Filbert has set Tuesday’s puzzle. The Independent puzzle on a Tuesday usually has a theme.
Today the theme is focused on Russia and events (real and fictional) that took place or were set around the time of the October revolution. There are Russian references and allusions in both clues and entries. The ones I noted in the clues were czar, rich ruler … hung (although I think the Romanovs were executed by firing squad), bear, Nijinsky (ballet dancer), revolution, roubles, Onegin, vodka and Russian communist. In the grid we had the linked DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and the DISAPPEARANCE of Lara.
I was impressed by a number of the clues, particularly the 9 alternate letter clue for A FORTIORI at 14 across. I wrote most of this blog before I solved Bluth’s puzzle from Friday when I saw that he had a similar type of clue for GUERRILLA.
There were three layers of containment in the clue for AIR GUITAR at 14 down, a bit like a Russian doll, so very appropriate for this crossword.
Whenever I see a publisher mentioned in a clue, I think of OUP (Oxford University Press), so that was handy today.
I tend to agree that if one even thinks of wanting to skin a cat (6 down), then it is best to approach gradually.
I have found Filbert’s puzzle tough in the past. This too was tough but I enjoyed it even more than previous puzzles from this setter.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 |
Hero potentially good to czar catching virus (6,7) DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (hero of the novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak [1890 – 1960]) Anagram of (potentially) GOOD TO CZAR containing (catching) HIV ( human immunodeficiency virus) DOCTOR Z (HIV) AGO* |
| 8 |
Rich ruler caught and hung in reorganisation (5-2) SHAKE-UP (reorganisation) SHAKE (sounds like [caught] SHEIK [often a rich leader of an Arab or Muslim State) + UP (hung) SHAKE-UP |
| 9 |
Idiot and ice largely doing for this (7) TITANIC (supposedly unsinkable liner of the White Star line that sunk on its maiden voyage in 1912 after striking an iceberg) TIT (fool) + AND excluding the last letter D (mostly) and ICE also excluding the last letter E (mostly) TIT AN IC |
| 11 |
Bad atmosphere when publisher punches fellow publisher? (3-6) PEA-SOUPER (thick heavy-smelling fog; bad atmosphere) (AS [when] + OUP [Oxford University Press [a publisher]) contained in (punches) PEER (an equal [publisher, in this case]) PE (AS OUP) ER) |
| 12 |
Purge one recalled as the worst time (5) NADIR (the lowest point of anything, especially an emotional state; worst time) (RID [purge] + AN [one]) reversed (recalled) (NA DIR)< |
| 13 |
In reverse of normality, a bear market with ever-rising prices (4) EBAY (an online auction site where goods may be sold to highest bidder; market with ever-rising prices) EBAY (reversed [in reverse of] hidden word in NORMALITY A BEAR) EBAY< |
| 14 |
Half four at lido, train regularly with greater confidence (1,8) A FORTIORI (Latin phrase for ‘with stronger reason’) A FORTIORI (letters 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 of HALF FOUR AT LIDO TRAIN) A FORTIORI |
| 17 |
People reportedly unable to speak freely, Nijinsky among others (9) RACEHORSE (Nijinsky was a RACEHORSE regarded as the greatest flat-racing horse in Europe in the 20th century) RACE (people) + HORSE (sounds like [reportedly] HOARSE [with a rough and husky voice, unable to speak freely) RACE HORSE |
| 18 |
Elite in revolution deprived of a valuable estate? (4) MERC (a Mercedes Estate car is fairly valuable) CREAM (elite) reversed (in revolution) excluding (deprived of) A MERC< |
| 20 |
Millionaire leaving his estate for good, born during Christmas (5) NOBEL (reference Alfred NOBEL [1833 – 1896], Swedish businessman and philanthropist who bequeathed his fortune to the Institute that bears his name) B (born) contained in (during) NOEL (Christmas) NO (B) EL |
| 22 |
Lingerie on bed in Durham? (9) UNDERWEAR (lingerie) The river WEAR flows through Durham, so UNDER WEAR could be interpreted as being on the bed of the river UNDER WEAR |
| 24 |
Marking certainly stops poet working (7) EYE-SPOT (SPOT like an EYE; any of several diseases of plants causing eye-shaped spots to appear on the leaves and stem; marking of plants) YES (certainly) contained in (stops) an anagram of (working) POET E (YES) POT* |
