Tees has provided this week’s mid-week puzzle, the second of his puzzles that I have blogged in less than week.
I thoroughly enjoyed this crossword, although I needed to cheat to complete it: I didn’t know 9 and had to search Google to find it, after which I was able to see what was to be entered at 3 and to check it in Chambers.
I have numerous favourite clues today: 4, for smoothness of surface; 23/24 for its smooth surface reading and above all the use of “pants”; and 19 for its cryptic definition, to name but a few. I hope that my parsing of “stunner” at 10/27 is shared by fellow solvers.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 09 | SQUID GAME | Crush together to restrict a Frenchman in survival drama
[A + M (=Frenchman, i.e. abbreviation for Monsieur)] in SQUIDGE (=crush together); the reference is to the South Korean survival series on Netflix |
| 10/27 | SOUTH KOREA | Country stunner appearing in art house cut
KO (=stunner, i.e. knockout, in boxing) in *(ART HOUSE); “cut (=mixed, of drugs) is anagram indicator |
| 11 | ASSAM | Rich Tea provided in westbound service area
A (=area) + SSAM (=service, in church); “westbound” indicates reversal; Assam is a full-bodied (“rich”) tea from NE India |
| 12 | CASSEROLE | Crate containing small part needed for pot
[S (=small) in CASE (=crate, for e.g. wine)] + ROLE (=part, in play) |
| 13 | BARONET | Title holder from circle in London borough
O (=circle, pictorially) in BARNET (=London borough) |
| 14 | NOISOME | Disagreeable moose in for treatment
*(MOOSE IN); “for treatment” is anagram indicator |
| 16 | LUNGI | One’s put on something inspirational, or simple garment?
LUNG (=something inspirational, i.e. that breathes in air) + I (=one); a lungi is a long cloth used as a loincloth or sash |
| 18 | TOD | Fox seen in Stroud here and there
<s>T<r>O<u>D; “here and there” means alternate letters only are used; in Scottish English, a tod is a fox or sly person |
| 19 | JASON | European indeed very nice at first, in one sense a 23 24
JA (=European indeed, i.e. the German for yes) + SO (=very) + N<ice> (“at first” means first letter only); in mythology, Jason retrieved the Golden Fleece and could thus be described cryptically (“in one sense”) as a “golden retriever” |
| 21 | SEGMENT | Fixed clothing FBI agents cut up
G-MEN (=FBI agents) in SET (=fixed) |
| 22 | TONIGHT | Drunk goes around talking about this evening
ON (=talking about, as in Attenborough on climate change) in TIGHT (=drunk) |
| 26 | TILER | Bank invests pound for working man
L (=pound, as in LSD) in TIER (=bank, row) |
| 28 | TEA TOWELS | Old wife in Seattle needing repair for dryers
[O (=old, as in Old Testament) + W (=wife)] in *(SEATTLE); “needing repair” is anagram indicator |
| Down | ||
| 01 | ISTANBUL | One sultan moves to annex British port
I (=one) + [B (=British) in *(SULTAN)]; “moves” is anagram indicator |
| 02 | HUSSAR | Horseman spots revolutionary American taken inside
US (=American) in HSAR (RASH=spots, on skin; “revolutionary” indicates reversal) |
| 03 | ADAMANTINE | Stuart Goddard’s alter ego in Spain becomes unbreakable
ADAM ANT (=Stuart Goddard, i.e. UK singer and musician) + IN + E (=Spain, in IVR); adamantine means unyielding, hence “unbreakable” |
| 04 | FAUCET | Tap dancing cue observed in Grease
*(CUE) in FAT (=grease); “dancing” is anagram indicator |
| 05 | SEASONED | Mature 19 dropping Juliet among children
<j>ASON (=entry at 19; “dropping Juliet (=J, in NATO alphabet)” means letter “j” is dropped) in SEED (=children, offspring) |
| 06 | ISLE | Key passage that has no opening note
<a>ISLE (=passage); “that has no opening note” means initial letter, also a musical note, is dropped |
| 07 | HUMOROUS | Wild roo, seen in Mull, causing mirth
*(ORO) in HUMUS (=mull, i.e. layer of humus formed by rapid decomposition); “wild” is anagram indicator |
| 08 | PHOEBE | Dashing hope to live as goddess
*(HOPE) + BE (=live, exist); “dashing” is anagram indicator; Phoebe is Apollo’s sister Artemis, the moon goddess |
| 15 | INJUNCTION | Having entered roundabout maybe showing command?
