The puzzle can be found here.
Hello everyone. Thanks to Raich for today’s entertainment, which I found of a nice Sunday level of difficulty. In an enjoyable solve, my favourites were probably EVENT, OLD-AGE PENSIONER, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON and TRINIDAD.
My whiskers twitched detecting links between some of the entries, but I can’t manage to tie things together into a theme. Can you?
In the clues below, definitions are underlined. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER.
Across
1a Country’s history, not written down (8)
PASTORAL
PAST (history) plus ORAL (spoken, not written down). (I took country as an adjective to be the definition, but spent a while wondering if “country’s” would also work)
5a Place to stay large number associated with the Spanish (6)
HOSTEL
HOST (large number) next to (associated with) “the” in Spanish: EL
9a More astute daughter has replaced wife one’s employed in office (8)
SHREDDER
SHREwDER (more astute) in which D (daughter) has replaced W (wife)
10a Write certificate, tricky at beginning (6)
SCRIPT
SCRIP is a preliminary certificate and it’s followed by the first letter of (… at beginning) Tricky
12a Imitation silver fastener imported (5)
APING
AG (Ag, chemical symbol for silver) with PIN (a fastener) inserted (imported). Aping is a gerund here, as in the aping/imitation of the tiger might not be this cat’s best look:
13a Charles’s follower’s right success, embraced by Greek beauty on return (9)
DARWINIAN
R (right) and WIN (success) surrounded by (embraced by) the reversal of (… on return) NAIAD, a water nymph in Greek mythology (Greek beauty)
14a Misleadingly said, place as alternative to Normandy in 1944? (3-2-6)
PAS-DE-CALAIS
An anagram of (misleadingly) SAID PLACE AS. The definition refers to the Allied plan to deceive the Germans into believing that the D-Day invasion would be there, rather than in Normandy
18a Founder in call about former colony captive (5-6)
BADEN-POWELL
The founder of the Scout Movement is found in BELL (call) around (about) the combination of ADEN (former colony) and POW (prisoner of war, captive)
21a Being prepared, raids seen off (9)
READINESS
RAIDS SEEN, anagrammed (off). Readiness: the state of being prepared (as promoted by BADEN-POWELL above)
23a Old Testament lady with later books – it happens! (5)
EVENT
EVE, the first woman named in the Old Testament next to (with) NT – the later books of the New Testament
24a French friend meeting three cardinals in city (6)
AMIENS
AMI (French friend) with (meeting) three cardinal points of the compass: E, N and S
25a After reflection criticise shout of approval about game (8)
NAPOLEON
Put together the reversal of (after reflection) PAN (criticise), OLE (olé!, shout of approval) and ON (about, concerning). Napoleon, the card game
26a Distinctive quality of flag captivating doctor (6)
TIMBRE
TIRE (to flag, weary) containing (captivating) MB (Bachelor of Medicine, doctor)
27a Some mettle in sterling rugby team (8)
LEINSTER
This Irish rugby team is contained in some mettLE IN STERling
Down
1d Philosopher referring to Easter hard to escape (6)
PASCAL
PASC[h]AL (referring to Easter) without H (hard to escape). Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and philosopher
2d Base, initially seeming old, rather, was suitable (6)
SORDID
The first letters of (initially) Seeming Old Rather, plus DID (was suitable, in the sense of that’ll do)
3d 25’s edgier somehow seeing one getting on getting money? (3-3,9)
OLD-AGE PENSIONER
The answer to 25a, NAPOLEON, together with ‘S EDGIER, anagrammed (somehow)
4d Up after handling ecstasy, addictive drug primarily (5)
AHEAD
Initial letters of (… primarily) After Handling Ecstasy Addictive Drug
6d Formerly popular ace sportsman seen on satellite? Very rarely (4,2,1,4,4)
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON
A charade of ONCE (formerly), IN (popular), A (ace) + BLUE (sportsperson from Oxford or Cambridge) followed by (seen on) MOON (satellite)
7d Criminal group split by mounting uproar in island (8)
TRINIDAD
