Neo presents this morning’s enjoyable FT challenge.
This was a typical Neo puzzle, although perhaps a little easier than some of his offerings.
I liked the two long clues across the middle, especially AARON COPLAND. The only minor issue I had, and it may be something I’m missing, but I can’t see what HOLE is doing in the clue for HALVE (and wonder if it is a misprint of WHOLE?). I also wonder if Auskerry is well enough known to be in the ISLET clue, but it was easily gettable from the crossing letters and wordplay.
Thanks, Neo.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SPREAD | Son quietly studied magazine feature (6) |
| S (son) + P (piano, so “quietly”) + READ (“studied”) | ||
| 5 | HARRIDAN | Virago shows impulsive desire in hot island (8) |
| ID (“impulsibe desire”) in H (hot) ARRAN (“island”) | ||
| 9 | REPULSED | Ravel Preludes caused dislike (8) |
| *(preludes) | ||
| 10 | GALORE | Bond role in abundance (6) |
| Double definition, the first referring to Pussy Galore, a character in the Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger, one of the James Bond books. | ||
| 11 | BOLERO | Short coat for dance in Madrid (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | IDEATION | Forming concepts in hide at Iona (8) |
| Hidden in “hIDE AT IONa” | ||
| 14 | AARON COPLAND | Barman and former drinkers right about police state? (5,7) |
| AA (Alcoholics Anonymous, so “former drinkers”) + R (right) + ON (“about”) + COP (“police”) + LAND (“state”)
In this clue, the “bar” in “barman” relates to musical bars, and Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was an American composer. |
||
| 18 | POST MERIDIEM | Free time promised in afternoon (4,8) |
| *(time promised) | ||
| 22 | ACANTHUS | Prickly plant in a container like this (8) |
| A CAN (“container”) + THUS (“like this”) | ||
| 25 | IGNORE | Shun Italian man denied introduction (6) |
| (s)IGNORE (“Italian man”, denied introduction i.e. having its first letter (introduction) removed) | ||
| 26 | DISMAL | Gloomy sergeant major in control (6) |
| SM (sergeant major) in DIAL (“control”) | ||
| 27 | DIALOGUE | Agile duo animated in discussion (8) |
| *(agile duo) | ||
| 28 | HEADGEAR | Top property Balmoral perhaps (8) |
| HEAD (“top”) + GEAR (“property”) | ||
| 29 | EXETER | Diocese no longer safe when leader deposed (6) |
| EX (“no longer”) + (p)ETER (“safe” with its leader deposed) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | PHENOL | Disinfectant fluid no help (6) |
| *(no help) | ||
| 3 | EXUBERANT | High-spirited former soldier grabs cheap taxi (9) |
| EX (“former”) + (soldier) ANT grabs UBER (“cheap taxi”) | ||
| 4 | DISCOURSE | Dunderhead is on schedule to make speech (9) |
| D(under)[head] IS on COURSE (“schedule”) | ||
| 5 | HADRIAN | Waller took top tip from Roach – piano’s inside (7) |
| HAD (“took”) [top tip from R(oach) + (p)IANo [‘s inside] | ||
| 6 | ROGUE | Villain has non-British accent (5) |
| [non-(B)ritish] (b)ROGUE (“accent”) | ||
| 7 | ISLET | Maybe Auskerry has tenant? (5) |
| IS LET = “has tenant”
Auskerry is a small island in the Orkneys. |
||
| 8 | AIRBORNE | Announces scion delivered in travelling up (8) |
| Homophone of [announces] HEIR BORN (“scion delivered”) | ||
| 13 | ASP | Deadly snake with stinger losing weight (3) |
| (w)ASP (“stinger” losing W (weight)) | ||
| 15 | ORIGINATE | Start to speak pompously having necked one drink (9) |
| ORATE (“to speak pompously”) having necked I (“one”) GIN (“drink”) | ||
| 16 | LEMON SOLE | Grilled dish needs no Moselle in cooking (5,4) |
| *(no moselle) | ||
| 17 | CONCEIVE | Margins trimmed, act as soon as Neo has plan (8) |
| [margins trimmed], (a)C(t) + ONCE (“as soon as”) + I’VE (“Neo has”) | ||
| 19 | MET | Something’s dealt with (3) |
| Hidden in “soMEThing” | ||
| 20 | INSIDER | One in clique imprisoned at Broadmoor finally (7) |
| INSIDE (“imprsioned”) at (broadmoo)R [finally] | ||
| 21 | GROUSE | Bird or carp in great river (6) |
| GR (great) + (river) OUSE | ||
| 23 | NAMED | Designated area in North Sea (5) |
| A (area) in N (north) + MED (“sea”) | ||
| 24 | HALVE | Share hole where fool incarcerates fifty (5) |
| HAVE (“fool”) incarcerates L (50, in Roman numerals)
Not sure what “hole” is doing in the clue? |
||
*anagram
Thanks Loonapick. I think the definition in 24d is “Share hole”, referring to match play in golf, where the players can “halve” a hole.
I took 24d to be a golfing reference where one talks of halving a hole.
Lots to enjoy as you’d expect from Tees, but with a couple of head scratchers along the way
Thanks to him and Loonapick
Nice one from Neo/Tees. Hardly a themed crossword but there were a few musical references, actual or implied – a composer in 9ac and one of his compositions in 11ac, Aaron Copland of course, and then in 5dn ‘Waller’ made us think of ‘Fats’, particularly with ‘piano’ in the clue.
Difficult to nominate a CoD but we’ll go for the aforesaid 5dn.
Thanks, Neo and Loonapick.
Not bad from Neo. FOI DIALOGUE, LOI HALVE. COD 5a.
Thanks Neo & loonapick.
allan_c @4 — a further musical misdirection in 5 down was the inclusion of Max Roach of course.
Thanks Neo and loonapick
A way late with this one and was happy to finally get around to doing it over lunch earlier in the week. Failed to parse a couple of them – didn’t find ‘Pussy GALORE’ nor understand / see hidden MET at 19d. Embarrassed as a sort of golfer to miss the connection with HALVE – sharing a hole in match play.
Had to modify my unparsed AIRBOUND to AIRBORNE on my final run-through.
Finished in the SW corner with HEADWEAR (where I had to check the Balmoral), that HALVE and CONCEIVE as the last few in.