Eccles has provided our first cryptic challenge of 2020, an occasion which is suitably marked at 18.
I found this to be a standard, medium-difficulty puzzle, as one might expect to appear in the Indy on a Wednesday. I think that I have now managed to parse everything to my satisfaction, having at first wrongly solved 8 as NON-MOBILE. The correct solution was a word I was unfamiliar with, as was the entry at 15. I did wonder if the reference to Uri Geller without mention of surname in either clue or solution was wholly fair, but overall the solution was one that could easily be arrived at without understanding who exactly was being alluded to here.
My favourite clues today were above all 28, for the high quantity of bridge-related content, closely followed by 2, for originality.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | STAMEN | Perhaps Holloway briefly to imprison setter displaying reproductive organ
ME (=setter, i.e. Eccles) in STAN (=perhaps Holloway briefly, i.e. short form (“briefly”) of Stanley, the English actor) |
| 05 | SIDELINE | Extra job making // part of a court
Double definition: a sideline is a subsidiary professional activity, extra job AND the side boundary of e.g. a tennis court |
| 09 | SINECURE | Wave Victor away – a very easy job
SINE CUR<v>E (=wave, in physics); “Victor (=V, in radio telecommunications) away” means letter “v” is dropped |
| 10 | PLAINT | Lament one buried in Bury
I (=one) in PLANT (=bury, imbed); a plaint is a mournful song, lament |
| 11 | VERSAILLES | Arranged silver sale for palace
*(SILVER SALE); “arranged” is anagram indicator |
| 12 | HOOT | Losing head, fire gun for a laugh
<s>HOOT (=fire gun); “losing head” means first letter is dropped |
| 13 | PREACHER | Touch parts for an evangelist
REACH (=touch, get as far as) in PER (=for a(n)) |
| 16 | TROPIC | Revolutionary left in charge of line around the world
TROP (PORT=left, of a ship; “revolutionary” indicates reversal) + I/C (=in charge); the reference is to the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn |
| 17 | SPOT ON | What Page 3 girls had in retirement, to be precise
NO TOPS <on> (=what Page 3 girls had, in The Sun); “in retirement” indicates reversal |
| 19 | LESSENED | Declined to be escorted round German city
ESSEN (=German city) in LED (=escorted) |
| 21 | OGLE | Perv shackled by dog-lead
Hidden (“shackled by”) in “dOG-LEad”; to perv at someone is to ogle, leer at |
| 22 | WATERTIGHT | Elaborate treat with German is perfect
*(TREAT WITH + G (=German)); “elaborate” is anagram indicator; a watertight argument or alibi is a perfect, strong one |
| 25 | CANINE | Caught a number of dogs
C (=caught, on cricket scorecard) + A + NINE (=number) |
| 26 | REPUBLIC | Scrap drinking establishment where alcohol is served in Ireland?
PUB (=establishment where alcohol is served) in RELIC (=scrap, fragment); Ireland is an example of a republic |
| 27 | STINGRAY | Fish, Cornish cheese and eggs rejected
YARG (=Cornish cheese) + NITS (=eggs); “rejected” indicates (here full) digital reversal |
| 28 | SUDOKU | Puzzle French bridge player with fine bluff, essentially
SUD (=French bridge player, i.e. the French for “south”) + OK (=fine) + <bl>U<ff> (“essentially” means middle letter only) |
| Down | ||
| 02 | TRICE | A Lloyd Webber’s collaborator is flash
T<im> RICE (=A<ndrew> Lloyd Webber’s collaborator); a trice is a flash, jiffy |
| 03 | MEETS | Pays for lamb and beef, perhaps, over the phone
Homophone (“over the phone”) of “meats (=lamb and beef, perhaps)”; to meet the costs of something is to pay for, defray |
| 04 | NOURISH | Provide sustenance in food, stopped by man who ruined cutlery
URI (=man who ruined cutlery, i.e. spoon-bending magician Uri Geller) in NOSH (=food) |
| 05 | STELLAR | Maybe McCartney first to record “Wonderful“?