TRIAD (criminal group) with the insertion of (split by) the reversal of (mounting) DIN
8d Old communication expert’s series of items includes a metal (8)
LATINIST
LIST (series of items) contains (includes) A TIN (a metal)
11d Picking up cheeses – easy task (6)
BREEZE
This sounds like (picking up, audibly) bries, or more than one brie (cheeses)
15d Rumour about English section of building (6)
STOREY
STORY (rumour) around (about) E (English)
16d After setback, need to leave Scottish city – hurried time, untypical (8)
ABERRANT
Having been reversed (after setback), NEED is to be removed from (to leave) ABER[deen] (Scottish city). Following this is RAN (hurried) and T (time)
17d 8’s the same, accepting boxer’s Utopian outlook? (8)
IDEALISM
8d is LATINIST, so we have IDEM (Latin for the same) containing (accepting) ALI’S (boxer’s)
19d Respectable lineage Society ignored (6)
DECENT
DE[s]CENT (lineage) with S (Society) deleted (ignored)
20d Drug user’s manner constrained by sister (6)
STONER
TONE (manner) in (constrained by) SR (sister)
22d Daily activity perhaps in quiet avenue (5)
SHAVE
SH (quiet, interjection) plus AVE (avenue)
I’m not fully sure what to make of this. The setter’s style seemed rather unusual with a few decidedly strange surfaces, but once I’d switched on to the right wavelength I did find it quite enjoyable.
I looked at 1a the other way round to Kitty. I took the definition to be “country’s” but I can see that “country” also works.
On my podium were 14a, 3d & 6d.
Many thanks to Raich and to Kitty.
First time I’ve tackled a puzzle from Raich and – like RD – I found his style to be somewhat unusual. The jury’s still out deciding on whether or not I enjoyed it!
It certainly looked as though we were meant to discover a theme but I’m blessed if I can find it – just a pairing of some of the entries.
My favourite was 7d.
Thanks to Raich and to Kitty for an excellent blog. I always smile at the felines and much appreciate the effort you make to include links to further info on many of the clues.
Thanks Raich and Kitty
I enjoyed this. I took the definition in 1A to be ‘country’, as in ‘a country tale’.
Thought there was an interesting contrast between the clueing of 23 today with the clueing of the same solution in last week’s Everyman. Both concise and elegant.
We’ve not had a Raich puzzle for some time so were not as much on his wavelength as we might have been. Nevertheless we found this a fairly straightforward solve, helped by 3dn and 6dn being write-ins from the enumeration, and working backwards from 3dn to get 25ac. No theme or nina as far as we can see but we’re not sure if Raich goes in much for themed puzzles.
No real favourite as we enjoyed all of it. Thanks, Raich and Kitty.
– and thanks for the added cats Kit ….
First time I’ve tackled a Raich puzzle as well and I found it fun. There was some nice misdirection – I spent ages trying to think of an -DIER word for ‘more astute’ rather than the other way round. 11d was one of those where the penny dropped when I said to MrsW “it must be BREEZE but I can’t figure out why” and immediately did. I also ticked SORDID as a synonym for base which again took along time for the p to d. Thanks to Raich and to Kitty for the cat embellished blog (maybe you do this every time, but it’s a double first for me – setter and blogger.)
In a week in which I solved two more puzzles from this setter (Gurney [FT], Hurley [The Times]) this one was surely at the harder end of his spectrum.
Reliable clueing throughout.
AMIENS (24ac) was one of my first ones in. From a male perspective the clue’s perfectly all right. However, a female friend would be une AMIE and then there were only two cardinals needed. Wonder what the third one was up to …. 🙂
Thank you Kitty for a wonderful blog & Raich for a nice crossie.
Many thanks, Kitty, for the excellent blog and also to all who commented. I confirm there was no theme but there have been quite a few themed Raich puzzles in the Indy in the past. Re 1 Across (PASTORAL), the intention was that “Country’s” was the definition as an adjective (of country).