Rodriguez’s latest puzzle has been provided for our stimulation and entertainment this Thursday.
I found this to be a highly enjoyable, medium-difficulty puzzle which put quite a few childish grins on my face this morning with the clues at 1, 7D, 12, 19 and 24, which together form my clues of the day for sheer entertainment value. If I had to single one of them out, it would be 7D, for the smoothest of surfaces and its references to the military in wordplay and definition alike.
I think that I have parsed everything to my satisfaction. I wasn’t aware of the alternative spelling of “aga” at 9, but Chambers quickly confirmed it. I wondered about “sum up” for “outline”, since I associate outlining with the beginning of e.g. a presentation and summing up with the end.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | THROMBOSIS | Tight shirt restricting heaving bosom is a dangerous obstruction
*(BOSOM) in *(SHIRT); “tight (=drunk)” and “heaving” are both anagram indicators |
| 07 | GHEE | I’m surprised, eating hot curry ingredient
H (=hot, on taps) in GEE (=I’m surprised) |
| 09 | AGHAST | Shell-shocked Ottoman commander’s the character most often seen in battle
T (=the character, i.e. letter, most often seen in (the word) battle) in AGHA’S (=Ottoman commander’s) |
| 10 | ROMANTIC | Quixotic traveller cut short horseplay
ROM<a> (=traveller, i.e. gypsy; “cut short’ means last letter is dropped) + ANTIC (=horseplay); the reference is to Don Quixote in the work by Cervantes, extravagantly romantic in his ideals |
| 11 | SEVEREST | Second biggest one in range, harder than the others
S (=second) + EVEREST (=biggest one in range, i.e. Himalayas) |
| 12 | PETITE | Bird covered in urine? It’s wee
TIT (=bird) in PEE (=urine); the “wee” of the definition is an adjective meaning small, little, especially in Scotland |
| 13 | LESBOS | Not as entertaining bachelor with Love Island
[B (=bachelor, as in BA, BSc) + O (=love, i.e. zero score in tennis)] in LESS (=not as) |
| 15 | HONOLULU | Mostly steamy number by pop singer is capital
HO<t> (=steamy; “mostly” means last letter is dropped) + No. (=number) + LULU (=pop singer; from UK); Honolulu is the state “capital” of Hawaii |
| 17 | TURN TAIL | Barking runt dog is to run away
*(RUNT) + DOG (=tail, track, as verb); “barking (=mad)” is anagram indicator |
| 19 | VIAGRA | It stimulates members of a government, with Republican breaking through
[A + G (=government) + R (=Republican)] in VIA (=through); cryptically, Viagra, as a sexual performance enhancer for men, could be said to stimulate “(male) members”!! |
| 20 | YAHWEH | Biblical divinity cut grass back
HEW (=cut) + HAY (=grass); “back” indicates reversal; Yahweh was the national god of Ancient Israel |
| 22 | MIGRAINE | The cereal I have picked up is a pain
Homophone (“picked up”) of “my grain (=the cereal I have)” |
| 24 | LINGERIE | Stay extremely irresistible in such attire?
LINGER (=stay) + I<rresistibl>E (“extremely” means first and last letters only) |
| 25 | THIEVE | Appropriate things I put in half of the venison
I in THE VE<nison> (“half of” means 5 of 10 letters only are used); to appropriate is to steal, take for oneself |
| 26 | ANON | <c>ANON (=rule, especially in ecclesiastical matters); “Conservative (=C) must leave” means letter “c” is dropped |
| 27 | MOTORCYCLE | Vehicle doctor has to use again losing energy once
MO (=doctor, i.e. Medical Officer) + TO + R<e>CYCLE (=to use again; “losing energy (=E) once” means one letter “e” is dropped |
| Down | ||
| 02 | HIGHER EDUCATION | Wasted on drug, drop around area where students are found
HIGH (=wasted, on drugs or drink) + E (=drug, i.e. Ecstasy) + [A (=area) in REDUCTION (=drop, fall)] |
| 03 | ORATE | Provide address given by old judge
O (=old) + RATE (=judge, assess); the “address” of the definition is a speech, oration |
| 04 | BATTERSEA | English invested in pounds with a part of their capital
E (=English) in [BATTERS (=pounds, thumps) + A]; Battersea is a district of London, hence “their capital” |
| 05 | STRETCH | Time inside // to practise yoga perhaps
Double definition; “time inside” refers to a stretch in prison, a prison sentence |
| 06 | SUM UP | Outline problem ahead
SUM (=problem, in maths) + UP (=ahead) |
| 07 | GENITALIA | Officer from Europe wanting base for privates
