If you’re going to have a less than serious Crimbo-themed puzzle, who better to put i/c than Hoskins?
I am usually to be found in the Bah! Humbug! camp when it comes to Christmas, but I have to say this offering from Harry made me smile, so thank you to him for that. All the across answers are Christmas related (well, I have tried to shoehorn in 22ac) and there are references to the event in all the down clues as well. All mixed up with a bit of irreverence. My kind of puzzle – I hope you enjoyed it too.
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 One blooming opiate isn’t going astray!
POINSETTIA
(OPIATE ISNT)* with ‘going astray’ as the anagrind gives you the plant often associated with Christmas. The shape of the flower and leaves are a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem; the red leaves symbolise the blood of Christ; and the white leaves represent his purity. Or so they say.
7 Half-heartedly wed gal without IT experience
MARY
Those of a Christian persuasion may have found this borderline offensive, but personally I nearly wet myself. It’s MA[R]RY, and of course the lady in blue had no experience of it, since she was a virgin. Or so they say.
9 American Express brought about Delta’s arrival
ADVENT
An insertion of D for the NATO alphabet ‘Delta’ in A and VENT for ‘express’. The four weeks (particularly Sundays) leading up to the birth of the Redeemer, which are of special importance to Christians, particularly Catholics. For the rest of us, it’s all about a chocolate a day.
10 Shower expensive, but they say it’s a beast!
REINDEER
A homophone of RAIN and DEAR. Good old Rudolf. The other reindeers’ initial behaviour towards him would be reported to the HR department as bullying these days.
11 Reporters covering hospital department awards
PRESENTS
An insertion of ENT for the setters’ favourite ‘hospital department’ in PRESS.
13 Flop in procreational period repelled legend
TURKEY
A charade of RUT reversed and KEY. This meaning is Broadway slang, but its exact origin is disputed.
14 Fizzy Buds are ace accompaniment to a meal
BREAD SAUCE
(BUDS ARE ACE)* with ‘fizzy’ as the anagrind. Almost exclusively an accompaniment to the Christmas meal, I would say.
16 Large amount of dope found on head of mission
MASS
A charade of M for the initial letter of ‘mission’ and ASS. Midnight MASS on Christmas Eve is traditional, and often attended by folk who’ve had too much to drink, suddenly come over all religious, and insist on singing all the carols half a tone flat.
17 Sabbath singer making comeback as headliner
STAR
A charade of S and RAT reversed. The second element is referring to the Rat Pack, the group of five singers composed of Sinatra, Martin, Davis Jr, Bishop and Lawford. The star guided the magi to the Christ child. Allegedly. The only biblical reference to the event is in Matthew 2. It doesn’t say there were three of them (although three gifts are mentioned), nor does it say they were kings or that they arrived on camels.
Edit: as Blah points out, it’s much more likely to be singer=grass=rat.
19 Hot to open new Foster’s Special Reserve
FROSTINESS
An insertion of IN for ‘hot’ in (FOSTERS)* followed by S for ‘special’. A feature of Christmas, if only on Christmas cards these days, what with increasingly mild winters.
22 Dick bringing Nina back sandwiches from Italy
PANINI
An insertion of NINA reversed in PI for Private Investigator or ‘Dick’. Everyone’s favourite bread for Christmas leftover sandwiches today. Maybe.
23 Uni fellows to stop member of Police jamming
STUFFING
An insertion of U and FF in STING. More Crimbo meal accompaniment.
25 Very old crack found in strongbox by freak
CHESTNUT
A charade of CHEST and NUT. The CHESTNUT in this definition can’t be roasted on an open fire, but the origin of the phrase is unclear. The best explanation I could find is here.
27 A drop of really cold water?
ICICLE
A cd.
28 Scoundrel pinching rear of our Queen?
CARD
Wouldn’t be Christmas without Her Maj’s speech. Or the cards that no-one seems to send any more. An insertion of R for the last letter of ‘rear’ in CAD.
29 I heed girls organising winter trip
SLEIGH RIDE
(I HEED GIRLS)*
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you (ring-a-ling-a ding-dong-ding!)
