My blog this week is based on a Filbert puzzle
I have always found Filbert to be a setter who provides challenging puzzles.and it took me a while to get into this one too. I started off with EMCEE, SUPERNOVA, OBI and IDA and then I slowed down, before I got WAISTCOAT, CAST and SOUTH DOWNS. After that, things flowed a bit more easily.
I think I have got the parsing right in all clues except one – TRIP SWITCH – where I can’t work out where the S comes from.
I thought as I solved the puzzle that the wording of the clues was slightly odd with a few phrases that didn’t seem to flow naturally, such as ‘moderate soprano’ and ‘breath of life.’ However, none of the phrases tempted me to do any further research.
I was well into writing the blog before a hint of the theme began to appear. I was looking to see whether A Map of the World was the name of a play that would relate to the word ‘on’ in the clue for GLOBE. I noted that the play was by David HARE and HARE was an entry at 15 across. HARE was actually the last clue I solved as I tend to shy away from entries where the format is blank A blank E.
Once I looked at a Wikipedia entry for David HARE, I realised just how much thematic material there is in both the clues and the grid. I reckon there are 20 plays, 2 films and 4 or 5 general theatrical allusions in the complete puzzle as indicated below. 2 of the plays have also been presented as films.
Plays by David HARE
SLAG (1970) – Entry 30 across
Brassneck (1973) (with Howard Brenton) – Clue 6 across
Plenty (1978 / 1985 film)- Clue 5 across
A Map of the World (1982) – Clue 29 across
PRAVDA (1985) (with Howard Brenton) – Entry 30 across
Wrecked Eggs (1986) – Clue 21 across
The Knife (1987) (with Nick Bicat and Tim Rose Price)- Clue 24 across
RACING DEMON (1990) – Entry 2 down
The Absence of War (1993 / 1995 TV movie) – Clue 1 down
The Blue Room (1998) (adapted from Arthur Schnitzler)- Clue 25 down
VIA DOLOROSA (1998)- Entry 14 down
The Breath of Life (2002) – Clue 10 across
Stuff Happens (2004) – Clue 20 across
GETHSEMANE (2008) – Entry 31 across
BERLIN (2009) – Entry 1 across
WALL (2009) – Entry 1 across
SOUTH DOWNS (2011) – Entry 15 down
Moderate Soprano (2015) – Clue 1 down
I’m Not Running (2018) – Clue 23 across
Beat the Devil (2020) – Clue 2 down
Films / Television series by David HARE
DENIAL (2016) – Entry 23 down
COLLATERAL (2018) – Entry 8 down
Theatre in general
EMCEE – Entry 9 across
OLD STAGER – Entry 17 across
GLOBE – Entry 29 across
IN EQUITY – Entry 3 down
CAST – Entry 22 down
EMCEE might be stretching the theatrical theme a bit, but David HARE has won many awards that would have been announced by an EMCEE.
For somebody who knows the works od David HARE, this might be a simple puzzle. For me, who knew little about HARE this was a typically difficult Filbert puzzle with the added bonus of researching the theme because I was writing a blog.
The clue for GLOBE may be a double &Lit or it may be just two cryptic definitions for the same word. I often struggle with the true definition of an &Lit clue, so will be interested to read how other solvers interpreted this clue.
Thanks to Filbert for the challenge and the opportunity to learn..
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 |
Spooner’s imitation of dervish during dance destroyed partition (6,4) BERLIN WALL (former partition between East and West BERLIN) Spooner’s pronunciation of BERLIN WALL would be WERLIN [whirling, reference whirling dervishes]) + BALL (dance) BERLIN WALL |
| 6 |
Maybe brass neckring is almost light in your hand (4) TORC (a necklace or armband in the form of a twisted metal band) TORCH (hand held light) excluding the final letter H (almost) TORC |
| 9 |
Man behind the mic spelling out its limits (5) EMCEE (MC [Master of Ceremonies {the man behind the microphone}]) EM CEE (pronunciation of MC) EM CEE |
| 10 |
Saving hospital doctor saline’s the breath of life (9) ESSENTIAL (to, constituting or containing the essence; necessary to the existence of a thing, such as the breath of life) Anagram of (doctor) SALINE’S THE excluding (saving) H (hospital) ESSENTIAL* |
| 12 |
New baby pinched by two fiends in the night (6) INCUBI (devils supposed to assume a male body and have sexual intercourse with women in their sleep; fiends in the night) (N [new] + CUB [baby]) contained in (pinched by) II (Roman numeral for two) I (N CUB) I |
| 13 |
Penny and Victor going into drama college daily (6) PRAVDA (Russian daily newspaper) P (penny) + (V [Victor is the International Radio Communication code for the letter V] contained in [going into] RADA [Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts]) P RA (V) DA |
| 17 |
