Eccles appears every second Wednesday in the Independent It’s always enjoyable to blog one of his crosswords.
This puzzle had Eccles’ usual smooth clues with surfaces that conjure up pictures in one’s mind. It’s not always obvious where the definition is in the clue. That, to me, is the sign of a good setter applying the skills of misdirection.
Eccles also challenges the solver to think laterally when looking at both the wordplay and the definition. Often the wordplay only becomes clear after the clue has been solved by a combination of crossing letters and the definition.
I wonder how many of our younger solvers are familiar with Mary Whitehouse who was in her pomp and prime back in the 1960s, 70s and 80s when she attacked the moral standards of British television and radio as the mouthpiece of the National Viewers and Listeners Association.
There were a couple of unknown words for me – KYOGEN and ACOUCHI, but the word play was very clear.
I liked the clue for DIPHTHONG as I have never been really sure what the word means. I’ll probably never forget now.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 |
Curry for one dollar also picked up in faraway location (8) TIMBUKTU (city in Mali, often used as a example of any remote or faraway place) TIM (reference TIM Curry [born 1946], English actor) + BUK (sounds like [picked up] BUCK [informal term for the US Dollar] + TU (sounds like [picked up] TOO [also]) TIM BUK TU |
| 5 |
Hack cuddles hot bird (6) CHOUGH (bird of the crow family) COUGH (hack) containing (cuddles) H (hot) C (H) OUGH |
| 8 |
It helps to stop getting muscles (3) ABS (abdominal muscles) ABS (anti-lock braking system; it helps to stop) double definition ABS |
| 9 |
Row over dodgy mate’s wife being idler (4-6) TIME-WASTER (idler) TIER (row) containing (over) an anagram of (dodgy) MATES and W [wife) TI (ME –WAST*) ER |
| 10 |
Supporter to begin accepting terrible law (8) STALWART (loyal supporter) START (begin) containing (accepting) an anagram of (terrible) LAW ST (ALW*) ART |
| 11 |
I go out with inspiring European, and conceive (6) IDEATE (imagine; conceive) I + (DATE [go out with]) containing [inspiring] E [European]) I D (E) ATE |
| 12 |
Jug was for more than one when cycling (4) EWER (large water jug) WERE (form of ‘was’ when referring to more than person – ‘I was’ – ‘they WERE’) with the last letter E cycling to the front to form EWER EWER |
| 14 |
Naughty experience in sick bed (3-7) ILL-BEHAVED (naughty) HAVE (experience) contained in (in) (ILL [sick] + BED) ILL BE (HAVE) D |
| 17 |
I would suspect pal is enthralled by rise in green energy (5,5) TIDAL POWER (energy generated by the POWER of TIDes; green energy) (I’D [I would] + an anagram of [suspect] PAL) contained in [enthralled by] TOWER [rise]) T (ID AL P*) OWER |
| 20 |
Light punch (4) LAMP (light) LAMP (slang for punch or thump) double definition LAMP |
| 23 |
Investigates cutlery being laid the wrong way (6) SNOOPS (pries; investigates) SPOONS (pieces of cutlery) reversed (being laid the wrong way) SNOOPS< |
| 24 |
Spend good day in Southern Utah (5,3) SHELL OUT (spend) HELLO (Good day!) contained in (in) (S [Southern] + UT [Utah]) S (HELL O) UT |
| 25 |
Perhaps Mary Trump’s former home? (5,5) WHITE HOUSE (reference Mary WHITEHOUSE [1910 – 2001], British teacher and conservative activist. She campaigned against social liberalism and the mainstream British media, both of which she accused of encouraging a more permissive society) WHITE HOUSE (where Donald Trump lived for 4 years as the 45th President of the United States) double definition WHITE HOUSE |
| 26 |
Speak fondly of exclusive story being uncovered (3) COO (speak fondly) SCOOP (exclusive story) excluding the outer letters S and P (being uncovered) COO |
| 27 |
No humorous interlude provided by Tokyo gentleman (6) KYOGEN (comic interlude between Japanese Noh or No plays) KYOGEN (hidden word in [provided by] TOKYO GENTLEMEN) KYOGEN |
