A lively little number from Hoskins to start the Indy week.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Catholic priest mad about E and some monks?
CELIBATES
A charade of C, ELI for the Old Testament ‘priest’ and E inserted into BATS. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.
6 Outlaw, commanding officer held, is bit of a pig
BACON
An insertion of CO in BAN. The insertion indicator is ‘held’.
9 One making work contacts is a nosy neighbour?
NETWORKER
A cd cum dd. The ‘nosy neighbour’ reference is to the twitcher of net curtains who is always checking up on their neighbours’ activities. They’re the ones who reported you to the police last year for breaking lockdown rules by having two walks a day instead of one.
10 Fellow with Her Maj getting a bite to eat
DONER
A charade of DON and ER for Elizabeth Regina.
11 Nurse picking up latest in designer fashion
TREND
An insertion of R for the last letter of ‘designer’ in TEND. The insertion indicator is ‘picking up’.
12 Like Prince Andrew with sweet lass dancing?
SWEATLESS
(SWEET LASS)* This will take some explanation if you don’t know what Hoskins is getting at. Prince Andrew, Elizabeth Regina‘s favourite son, is currently being pursued by the US authorities to answer questions about the sexual assault of a 17-year-old who was allegedly trafficked by convicted, and now dead, paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He is alleged to have been seen dancing with her at a posh London nightclub and ‘profusely sweating’ as a result. His defence – in a car crash interview with the BBC – was that such an event couldn’t have happened, because he doesn’t sweat as a result of being traumatised fighting in the Falklands. And he was eating pizza at the time. Or something like that. Which makes the clue – and, some might say, Prince Andrew – a cad.
13 I’m annoyed by wet weather in sheikhdom
BAHRAIN
A charade of BAH! and RAIN.
15 Satan in angry mood about Christ ultimately
TEMPTER
An insertion of T for the last letter of ‘Christ’ in TEMPER. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.
18 Mercurial Queen singer seen by disco on occasion
ERRATIC
You can’t keep Brenda out of this puzzle. Here she is again as ER, followed by RAT (in the ‘betray’ sense of ‘sing’) and IC for the even letters of ‘disco’.
20 Catch PA stealing bit of hard-earned capital
BAGHDAD
An insertion of H for the first letter of ‘hard-earned’ in BAG and DAD. The insertion indicator is ‘stealing’.
21 One hammered in local I nut drunkenly
CLOUTNAIL
(LOCAL I NUT)*
23 A vacuous gang men turned over for violent conduct
AGGRO
A charade of A, GG for ‘gang’ with its innards removed and OR for ‘other ranks’ or ‘men’ reversed. The reversal indicator is ‘turned over’.
25 Stars love hard-boiled film genre retrospective
ORION
A charade of O and NOIR reversed.
26 Rebels meet ruin, attacked by vanguard of soldiers
MUTINEERS
A charade of (MEET RUIN)* and S for the first letter of ‘soldiers’. The anagrind is ‘attacked’.
27 One beating US police will cover up close to bar
HEART
An insertion of R for the last letter of ‘bar’ in HEAT. The insertion indicator is ‘will cover up’.
28 Once more talk over concerning insult and curse
REDISCUSS
A charade of RE, DIS and CUSS.
Down
1 Sting sure is a member of The Police
CONSTABLE
A charade of CON and STABLE.
2 Slice of tangerine in dead hot drink
LATTE
An insertion of T for the first letter of ‘tangerine’ in LATE. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
3 American gal and guy inhaling sea air
BROADCAST
A charade of BROAD and S inserted into CAT for ‘guy’. The insertion indicator is ‘inhaling’ and some have complained previously that BROAD is considered offensive by some US English speakers.
4 Understands fool must accept facts in the end
TAKES ON TAKES IN
An insertion of S for the last letter of ‘facts’ in TAKE ON IN.
5 Siemens will require silver for a conductor
SARGENT
A charade of S for the scientific symbol and ARGENT, and referencing Sir Malcolm SARGENT, the famous British conductor.
6 President mostly gets tense behind cleaner
BIDET
A charade of BIDE[N] and T.
7 Drinking wine, conservative editor is happy
CONTENTED
An insertion of TENT for ‘wine’ in CON and ED. The insertion indicator is ‘drinking’.
8 Poles kidnapping Bow drug cops in America
NARCS
An insertion of ARC is N and S for ‘poles’. The insertion indicator is ‘kidnapping’.
14 Choir fiddled about with a man’s organ
HARMONICA
(CHOIR A MAN)* with ‘fiddled about’ as the anagrind. Is this your first Hoskins puzzle? Welcome.
