It is unusual to have a setter other than Phi on a Friday, but I have blogged a few Silvanus’ puzzles before and have always enjoyed them.
It’s not often you see a 9 letter entry built from alternate letters as is the case with 14 down DINNER SET where the clue read smoothly as well.
There were a couple of component parts that were unknown to me. I have never come across FID (in the wordplay for 16 down) as a bar before.
The entry at 1 down, WALLPAPER, is fairly topical in the UK at the moment, but I suspect that it is a coincidence that it is in the puzzle as I can’t relate any other entry directly to the refurbishment of accommodation in Downing Street.
I didn’t get hooked on the Tour De France until the mid 1990s, just after Greg Lemond won the race but I knew enough to dredge up his name for the wordplay at 2 down.
I don’t think I have got the wordplay for SHAVERS right at 5 down so I look forward to having it explained to me.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 |
Mishap ultimately stops new girl with Angus making European festival (9,5) WALPURGIS NIGHT (the eve of the first of May, when witches, according to German popular superstition, rode on broomsticks and male goats to revel with their master the devil, especially on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains; European festival) P (final letter of [ultimately] MISHAP) contained in (stops) an anagram of (new) GIRL WITH ANGUS WAL (P) URGIS NIGHT* |
| 9 |
Barely spot obvious signs of injury (5) LIMPS (styles of walking that results from injury; signs of injury) GLIMPSE (spot momentarily) excluding the first and last letters (uncovered; barely) G and E LIMPS |
| 10 |
Partner is desperate to become known (9) TRANSPIRE (become known) Anagram of (desperate) PARTNER IS TRANSPIRE* |
| 11 |
Emphasise instruction to student for improving ungrammatical essay? (9) PUNCTUATE (emphasise) PUNCTUATE (a possible instruction that will help improve the grammar of an essay) double definition PUNCTUATE |
| 12 |
Popular tenor starts to ruin ostentatious musical opening (5) INTRO (the opening passage of a jazz or popular music piece) IN (popular) + T (tenor) + RO (first letters of [starts to] each of RUIN and OSTENTATIOUS) IN T RO |
| 13 |
Contradiction of soldier coming to place where sailors are seen in conversation (7) PARADOX (something which is contrary to received, conventional opinion; contradiction) PARA (soldier who is a member of the PARAchute Regiment) + DOX (sounds like [in conversation] DOCKS [a place where sailors are seen]) PARA DOX |
| 15 |
Some inconspicuous car certainly is harder to find (7) SCARCER (harder to find) SCARCER (hidden word in [some] INCONSPICUOUS CAR CERTAINLY) SCARCER |
| 18 |
Salesman born in Idaho felt discontent (7) REPINED (felt discontent) REP (representative; salesman) + (NE [of a man, born] contained in [in] ID [American State of Idaho] REP I (NE) D |
| 20 |
Without nurse regularly around, must reset bone (7) STERNUM (the breastbone in humans) Anagram of (reset) MUST containing (without; outside) (NRE [letters 1, 3 and 5 [regularly] of NURSE, reversed [around]) ST (ERN<) UM* |
| 21 |
Two leading characters dropped from pleasant story (5) FABLE (a narrative in which things irrational and sometimes inanimate are, for the purpose of moral instruction, made to act and speak with human interests and passions; story) AFFABLE (pleasant) excluding (dropped from) the first two [two leading] letters A and F FABLE |
| 23 |
Pen sort of language that’s found on UK banknotes (5,4) POUND SIGN (symbol to designate pound sterling that appears on UK banknotes) POUND (pen) + SIGN (reference SIGN language [means of communication using finger and hand movements, used eg by deaf people]) POUND SIGN |
| 25 |
Cake that was to help neither side during World War II reportedly? (5,4) SWISS ROLL (type of cake) SWISS (relating to Switzerland) + ROLL (sounds like [reportedly] ROLE [part played in life or in an event as the Second World War) During World War II, Switzerland maintained armed neutrality, and was not invaded by its neighbors or helpful to either side. Consequently, it was of considerable interest to belligerent states as the scene for diplomacy, espionage, and commerce, as well as being a safe haven for refugees. SWISS ROLL |
| 26 |
Head of society chasing supporters for money (5) BRASS (money) BRAS (supporters [of breasts]) + S (society) BRAS S |
| 27 |
A charge that is concocted to arrest international author (6,8) AGATHA CHRISTIE (reference AGATHA CHRISTIE [1890 – 1976], English author of detective fiction) Anagram of (is concocted) A CHARGE THAT IS containing (to arrest) I (international) AGATHA CHRIST (I) E* |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Desktop image that is cut and pasted (9) WALLPAPER (material that is cut and pasted an applied to walls as a covering and decoration) WALLPAPER (background pattern on a computer screen) double definition WALLPAPER |
