I imagine a lot of us will have more time for crosswords over the next few weeks (although it will probably need to be online versions like the Independent). This was a typically sparky offering from Tees.
There were a couple I was dubious about but also some very good clues. 20A was my favourite.
| Across | ||
| 1 | PROMPT | Jog and play boisterously in gym (6) |
| Romp in PT. Def as in jogging the memory. | ||
| 4 | OVERCOAT | Recovered from bad taco in Ulster? (8) |
| Over(=recovered) + taco* | ||
| 10 | SUPPORTER | Champion to drink stout (9) |
| Sup + porter. The meaning here would be one who champions something. | ||
| 11 | TOT UP | Small child raised to do simple arithmetic (3,2) |
| Tot(=small child) + up(=raised) | ||
| 12 | OVA | Skinned boar stuffed with five eggs (3) |
| [b]oa[r] with V in | ||
| 13 | GRASSHOPPER | Chirpy sort being fat French consumer (11) |
| Gras(=fat, as in Mardi Gras) + shopper | ||
| 14 | LAPDOG | Californian officers go back for instrument (6) |
| LAPD + go<. The def is maybe a little odd. I suppose someone who is a lapdog might be easily manipulated or used for something. | ||
| 16 | MEASLES | Disease sees lamb mostly destroyed (7) |
| (Sees lam[b])* | ||
| 19 | OPEN AIR | Oscar to compose tune outside (4-3) |
| O{scar} + pen air | ||
| 20 | LIE LOW | Invention something coming from ox hide (3,3) |
| Lie(=invention) + low(=sound made by cattle) | ||
| 22 | DOUBLE DUTCH | Large one, wife gives incomprehensible speech (6-5) |
| Double (e.g. large Scotch) + dutch(=slang for wife) | ||
| 25 | EAT | Devour steak for example without starter (3) |
| [M]eat | ||
| 26 | EDITS | Makes long story short? (5) |
| I think this is just a CD. | ||
| 27 | ANDROMEDA | New drama done for stars (9) |
| (Drama done)* | ||
| 28 | STAGNANT | Monitor female relative in way still (8) |
| (Tag + nan) in St{reet} | ||
| 29 | DAMSON | Mother and child making some jam (6) |
| Dam + son | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PISTOL | Weapon has first round in place (6) |
| Ist + o in pl{ace} | ||
| 2 | ORPHANAGE | Gold leaf walls in Chinese family home for kids (9) |
| Or + page around Han. I had some debate as to whether the “family” was part of the def or the wordplay. I decided that the Han could be considered part of the Chinese “family” of peoples. | ||
| 3 | PRONG | Verifying which six must leave tip? (5) |
| Pro[vi]ng | ||
| 5 | VERISIMILITUDE | Doctor Muriel visited, receiving one authentic look (14) |
| (Muriel visited)* around I | ||
| 6 | RATIONALE | Motivation to share beer (9) |
| Ration + ale | ||
| 7 | ON TAP | Regularly taking milk kept in cask (2,3) |
| Not sure on this – some sort of DD perhaps, although I’ve never heard “on tap” relating to milk specifically. | ||
| 8 | TOP BRASS | Finest metal for big military wheels (3,5) |
| Top + brass | ||
| 9 | AT DAGGERS DRAWN | Mutually hostile jerks get grand awards (2,7,5) |
| (Get grand awards)* with jerks as the indicator. | ||
| 15 | DEADLY SIN | Yields and strays — into such transgression? (6,3) |
| (Yields and)* | ||
| 17 | LOOSENESS | Immorality from John with senses defective (9) |
| Loo(=john) + senses* | ||
| 18 | GOODNESS | Crumbs delivering nourishment (8) |
| DD, second def being as an interjection e.g. Crumbs!=Goodness! | ||
| 21 | STRAIN | Tension as holy person drops from heavens (6) |
| St(=saint) + rain(=drops from heavens) | ||
| 23 | UTICA | Somewhat nautical city in New York (5) |
| Hiden in nautical | ||
| 24 | HOO HA | Ducks in horses area causing fuss (3-2) |
| OO(=ducks) in HH(=horses) + a{rea} | ||
*anagram
A great Monday-ish crossword, perfect at any time but especially at the moment. Although it didn’t take long to solve, the smile it induced will last for quite a while. I had the same query as our blogger with regard to the instrument in 14a and thought the family went with the Chinese rather than the home in 2d
Thanks to Tees for the fun and NealH for the blog
A puzzle of two halves for me: the right one went in like a train, the left was a bit of a struggle. I too thought Lapdog = Instrument was a bit of a stretch, but acceptable I suppose. I’m always uncomfortable with Sup = Drink; for me it’s Sip, and Sup = Eat, but it’s in the dictionaries so I’ll allow it! Thanks Tees and NealH.
What crypticsue said.
I initially thought ‘tool’ might be a better definition than ‘instrument’, so looked it up in Chambers and found ‘someone who is used as a mere instrument of another’!
I think 7d is: Regularly taking= ON (e.g. medication) + milk = TAP (verb).
Was that a tenor(Bb)LAPDOG or an alto (Eb)?
All done and dusted in two passes, although the parsing of ON TAP and LIE LOW took a moment or two’s thought, as did the definition of LAPDOG. When we see ‘instrument’ in a clue we ask ourselves: ‘measuring, musical or surgical?’ and in this case it was ‘none of the above’.
Favourites were GRASSHOPPER and ANDROMEDA.
Thanks, Tees and NealH
Thanks to Andrew @4 for the parsing of ON TAP. Never heard of UTICA before, but guessed it from the U I had in place. My French from 50+ years ago wasn’t up to scratch. Fat Tuesday doesn’t quite work for me.
I had left lapdog blank uncertain of the def and i couldn’t get epics out of my head instead of edits.
liked 22a, of course
Many thanks Tees and NealH