
| 29 | PRESSURE | Stress for journalists on river (8) |
| PRESS (“journalists”) on (River) URE | ||
| 30 | RESENT | Bear grudge, having posted again (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | RISIBLE | Master turning up to scripture topless is absurd (7) |
| <=SIR (“master” turning up) + (b)IBLE (“scripture”, topless) | ||
| 2 | LIQUORICE | Sweet drink on the rocks? (9) |
| LIQUOR (“drink”) on ICE (“the rocks”) | ||
| 3 | STEAMY | Erotic 11 in South Yorkshire’s capital (6) |
| TEAM (“eleven”) in S (south) + Y(orkshire’s) [capital] | ||
| 5 | RARE | Bloody unusual! (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | MUST-HAVE | Highly desirable Greek character – tonsor, initially – to remove hair outside (4-4) |
| MU (“Greek character”) + T(onsor) [initially] with SHAVE (“to remove hair”) outside | ||
| 7 | EMOTE | Overact, turning e-book over (5) |
| <=E-TOME (“e-book”, turned over) | ||
| 8 | DRYNESS | Upstate, wearing clothes in drought (7) |
| <=NY (New York, so “state” up) wearing DRESS (“clothes”) | ||
| 11 | PRIMACY | Fast moving, retaining border’s leading role (7) |
| PACY (“fast moving”) retaining RIM (“border”) | ||
| 14 | RENEWAL | Second helping of kidneys – partners tucked in (7) |
| RENAL (“of kidneys”) with EW (bridge “partners”) tucked in | ||
| 17 | OSTRACISE | Cut off actress I love madly (9) |
| *(actress i o), where O = “love” | ||
| 18 | STEROIDS | Dodgy dossier conealing source of Tony’s drugs (8) |
| *(dossier) concealing [source of] T(ony) | ||
| 19 | STAND-UP | Miss date with type of comedian (5,2) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | MAIGRET | Inspector’s ragtime performance (7) |
| *(ragtime)
Inspector Maigret was French author Georges Simenon’s most famous creation. |
||
| 22 | STRIKE | Light lamp? (6) |
| Double defintion | ||
| 24 | PULSE | Beat origin of 11-plus, maybe? (5) |
| *(e plus) where E is the origin of E(leven) | ||
| 26 | PEAR | Vegetable on top of ripening fruit (4) |
| PEA (“vegetable”) on [top of] R(ipening) | ||
*anagram
Mainly very straightforward. Hadn’t met DRUMHEAD as a type of cabbage. Probably seen UROSCOPY before but, in any case, it was easy to get.
Last one in was STRIKE. Struggled to equate this with ‘light’ but knew ‘lamp’ could mean strike (a blow) which allowed me to guess the answer. Looking through my Chambers, I see both ‘strike’ and ‘light’ can mean ‘come upon’ so maybe that’s it.
Thanks to Dogberry and loonapick.
Nice to see Shed in any shape or form.Like a ras malai following Vlad’s vindaloo.
The seemingly innocuous ‘Light lamp?’ was my last in as well, with my reasoning / guess much the same as Hovis @1. Had to look up ‘epistemology’ post solve. Still not quite sure I get it. My epistemology is obviously not what it should be. Nor is my cabbagology for that matter.
Favourite was MAIGRET. That opening to the classic 60’s B&W TV series – Maigret (Rupert Davies) striking a match on a wall to light his pipe to the accompaniment of that atmospheric theme tune. Brilliant.
Thanks to Dogberry and loonapick.
Thanks, loonapick.
I totally agree with copmus’ comment. We hadn’t seen either personification since last July – far too long.
I hadn’t heard of the cabbage but the cluing was clear. I liked 16, 27, 28ac and 14, 21, 24dn – all, for me, fine surfaces and, especially, 18dn.
Having taken many photos in Wensleydale, I enjoyed 13ac and it was good, as ever, to see its river in 29ac.
Many thanks, Shed. Good to see you – please come back soon!
Thanks to loonapick and Dogberry
As you say, not the smoothest, but all fair enough
I think the definition @1a includes IN
For 12ac I initially parsed it as I think you do but I thought having to infer the “of” was a bit much.
Maybe we are being asked to read GOSPEL = BOOK + PERHAPS ONE = MARK, perhaps with PERHAPS doubling up
@22a I saw LIGHT/STRIKE a match as Maigret does in @WordPlodder @3
Pleased to see Dogberry again – as others have said fair too long an absence – thank you and don’t leave it so long next time in either of your alter egos
I did know the cabbage – surprising what random ‘stuff’ the brain keeps in wait for a crossword solution.
Thanks to loonapick too
Dansar@5 Much prefer your version. Funny how these things often feel obvious in retrospect.
Thanks to Dogberry and loonapick. Enjoyable. I struggled with the spelling of MAIGRET but had my major problem with STRIKE where for me light-lamp did not work. My alternative was ETOILE where the obvious star can be linked to a manufacturer of lamps.
DRUMHEAD was new to me, but with two crossers already in place the parsing made it rather obvious. Unfortunately it was nearly a complete write-in ie there was hardly any misdirection.
Thanks Dogberry and loonapick
An entertaining puzzle that I only got to in short spurts during the day and got stuck with 22d for quite a long time at the end – I never remember the British term LAMP (to hit someone). I’d parsed BOOKMARK as did Dansar@5.
I like clues like PULSE – had written it in but only twigged to it’s proper parsing after I had got PRIMACY quite a bit later and realised that it wasn’t involved.