Down
2 I sort out guy awaiting Yuletide gift delivery?
ORDERER
A whimsical dd, I think, unless I’m missing something.
3 Daughter born close to Christmas conceals wants
NEEDS
An insertion of D in NÉE and S for the final letter of ‘Christmas’.
4 English nurses hosting foremost of Xmas spreads
EXTENDS
Now the initial letter of ‘Xmas’ gets a look in. The setter is asking you to insert it in E and TENDS.
5 A slice of roast topped with dash of table salt
TAR
More initial letters: A, followed by R for the first of ‘roast’ with a topping of T for the first of ‘table’.
6 Slightly dry introduction to Laplander in a story
A LITTLE
An insertion of TT and L for the initial letter of ‘Laplander’ in A LIE.
7 I am one kind seen with right old lady in North Pole
MODERN MAN
A charade of MODE, R, and MA inserted into N for ‘North’ and N for ‘Pole’. Not sure what the setter is trying to tell us about himself here: that he’s a MODERN MAN in the sense of doing the housework and changing nappies, or just that he’s a member of Homo sapiens sapiens? I think we should be told.
8 Wise man bearing note and bit of frankincense rolls joints
REEFERS
A reversal of RE for the second note of the sol-fa and F for the initial letter of ‘frankincense’ inserted into SEER.
12 Plonk with seconds upset men and son in post-roast states?
STUPORS
A charade of PUT and S reversed, followed by OR for Other Ranks and S. Harry is suggesting that we all slumped and slumbered after too much roast turkey and libation yesterday. Surely not.
15 Greeted in a Covid-safer way, say, by shaking raised ski
AIR KISSED
(RAISED SKI)*
18 Airline trick raised Christmas hols each annum initially
TRACHEA
Intended to be the initial letters of the second to seventh words of the clue, but we’re missing the first A, I think.
Edit: thanks to Hovis for pointing out that it’s ART reversed, then the initial letter device.
19 Father Christmas ultimately keeping one object for pals
FRIENDS
An insertion of I and END in FR and S for the last letter of ‘Christmas’ (again).
20 50% off tinsel brings in public with good advertising
TOUTING
An insertion of OUT in TIN[SEL] followed by G.
21 I’m told Jesus was one cold boy clothed in radiant light
SUN-CLAD
Slightly odd word, but a great surface. A charade of SUN for a homophone of SON, C and LAD. Jesus was the son of god. Allegedly.
24 Brother, fine with flipping wind, has third helping of sprouts
FRIAR
A charade of F, AIR reversed and R for the third letter of ‘sprouts’. Wouldn’t be a Hoskins puzzle without a reference to flatulence.
26 Those heading to icy emporium to get gift for Noel?
TIE
The initial letters of ‘to’, ‘icy’ and ’emporium’. If you did exchange gifts yesterday, I hope you received something more thoughtful than one of these.
Many thanks to Hoskins for the seasonal entertainment.
For TRACHEA I had ART< + CHEA.
Agree that ORDERER is a DD. Somebody who puts things in order and somebody who orders a present in the hope it’ll arrive in time.
A lovely Xmas offering from Harry, even though I’ve never heard of a Christmas panini. Always have a giggle over his Her Maj clues (CARD).
Thanks Hoskins and Pierre,
A nicely done theme which didn’t intrude on the wordplay.
For 17A I took rat for singer as in an informer or grass.
Ma(r)ry was brilliant.
I should have said that I failed to parse STAR. I didn’t think that S could stand for Sabbath. With that knowledge, I agree with Blah’s parsing. (It’s for sure “yzzo” was never going to work.)
Definitely an antidote to Christmas schmaltz (an Alka Schmaltzer?), for which many thanks to the irreverent one. And a delightful blog, for which many thanks also to Pierre.
I parsed TRACHEA as did Hovis – having racked my brain for aviation companies ending in CHEA! I didn’t satisfactorily parse STAR. Black Sabbath was my band of choice back in the day so perhaps too much knowledge was the problem. I was sure RATS would fit in there somewhere so didn’t give it enough thought. (There’s even a bio of the band called Rat Salad after an instrumental track on the Paranoid album).
