Independent 10,870 by Filbert (Sat 14th Aug)

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Some bloggers see the name Filbert and immediately leap to nut-based puns: “It was/wasn’t a tough nut to crack” / “Today’s nutty setter …” etc.
Unfortunately I am unable to stoop to this level – I just can’t think of anything sufficiently groan-worthy.

So I’ll just say that now Filbert has bedded into the Indy’s roster of setters these past few years the gamut of quality puzzles continues to appear.
Here is another to brighten an hour or so.

Solving went steadily with more than half in before the end of the first pass.  The rest didn’t give too much resistance except the top right corner and 10A.  10A COMPLETE needed all the crossing letters in place before answer was clear.  The top right area contained several crossing clues that I found tricky.  Particularly, 9A, 6D and the last to solve 7D.  Mind you, these were some of the best clues in the puzzle with novel wordplay.  So it was very enjoyable

No theme noticed.

Across
1 CASANOVA He knows many women like tinned eggs (8)
AS (like) inside CAN (tinned), then OVA (eggs)
5 DEFECT Want to come over? (6)
Double Def.
8 LEE Fellow leaves desert shelter (3)
[f]LEE.   F for Fellow, removed from FLEE (desert, verb)
9 MIGHTINESS Is it possible Spanish lady would start to sap strength? (10)
MIGHT (is it possible) INES (Spanish lady) S[ap]
10 COMPLETE School obstacle race finally run (8)
COMP (school, comprehensive) LET (obstacle) [rac]E
11 BOWTIE Boyfriend from Bangkok maybe sounds suitable for Dicky (6)
Homophone (sounds) of “Beau Thai”
12 ERNE He catches fish before eating one that’s skinned (4)
[o]N[e] inside ERE (before)
14 STONEHENGE Gone ten, he’s off round tourist attraction (10)
(GONE TEN HE’S)* AInd: off. That anagram resolved immediately
17 METTLESOME Report of copper, perhaps a bit brave (10)
Homophone (report of) “METAL” then SOME (a bit)
20 LULL Thinned glue will break (4)
[g]LU[e]’LL Thinned glue by chopping a bit off each side
23 CORPUS My cat has no tail, or body (6)
COR (My, as an exclamation) PUS[s] (cat, no tail)
24 LEAPFROG Skipping rope and flag needed for game (8)
(ROPE FLAG)* AInd: skipping. Lovely anagram – I wonder, have I seen it before?
25 DEAD LETTER Flat landlord no longer observed legal requirements (4,6)
DEAD (flat) LETTER (landlord)  I wondered how to describe the definition but this Wiki page does so succinctly
26 VET Experienced professional needed to fix Rover? (3)
Cryptic Def. playing on Rover being the archetypal name for a dog
27 MAMMON Mother married twice running – it’s the money that’s tempting (6)
MA (mother) MM (married, twice) ON (running)
28 BOB DYLAN Book edited by an old guy who usually writes his own stuff (3,5)
B[ook] (BY AN OLD)* AInd: edited. suitable surface
Down
1 COLD CREAM Removing application with bug is best (4,5)
COLD (bug, illness) CREAM (best, elite)
2 SHERMAN General store’s opening north of Munster (7)
S[tore] HERMAN Munster (of TV sitcom “The Munsters”) to find a famous US Civil War general
3 NAMELY Maybe bishop climbs on top … of cathedral, that is (6)
MAN< (maybe bishop, chess piece = man; reversed, climbs) ELY (cathedral)
4 VEGETATES In a group, nine out of twelve get a test – does Jack? (9)
Hidden in twelVE GET A TESt.  To “do Jack” is to to nothing, sometimes expressed as Jack Squat, or Diddly-Squat or other more profane versions
5 DRIBBLE Doctor with head buried in a good book prescribes drops (7)
DR (doctor) BIBLE (good book) with B shifted down inside the word (head buried)
6 FREEWHEEL Coast where swimming is limited, by experience (9)
(WHERE)* AInd: swimming, inside FEEL (experience)
7 CASTING Mouser links up with rat, filling new roles (7)
CAT (mouser) and SING (rat, verb) “linked up” by overlapping.  Last one solved.  Novel wordplay
13 ECTOPLASM English clap most at play that shows spirit (9)
(E[nglish] CLAP MOST)* AInd: at play.
15 NUMBER TWO Deputy‘s not so sensitive about arresting women (6,3)
NUMBER (not so sensitive), TO (about?) around (arresting) W[omen]
I’m not sure I have that wordplay correct
Comment #6 Gaufrid explains:  ‘not so sensitive about’ = NUMBER TO.
16 ENLIGHTEN Make civilised opponents become fairer (9)
Double Def.
Comment #3 Simon S corrects: It is a charade of E N (opponents in Bridge) + LIGHTEN
18 EXORDIA Gold ring’s left off by divorcee making overtures (7)
EX (divorcee) OR (gold) DIA[l] (ring, left off)
19 EPSILON E Musk welcomes pressure (7)
PSI (pressure, Pounds per Square Inch – or is Greek letter Psi indicative of Pressure?) inside ELON (Musk).
21 UNRAVEL Strange lunar eclipses visible at the edges become clearer (7)
(LUNAR)* AInd: strange, around V[isibl]E
22 SPARED Looking hot after the bath didn’t hurt (6)
SPA (bath) RED (looking hot)

