My apologies for the late posting of this blog, owing to urgent family circumstances. As is customary, Phi brings this working week to a close with his latest puzzle.
Not for the first time, Phi has had the last laugh today, since I cannot parse 5 and only just managed to see what was going on at 22A. I look forward to being enlightened in respect of the former clue.
Quite genuinely, my favourite clue today is 18, which seems ironic on the day when the family member who inspired my lifelong love of crosswords bids farewell to this world.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | DRAMA | Medic with American colleagues in crisis
DR (=medic) + AMA (=American colleagues, i.e. American Medical Association) |
| 04 | FUNGIBLE | Line in amusing taunt that can be swapped
L (=line) in [FUN (=amusing) + GIBE (=taunt)] |
| 09 | AUTUMN | Articles in English and French about corporation’s fall
TUM (=corporation, belly) in [A + UN (=English and French articles, i.e. in grammar)] |
| 10 | PINNACLE | Boat covering length to attain point
L (=length) in PINNACE (=boat, with oars and sails) |
| 12 | LAMB | Meat, first portion of which is swallowed by dog
M<eat> (“first portion of” means first letter only) in LAB (=dog, i.e. labrador) |
| 13 | LEER | Unpleasant expression in radio broadcast of tragic role
Homophone (“in radio broadcast”) of (King) Lear (=tragic role, in Shakespeare) |
| 14 | WEED | The Queen and Edward work in the garden
WE (=the Queen, as We are not amused) + ED (=Edward) |
| 16 | CONVERSATION | Change to accommodate a tense dialogue
[A + T (=tense, in grammar)] in CONVERSION (=change) |
| 20 | DOUBTFULNESS | Bustles found in disarray, provoking suspicion
*(BUSTLES FOUND); “in disarray” is anagram indicator |
| 22 | SKIM | Winter sports accessory, without question, getting you to glide over the surface
SKI M<ask> (=winter sports accessory); “without question (=ask, as verb)” means letters “ask” are dropped |
| 23 | POLE | End of Axis, // European
Double definition: a pole is the end of an axis, especially of the earth AND a Pole is a native of Poland |
| 24 | TRUE | Right limits to timber usage
T<imbe>R U<sag>E; “limits to” means first and last letters only are used |
| 27 | ARMCHAIR | Amateur to take charge of weapon at the front
ARM (=weapon) + CHAIR (=to take charge of, e.g. a meeting); e.g. an armchair sportsman is a stay-at-home, amateur sportsman |
| 28 | CHERUB | Youngster cuddling woman’s sweet child
HER (=woman’s) in CUB (=youngster) |
| 29 | LETHARGY | Greatly hampered with husband’s unwillingness to move
*(GREATLY + H (husband)); “hampered” is anagram indicator |
| 30 | GUPPY | Fish very quietly snared by man
PP (=very quietly, i.e. pianissimo) in GUY (=man) |
| Down | ||
| 01 | DEADLOCK | No chance of resolution in The Mystery of the Murdered Rugby Player?
Cryptically, the dead (=murdered) lock (=rugby player) is the murdered rugby player of the mystery! |
| 02 | ANTIMONY | Misanthrope will block any element
TIMON (=misanthrope, i.e. in Timon of Athens) in ANY |
| 03 | ARMY | Bats heading off in a great crowd
<b>ARMY (=bats); “heading off” means first letter is dropped |
| 05 | UNIDENTIFIED | One receives broadcast sequence, still not recognized
Wordplay? |
| 06 | GONG | Leaving after Independent denied award
GO<i>NG (=leaving); “after Independent (=I) denied” means letter “i” is dropped |
| 07 | BUCKET | Resist alien vessel
BUCK (=resist, as in to buck a trend) + ET (=alien, i.e. extraterrestrial) |
| 08 | EMEND | Alter spaces in printing first of documents
[EM + EN (=spaces in printing)] + D<ocuments> (“first of” means first letter only) |
| 11 | GLASS-BLOWING | Very complimentary about girl and boy initially working in furnace conditions?
[LASS (=girl) + B<oy> (“initially” means first letter only)] in GLOWING (=complimentary, e.g. of report) |
| 15 | NEMO | Military operatives upset over submarine captain
NEM (MEN=military operatives, soldiers; “upset” indicates vertical reversal) + O (=over, on cricket scorecard); Captain Nemo is the submarine captain in Jules Verne’s 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea |
| 17 | OILY | Greasy plate’s protection not initially required
<d>OILY (=plate protection, i.e. lacy paper); “not initially required” means first letter is dropped |
| 18 | TEARDROP | Rent reduction producing expression of emotion
TEAR (=rent, rip) + DROP (=reduction, fall); literally, tears are “expressed”, i.e. squeezed out of the tear ducts |
| 19 | ASSEMBLY | Group skilfully limiting upturn in chaos
SSEM (MESS=chaos; “upturn in” indicates vertical reversal) in ABLY (=skilfully) |
| 21 | KISMET | Fate is fulfilled after end of luck
<luc>K (“end of” means last letter only) + IS + MET (=fulfilled) |
| 22 | SMALL | Baby son going to shops
S (=son) + MALL (=shops); “baby” means small in size, as in baby carrots |
| 25 | WHOA | Frontrunners of wild horses obeying a request to stop
W<ild> H<orses> O<beying> + A; “frontrunners” means first letters only |
| 26 | WHIG | Liberal politician, Welsh, not quite in senior position
W (=Welsh) + HIG<h> (=in senior position, as in high priest; “not quite” means last letter dropped |
As I struggled with parsing yesterday, I’m pleased that I can help today
5d is UNIFIED ([made] one) containing (receives) IDENT (sound sequence used in broadcasting to identify the channel or station)
UN (IDENT) IFIED
What can one say, except that this was another high class offering, as we have come to expect, from this setter? We did manage to parse 5dn; our problem was with FUNGIBLE, our LOI, which was a new word for us; we were convinced for ages that it had to end ‘…able’ and it was only when we belatedly thought of ‘gibe’ for ‘taunt’ that the penny dropped.
No nina that we can see – no theme either but as Phi’s themes are often well hidden there may well be one.
Thanks, Phi and RatkojaRiku.
I found the theme – Bleak House – for the first time for ages.
Interesting. It’s years since I read Bleak House (although I’ve seen a TV version more recetlg). Just looked up a list of characters and I see what you mean although the character is Dedlock. I remember Mr Guppy and Grandfather Smallweed, but how could I forget Conversation Kenge?
And if I’d remembered Harold Skimpole, I might have got the right answer to 22ac. I couldn’t decide if it was SKIM or SKID and guessed wrongly.
Steadily rereading Dickens, so you can expect more (if you spot the Little Dorrit one I’ll be very surprised). AUTUMN was the best I could do for Ester Summerson (who wasn’t quite as irritating a narrator this time through – I must be mellowing).
Odd thing about this one was that I never intended 90-degree symmetry – it just sort of emerged.