| 28 |
Political position of liberal English newspaper popular with German nurses (4-4) LEFT-WING (political position) L (liberal) + E (English) + FT (Financial Times; newspaper) + ([W {with} + G {German}] containing [nurses] IN [popular]) L E FT W (IN) G |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Temporary coach dispatched with one’s ranking dropping (9) TRANSIENT (of short duration; temporary) TRAIN (coach) + SENT (dispatched) with the I of TRAIN falling down the entry [ranking dropping in a down entry] to form TRAN + SIENT TRAN SIENT |
| 2 |
Manipulate body with maturity (7) MASSAGE (manipulate) MASS (body of matter) + AGE (maturity) MASS AGE |
| 3 |
Dependent on women being evacuated in residential area (6) UPTOWN (residential area) UP TO (incumbent upon; dependent on) + WN (letters remaining in WOMEN when the central letters OME are removed [being evacuated]) UP TO WN |
| 4 |
Primarily, Tony Christie’s trip here is bearing fruit (9) TAMARILLO (tree tomato; fruit) T (first letter of [primarily] TONY) + AMARILLO (Tony Christie [born 1943] an English singer best known for his recording of "(Is This The Way To) AMARILLO", a double UK chart success) T AMARILLO |
| 5 |
Cup of tea and large dessert (7) CHALICE (drinking cup or bowl) CHA (tea) + L (large) + ICE (an example of a dessert) CHA L ICE |
| 6 |
Notable child regularly plays with it (2,3,4) ON THE BALL (alert; with it) Anagram of (plays) NOTABLE and HL (letters 2 and 4 [regularly] of CHILD) ON THE BALL* |
| 7 |
Wire barrier across path restricts hill climbing (7) GAROTTE (length of wire or cord used to strangle someone) GATE (barrier across path) containing (restricts) TOR (hill) reversed (climbing; down entry) GA (ROT<) TE |
| 13 |
Thought processes lead to salt, perhaps, being replaced by bit of relish (9) REASONING (thought processes) SEASONING (salt is a form of seasoning) with the first letter (lead to) S replaced by (being replaced by) R (first letter of [bit of] RELISH) REASONING |
| 15 |
Hombre who used to guard nappy factory (9) BREWHOUSE (factory for producing beer. Apart form its usual meaning, NAPPY can describe liquor, especially beer having a head, frothy) BREWHOUSE (hidden word in [to guard] HOMBRE WHO USED) BREWHOUSE |
| 16 |
Lower G-string pinching back of crotch – one is in pain (9) DIPHTHONG (two vowel sounds pronounced as one syllable, as in PAIN) (DIP [lower] + THONG [G-string]) containing (pinching) H (last letter of [back of] CROTCH) DIP (H) THONG |
| 18 |
Not at all insignificant person starts late, extremely angry (2,2,3) IN NO WAY (not at all) MINNOW (small, unimportant person or thing) excluding the first letter M (starts late) + AY (outside letters of [extremely] ANGRY) IN NO W AY |
| 19 |
Band-Aid left out by veterinarian, at last, for part for horse’s foot (7) PASTERN (the part of a horse’s foot from the fetlock to the hoof, where the shackle is fastened) PLASTER (Band-Aid) excluding (out) L (left) + N (final letter of [at last] VETERINARIAN) PASTER N |
| 21 |
Air conditioning: it stings current Amazonian native (7) ACOUCHI (a kind of small S American rodent, an agouti; Amazonian native) AC (air conditioning) + OUCH (expressing pain at something that stings for example) + I (electric current) AC OUCH I |
| 22 |
Natural waste products, 25% off! (6) FLUENT (smooth; easy; natural) EFFLUENT (waste products) excluding the first two letters of eight (25%) EF FLUENT |
Cheers Duncan and Eccles, thanks for explaining NAPPY as I’d not come across that bit so didn’t understand the definition, Otherwise Eccles as entertainiing as ever.
Lots of new words for me: KYOGEN, PASTERN, ACOUCHI (did know “agouti”), “nappy” and only vaguely remembered CHOUGH. I imagine 19d should have read “… for part of horse’s foot”. All clued in a manner that allowed me to construct the answer then check in Chambers.
