As is customary, Phi brings this latest set of mid-week puzzles to an end.
No need to look for any ghost theme today, as we have a clearly identified theme, with a gateway clue at 11. I have identified most of the laws, although I may be missing something at 31. On the other hand, I am unable to parse 1D and look forward to enlightenment from fellow solvers.
My favourite clues today were 12, for the “someone drinking again” device; and 17 and 18, both for surface reading. I didn’t know the entry at 5A, the drink at 17 or that “tatt” at 13 could be spelt with a double “t”.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | HARRIED | Husband turned up, not very stressed
H (=husband) + ARRI<v>ED (=turned up; “not very (=V)” means letter “v” is dropped) |
| 05 | PABULUM | Senior politician accepting a lot of nonsense by Unionist – it’s worthless stuff
[A + BUL<l> (=nonsense; “a lot of” means last letter is dropped) + U (=Unionist)] in PM (=senior politician, i.e. Prime Minister); pabulum is entertainment or material that is mediocre or worthless |
| 09 | BENEFICIARY | Recipient of bequest, one tucking into beer, I fancy, getting drunk
I (=one) in *(BEER I FANCY); “getting drunk” is anagram indicator |
| 10 | EAR | Be wary of losing initial attention
<f>EAR (=be wary of); “losing initial” means first letter is dropped |
| 11 | LAWMAKER | US city to be stirred up about married Republican legislator
LA (=US city, i.e. Los Angeles) + [M (=married) in WAKE (=to be stirred up)] + R (=Republican); the is the gateway clue in that many other solutions refer to people who have given their names to laws |
| 12 | NEXT TO | On the side of number restraining someone drinking again?
EX-TT (=someone drinking again?) in NO (=number) |
| 14 | PLAINS | Great care taken about lake in flat land
L (=lake) in PAINS (=great care, as in to take pains to) |
| 15 | TYPESET | Ready to go public? Certainly seizing power during historic offensive
[P (=power, in physics) in YES (=certainly)] in TET (=historic offensive, i.e. during Vietnam War) |
| 18 | IDA | Classic mount only somewhat ridable
Hidden (“only somewhat”) in “rIDAble”; Mount Ida is a mountain in north-western Turkey, not far from the ruins of Troy |
| 19 | LUCINDA | Woman: reduced chance Asian country will deport second one
LUC<k> (=chance; “reduced” means last letter is dropped) + IND<i>A (=Asian country; “will deport second one (=I)” means the second letter “i” is dropped) |
| 21 | THRASH | Impetuous after half of that party
TH<at> (“half of” means 2 of 4 letters only) + RASH (=impetuous); like bash, “thrash” is an informal word for a party |
| 24 | BRAHMS | Monarch put in a lot of money for composer
HM (=monarch, i.e. Her Majesty) in BRAS<s> (=money, colloquially; “a lot of” means last letter dropped); the reference is to German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-97) |
| 26 | ETHIOPIA | A lot of moral work I advanced in African country
ETHI<c> (=moral; “a lot of” means last letter dropped) + I + A (=advanced, as in A level) |
| 28 | OWL | Bird not aloft, heading to rear
LOW (=not aloft); “heading to rear” means last letter becomes first letter |
| 29 | OBSOLESCENT | Recalled bad smell, only smell, no longer fresh?
OB (BO=bad smell, i.e. body odour) + SOLE (=only) + SCENT (=smell) |
| 30 | AUSTERE | Bleak Georgian writer about to put out start of novel
AUSTE<n> (+Georgian writer, i.e. Jane Austen; “put out start of novel, means its first letter – “n”- is dropped) + RE (=about, regarding) |
| 31 | WINSTON | 11, perhaps, secures a great deal
WINS (=secures) + TON (=a great deal); is the reference here to Winston Churchill, as former UK PM? |
| Down | ||
| 01 | HUBBLE | Central area mostly covered other areas – 11?
HUB (=central area) + BLE<d> (=covered other areas, e.g. of paint that runs; “mostly” means last letter is dropped); the reference is to Hubble’s Law in physical cosmology |
| 02 | RENEWAL | Sincere about unpleasant spot being done over in a fresh start
NEW (WEN=unpleasant spot, as in the great wen; “being done over” indicates reversal) in REAL (=sincere) |
| 03 | INFLATION | Increasing costs seeing banker finally leaving popular New York building
IN (=popular) + FLATI<r>ON (=New York building, former the Fuller Building; “banker finally leaving” means its last letter – r- is dropped) |
| 04 | DICKENSIAN | Unexpectedly nice and kind as … as an author
*(NICE + KIND AS); “unexpectedly” is anagram indicator; the reference is to English writer Charles Dickens (1812-70) |
| 05 | PRAY | Make enquiries about a petition
A in PRY (=make enquiries) |
| 06 | BOYLE | The French will support lad, 11?