16 Unfortunately, I’m a singer getting complaints
MIGRAINES
(IM A SINGER)*
17 Wanting a change, she orders fish
REDHORSES
(SHE ORDERS)*
19 Daily describes Romeo Hoskins as sweet talker
CHARMER
An insertion of R and ME for ‘Hoskins’ in CHAR.
20 Behind schedule, but initially in high spirits
BELATED
A charade of B for the first letter of ‘but’ and ELATED.
21 Idiot on heroin in clergy
CLOTH
A charade of CLOT and H.
22 Nurse admitted to offensive belief
TENET
An insertion of EN for ‘Enrolled Nurse’ in TET, the Vietnam ‘offensive’. The insertion indicator is ‘admitted to’.
24 Some realising we ruined African city
GWERU
Hidden in realisinG WE RUined. GWERU is the capital city of Midlands Province in Zimbabwe. But, like Hoskins no doubt, you knew that already.
Many thanks to Hoskins for this Monday’s puzzle.
I know some solvers start with the last clues on the grounds that they’re likely to be the easiest. Easiest clue, hardest answer today. I assume Hoskins was being kind to us with a hidden word and wonder how may solvers turned to Google to verify the existence of GWERU?
Beaten by SARGENT today, knowing the German industrial company but unaware that Siemens are units of electrical measurement. I think the definition of BIDET might be ‘behind cleaner’? Witty and cheeky as usual with favourites being BAGHDAD for the PA/DAD device, BAHRAIN which made me laugh and the lovely surface for ERRATIC.
Thanks Hoskins and Pierre
Some lovely surfaces and misdirection leading to several chuckles throughout.
Mercurial Queen singer, PA for dad and I thought NETWORKER was brilliant.
12A had to be sweatless as nonce didn’t fit.
Thanks Hoskins and Pierre
REDHORSES a bit obscure perhaps but easy to guess. Didn’t know CLOUT NAIL or GWERU either. Had TAKES IN for 4d.
Loved the Clue As Definition pun, Pierre.
Excellent fun from Hoskins to start the week, and full marks to the setter for indicating the American references. 17d & 24d were new to me but easily derivable from the wordplay and checkers. I didn’t understand the “nosy neighbour” bit of 9a – thanks Pierre, very amusing.
Like Hovis, I think TAKES IN is the answer for 4d.
Too many good clues to single out any. Many thanks to Hoskins and to Pierre.
4D I think is S inserted in TAKE IN (fool).
Corrections to blog made – thanks, both.
It’s probably just me, but I’m finding that Hoskins in his various guises has been getting harder lately (eg yesterday’s Sunday Times) and this one was no exception. I’d never heard of REDHORSES, CLOUTNAIL, S for ‘Siemens’ or the ‘African city’ and had no idea what SWEATLESS or the ‘nosy neighbour’ bit of NETWORKER were all about – thanks for the detailed explanations. Anyway, I managed to fill the grid correctly as wordplay and crossers were helpful.
Whether he’s getting harder or not, HARMONICA is proof that a leopard never completely changes its spots !
Thanks to Hoskins and Pierre
New words for me in REDHORSES, GWERO & CLOUT NAIL. Loved the descriptive nature of CLOUT NAIL and guess that Harry had pasted himself into a corner with 24d! Hadn’t previously picked up on the story about Andrew being SWEATLESS although I can think of several other words to describe him……..
Top two here were BIDET & BAHRAIN.
Thanks to Hoskins for the fun and to Pierre for the review and those necessary explanations.
Thanks both. Was lucky enough to guess the conductor in 5 (he died when I was two), which was my LOI – must confess I lacked all elements of general knowledge required (I remembered silver = ag but not argent). I even had failed to cheat successfully, as he did not appear when I googled ‘famous conductors’ – nor, more disturbingly, did Andre Previn; they’ll be telling us next that Morecambe & Wise were not famous comedians.
Vaguely remembered SARGENT, but not the spelling. For TREND I had an enrolled nurse in TED (Baker, designer) with the r from designer again, but that didn’t work. Great fun. Thanks, both.
Must admit, SARGENT was my LOI too, even though I remember watching him conduct the Last Night of the Proms on TV in the sixties. (He died before I moved to London and started going to concerts.)
REDHORSES doesn’t seem to be in Chambers, but is in their Word Wizard.
Many thanks to The Frenchman for a very amusing blog and to all who solved and commented.
On the difficulty front, this was a medium puzzle of mine – this means the solver should have plenty of ways in, the crossers will help, but there will be some clues that you just have to work at but all should go in in the end … obviously YMMV.
For anyone who doesn’t know it well, Gweru is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities I have never visited.
Cheers and chin chin to all and, avoiding any turbulence, I’ll see y’all again on the 6th of the month some folk have been known to call next month. 🙂