| 25 |
Refuse roubles Onegin brought to the west (7) RENEGUE (refuse, often as RENEGUE on) R (roubles) + EUGENE (reference EUGENE Onegin, a novel by Alexander Pushkin [1799 – 1837]) reversed (brought to the west) R ENEGUE< |
| 26 |
Nice bloody vodka for one true love (7,6) KINDRED SPIRIT (person with whom one has something in common) I don’t think every kindred spirit relationship can be equated to true love KIND (nice) + RED (bloody) + SPIRIT (vodka is an example of a SPIRIT) KIND RED SPIRIT |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Pen sad epic novel about 1A’s 26, leading character suffering this fate? (13) DISAPPEARANCE (Lara, who could be described as the KINDRED SPIRIT [26 across] of DOCTOR ZHIVAGO [1 across] was the subject of a DISAPPEARANCE in the novel) Anagram of (novel) PEN SAD EPIC containing (about) LARA (as described in the definition above) excluding the first letter [disappearance of the leading character] L DISAPPE (ARA) NCE* |
| 2 |
Coach shortened odds saddling thoroughbred (9) CHARABANC (tourist coach) CHANCE (probability; odds) excluding the final letter E (shortened) containing (saddling) ARAB (example of a thoroughbred horse) CH (ARAB) ANC |
| 3 |
Say working men must lead state (6) OREGON (American State) OR (other ranks; men) + EG (for example) + ON (working) OR EG ON |
| 4 |
Nothing happening? Close (3,2) ZIP UP (close) ZIP (zero; nothing) + UP (afoot; happening) ZIP UP |
| 5 |
Play’s opening leaves playwright bound to meddle (9) INTERLOPE (meddle) PINTER (reference Harold PINTER [1930 – 2008], British playwright) excluding the first letter P (opening leaves) + LOPE (leap; bound) INTER LOPE |
| 6 |
See about skinning cats; approach gradually (6,2) ATTEND TO (deal with; see about) AT (letters remaining in CATS when the outer letters C and S are removed [skinned]) + TEND TO (have a slight inclination towards; approach gradually) AT TEND TO |
| 7 |
That hurt, Glaswegian hooligan admitted (5) OWNED (acknowledged; admitted) OW (expression of pain) + NED (Scottish [Glaswegian] young hooligan) OW NED |
| 10 |
Stoppage of tram maybe ill-starred, involving 1Ac (7,6) CARDIAC ARREST (heart failure; stoppage of the heart) CAR (a word that could be used to describe a tram[car]) + (an anagram of [ill] STARRED containing [involving] [I {Roman numeral for one} + AC {across}] CAR D (I AC) ARREST* |
| 14 |
Mime artist clutches belly, absorbing one in character (3,6) AIR GUITAR (an imaginary GUITAR played by someone miming the actions of real player) RA (Royal Academician; artist) containing (clutches) (GUT [belly] containing [absorbing] I [Roman numeral for one]) all contained in (in) AIR (outward appearance; manner; character) AI (R (GU (I) T) A) R |
| 15 |
Too ambitious removing clothing, lovers agree, shivering (9) OVEREAGER (fervently longing to do something; too ambitious) OVER (letters remaining in LOVERS when the outer letters L and S are removed [removing clothing]) + an anagram of (shivering) AGREE OVER EAGER* |
| 16 |
Peg on a boat, Dicky to help at home (5,3) THOLE PIN (pin in the side of a boat to keep the oar in place; a peg) Anagram of (dicky) TO HELP + IN (at home) THOLE P* IN |
| 19 |
Arranged upper limits on losing love? (6) PRENUP (PRENUPtial agreement [an agreement made between two people before marriage relating to the disposition of their assets in the event of divorce]) Anagram of (arranged) UPPER containing (limits) ON excluding (losing) O (character representing zero [love score in tennis]) PRE (N) UP* |
| 21 |
Gloomy book to exfiltrate for publication (5) BLEAK (gloomy) B (book) + LEAK (take information surreptitiously for the purposes of publication) B LEAK |
| 23 |
Russian agreed communist rose to the challenge (5) DARED (was bold enough; rose to the challenge) DA (Russian for yes; Russian agreed) + RED (communist) DA RED |
Good theme which was difficult to miss once 1ac was in.. I guess NADIR could describe some passages in the novel for which Pasternak won a NOBEL prize in context of the rest of his oeuvre, there was/is a racehorse called Dr Zhivago n Omar Sharif was well-known for his interest in the sport of Kings… the good Dr died of a CARDIAC ARREST.. mostly cos the bus/tram (maybe it was a CHARABANC?) didn’t stop.. there are probably others.. A FORTIORI n the spelling of RENEGUE were new to me..
