Slormgorm kicks off the week.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle. There were a couple of things that held me up: “open up” as an anagram indicator in 3d just about works in this unconventional clue; I don’t agree about “held in” in 13a, though I can see how it works for the surface of course. Let me know if you have a different view in the comments.
However, I don’t mean to detract from a very enjoyable Monday morning puzzle, including a nod to the legendary famous player – RIP. Some favourites for me were 9a, 23a, 29a and 22d. And many thanks to Slormgorm!
(SCOFFS AT)* (*criminal)
SALES (markets) filled with C (100)
FOUND (discovered) eating OX (animal) + H (hearts)
IN (hot) + D[omino’s] (slice from) put in HER (woman’s)
ET (film) + H (husband) + RE< (over, <turned)
DO (party) held in A BAN (a bar) by NED (Scottish delinquent)
BB (bishops) must have FLAY (whip) round
TRES (very) + ON (concerning) having to cover up A
EXCEPT (but) inclusive [t]R[ip] (second stage)
A + SALT (sailor) after B[righton] (the first edition)
ANON (soon) to arrest GAME (courageous) + M (maiden)
Double definition
H (heroin) and RUSH (speed) found on T (tense)
(ON A DRAMA)* (*broadcast) – RIP
[p]RESENT (host, losing head)
DEMO (protest) + RAT (singer) hampering C (conservative)
“cougher” (“in hearing”, one who’s hacked)
Cryptic definition
that makes U (you) (*open up) (DOOR)*
(A NASTY)* (*novel) started with F (fine)
(I’LL CHESS)* (*let loose) securing D (fourth file)
On E (ecstasy) and [gi]N (last of); LAD (young guy)
S (small) + TRIDENT (nuclear weapon)
[thi]S will cut FAT (blubber) &lit
BARON (noble) hugging PER (a) + S (soprano)
(OLD PRUNES)* (*in need of movement)
(MATES RAG)* (*to get into shape)
NUT< (head, <served up) with A[romatic] (starter)
BAN (outlaw) with AGE (seniority) squeezing [sala]D (last of)
A + S[ceptic] (primarily) + KANT (philosopher)
“ACHERS” (“I’m told” they might long)
PI (good) + AN (article) on O (old)
A pleasing start to the week from Slomgorm. SPLENDOUR, BANDAGE, THRUSH, ASKANT and PANTS were among those I liked best.
Some nicely misleading surfaces, too, like 29a and 4d: was it a nasty sort of novel or a novel sort of nasty?! I can’t say 13a’s surface bothered me greatly but just felt 3d seemed a little meh.
Should have been more alert to the tribute at 27a but it was my LOI – had a different, less tricksy, sort of ‘player’ in mind.
Thanks to Slormgorm and Teacow whose blog was required for a good handful!
I don’t have any issue with 13a either. You need to take “held in” to apply to the whole of ‘a bar by Scottish delinquent”. Didn’t care for 3d though. The NW was last to fall and, to me, contained the cream of the clues (bar 3d).
(Ive posted a Comment in General Discussion wrt the FT crossword]
Couldnt quite find 2in Chambers but its good enough for me (or was once!)
A bit gentler than Bluth in the Indy today, though more than enough of a challenge to be enjoyable. I agree about FOXHOUND and DEMOCRAT, but the surface for 17d was my favourite bit of misdirection, with the answer having nothing whatsoever to do with the medicinal properties of the fruit in question!
Another word in ASKANT to go into the crossword-land new words file as some educational icing on the cake as well.
Thanks to Slormgorm and Teacow
Ha, yes, Wordplodder, I’ve only just spotted that re 17d. Great stuff.
Thanks Slormgorm and Teacow
A bit tougher start to the week than normal I thought. Took a while to get going with answers scattered until getting a hold in the NE corner. Was able to eventually work myself around to the NW to finish but had to look up ‘daydream’ to discover the FANTASY synonym to get the start there. Didn’t help myself by writing in a concatenated SEX MANIAC in at 2d though.
The reaction to 3d to ODOUR was also a bit blah when I first wrote it in, but think that ‘open’ is a bit more clever than just being an anagram. Had the U dislodging the second O (‘open) up’ so it could go through (or in).
Enjoyed putting together all of the neat charades throughout the puzzle.
Not a write-in but nothing so convoluted as to be impossible. FOXHOUND took me longer than it should have, thinking animal hearts were the letters i & m. Enjoyed FAST, AGAMEMNON, and ETHER. Thanks to both.
PIANO is an object lesson in using three items of very familiar crosswordese to get a lovely surface.
For ODOUR I thought the anagram indicator was simply Up – “in an excited state” (Chambers), with the insertion indicator for U being “open”. U for you without any indication that it’s textspeak seems to be accepted in some publications.
I think there is an alto-soprano named Katharina Pers, re 15d.