Veteran of theatre in gilded bar opening last of Bollinger … (3,6) OLD STAGER (old hand; veteran) STAGE (of theatre) contained in [in] (GOLD [gilded] excluding [bar] G [the first letter {opening}] + R ([final letter of {last of} BOLLINGER]) OLD (STAGE) R |
| 18 |
… Enjoyed with others, its contents go quickly (4) HARE (run fast; go quickly) HARE (central letters of [contents] SHARED) HARE |
| 20 |
Stuff happens in the middle after batting similarly in the morning (4) TAMP (ram down so as to consolidate; pack round; stuff) AM (ante meridiem; before noon; morning) contained in (in) (T [central letter of {middle of} BATTING] + P [central letter of {middle of} HAPPENS]) T (AM) P |
| 21 |
Astronomical explosion of prunes wrecked eggs (9) SUPERNOVA (very brilliant NOVA resulting from an explosion which blows the star’s material into space, leaving an expanding cloud of gas) Anagram of (wrecked) PRUNES + OVA (eggs) SUPERN* OVA |
| 23 |
For example, I’m not running in lead (6) DENIAL (act of refusal; I’m not is an example of a DENIAL) Anagram of (running) IN LEAD DENIAL* |
| 24 |
Looking back, no hand cut by back of the knife? (6) WEAPON (a KNIFE is an example of a WEAPON) (E [final letter of {back of} THE)] contained in [NO + PAW {hand}]) all reversed (looking back) (W (E) AP ON)< |
| 27 |
Recasting Tosca during interval suited man’s habit (9) WAISTCOAT (man’s garment) Anagram of (recasting) TOSCA contained in (during) WAIT (an interval) WAI (STCOA*) T |
| 29 |
What might have A Map of the World on? (5) GLOBE (a theatre [both ancient and modern] that may well stage A Map of the World [play written by David Hare]) GLOBE (a sphere representing the earth [world] as a map) double definition Given that I have underlined the whole clue, this is may be an &Lit clue for two separate meanings of the same word. GLOBE |
| 30 |
Waste of mine left in sink (4) SLAG (coal mining waste; waste of mine) L (left) contained in (in) SAG (sink) S (L) AG |
| 31 |
Place in Jerusalem to obtain ham seen vandalised (10) GETHSEMANE (garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem) GET (obtain) + an anagram of (vandalised) HAM SEEN GET HSEMANE* |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Wept and sang like a moderate soprano, perhaps in the absence of war (4) BLED (oozed; wept) WARBLED (sing in a vibrating treble or soprano, perhaps like a moderate soprano) excluding (in the absence of) WAR BLED |
| 2 |
Game of trying to beat the devil? (6,5) RACING DEMON (multi-player card game) RACING (trying to beat) + DEMON (devil) RACING DEMON |
| 3 |
Wrong, as professional 22D should be? (8) INEQUITY (an unjust action; a wrong) IN (be a member of) + EQUITY (actors trade union) Professional CAST (22 down) members should join Equity IN EQUITY |
| 4 |
Little prick’s agent gets introductions to Gielgud, Antony Sher and Herbert Tree (7,3) WEEPING ASH (variety of the common European ASH, with drooping branches) WEE (little) + PIN (prick) + GASH (first letters of each of GIELGUD, ANTONY, SHER and HERBERT) WEE PIN G ASH |
| 5 |
Growing plenty drunk (4) LUSH (flourishing; growing plenty) LUSH (a drunkard) double definition LUSH |
| 7 |
Sash that’s too big trimmed to fit (3) OBI (broad sash worn with a Japanese kimono) TOO BIG excluding the letters TO and G (trimmed) to form (fit) the word OBI OBI |
| 8 |
Security arrest gangster casing empty theatre (10) COLLATERAL (an asset providing security) (COLLAR [arrest] containing [casing] TE [letters remaining in THEATRE when the central letters HEATR are removed {empty}] + AL (reference the American gangster AL Capone (1899 – 1947) COLLA (TE) R AL |
| 11 |
Standard title for men now acting upset (4) NORM (authoritative standard) (MR [title for men] + ON [ON stage; now acting]) all reversed (upset; down entry) (NO RM)< |
| 14 |
Messiah’s difficult passage or solo a diva botched (3,8) VIA DOLOROSA (The VIA DOLOROSA is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus would have taken, forced by the Roman soldiers, on the way to his crucifixion; Messiah’s difficult route) Anagram of (botched) OR SOLO A DIVA VIA DOLOROSA* |
| 15 |
Beautiful area mum fences off against slugs (5,5) SOUTH DOWNS (National Park and beautiful area in the South of England) (SH [be quiet; {be} mum] containing [fences] OUT [off]) + DOWNS (fells; slugs) S (OUT) H DOWNS |
| 16 |
Safety device makes William’s weird sister fall over (4,6) TRIP SWITCH (circuit breaker; safety device in an electrical circuit) TRIP (fall) + S (?) + WITCH (the three WITCHes in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are known as the Weird Sisters) I’m not sure where the S comes from. TRIP S SWITCH |
| 19 |