MARY is certainly clue of the Season and, if I was anywhere near cornflakes, I’d possibly have sneezed all over them. Near blasphemous but what’s new about that when it’s Hoskins at the tiller?
Thanks S&B
BTW, on the subject of gifts for Noel, I wondered whether the esteemed creator of Mr Blobby had an association with them. It wasn’t to be though he does get a special mention on a tie-related site!
Thanks both and seasons greetings to all. Could not parse 7dn and would welcome further insight on how the definition works, unless simply knowing that Hoskins is male and alive does the job?
What fun! Apart from 2d which is a ghastly word, but forgivable with the constraints of the across theme. I agree it looks as as if an AT is missing from 18d.
MARY was my favourite.
I couldn’t parse 8d, so thanks to Pierre for that, and thanks to Hoskins for the entertainment.
We quite enjoyed the irreverence and the Christmas theme, which made it an easy fill once we had about half. Chuckled at Mary and at Sun-Clad, Turkey nearly stumped us.
Happy Christmas and thanks to Hoskins and Pierre!
Great fun, enjoyed this witty offering a lot, though thought 7d slightly strange unless I’m missing something.
My podium placers are 7,17&23a.
Many thanks and season’s greetings to Hoskins and Pierre.
Many thanks to Edith for the fun blog and to all who solved and commented.
To answer some questions … the modern man was me being one of the homo sapiens, ART< was trachea and the singer was a rat.
Hope everyone has had a nice Xmas and will have a super New Year. I'll be back on Jan 11th so hope to see you there with yer solving pants on. Until then it's ho-ho-ho and Happy Xmas from me. 🙂
Lovely stuff. Enjoyed the definition for Trachea. Got held up by entering SUNBEAM unparsed at 21d just because I’ve been told Jesus was one, but soon sorted out.
Superb feat of setting all round. I agree that MARY’s definition was just one touch of brilliance, but the twists in the Down clues to continue the Christmas theme were great – I loved FRIAR for example.
Hoskins has also set a Christmassy giant 23×23 cryptic in today’s Sunday Times, so I guess he must be feeling tinselled out by now. Unless he wrote the puzzles in July on his yacht.
Twmbarlwm – I think I set this in April of this year as I had the ST jumbo to do later in the year and didn’t want all my Xmasses to come at once.
As for a yacht!! the only yacht I could afford would be one to go in my bathtub, but I haven’t got a bathtub and even if I did I doubt I could afford to heat the water for it.
PS – ‘PANINI’ was an editorial change to swap out another crossing answer word after I, uncharacteristically I might add, missed a deadline for edits. 🙂
Sorry. I actually typed “in his yard”, but that’s Autofill for you. 😉
Very late in but couldn’t pass up on sending the best of festive wishes to our Harry – modern man indeed!
Really enjoyed this one, particularly ICICLE and BREAD SAUCE.
Many thanks to Hoskins and to Pierre for the review – not even a mention of a partridge to give you a bird opportunity…………
Been away so only just got to this. Thanks Harry who seemed in relatively out of touch of his trademark rudeness. Still merry wotnots to him and the rest of you.
Happy Xmas to you too Jane and The Flash – and no worries, Twmbarlwm – any real-word auto-corrects of that nature very welcome. 🙂
Happened to notice the teaser for this on 15², so thought I’d do it. Great fun and I add my applause for the no-it girl.
The type of man who does the washing-up is the new man, surely, not the MODERN MAN. The latter, of course, is the one on the far right in this picture, which any of us who have met Harry will agree is a dead spit (maybe just a tad taller).
I, too, took the “singer” to be the kind of rat who grasses. Seems to work either way. I only knew of the first three specified Pack Rats, btw.
If Christians hold that Jesus was directly fathered by God himself, you have to wonder why, for example, the apostle Matthew thought to spend the first sixteen verses of his gospel detailing the lineage, from Abraham via David, of the man who might have sired all of Mary’s children if he hadn’t been cuckolded by God.
Nice to see Christmas REEFERS making an appearance. What would a modern Christmas be without them?
Typo in the parsing of CARD. The R is the rear of “our”.
Rather appropriately turkey was my last one in (if you’re going to have anything left over…)!