A Basilisk toughie…
…but then aren’t all Basilisks tough?
This took me a while to complete (well over an hour, although that includes parsing, so not as bad as it sounds).
As usual with Basilisk, you have to think outside the box a bit, as, in many cases, things are not as they seem, which makes the puzzle enjoyable to solve as you get a load of “aha” moments, but a b****er to parse and blog.
From memory, I gave ticks to ASCOT, HEARTACHE, DETONATOR and the two &lits. (THE GRIM REAPER and REPORTED SPEECH), but I probably could have given more.
I originally parsed OSTRACISM wrong, but Eurobodalla (comment 1) set me right.
I see no theme, but there is usually something going on with a Basilisk, so if anyone else sees one, let me know.
Thanks, Basilisk.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | TAKE THE BISCUIT | Beat everything found in appropriate article by Garibaldi? (4,3,7) |
| TAKE (“appropriate”) + THE (“article”) by BISCUIT (“Garibaldi?”) | ||
| 10 | ASCOT | When bed’s one place you might get better (5) |
| AS (“when”) + COT “(bed”)
Refers to Ascot racecourse, where people may go to bet (become a “better”) on horses. |
||
| 11 | LASSITUDE | Study discovered Dog Star orbits in inert state (9) |
| LASSIE (“dog star”) orbits (s)TUD(y) [discovered, i.e. covers removed] | ||
| 12 | ANODYNE | Unexciting date welcomed by anyone following change of heart (7) |
| D (date) welcomed by AN(OY)NE (ANYONE following change of heart, i.e its two middle letters (heart) (inter)changed)) | ||
| 13 | SCUPPER | Prepared food round middle of kitchen sink (7) |
| SUPPER (“prepared food”) round [middle of] (kit)C(hen) | ||
| 14 | DRIED | Drew water from river having gone outside (5) |
| R (river) having DIED (“gone”) outside | ||
| 16 | OSTRACISM | Exile initially ignored mass prejudice (9) |
| (h)OST (“mass” initially ignored) + RACISM (“mass prejudice”) | ||
| 19 | FLEETNESS | Swift character posted back to front takes flight bags (9) |
| <=SENT (“posted”, back) bagged by FLEES (“takes flight”) | ||
| 20 | TUTOR | Coach tour suitable for everyone brought forward meeting time (5) |
| (U)TOR (TOUR with U (universal, so “suitable for everyone”) brought forward) meeting T (time) | ||
| 22 | ARSENIC | Toxic element in care homes finally rehabilitated (7) |
| *(in care s) [anag:rehabilitated] where S is (home)S [finally] | ||
| 25 | EROTICA | Woman penning books such as Fifty Shades of Grey (7) |
| ERICA (“woman”) penning OT (Old Testament, so “books”) | ||
| 27 | HEARTACHE | Supply teacher has reduced scourge of absenteeism? (9) |
| *(teacher ha) [anag:supply] where HA is HA(s) [reduced] | ||
| 28 | ISSUE | Children matter (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 29 | REPORTED SPEECH | Representation of prophet’s decree? (8,6) |
| *(prophets decree) [anag:representation of] and &lit. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | ANCHORITE | Newsreader barely referred to person out of the public eye (9) |
| ANCHOR (“newsreader”) + [barely] (c)ITE(d) (“referred to”) | ||
| 3 | ENTRY | Guard failing to open gate? (5) |
| (s)ENTRY (“guard” failing to open) | ||
| 4 | HELLEBORE | Romantic poet’s body suffered as winter rose? (9) |
| (s)HELLE(y) (body of “romantic poet”) + BORE (“suffered”) | ||
| 5 | BASIS | 22 lives supporting British foundation (5) |
| As (chemical symbol of “arsenic” (see 22 ac) + IS (“lives”) supporting B (British) | ||
| 6 | STIMULANT | Novel litmus test’s first to include a new catalyst (9) |
| *(litmus) [anag:novel] + T(est) [‘s first] to include A + N (new) | ||
| 7 | USURP | Assume moneylending will succumb ultimately to pressure (5) |
| USUR(y>P) (“moneylending”) with its ultimate letter succumbing to P (pressure) | ||
| 8, 21 | THE GRIM REAPER | Prime gatherer in extremis? (3,4,6) |
| *(prime gatherer) [anag:in extremis] and &lit.