Thanks Filbert n duncansheill
On the enjoyable side for Filbert.
Fine workout-Daniel Deronda fitted 1a but didnt stand a chance of parsing-just that I’ve read that(I love her books)-still havent read the real answer or seen film but a great construction
Thanks Filbert and Duncan
I thought I had completed this but found on coming here that my entry of ‘interpose’ at 5D was wrong and doesn’t work anyway! Rather too many other answers that I couldn’t parse to be enjoyable for me, but it was good exercise for the brain. Thanks Filbert and Duncan.
Good theme with some not too obvious pointers in the clues. Of the thematic clues I liked 1a and 1d, mainly for the reminder of the film, especially Julie Christie as Lara. As pointed out by Undrell @1, I think DOCTOR ZHIVAGO did have a CARDIAC ARREST while running after a tram, so the ‘1Ac’ part of the wordplay for 10d is doubly clever. Favourites though were the “nested” parsing of AIR GUITAR and the great all-in-one (or close to it anyway) for PRENUP.
An enjoyable puzzle and I’ve been left with “Somewhere My Love” as a not unwelcome earworm.
Thanks to Filbert and Duncan.
Only got time for two puzzles today, this one and Philistine in the G and I am a very happy mushroom. Many thanks to Filbert and to duncanshiell
An enjoyable puzzle, though tricky in places. We sort of felt the ‘Russian-ness’ of it without really identifying it as a theme once we got 1ac. We took a long time to see A FORTIORI as we thought ‘half of four’ might be ‘fo’ or ‘ur’ or even ‘two’ and we’d also initially thought of ‘interfere’ for 5dn, but a real ‘aha’ moment when we got it. AIR GUITAR took a while, too.
We agree about a gradual approach to skinning cats – after all, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Better not tell Kitty, though!
Thanks, Filbert and Duncan.
Just couldn’t get into this at all. Got only a handful of clues – none of themed ones. Time to give up and do something else.
Found this easier than most of Filberts certainly than the April fools day puzzle. Thanks Duncan and Filbert
Loved the interworking of 1a, 26a and 1d I don’t know the book or the movie so had noidea about the 10d connection, which raises this from a darned fine crossword to a tour de force. Thank you Filbert and ducncanshiell.
I enjoyed this but did not find it easy at all. Didn’t have the parsing correct for 11A or 5D unfortunately.
I wonder if Filbert had Russian dolls in mind when coming up with 14d?
Thanks to Filbert and Duncan.
That might be so, DuncT, but I have it on very good information that Filbert absolutely detests Russian dolls because they are so full of themselves …
Sorry I can’t claim to have intended the Russian dolls. On the other hand, the intermittent appearance of Lara to reflect her fragmentary role in the book, I did, even if it’s fanciful.
Thanks Duncan, I think I managed one or two more colours than usual, and everyone else for the comments
I didn’t get around to this yesterday and not a lot of point posting now as few folk will see it – though I believe Duncan will.
There is a possible and, I suspect, entirely coincidental second theme. Looking at RACEHORSEs, we have DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, TITANIC, A FORTIORI, MERC, Alfred NOBEL, KINDRED SPIRIT, OREGON and AIR GUITAR as well as the mention in the clues for NIJINSKI. There’s even one called PRENUP! (And Shergar is famous for his DISAPPEARANCE.) Perhaps it’s like bands – you can find a band named after almost every solution in most crosswords.
Thanks Filbert and Duncan
PostMark@14 – 100% worth posting, as often people (like me) only get round to here after we’ve finished the relevant crossword. Your comment is fabulously informative and a really good spot, so thanks for taking the time. However, personally I think you’re trumped by Filbert himself owning up to not seeing his own fantastic Russian Doll clue/answer!! So many people would have been tempted to just take the credit for what was, actually, one of the most (accidentally) appropriate themed clues one could imagine, but he justs call his own foul (as we snooker/pool players would say). All kudos to him.
Andy+Luke @15: thanks for both reading and replying. Yes, it was an amusing coincidence in posting this morning. Filbert and I within 2 minutes of each other. As to not seeing his own Russian doll: that sounds like the original “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”!