Radian has set this week’s Tuesday puzzle. Is there some kind of theme in here, I wonder?
I am afraid that I cannot see any theme hidden amongst either the entries or the completed grid, so I look forward to hearing what others might have spotted.
Otherwise, I found this to be an enjoyable, medium-difficulty puzzle, with perhaps a tad more obscure vocabulary than normal, e.g. at 19 and 26. I thought that we may have a pangram on our hands, but then my completed grid lacks both a “j” and a “z”.
My favourite clues today were 9, for its smooth but misleading surface reading; 11 and 16, both for overall construction; and the 2 & lit. clues at 13 and 18.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | SPRUCE | Trim // tree
Double definition: spruce is trim, tidy, dapper AND a spruce is a coniferous tree |
| 05 | TEST TUBE | Check out underground laboratory item
TEST (=check out) + TUBE (=underground, in London) |
| 09 | HENHOUSE | Shed many layers here
Cryptic definition: the “layers” of the definition are hens and the “shed” is the henhouse! |
| 10 | MINNOW | Fish bar cut sandwiches
INN (=bar, pub) in MOW (=cut) |
| 11 | ASTROPHYSICS | Study classics, bar first quarter, collecting cup
TROPHY (=cup) in <cl>ASSICS (“bar first quarter” means first two letters of eight are dropped) |
| 13 | ARID | Like conditions in the Kalahari desert
Hidden (“in”) in “the KalahARI Desert”; & lit. |
| 14 | LORIKEET | Flyer allowed to cover old Republican president
[O (=old) + R (=Republican) + IKE (=president, Eisenhower)] in LET (=allowed); the “flyer” of the definition is a bird |
| 17 | AVIFAUNA | Endlessly ardent enthusiast, one hugging posh birds
AVI<d> (=ardent; “endlessly” means last letter is dropped) + {U (=posh) in [FAN (=enthusiast) + A (=one)]} |
| 18 | LOCH | Lake of Caledonian highlands primarily
L<och> O<f> C<aledonian> H<ighlands>; “primarily” means first letters only; & lit. |
| 20 | NITROUS OXIDE | Dental assistant tried noxious compound
*(TRIED NOXIOUS); “compound” is anagram indicator; nitrous oxide is laughing gas, the anaesthetic commonly used as an aid in dentistry, hence “dental assistant” |
| 23 | BICARB | One wheels in books for baker’s agent
[I (=one) + WHEELS (=car, colloquially)] in BB (=books, i.e. 2 x B=book); the reference is to bicarbonate of sodium, using as a raising agent in baking |
| 24 | THUMBS-UP | Basque occasionally blocks strike approval
B<a>S<q>U<e> (“occasionally” means alternate letters only) in THUMP (=strike) |
| 25 | EGGHEADS | After, say, golf he notices experts
E.G. (=say, for example) + G (=golf, in radio telecommunications) + HE + ADS (=notices, adverts) |
| 26 | AYE-AYE | Malagasy primate votes in the affirmative
2 x AYE (=vote in the affirmative); an aye-aye is a long-fingered lemur, hence “Malagasy primate” |
| Down | ||
| 02 | PREY | Winger short of very big game
<os>PREY (= “winger”, i.e. bird); “short of very big (=OS, i.e outsize)” means letters “os” are dropped |
| 03 | UNHEARD-OF | Amazing party after try a French fellow secured
[HEAR (=try, in court) + DO (=party, function)] in [UN (= a French, i.e. a French word for a) + F (=fellow, in abbreviation)] |
| 04 | EQUITY | European left Yankee union for the stage
E (=European) + QUIT (=left, abandoned) = Y (=yankee, in radio telecommunications); Equity is the UK trade union for actors and other performing artists |
| 05 | THE WORLD ABOUT US | How obtuse adult and radical ruined TV nature series
*(HOW OBTUSE ADULT + R (=radical, in chemistry)); “ruined” is anagram indicator; The World About Us was a natural history documentary programme that ran on BBC2 from 1967 to 1987 |
| 06 | SAMPHIRE | A representative visiting country’s plant by the sea
[A + MP (=representative, i.e. Member of Parliament)] in SHIRE (=county); samphire is an umbelliferous plant which grows on sea-cliffs |
| 07 | TANKS | RA’s equipment // fails
Double definition: tanks are Royal Artillery equipment AND to tank is to fail, flop |
| 08 | BIOSCIENCE | Subject: “The Dance of Iconic bees”
*(ICONIC BEES); “the dance of” is anagram indicator |
| 12 | PREVAILING | Dominant priest ranting about English version of bible
EV (=English version, of Bible) in [P (=priest) + RAILING (=ranting)] |
| 15 | KILLER BEE | Aggressive colonist’s like rebel when disturbed