 

13 comments on “Independent 10,870 by Filbert (Sat 14th Aug)”

  1. Always enjoy a Filbert – a class setter. In 14a, I think “round” should be part of the definition.

    I’m struggling to see “complete” = “run”. An unbroken run could be considered as complete but I don’t think that’s it. I have a similar problem with “to” = “about”. I’m sure both are my ignorance. Spared for “didn’t hurt” seems a bit strange too but I guess it just about works.

  2. Hi Hovis. You are right about 14A, Stonehenge is certainly round – I have fixed that.
    “Complete”/”run” was one of the trickiest definitions – I rationalised it through the phrase “His race is run”.
    I too have a problem with “to”/”about” – I meant to be more explicit about that in the explanation which is why I put a “?” in there.
    “Spared”/”didn’t hurt” is fine to me.

  3. Thanks Filbert and beermagnet

    I saw 16D as just a single definition ‘Make civilised’, with the wordplay a charade of E N (opponents in Bridge) + LIGHTEN (become fairer).

  5. “To” and “about” can both mean “near” according to Chambers, but it’s hard to come up with any examples of this.

    Great crossword – thanks to Filbert and beermagnet.

  9. Quite tough, we thought; we needed some help and in the end couldn’t get 11ac – we thought it must be something to do with ‘bow’ but BOW TIE didn’t occur to us – because it was enumerated as (6) whereas we think it should be (3,3). We couldn’t understand 4dn either – we saw the hidden answer but didn’t know the expression ‘do Jack’. And we’re with Hovis@1 about ‘complete’ = ‘run’.
    A lot to like, though, including STONEHENGE, METTLESOME and EXORDIA.
    Thanks, Filbert and beermagnet.

  10. I parked VET as a dd . Vet meaning veteran. It took ages for Herman Munster to come to mind. Thanks both.

  12. Thanks both. I am still to understand the role of ‘prescribes’ in 5dn and in what context ‘let’ in 10 is an obstacle….

  13. I’m with Petert on VET being a DD.
    Short for Veteran = experienced, and a vetinary surgeon to fix poor Rover.

    TFO@12
    Does the phrase “without let or hindrance” help? Or equally in tennis a serve that hits the net but still lands correctly resuLts in “LET” being called by the umpire.

    Re prescribes in 5D I think it’s just for a smoother surface.

    Run and complete is OK with me, but I would have preferred ran I think.

    I think that’s my first Filbert solve and I found it harder than today’s guardian prize, I may have to switch my order of solve.

    Thanks Filbert and beermagnet

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