IN (=having entered, inside) + JUNCTION (=roundabout maybe) |
| 17 | NUGATORY | Turning over weapon to a Conservative is useless
NUG (GUN=weapon; “turning over” indicates reversal) + A + TORY (=Conservative); nugatory is worthless, futile, hence “useless” |
| 18 | TITIVATE | Groom’s worthless horse consumed by quartet
TIT (=worthless horse, nag) + IV (=quartet, i.e. IV = four, in Roman numerals) + ATE (=consumed) |
| 20 | NOTARISE | Disturbance involving Jolly Jack – establish truth?
TAR (=Jolly Jack, sailor) in NOISE (=disturbance); to notarise is to attest to, authenticate, hence “establish truth” |
| 21 | SHRIEK | Butcherbird with high-pitched cry turning tail?
SHRIEK (=high-pitched cry); “turning tail” means last two letters swap places |
| 22 | TURBAN | Trust’s foremost in City for capital cover
T<rust> (“foremost” means first letter only) + URBAN (=in City); the “capital” of the definition refers to the head |
| 23/24 | GOLDEN RETRIEVER | Even terrier pants going after good old breed
G (=good) + OLD + *(EVEN TERRIER); “pants (=rubbish)” is anagram indicator |
| 25 | IVAN | Russian front to Italy’s south
I (=Italy, in IVR) + VAN (=front); “to south (of)” means positioned below in a down entry |
Thanks Tees and RR.
I found this quite tough and needed three bites, but all the more enjoyable for that.
I’d vaguely heard of Squid Game, but only think I got it as South Korea was the next answer. My cheat was googling Stuart Goddard but in my defense it must be nigh on 40 years since he was famous.
I note that Tees (like me until it came up in the grauniad blog a few days ago) is unaware that the radio alphabet has changed with juliett now having a double T.
Good fun from this setter as usual, although FAUCET gets a hmm from me for being an unindicated American word.
Everything went in smoothly with the exception of 9a. Finally, in utter frustration at having no idea what on earth the answer could be (SOUND something? SQUAD something?), I Googled “survival drama” and all was revealed. A bizarre clue even by Tees’ madcap standards.
I rather liked ASSAM, INJUNCTION, NUGATORY & TITIVATE.
Thanks to Tees and to RR.
I had a cat in hell’s chance of getting SQUID GAME, neither having heard of that nor squidge, and never patronising Netflix or any other streaming channel, so this was on the darkest shade of obscure for me. Apart from that it was all very fair and enjoyable, so thanks Tees and RatkojaRiku.
Have watched a few episodes of SQUID GAME so not a problem for me. Learnt that J is Juliett from 15^2 some time ago but don’t mind the single T spelling.
Confess that I had to ask Mr Google about a few, the survival game, Stuart Little & the required definition of mull but managed everything else by myself.
Liked the description of JASON and that used for ASSAM but my favourite, whilst agreeing with RD about the need for an indicator, was FAUCET.
Thanks to Tees and to RR for the review.
It’s always nice to acquire some nugatory general knowledge from a crossword, without having to resort to a search engine, today’s example being the identity of Adam Ant.
Lots to learn today – some of it useful for the future. I loved the clue for JASON and LUNGI is excellent. The two stand outs for me today. Hard to believe that SQUID GAME was the only thing that fitted the crossers – so was it, for some bizarre reason, first one in.
I knew all the necessary stuff, including Mr Little and the game, but will agree it is on the tricky side for a Tees
Thank you to him and RR
It must’ve been hard because it took Rat until 1615 hours to finish solving 😀
But JULIETT? Who the hell spells it like that?
Tees @9
Chambers, Collins and ODE all have it with a single T but NATO’s own website (and elsewhere) gives the double T.
Re Tees @ 9 & Gaufrid @ 10, I think it’s because in certain languages Juliet could be pronounced “zhou-lee-ay/eh”. The double consonant removes the ambiguity.
Left unfinished (SQUID GAME of course!). Had no idea about Stuart Goddard either, but the definition was pretty clear. I like the way Tees misdirects (“in City” had me searching for names of cities!).
I’m surprised at everyone saying they’ve never heard of Squid Game. I’ve never watched it but there seems to be news about it every day at the moment. Just a day or two ago there was a big piece in The Guardian about how it maybe Netflix’s top show, but it is less popular than Strictly Come Dancing.
That was the easy one. Still couldn’t get about half of the rest.
Enjoyed this, took us ages to get lungi and turban, guessed at Ivan (wasn’t aware van can mean front) and failed on isle. I must confess I still don’t understand the parsing for the latter, I see no definition for isle as a key in the dictionary. Can anyone enlighten me please?
*Note, not key.