The puzzle is available here.
Hello again, for the second day of the good part of the week (for a Monday-Friday wage slave). It still brings me joy whenever I see the name Hoskins above a puzzle. Weirdly this didn’t feel like full strength Hosk when I solved, but a scan of the clues now shows plenty of sex, drugs, drink, idiocy and criminal behaviour. It must just be that I am jaded and need a reminder to slow down and enjoy the scenery.
I can’t pick out a sensible number of favourite clues, but must just mention the novel homophone indicator in 24d, EATEN. The inventiveness of our setters never ceases to impress me. Thanks Hoskins!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics, explicit [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
Across
1a Crude house tune of a salty nature (6)
SHANTY
A double definition
4a Is bad ram out to get local workers? (8)
BARMAIDS
IS BAD RAM anagrammed (out)
10a When MIT might timetable physics results (9)
AFTERMATH
At MIT, or any other American educational institution, physics might be timetabled AFTER MATH
11a Get out of it with model type and inject drugs (5)
SHOOT
SHOO (get out of it) + T (model type)
12a Reddish-brown primates making comeback across India (5)
SEPIA
APES (primates) reversed (making comeback) around (across) I (India)
14a Spacious quality in Romeo’s pants ultimately disappoints (9)
ROOMINESS
IN ROMEO’S anagrammed (pants) + the last letter of (ultimately) disappointS
15a Having toured railway, promote test drive (3,3)
TRY OUT
Around (having toured) RY (railway), we have TOUT (promote)
16a Ace lawyer required by heroin-taking group (3,4)
DAB HAND
DA (lawyer) + a heroin-taking group, i.e. BAND (group) with the injection of H (heroin)
19a Vegetable rot (7)
RHUBARB
Two definitions
21a Scared fighter at front in a surprise attack (6)
AFRAID
Fighter’s first letter (at front) is found in A + RAID (surprise attack)
23a Criminal dares dope to get high (9)
DESPERADO
DARES DOPE is to be anagrammed (to get high)
25a Small vegetable that’s smooth and shiny (5)
SLEEK
S (small) + LEEK (vegetable)
26a Head of union eaten by red fish (5)
TROUT
The first letter (head) of Union is inside (eaten by) TROT (red)
27a Inveterate criminal has business with my boss (9)
CONFIRMED
CON (criminal) + FIRM (business) + ED (my boss – that is, Hoskins’ boss)
29a English boy punches judge … BOOM! (8)
RESONATE
E (English) plus SON (boy) is inserted into (punches) RATE (judge)
30a Books a member read about ice cream abroad (6)
GELATO
OT (books) + A + LEG (member) all written in reverse (read about)
Down
1d Boxes lighter than usual with drug in short supply (6)
SPARSE
SPARS (boxes lighter than usual) + E (drug)
2d A drained pint is spot-on (3)
APT
A + PinT without its inner letters (drained …)
3d Arrogant drunk quaffing a Spanish port (9)
TARRAGONA
ARROGANT anagrammed (drunk) around (quaffing) A
5d A quiet crossing place in market town (7)
ASHFORD
A + SH (quiet) + FORD (crossing place)
6d Language old lady uttered puts off daughter (5)
MASAI
MA (old lady) + SAI[d] (uttered) removing (puts off) D (daughter)
7d One private I hit for being out of order (11)
INOPERATIVE
ONE PRIVATE I anagrammed (hit)
8d Group with a squad kept in reserve (3,5)
SET ASIDE
SET (group) with A + SIDE (squad)
9d Decay found beneath automobile plant (6)
CARROT
ROT (decay) found after (beneath, in a down entry) CAR (automobile)
13d Inclinations of sap affected with neurosis (11)
PERSUASIONS
An anagram (affected) of SAP with NEUROSIS
17d Idiots on commission in English county (9)
BERKSHIRE
BERKS (idiots) + HIRE (commission)
18d Give props to old Republican money lender (8)
CREDITOR
CREDIT (give props to) + O (old) + R (Republican)
20d Put up with jazz fan being an animal (7)
BEARCAT
BEAR (put up with) + CAT (jazz fan)
21d The full value of a horse (6)
AMOUNT
A + MOUNT (horse)
22d Small child loves vehicle from Canada (3-3)
SKI-DOO
S (small) + KID (child) + OO (loves)
24d Had food in school for the blind? (5)
EATEN
ETON is our usual school, but we have an unusual homophone indicator: for the blind it might have to be spoken aloud
28d Bird once spotted in holm oak (3)
MOA
The answer is contained in holM OAk
Thanks Kitty for the entertaining blog as ever, and Hoskins of course for the equally entertaining puzzle. The clue for 17D is also in the Hoskins tradition, as the origin of ‘berk’ in Cockney rhyming slang is supposed to be a c-word. Though this is not entirely convincing as we usually say burk’ and not ‘bark’ in this sense, and ‘Burkshire’ not ‘Barkshire’ – don’t we? Some sources also have the source as ‘Berkeley’ – same applies. Though Americans would probably say ‘Burkshyer’ and ‘Burkly’, Discuss!
I’d definitely say ‘Barkshire’ Tatrasman – perhaps it’s a regional thing – so 17d doesn’t quite work for me but I guess it’s close enough in crossword parlance. I did have to verify the Spanish port and Harry will not be at all surprised to learn that I really didn’t care for his EATEN clue.
Thanks to him nevertheless, most of the puzzle was very enjoyable, and thanks to our kitten for the nicely illustrated review – the inclusion of a few pics is always a nice touch and much appreciated.
Is Hoskins’ Berk worse than his bite? Cockneys’ familiarity with any kind of hunt always surprised me with that particular piece of rhyming slang. All good (fairly) clean fun. Thanks both.
I must be as jaded as Kitty, as I felt the smut was less than usual for Hoskins too, however that didn’t spoil a fine crossword done with a cheeky lunchtime pint on a beautifully sunny if freezing day. 2d was indeed particularly apt for me today.
Thanks Kitty and Harry.
A Hoskins puzzle with a Kitty review is just the ticket to brighten up a cold dank day. Many thanks to both of them.
Many moons ago I lived in Berkshire for a year, and all the locals most definitely referred to it as Barkshire, albeit with a bit of a west country twang for the “a”.
24d I gave half a thought that the him indicator was (blind) drunk. I still hear people say “did uncle Harry have one too many again? Yes, he was blind”.
Hom
Silly me, but that would be an anagram indicator, not a homophone indicator.
Many thanks to The Kitty-Kat for a grand blog and to all who solved and commented.
Jane @2 – I am prolly too late for you to see this (no pun intended), but I was surprised you didn’t like the hom. indicator, I didn’t think I was being disrespectful or dodgy, but apologies if I missed something and it came across that way. Was defo not intended.
I’ll be back with on Boxing Day for your entertainments, but until then it is cheers and chin chin from me. 🙂