Independent 10,315 by Hoskins

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A tricky workout from Hoskins today.

Some of this was straightforward, but there are a few rather obscure references, awkward constructions and slightly loose definitions; all gettable but needed a bit of fact-checking. Lots of fun surfaces though. I particularly enjoyed 3d for the misdirection, as well as the positive attitude for a Monday morning. 2d is just showing off. And the self-referential 29a sums it up; yes, thank you Hoskins, I managed it.

Definitions are underlined; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.

ACROSS
1 ARREST Catch a break on radio (6)
Sounds like (on radio) A REST (a break from activity).
4 PASTIMES Hoskins is stuck in cement by Soprano for singing etc. (8)
I’M (Hoskins is: the crossword setter speaking for himself) stuck into PASTE (cement) + S (soprano).
The definition is a bit loose; singing is indeed an enjoyable pastime but there are many others. The surface refers to something that might happen in the TV series The Sopranos, with the slang usage of singing = informing.
10 DOWNRIGHT Frank is out of order, don’t you agree? (9)
DOWN (out of order = not operational, as in “the computer system is down”) + RIGHT? (expression inviting agreement).
Downright is now often used simply as an intensifier, as in “that’s downright unacceptable”, but it can mean plain and to the point = frank.
11 NYLON Material used by many Londoners (5)
Hidden answer in [ma]NY LON[doners] – though “used by” seems a bit tenuous for the indicator.
12 UNITE Marry posh thicko to get moneyed essentially (5)
U (short for upper-class) + NIT (stupid person = thicko) + middle letter (essentially) of [mon]E[yed].
14 NARRATIVE Royal artist involved in domestic plot (9)
R (Royal, as in Royal Mail) + RA (Royal Academician = artist) inserted into NATIVE (domestic, as opposed to foreign).
Plot as in a novel or film.
15 FELONS Criminals look to hide amongst marshlands (6)
LO (look!) hiding in FENS (marshlands).
16 SCHOLAR Authority of The Sun punctured by church (7)
SOLAR (of the Sun) containing CH (church).
Authority = expert, as in “an authority on Shakespeare”.
19 PERKS UP Does this as bonuses raised? (5,2)
PERKS (perquisites = bonuses) + UP (raised), with an extended definition indicating how one might react to such a pleasant event.
21 SUITOR Hopeful lover, being rejected, goes off without you and I (6)
ROTS (goes off = decays), reversed (rejected), without (in the less common sense of outside) U (you) + I.
23 REALISTIC It’s clear I possibly could become pragmatic (9)
Anagram (possibly) of ITS CLEAR I.
25 PUSAN Old port can be a drink knocked back at noon (5)
A SUP (a drink), reversed (knocked back), + N (noon).
Former name of the South Korean port city now known as Busan, after a change to the official system for converting Korean words into the Roman alphabet. No, I didn’t know that, but Wikipedia did.
26 TRIPE Take mushrooms, put together with dash of eggnog and offal (5)
TRIP (experience the effect of drugs, for example magic mushrooms) with a very small bit (a dash) of E[ggnog].
27 BEEFEATER Exploit European in drink for royal bodyguard (9)
FEAT (exploit as a noun = achievement) + E (European), in BEER (drink).
Officially known as the Yeomen Warders.
29 FINISHED Fiendish cryptic, but completed (8)
Anagram (cryptic) of FIENDISH.
30 BEAGLE Head to backwoods with bird dog (6)
First letter (head) of B[ackwoods] + EAGLE.
Extended definition perhaps; a beagle is traditionally a hunting dog.
DOWN
1 ARDOUR Fire a religious leader that’s gloomy (6)
A + leading letter of R[eligious] + DOUR (gloomy).
Fire = ardour = passion.
2 RAW Frank can be unjust, unrefined, ignorant and cold (3)
Well I never – a quintuple definition! Frank = honest, as in raw emotion; unjust, as in a raw deal; unrefined, as in raw silk; ignorant, as in a raw recruit; cold, as in a raw north wind. And all that for a 3-letter word.
3 SURVEYORS People who look very sour must change and start to smile (9)
Anagram (must change) of VERY SOUR + the start of S[mile].
5 ANTARES Star books into empty Astoria on first of September (7)
NT (New Testament = books) inserted into empty A[stori]A, RE (on = on the subject of), then first of S[eptember].
Star in the constellation of Scorpius.
6 TONGA Country garment worn by knight (5)
N (knight in chess notation), inserted into (wearing) TOGA (Roman garment).
7 MELLIFLUOUS Sweet mouse ill with flu in need of treatment (11)
Anagram (in need of treatment) of MOUSE ILL FLU.
Mellifluous = sweet, as applied to the tone of someone’s voice.
8 SANCERRE Republican leader careens drunkenly, having this? (8)
Anagram (drunkenly) of CAREENS + leading letter of R[epublican].
Extended definition: wine from the Loire valley in France, which should of course be drunk responsibly. The surface might be the obligatory Trump reference in every crossword these days, except that he’s teetotal.
9 AGENTS Liaisons in a toilet women are unlikely to frequent? (6)
A GENTS (gentlemen’s toilet, so not where women go).
Liaison = a go-between, someone passing on information between military forces.
13 INEBRIATION Drunkenness in baritone ruined absorbing bit of Iolanthe (11)
Anagram (ruined) of IN BARITONE, containing I[olanthe].
17 HAIRPIECE A recipe I cooked up, topped with hot syrup (9)
Anagram (cooked up) of A RECIPE I, with H (hot) on top (at the start in a down clue).
The definition is obscure unless you know your Cockney Rhyming Slang: syrup = syrup of fig[s] = wig.
18 APERITIF A drink before one starts AA! One’s flipping appropriate (8)
Tricky! You need to split the AA into two: one is just A, the other is PER (as in one a day / one per day). Then I (one), then FIT (appropriate) reversed (flipping).
Aperitif = a drink before starting a meal.
20 POTABLE Where I might go at night to get food and drink (7)
PO (potty, kept under the bed to avoid the need for night-time bathroom trips) + TABLE (metonymic usage for the food served on it).
Potable = drinkable.
21 SECRET Undercover soldiers to infiltrate extremist group (6)
RE (Royal Engineers = soldiers) inserted into SECT (extremist group).
22 ENTREE Course of rare drugs started by hospital department (6)
R (abbreviation for rare, though I haven’t seen it anywhere other than in crosswords) + EE (drugs; E = ecstasy), with ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat hospital department) at the start.
24 ITEMS Sex with ‘small’ yours truly upset couples (5)
IT (sex appeal), then S (small) ME (yours truly), reversed (upset).
28 TAG Handle of American pistol that’s a revolver! (3)
GAT (American slang for a handgun such as a pistol), reversed (a revolver).
Tag = handle = name or identifier.