STELLA (=maybe McCartney, i.e. daughter of Paul and Linda) + R<ecord> (“first to” means first letters only) |
| 06 | DEPOSIT | Store warehouse spans small island
[S (=small, in sizes) + I (=island)] in DEPOT (=warehouse); to deposit is to save, store, stow |
| 07 | LOATHSOME | Smooth ale peculiarly obnoxious
*(SMOOTH ALE); “peculiarly” is anagram indicator |
| 08 | NONMOTILE | Unable to move in river, receiving witty remark? B***** off!
<b>ON MOT (=witty remark; “b***** off” means letter “b” is dropped) in NILE (=river); in biology, non-motile organisms are incapable of movement |
| 14 | REPUGNANT | Drunken parent with gun is abhorrent
*(PARENT + GUN); “drunken” is anagram indicator |
| 15 | ANTHELION | Anne regularly meets Albert’s nemesis, a heavenly event
A<n>N<e> (“regularly” means alternate letters only) + THE LION (=Albert’s nemesis, i.e. in the poem by Marriott Edgar, famously performed by Stanley Holloway); an anthelion is a luminous coloured ring seen on a cloud opposite the sun |
| 18 | NEW YEAR | A time to celebrate beside inspiring river
WYE (=river, forming part of border between England and Wales) in NEAR (=beside); an appropriate entry in a puzzle published on January 1! |
| 19 | LITURGY | Celebration of sex during illness
IT (=sex, as in to do it) in LURGY (=illness); the liturgy is a celebration of the Eucharist |
| 20 | STRIPES | Swallowing pride at last, takes clothes off in bars
<prid>E (“at last” means last letter only) in STRIPS (=takes clothes off) |
| 23 | IMBED | Core members of side accepting honour from Queen? Fix!
MBE (=honour from Queen) in <s>ID<e> (“core members of” means central letters only); “imbed” is an alternative spelling of “embed” |
| 24 | HOICK | Pull in Scottish Borders town, say
Homophone (“say”) of “Hawick (=Scottish Borders town)” |
Just right for New Year’s Day. Light and good fun with all Eccles’ usual trademarks: accurate cluing, smooth surfaces and spiced with humour. My only reservation was 15d where an obscure word was clued using an obscure piece of GK.
I rather liked the “man who ruined cutlery” in 4d which makes it onto my podium along with 17a, 25a & 2d.
Many thanks to Eccles and to RR.
A favourite comedy CD of mine is “Songs, Stories & Elephants” by Bernard Wrigley. It features the monologue “Little Aggie”, written by Marriott Edgar who wrote most of Stan Holloway’s monologues and, as you say, he also wrote a monologue about Albert and the lion, as referenced in 15d.
I found this very entertaining, as I usually do with Eccles. It’s a shame that 2d is almost identical to a recent clue elsewhere. Perhaps somebody with a better memory can say where.
Thanks to Eccles and to RatkojaRiku.
The idea in 2dn is quite often used by Azed. Indeed he might have clued this word in the same way.
Which isn’t to take away from its quality. As always some very good clues. I particularly liked 26ac, but was uncomfortable with 8dn, which seemed cumbersome. The way of removing the b didn’t convince me.
Two new words for me in 8 &15d plus – I can never remember how to spell 28a!
17a made me laugh so takes the honours today.
Thanks to Eccles and to RR for the blog. A very happy new year to you.
Late to the party today – I’ve had family round for a meal – but just wanted to say, as a relative newcomer to Eccles’ puzzles [since I met him at the York S and B in October] I’m realising more and more what I had been missing. I’ve enjoyed every one. Rabbit Dave’s summary @1 is spot on.
TRICE appeared as recently as last Friday in the FT, from Wanderer, another favourite setter of mine: ‘A Lloyd Webber collaborator? Tick! (5) I never mind this kind of coincidence – it just proves that good setters’ minds think along the same lines..
Many thanks to Eccles for an entertaining puzzle and RR for a fine blog – and a very Happy New Year all round.
Happy New Year, and many thanks to RR for the blog (it’s been a while!) and to commenters for the comments.
I was away from the interweb yesterday but enjoyed this crossword so much, I thought I’d turn up a day late and say thank you to Eccles and RR