Art Elgin shifted, a pediment perhaps (8) TRIANGLE (a pediment is a triangular structure crowning the front of a Greek building) Anagram of (shifted) ART ELGIN TRIANGLE* |
| 22 |
Shy people picked to perform (4) CAST (throw; shy) CAST (actors; people picked to perform) double definition CAST |
| 25 |
Degenerate couples swapped in centre of blue room (4) ROUE (debauched man; degenerate) UE and RO are the two pairs of letters [couples] at the centre of BLUE ROOM. If you swap them round you form RO UE RO UE |
| 26 |
Attending a theatre but leaving at once? Actually twice (4) HERE (present; attending) A THEATRE excluding (leaving) the letters AT twice HERE |
| 28 |
Mount photo on card with details beginning to appear (3) IDA (reference Mount IDA, highest summit on the island of Crete) ID (photograph on an identity card) + A (first letter of [beginning to] APPEAR ID A |
16D TRIPS WITCH (makes … [her] … fall over)
Thanks for supplying the theme Duncan. Lost on me, I’m afraid. Pleased to almost complete (didn’t get HARE). Didn’t know the game RACING DEMON but easy to guess with the crossers. Had 16 as Spooner’s catflap. Wasn’t sure how to properly parse 29a but really needed to know the theme for that one.
Spooner’s catflap @ 1
Thanks – that#s blindingly obvious now you explain it. There’s usually one clue in a blog where I think, how did I miss that when trying to parse it and TRIP SWITCH is the one today.
I wondered if the theme might have something to do with David HARE, but I never progressed beyond the wondering stage. I therefore missed much of the cleverness of this, including just seeing GLOBE as a (hardly) cryptic def.
In retrospect the surface was part of the theme as well and I liked the innocuous looking (answer at least) HERE which was my last in.
Thanks and well done to Duncan for working this all out, and to Filbert
Thanks, F & D!
In 4, I took PIN as prick’s agent.
BERLIN WALL and TRIP SWITCH are my favs.
Nice puzzle and thanks for blog
Had no idea of theme and there were so many 4 letter clues to trip up on
The ones I revealed were ROUE HERE and HARE
The possibilities with the crossers were legion and I had a ferry to catch
Thanks
Gutted I missed the theme as I recognise a few of these plays. I needed to use the check facility and a word search on a couple of occasions, as this was, for me, quite a challenge. TORC was a kind of double bluff, where you expect to do the crossword thing and divide brass neck-ring and get a synonym for cheek with a letter “o”, but it’s actually the more straightforward reading. Thanks, both.
Missed the theme as u don’t know much about the playwright but absolutely loved the puzzle.
The only thing I don’t like about filbert is the he/she? Doesn’t appear often enough!
Thanks all
gsetc @ 8: Filbert is a he, though I can’t bring his name to mind at the moment.
Simon @9, I can bring his name to mind but I shouldn’t.
Not being familiar with David Hare and/or any of his works, the theme totally passed me by.
Perhaps, one of the reasons that I found this crossword very difficult (in places).
I failed on TAMP (20ac), never heard of that word.
Isn’t the parsing just: P (happens in the middle) going after (T (batting, also in the middle) + AM (in the morning))? So, no containment.
Many thanks to duncanshiell & Filbert.
Some really weird clues here, and only finished as I had to wait so long to collect a prescription, consuming two mugs of Wetherspoon’s excellent coffee. GLOBE seems very weak, as I can’t see it as a DD and hardly cryptic at all, though no doubt I shall be chastised. But thanks Filbert and Duncan for helping to pass the time.
I parsed TAMP as Sil and had PIN as “prick’s agent” as Kurukveera.
We too had no idea of the theme, but we got all the answers, though we couldn’t parse BLED. We liked SUPERNOVA, WAISTCOAT, COLLATERAL and TRIP SWITCH.
Thanks, Filbert and Duncan
I failed to spot the theme despite knowing that there would be one and that it would have something to do with the theatre. Doh! I loved 26D and the whole thing was excellent, if pretty tough.
Thanks Duncan for the blog and excellent research, and all for comments.
Duncan, you counted one more than I did; DENIAL was only in there because I spotted I’m Not Running could work in a clue for it when filling the grid. I didn’t twig it was by Hare, despite staring at the wiki list until it was burned on my retinas, and despite having seen it (it’s a film starring Timothy Spall as the nutty historian David Irving). So, hardly surprising the theme went under the radar.
fwiw, I had ‘whirl in ball’ for the spoonerism. Otherwise it might have been something like ‘Spooner’s impression of Alex Scott’s* dervish dance …’
*or Ms Patel if you prefer, which I don’t.