I’ve never come across “in extremis” as an anagrind before, but as it can mean “in desperate circumstances”, I think it’s acceptable. |
||
| 9, 19 | TAR AND FEATHER | Punish exploit linking sailor with that woman (3,3,7) |
| FEAT (“exploit”) linking TAR (“sailor”) AND + (“with”) HER (“that woman”) | ||
| 15 | DETONATOR | Alliance replacing university in alternative course means to create boom? (9) |
| NATO (“alliance”) replacing U (university) in DETO(u)R (“alternative course”) would be DETO(NATO)R | ||
| 17 | TASTELESS | Vulgar experiences captivating the French (9) |
| TASTES (“experiences”) captivating LES (“the” in “French”) | ||
| 18 | INTRINSIC | Underlying insincerity leaving enquiry’s case compromised (9) |
| *(insincrit) [anag:compromised] where INSINCRIT is INSINC(e)RIT(y) with [case] of E(nquir)Y leaving | ||
| 19 | See 9 | |
| 21 | See 8 | |
| 23 | SHARP | Piercing alert is pitched too high (5) |
| Triple definition | ||
| 24 | CACHE | Dictator’s ready to hide (5) |
| Homophone of [dictator’s] CASH (“ready”) | ||
| 26 | OVINE | Naked lover staying at home is sheepish? (5) |
| [naked] (l)OVE(r) staying IN (“at home”) | ||
Thanks loonapick and Basilisk. For 16a, I had EXILE as defn and hOST (mass initially ignored) + RACISM. Not that confident though.
That works – I’ll edit.
Parsed 16a as Eurobodalla. Struggled with this (no surprise there) but had to rely on cheats to finish. It was the crossing HELLEBORE & FLEETNESS that 13a’ed me. Often look for some hidden Nina or something to help me out but didn’t spot anything today. Favourites were 29a and 8,21d. Thanks to Basilisk and loonapick.
Tougher than Serpent and equally enjoyable
Thanks JC and loonapick
Yes, as others have said, this grid required slow and steady reflection but after yesterday’s mauling, this seemed kinder!
Loved 1ac – indeed, all the perimeter clues were good. USURP proved my Achille’s heel, along with the unknown 2d. Irritating,really, because I only needed two more letters but grew impatient to finish.
Thanks to Basilisk for a thoroughly rewarding puzzle and to Loonapick for the detailed blog.
I thought THE GRIM REAPER and REPORTED SPEECH were brilliant anagrams and Dog Star for ‘Lassie’ was a literal LOL.
Not the toughest Basilisk but very elegant indeed.
Thanks to him and to loonapick – always a difficult chap to impress – for the admiring & accurate blog.
I don’t normally do the FT since it requires printing out, pencil and paper but thought I’d give it a go, having seen it signposted in the Vlad blog. Pleased to have completed it with 1A going in quickly, giving lots of crossers to get to grips with. Must confess though, I didn’t parse “tutor”, failing to identify “suitable for all”. 2D was a new word for me. Quite enjoyed the challenge.
Thanks to Basilisk and to Loonapick for the parsing.
I’m not sure I’ve done a Basilisk before, but this is one of the best FT crosswords I’ve seen for quite a while. Nice smooth surfaces and watertight clueing. Does he/she set elsewhere under another name?
Call me sad, but I actually checked to see what EL James’s real name is – and her first name is Erika. K rather than C but close enough for 25 to be an exceptionally clever clue. Still son’t think I’ll bother with the books though…
cruciverbophile @8
Basilisk is Serpent in the Independent and, by coincidence, appears there today.
Thanks Gaufrid. I am a Serpent fan and will make a point of looking out for further Basilisk puzzles.
Despite several failures I thoroughly enjoyed what I was able to complete. ANCHORITE’s new to me, I didn’t get the homophone for CACHE, and I didn’t see HEARTACHE as a scourge of absenteeism. Nonetheless, I thought DETONATOR was brilliant and I also enjoyed ANODYNE, EROTICA, STIMULANT, USURP, and the great anagram in THE GRIM REAPER. Thanks to both.
I found this a bit gentler than our setter’s other offering in the Indy today. Favourites were THE GRIM REAPER anagram &lit and ASCOT.
I don’t know if anyone has been able to spot a theme or Nina. As pointed out by loonapick, it would be unusual for there not to be one.
Thanks to Basilisk and loonapick.
Many thanks to loonapick for the excellent blog and to everyone who has taken the time to comment.
(There’s no nina or theme today – the grid was built around the four perimeter entries.)
Missed Cache, Sharp and Heartache but got the rest, though took a long time. But there were some great clues. Loved Detonate.
Thanks Basilisk and loonapick
The previous Io puzzle delayed the start on this one by a couple of days, but the wait was worth it. Classy puzzle with interesting clues – particularly the excellent perimeter ones , a couple of new words for me (HELLEBORE and ANODYNE) and some really clever and hard to untangle word play. I couldn’t unravel OSTRACISM nor HELLEBORE and had to have a very long look to parse FLEETNESS, DETONATOR and INTRINSIC.
Finished in the SW corner with REPORTED SPEECH, the triply defined SHARP and probably my favourite from a very good batch in DETONATOR the last one in.