| 2 |
Tour de France winner runs over towards parents initially. Sweet! (5,4) LEMON DROP (hard sweet) LEMOND (reference Greg LEMOND [born 1961], American cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1990) + R (runs [in cricket scoring notation]) + O (over) + P (first letter of [initially] PARENTS) LEMON D R O P |
| 3 |
Completes puzzle, on reflection admitting surprise (5) UPSET (unexpected outcome; surprise) UPSET (reversed [on reflection] hidden word [admitting] in COMPLETES PUZZLE) UPSET< |
| 4 |
Ten grand used up entertaining American with meal and posh cakes (7) GATEAUX (cakes) (X [Roman numeral for ten] + G [grand]) reversed (used up) containing (entertaining) (A [American] + TEA [meal] + U [upper class; posh]) G (A TEA U) X< |
| 5 |
Sisters experience taking out first European young boys (7) SHAVERS (youngsters, usually boys) This seems to be built up from SISTERS excluding (out or taking out) (IST [first] + E [European]) and HAVE (experience) but I can’t quite see how the clue positions HAVE in SRS. It might be the word ‘taking’ that indicates the containment leaving ‘out’ to reference the exclusion of ISTR S (HAVE) RS |
| 6 |
Start eating, it’s freshly made (9) INSTIGATE (begin; start) Anagram of (freshly made) EATING ITS INSTIGATE* |
| 7 |
Tackle landlord about source of infestation (5) HOIST (tackle for lifting heavy objects) HOST (landlord) containing (about) I (first letter of [source of] INFESTATION) HO (I) ST |
| 8 |
Ban day of celebration supported by electorate essentially (4) VETO (withhold assent to; ban) VE (reference VE day [Victory in Europe day]) + TO (central letters [essentially] of ELECTORATE) As this is a down entry, the letters VE are supported by the letters TO VE TO |
| 14 |
Admit nine Euros went oddly missing in collection plates (6,3) DINNER SET (complete SET [collection] of plates and dishes for a company at DINNER) DINNER SET (letters 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 [even letters, so odd letters [oddly] are all excluded [missing]) of ADMIT NINE EUROS WENT) DINNER SET |
| 16 |
Close friend of Tory worker seen outside bar (9) CONFIDANT (close friend) (CON [Conservative; Tory] + ANT [worker]) containing (see outside) FID (a square bar, with a shoulder, used to support the weight of the topmast or top-gallant mast) CON (FID) ANT |
| 17 |
Think nostalgically about car having small coupé’s shell (9) REMINISCE (think, usually favourably or nostalgically, about something that happened in the past) RE (about) + MINI (type of car) + S (small) + CE (outer letters of [shell] COUPE) RE MINI S CE |
| 19 |
Tactful individual must sacrifice time to get qualification (7) DIPLOMA (document conferring some honour or privilege, such as a university degree or other qualification) DIPLOMAT (tactful individual) excluding (must sacrifice) T (time) DIPLOMA |
| 20 |
Crushing retort from second schoolmaster to Billy Bunter (7) SQUELCH (a disconcerting or quashing retort or rebuff) S (second) + QUELCH (surname of a schoolteacher in the Billy Bunter stories by Frank Richards) S QUELCH |
| 21 |
Mouldy smell caused commotion, so to speak (4) FUST (mouldy or musty smell) FUST (sounds like [so to speak] FUSSED [agitated about trivial matters; caused commotion]) FUST |
| 22 |
Former Welsh politician avoids criticising fancy jewellery (5) BLING (jewellery, especially of a large and conspicuous style) BLAMING (finding fault with; criticising) excluding (avoids) AM (former abbreviation for a Member of the Welsh Assembly [Assembly Member]. The term now is MS [Member of the Senedd]) BLING |
| 24 |
Name major road in Middle Eastern city (5) DUBAI (Middle Easter city in the United Arab Emirates) DUB (name) + AI (A one; main road from London to Edinburgh) DUB AI |
In 5 I think “taking out” indicates a replacement, as some sports or military slang meaning to kill or to substitute.
Nice try, PeeDee, but I still don’t see how it determines the ordering of the elements. The removal of ‘iste’ would appear to be indicated, either by duncan’s route or by yours, but neither explain how ‘have’ gets in the middle. I wondered if it was two ‘s’s to indicate sisters but that leaves me with ‘haver’ in the middle which is even less close to a parsable solution!
A puzzle that cracked after some initial concerns that I wasn’t going to get anywhere. And what kind of evil soul starts off a challenge with WALPURGIS NIGHT for the first clue? I have no idea how that snippet had lodged in my deep memory but it came to the rescue and was the unlocking of the rest of the grid – bar the aforementioned 5d. Our blogger is bang on – DINNER SET is a remarkable inclusion and the surface reads so naturally. I also loved SQUELCH (wasn’t the famous cry, “Cripes, it’s Quelch”?), GATEAUX, SWISS ROLL, REPINED, LEMON DROP and POUND SIGN.
