Independent 10,655 by Tyrus

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The first Saturday in December, and the virtual advent calendar comprising Independent crosswords brings a puzzle from Tyrus. Sure to pick me up and many others I would think.

And it was a sublime, nicely political mix of cleverly written clues with a very topical feel. Sort of what I expected to be honest. As to highlights:

  • My first encounter with Sext at 9ac as in Sexting in a crossword. Rude may be a bit harsh to describe the behaviour of today’s youth. The link to the next clue was a nice touch (to visualise in my head anyway).
  • 1/22 and 7 dn were very topical – Did this government really consider that as a feasible option? I know Australia use Ascension island for similar purposes but it is not humane in any shape or form.
  • 3dn was humourous – made me wonder where the town of Iastic was where the rest of them lived. As was 8dn, for more anti-media mogul reasons.

The perimeter flatters a certain member of the cabinet. Someone up there with she who must not be named and I would rather leave it to the solver to read. Start at 6ac and go clockwise. A crossword of immense beauty springs to mind, celebrating the current home secretary, Ugli, not that she is, as I would refer to her in conversation.

Exactly what I have come to expect from Tyrus and long may it continue. Many thanks, a great start to my last day of house arrest/ quarantine in my formerly (I hope) covid infected house.

Key:

Underline definition; * anagram; DD double definition; Rev. reversed

Across
6 Illustration features, mainly, type of skin disease (6)
Pic (illustration) around sort(type) – t (mainly) = PSORIC

7 Pile on to player (7)
re (on) + actor (player) = REACTOR (as in Atomic Pile)

9 Group must accept it’s wrong – send rude message … (4)
set (group) around x (it’s wrong) = SEXT

10/29 … after we slyly condemned those challenging government (not right) (5,7)
(after we slyly)* = LEFTY LAWYERS

11 Fresher’s explanation ultimately ignored but it does hold water (4)
newer (fresher) – n (explanation ultimately) = EWER

12 Breaks code of silence over government’s wrongdoings (5)
sins (wrongdoings) around g (government) = SINGS

14 Top amongst German aircraft (6)
lid (top) in ger (German) = GLIDER

16 Dissolved substances – use lots at work (7)
(use lots)* = SOLUTES

19 Sank independent filmmaker (7)
Fell in (Sank) + i (independent) = FELLINI

22 See 1 Down
ISLAND

23 Dispatch note to Cons (5)
has (cons) + te (note) = HASTE

26 Recalled Bill’s privileged start in life? (4)
Rev. Note (Bill) = ETON

27 Writer and others cycling round Spain (5)
nibs (and others (writers)) cyling to ibsn around e (Spain) = IBSEN

28 Anarchy in port the conclusion of Brexit? (4)
Rio (port) + t (conclusion of Brexit) = RIOT

29 See 10
LAWYERS

30 What’s not close for travelling? American islands (6)
(what – t)* + a (american) + ii (islands) = HAWAII

DOWN
1/22 Discussed venue for those after 7D – “Nonsensical!” said Labour (9,6)
(Nonsensical said)* = ASCENSION ISLAND

2 Moon to make an attempt at seduction? That’s not unknown! (6)
try it on (attempt at seduction) – y (unknown) = TRITON

3 Half of the clergy in NW town (6)
half of ecclesiastic (of the clergy) = ECCLES

4 Polite young man, Kylie stressed (8)
lad(man) + (kylie)* = LADYLIKE

5 Rector streaked outside? Was curious to know more (5)
pied (streaked as in piebald) around r (rector) = PRIED

7 Retreat official – fancy resistance’s given way (6)
ref (official) + urge (fancy) – r (resistance) = REFUGE

8 What flipping blockhead put in order for Murdoch publication? (3,4)
tell (order) around Rev. eh (what) + b (blockhead) = THE BELL

13 Secure though not all together (3)
Hidden altoGETher = GET

15 I bar canoe rolling as exercise (9)
(I bar canoe)* = ANAEROBIC

17 Weaken nun – wise move (7)
(nun wise)* = UNSINEW

18 Old master with stock found in Charlie’s place? He’ll have questions to answer (8)
ex (old) + ace (master) swapping mine (stock?) for c (Charlie) = EXAMINEE

20 Long jumper doesn’t want strong field (3)
flea (long jumper) – f (strong) = LEA

21 Linesmen producing copper during toss-up (6)
(toss)* around DI (copper) = ODISTS

23 Drama over – avoid having to leave North Island (6)
Rev. Noh (drama) + shun (avoid) – n (north) = HONSHU

24 Spanish lecturer’s undressed in lounge (6)
sp (Spanish) + l (lecturer) around raw (undressed) = SPRAWL

25 Will it stop houses going up though? (5)
Rev. hidden wiLL IT Stop = STILL

19 comments on “Independent 10,655 by Tyrus”

  1. Well, that was tough.  Thanks to Tyrus for the fun challenge.  We were pleased to spot the theme, and the associated nina in the perimeter, which helped us get several of the answers in the bottom half.

    We had to check that PSORIC and UNSINEW actually existed.

    Interestingly (your opinion may differ), with reference to the recent debate about whether clues should have unique answers, our first answer to 27a was TEALE (ET AL cycling, with an E inserted, referring perhaps to Edwin Way Teale or Polly Teale [thanks Google]).

    Thanks to twencelas for blogging – hope everyone is well this morning!

  2. I took the nina as starting at 5d. Originally put in an unparsed EXAMINER for 18d but changed it once the nina was spotted but still couldn’t parse it so thanks for that. Lots of toughies, especially in the SE but PRIED was also a stinker. Thanks to Tyrus and twencelas.

  3. @Hovis 18dn took me ages to parse and convince myself of the equivalence of stock and mine.
    @DavidO As to multiple potential solutions, I am fine with that as long as the cross checking confirms. Homonyms of the same length poorly indicated are an exception that really annoys me though.
    As to toughness ‘cleverly written clues’ is my descriptor for the hard work involved in this one. Not an easy solve.

  5. @twencelas – I agree. I don’t have a problem with it, and think it would probably be impossible for a setter to identify possible alternative answers.  I just found it interesting that this was a case where the alternative seems to be a perfectly “correct” answer to the clue, notwithstanding the obscureness of the writers.

  7. Clare @ 24

    It’s has in the sense of trick – “He had / conned me with his impersonation of a policeman”.

  12. the obscurity seemed awfully dense today… 18dn being a good example.. no way i would have worked it out from the surface alone, after old=ex, but the definition came to the rescue at least… even parsing after the event seems unconvincing..

    thanks Tyrus n twenceslas

     

     

     

     

     

     

  14. @DuncT – I was well aware that there had been a ‘feasibility study’ conducted – apologies I hadn’t made this clear in the blog.  Clueless indeed and not her first display of insanity or controversy, hence my reluctance to use her name in the blog and my view that clueless is a compliment to her.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/priti-patel-israel-family-holiday-politicians-apology-meetings-international-development-secretary-cabinet-rules-a8040281.html

    Needless to say the Home secretary and I won’t be exchanging Christmas cards.

  16. @Skinny – I did note that as well – in my view the clue works better without it ‘Pig on Player’ but I think it still works with it in as well (i.e. to can mean ‘near/ at’).

  19. Only got round to this on Sunday afternoon, after struggling with (but completing) Ifor.
    Found this tough as well. The SE was holding out until I spotted the nina and the I helped me get 30a and the U 23d. A few unparsed, 8d and 18d being two.
    I wasn’t happy about FELL IN for SANK.

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