 

6 comments on “Independent 10,315 by Hoskins”

  1. I didn’t know BUSAN used to be called PUSAN, and I had a couple of little niggles but this was good fun in typical Hoskins style.

    “Drink” is not an accurate definition for POTABLE and I don’t much like the use of “you” to clue “U”.

    2d was my runaway favourite with 3d in second place.

    Many thanks to Hoskins and to Quirister.

  2. I’m a fan of multiple definitions and would like to see more, but a quintuple is a luxury! Drink = drinkable = potable? Not for me it doesn’t.  But very enjoyable anyway so thanks Hoskins and Quirister.  Re 25A, don’t get me started on how oriental place names were misunderstood, and modern conventions for transcribing them – all very mysterious, to me anyway.

  5. A true pleasure to find Hoskin’s tight and accurate clueing on a monday morning – a few drinks and the week doesn’t look anywhere near as bad now. Particularly liked a drink before one starts.  i remembered potable was also a noun. Not sure what is wrong with “used by” in 11a.

    I liked 7d. Just a nice word. I know a landlady who says that if she ever ran a brothel, she’d want to be called 7d. That probably explains it.

    all great stuff, many thanks Harry & Quirister

  6. Quite a mixed bag from Hoskins today.   I didn’t like the loose definition in 4a or the definition at 20d and have to confess that I didn’t know the 25a port.

    Well done for 2d, Harry, and I also enjoyed 15,19 & 30a.

     

    Thanks to Hoskins and to Quirister for the review.

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