BOY (=lad) + LE (=the French, i.e. a French word for the); the reference is to Boyle’s Law in the area of gas pressure |
| 07 | LAERTES | Someone opposed to Prince having a lot of news about Queen
ER (=Queen, i.e. Elizabeth Regina) in LATES<t> (=news; “a lot of” means last letter dropped); the reference is to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark |
| 08 | MARIOTTE | 11, perhaps, to be disruptive, interrupting friend
RIOT (=to be disruptive) in MATE (=friend); the reference is to Mariotte’s Law in the area of gas pressure |
| 13 | STATUTE LAW | Rubbish about university in province overturning output of 11?
[U (=university) in TATT (=rubbish)] in SELAW (WALES=province, of the UK; “overturning” indicates vertical reversal); a statute law could be the output of a lawmaker (=entry at 11) |
| 16 | PARKINSON | Cleric restricting family 11?
KIN (=family) in PARSON (=cleric); the reference is to Parkinson’s law, i.e. that work expands to fill the time available for its completion |
| 17 | CLUB SODA | Suit trouble after overturning drink
CLUBS (=suit, in cards) + ODA (ADO=trouble; “after overturning” indicates vertical reversal); club soda is soda water |
| 20 | CHARLES | French city supporting church 11?
CH (=church) + ARLES (=French city); the reference is to Charles law in physics |
| 22 | SAPIENT | Dispatched to bring in a Greek character of great wisdom
[A + PI (=Greek character, i.e. a letter of the Greek alphabet)] in SENT (=dispatched) |
| 23 | DALTON | Academic bringing in key 11?
ALT (=key, on a computer keyboard) in DON (=academic); the reference is to Dalton’s law of gas pressure |
| 25 | MOORE | 11, say, increasingly embracing love
O (=love) in MORE (=increasingly); the reference is to Moore’s law in electronics |
| 27 | ISLE | Area of land is governed after Democrat steps down
IS + LE<d> (=governed; “after Democrat (=D) steps down means letter “d” is dropped) |
Favourite today was NEXT TO.
Struggled for ages trying to parse 1d. Glad I wasn’t the only one. Best I could come up with is the somewhat unlikely HUB (central area, such as on a bike wheel) + B(icyc)LE (other areas mostly covered). Hope somebody can improve on this.
Thanks to Phi and RatkojaRiku.
Even I got the theme for this one!
There is a Winston’s Law in America which relates to child abuse, and a rather different one given by the Urban Dictionary. Not sure which of these (if any) Phi intended.
PS I think the BLE in 1 down comes from BLE(d) as in to bleed/run like paint or ink.
No chance for me to miss these theme– I agree with cruciverbophile @3 about the BLE. I hadn’t heard of 8d but the wordplay was very helpful
Thanks to Phi and RR
I even thought of BLE (d) but didn’t think of the paint etc use. That makes much more sense than my weak effort. Thanks cruciverbophile.
Notwithstanding comments above, still don’t get the “ble” in HUBBLE. Interesting puzzle, heard of most of those identified, agree that it is Winston Churchill at 31A.
Blog is missing OP for work in 26A.
Thanks to Phi and RatkojaRiku.
I was also at a loss to parse 1d + a few others and hadn’t come across PABULUM before. Some of the LAWMAKER(s) were unknown but could be entered from wordplay and/or crossers.
I liked the not so easy NEXT TO and OWL for its link to the theme.
To Phi and RR
We got the gateway clue after getting BOYLE. We had to check MARIOTTE and discovered that Mariotte’s Law is actually the same as Boyle’s Law (and interestingly Charles’ Law is also known as Gay-Lussac’s Law) Boyle’s Law, of course is named from from Sir Robert Boyle (1627-1691) but with all these laws of gas pressures being mentioned I can’t help remembering the Flanders & Swann number First and Second Law in which the said laws of thermodynamics are set to music – and Flanders’ quip in the introduction about “Sir Edward Boyle’s Law: the greater the external pressure, the greater the volume of hot air!” (Sir Edward Boyle was a government minister at the time.)
We couldn’t parse 1dn either, and had to check PABULUM in Chambers – we only knew the food meaning.
Thanks, Phi and RatkojaRiku.
Load I couldn’t parse, and I had to do a word search for 8dn. All the physics I did at school and university I don’t think I ever heard of Mariotte. Couldn’t get 5dn at all but it’s obvious now it’s pointed out.
allan_c@9: Sir Edward Boyle, by then Lord Boyle was vice-chancellor of Leeds University when I was a student there. I nearly knocked him over in the corridor once when I was hurrying to a lecture.
Thanks to cruciverbophile and crpyticsue for their insight into 1D. I have amended the clue accordingly, although I do find it a tad tenuous.