GEN. (=office, i.e. general) + ITALIA<n> (=from Europe; “wanting base” means last letter is dropped) |
| 08 | EPISTOLARY NOVEL | Maybe Pamela’s awful personality destroyed love
*(PERSONALITY) + *(LOVE); “awful” and “destroyed” are both anagram indicators; Pamela, a 1740-1 novel by Samuel Richardson is an example of an epistolary novel, i.e. one written as a series of letters |
| 14 | BANDWAGON | Musicians keep shaking – transport that’s jumped on
BAND (=musicians) + WAG ON (=keep shaking, cryptically!); the reference is to the expression to jump on the bandwagon |
| 16 | NAVIGATOR | Terrible chap lifted up reptile for the main explorer
NAVI (IVAN=terrible chap, i.e. Ivan the Terrible; “lifted up” indicates vertical reversal) + GATOR (=reptile, i.e. alligator); the “main” of the definition is the sea! |
| 18 | LAMBENT | Brilliant strike, not straight
LAM (=strike, hit) + BENT (=not straight); lambent is light and brilliant, of wit |
| 21 | HAREM | Race on motorway for a group of mates
HARE (=race, run) + M (=motorway); a harem is a group of females, either human or animal, reserved for reproductive purposes, hence “mates” |
| 23 | AMITY | Always welcoming German with cordiality
MIT (=German with, i.e. the German word for with) in AY (=always, archaic) |
Very amusing and efficiently clued. VIAGRA excellent, a real er standout.
I really enjoyed solving this one – my favourite was the ‘group of mates’ in 21d
Thanks to Rodriguez and RR
I agree entirely with Alliacol and crypticsue – and I’d add AGHAST, LESBOS, MOTORCYCLE and EPISTOLARY NOVEL.
Many thanks to both Rodriguez and RR for the fun,
Yet another outstanding crossword from Rodriguez. He’s right up there in my list of favourite setters. Can’t wait for the next one – but guess I’ll have to.
This didn’t take quite so much unpicking as yesterday’s Graun by this setter’s alter ego, but it was still quite a challenge. The SW corner was the last to yield up its treasures as we took ages to get 2dn, whereas we got the other long answer, 8dn, almost at once. Incidentally, apropos 8dn, the appendix of names in Chambers says the name Pamela was probably invented by Sir Philip Sidney. One or two we couldn’t parse, notably VIAGRA. Favourites were the vehicles, MOTORCYCLE and BANDWAGON, plus MIGRAINE.
Thanks, Rodriguez and RatkojaRiku.
Very interesting I didn’t know who had set this as I did it online very early this morning (none have been attributed on the online version so far this week) and even if I had known I didn’t know Piicaroon and Rodriguez were the same beast. However as I was solving the style seemed very familiar but with a welcome hint of smut very distinct from others like Paul’s toilet humour or bluth/Fed’s occasional risqué one.
Thanks Rodriguez, RR, and allan_c for the reveal.
It will come as no surprise to anyone here that I wasn’t taken with the likes of 12a but I forgave our setter on the grounds of the excellent 2& 21d.
Often tough but invariably fair – thanks to Rodriguez and also to RR for the review.
Hi Blah @6
Rodriguez also sets for the FT as Buccaneer.
I only just twigged today that the setter’s name is shown under puzzle info in the menu. Stopped me double checking to see if I really was on the right crossword.
Took me a while but I did finish it without too much help. I needed to check the spelling of 19ac, which I thought had an extra ‘a’ in it. Several I couldn’t parse.
Of course, in Crosswordland, James Brydon is hors categorie, as the French say.
This puzzle was another example of that.
Yet, it still feels that when he has his Picaroon hat on, he shows more finesse.
[I sometimes wonder whether our setter thinks Picaroon = Buccaneer = Rodriguez]
This crossword felt like it had an overdose of charades and insertions.
Like jane @7 I don’t like these innuendo clues very much (quite a few today) but for others they are apparently the LOL stand-out clues.
But yes, all very well (and fairly) clued. And all very precise (which is important to me).
Quality stuff.
Many thanks to RR for the blog & Picaroon for a crossword that was very entertaining.
The most entertaining puzzle I’ve solved for a while. Funny and clever throughout.
Much thanks and appreciation to Rodriguez and thanks to RatkojaRiku for the blog.
Sheer class. Brilliant.