*(LIKE REBEL); “when disturbed” is anagram indicator |
| 16 | SUBURBIA | Heading north, top-class coach skirts Polish residential area
RUB (=polish, as verb) in [A1 (=top class) + BUS (=coach)]; “heading north” indicates vertical reversal |
| 19 | VICUNA | Six clubs supported by one Peruvian wool supplier
VI (=six, in Roman numerals) + C (=clubs, in cards) + UNA (=one Peruvian, i.e. a Spanish word for one); a vicuña is a wild relative of the llama, valued for its fine silky wool |
| 21 | ROACH | Catch // crawler in New York
Double definition: a roach is a fish that can be caught, hence “catch” AND a US word for cockroach, hence “crawler in New York” |
| 22 | BUSY | Typical of 15s beside American lodging
US (=American) in BY (=beside, next to); as the saying goes, one can be as busy as a bee (=entry at 15)! |
We think the theme is flora and fauna, or maybe more generally THE WORLD ABOUT US (5dn). Starting with 1ac we have SPRUCE, a hen in a HENHOUSE, MINNOW, through to an AYE-AYE at 26ac. We made it eleven altogether if you include BIOSCIENCE.
Favourites were two of the themed entries, SAMPHIRE and VICUÑA.
Thanks, Radian and RatkojaRiku
I think most across answers are plant, animal, environment or science-related, which would fit in with the long 5d. Unless I’m being simplistic about it and going on the hunt for some theme to fit…
Lovely puzzle, thanks to Radian and RR
Like allan_c@1 and Skinny @2, I thought the theme was “nature”, as indicated in 5d. I had trouble parsing the ‘Catch’ bit of ROACH, but the piscine sense does seem correct. I kept thinking of “artist” for ‘RA’ at 7d, until the alternative crossword use of RA came to mind and helped explain the def. Never heard of SAMPHIRE which went in from wordplay.
Favourites were the ‘Dental assistant’ def at 20a and the use of ‘one Peruvian’ in VICUNA – no double duty in evidence, despite initial impressions (and we won’t quibble about the tilde).
Thanks to Radian and RR
WordPlodder – if you’ve never heard of samphire, you’ve probably never eaten it and I’d urge you to give it a try. Delicious. Available from fishmongers inc the fish counter at Waitrose if you’re UK based. Steam it for a few minutes only.
I’m in agreement with the loose nature theme and had the same number as allan_c. NITROUS OXIDE was a splendid mislead and very cleverly clued. Somewhat underwhelmed by an old chestnut (excuse pun) in SPRUCE as FOI but everything else was of a different class and sharply clued throughout.
Thanks Radian and RR
Re 7d: Tanks are not and never have been used by the Royal Artillery (RA)! They are the “equipment” of the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC), founded in 1917, a year after tanks were invented and a completely separate branch of the army. The big guns mounted on tracked vehicles used by the RA are mobile artillery, not tanks.
Other than that faux pas, an enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to setter and blogger.
Good point Deezzaa and “RAC’s equipment fails” would have been a harder clue too!
Am I the only one who dislikes the equation of bar and inn?
Whilst an inn may have one or more bars it certainly isn’t the same thing surely?
Thanks to Radian and RR
I liked ASTROPHYSICS (the clue rather than the subject, which I don’t pretend to understand) SAMPHIRE and AVIFAUNA. I with reddevil@6 on inn=bar.
A lovely puzzle as always from this setter. The inaccuracy of RA’s equipment completely passed me by and it was one of my ticked clues! Like reddevil@6 says RAC’s would have been much harder – and it was already my second last in! PREY took nearly as long to get as the rest of the clues put together. I also liked MINNOW and BUSY, and had a x by NITROUS OXIDE as it is also known as NOX – the first three letters of NOXious so I thought it was too much of a giveaway, despite the clever definition. I didn’t parse the catch part of ROACH – very neat. Thanks to Radian and RR.
I knew of SAMPHIRE from its mention in King Lear. Edgar tells Gloucester that he sees someone collection samphire on a cliff.
I’ve just realised I’m out of step in liking TANKS and MINNOW – bar=inn is ok with me although I can see they are different – and not liking NOX. I wasn’t being deliberately contrary!