Two mistakes that might amuse others: I saw the device being used at 9a and had L-M-S – which led to BLEMISH as the ‘spot’ which ‘barely’ results in LEMIS which fits. Expecting a dnk, I stupidly hit check instead of turning to other sources. With 24d, before I had the first letter, I suspected TAB might be the name, followed by AI and, indeed, there was an ancient Turkish city called TABAI! Both Doh! and Ha! (Possibly Doha!)
Thanks Silvanus and duncan (and PeeDee! Our setter should be delighted to have got two experienced bloggers head-scratching already 😀 )
PostMark @2. I thought PeeDee’s explanation worked. You have SisteRS with HAVE (experience) taking out (replacing/substituting) “iste”.
Hi Postmark, if HAVE replaces ISTE then HAVE gets in the middle of SisteRS because ISTE is in the middle to start with.
This took me some time to get going. Eventually finished with BLING unparsed and the apparent lack of a containment or insertion indicator for my last in SHAVERS unnoticed. I think PeeDee @1 is right, with HAVE just slotting in as a replacement for ISTE. I (just) remembered FID from the Patrick O’Brian novels but needed the crossing POUND SIGN as a prompt.
Once again that strange coincidence of a not very common crossword answer appearing both here and In Another Place today.
Thanks to Duncan and thanks and welcome back to Silvanus
Hovis & PeeDee: now I see it. Sorry folks. And, having not until now, I’d worried away at an alternative – which is quite horrible. If ‘drug taking’ means the drugs end up inside the user than ‘experience taking’ means experience ends up inside – which would get HAVE into SISTERS. And then we would ‘out’ the ISTE. ….I think PeeDee’s is MUCH better!
Many thanks to Duncan for his usual excellent blog and to all solvers, it’s good to be back after a little gap! Apologies to those expecting their usual “Phiday Phix” today, I’m sure though that normal service will be restored soon.
PeeDee @1 is spot on regarding the parsing of the SISTERS clue, and the timing of the WALLPAPER clue is indeed purely coincidental, in fact this puzzle was created before the current PM had even occupied Number Ten!
I hope Gaufrid won’t mind me also mentioning that I am also the setter for today’s Telegraph back-page cryptic, should anyone feel like tackling another puzzle of mine.
Happy Walpurgis Night from Lower Saxony, close to the Harz mountains! That is exactly the kind of specialist knowledge we’re good at. We had fun with this one. We were fairly stumped by Billy Bunter and also spent way too long googling former Welsh Politicians. We’re also in the confused group about shavers. All in all a nice solve for a Friday! Thanks Silvanus and duncandshiell.
Rather more GK than I’m used to seeing from this setter and I did have to check on the European festival, Tour de France winner, the bar in 16d and the schoolmaster. Like Labradoodle, I also spent a while investigating Welsh politicians!
I liked the way the definition was introduced into 10a and my top two were PARADOX & BRASS.
Many thanks, Silvanus, such a shame that you don’t appear here more regularly. Thanks also to Duncan for the review.
That took me some time to get into but I often have this with Silvanus who is also on duty in The Telegraph today. Ah, you know that because the man himself has owned up. I liked SWISS ROLL as an allusion to the country’s neutrality. I loved 11a because I do like to see it done well. However, I am afraid texting and such like have almost obliterated it.
Grateful thanks to Silvanus for the second time today. Also, my thanks to Duncan for the excellent blog.
We were surprised to find Silvanus today (maybe Phi’s got a special for May Day or the bank holiday?) and found it fairly challenging. SHAVERS was our LOI as it was the only one of the words we could think of to fit the crossers and the definition, but we hadn’t a clue how to parse it. On the other hand we got BLING pretty quickly after remembering that AMs are now MSs hence the ‘former’.
Thanks, Silvanus and Duncan
I too enjoyed this. DINNER SET was very impressive, and SWISS ROLL my favourite. FID was new to me (and FUST too, if I’m honest). Didn’t know the Tour De France winner either, and will probably forget promptly.
I’d love to say that shavers was our loi but it never got in at all except by cheating. Too many unknowns ( Walpurgis, fid, fust, quelch, lemond, welsh politician, and even wallpaper with this meaning) for it to be fun here but glad to see the blog.
nice end to the week… didn’t fuss over SHAVERS too much .. but was thinking FUSS instead of FUST even though I’m well aware of FUSTY… FID was a nice new addition to crossword dictionary..
thanks Silvanus and duncansheill