Another superbly entertaining offering from Eccles today with all his usual cunning as well his trademark smooth surface readings.
I learned two new words in KYOGEN and ACOUCHI, as well as a new meaning for NAPPY.
3d is an American term and I agree with Hovis @2 that 19d must contain a typo.
With lots of superb clues to choose from, my podium consists of EWER, ON THE BALL (beautifully disguised definition) and DIPHTHONG.
Many thanks to Eccles and to Duncan.
Another lovely puzzle by Eccles with 1a a brilliant stroke to get off the mark. Thanks to S&B
As expected, lots to like and learn from Eccles. Same unknowns as most others. Favourites were the not quite, but almost, hidden definition for ON THE BALL and the surface and similarly disguised def for DIPHTHONG. Just about had to do an alphabet trawl for my last in REASONING until inspiration struck.
Thanks to Eccles and Duncan
Careful work… still spectacularly misdirected .. got the Amarillo bit of 4dn n added the T as instructed still none the wiser… but of course looked up “that” comic relief Peter Kay mime ?… any clue resulting in GAROTTE gets my vote as did DIPHTHONG.. pleased someone explained 12ac n 18dn… 21dn n 27ac new to me.. failed at ABS (still immersed in 70s techno)…
Thanks Eccles n duncansheill
Very smooth and enjoyable. Like others, I’ve learned three new words this morning: kyogen, tamarillo (which was also unknown to my PC’s dictionary), and acouchi; four if that meaning of nappy is included. So thanks Eccles for the education and Duncan for the blog. Gosh, doesn’t Mary Whitehouse seem grotesque now – or maybe she did then.
Another fine Eccles Wednesday – my favourite has to be 16d
Thanks to Eccles and Duncan
Just what crypticsue said.
Well, with Nutmeg in the G today, we solvers have been truly spoiled. As I worked by way through this, I kept thinking, “Gosh, that’s worth highlighting”, “Gosh, that’s worth highlighting” … you get my point. From simple short words – ‘were’ to EWER was inspired and ABS made me laugh – through to those already highlighted as unknown. (For those with access to Google during the solve, wasn’t it a delight to hesitantly enter KYOGEN, find it was a word and then see it is, indeed, connected with No plays?) I was so CHOUGHed to spot that. (And I know that’s a misspelling but it was lovely to encounter the bird which was part of my old college coat of arms).
The cunning use of both Tony Christie in TAMARILLO and Mary Trump in WHITE HOUSE were superb and I enjoyed the misdirection of the capitalised Band Aid in the new word, for me, PASTERN. As you can see, hard to pick a favourite. Rabbit Dave’s pick of the subtly defined ON THE BALL would certainly be a prime contender.
Thanks Eccles for the wit, the smoothness and the mental workout and duncan for the usual indepth blog.
Slightly up on the tuffometer today for eccles which is no bad thing
WHITE HOUSE was my fave but I liked the Japanese clue
Thanks Eccles and duncan
Same unknowns for me in KYOGEN & ACOUCHI and I was totally at sea with the nappy factory despite realising that the answer was a ‘hidden’.
Favourite was probably DIPHTHONG.
Thanks to Eccles and to Duncan for the review.
Dr Johnson defined ‘pastern’ incorrectly at first, and he was in contact with horses every day.
All good stuff and an enjoyable solve. We didn’t know KYOGEN, TAMARILLO and ACOUCHI but they were all gettable from the wordplay and crossers, so no problems there. CHOUGH, BREWHOUSE and DIPHTHONG were our favourites.
Thanks, Eccles and Duncan.
Definitely a puzzle of two halves: the left half, which I completed, and the right half, which stumped me.
Must be a Nina or theme with all the uncommon words, but I’ll be damned if I can spot it.
Cheers Duncan and all commenters.
Sorry for the typo in 19.
Hi Harry, good to see you here again. No Nina, just words that I thought were interesting and could find less difficult clues for.
Thanks, it is good to be back, bruv – nice work on the easy clueage.
blimey look what the cat’s dragged in