Tees has produced the Sunday Indy crossword for us this week, but I’m afraid that my blog of his puzzle is a terse one.
This is the first time that Tees and I have run into one another since he appeared under a different pseudonym, as Reveller, with the New Year’s Eve offering. He monopolised that blog (which wasn’t one of mine) with a succession of patronising and antagonistic comments to contributors and ended it with a particularly offensive remark to the site adminstrator, Gaufrid. I found all that uncalled for and upsetting, and it wasn’t the first time that it had happened; so I’m afraid my enthusiasm to provide a lively and positive blog of this puzzle of his is a bit lacking. I hope you enjoyed it.
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 An unpleasant duty to collect silver in port
ANCHORAGE
A charade of AN and AG inserted into CHORE.
6 Light touch from one X represents
KISS
A dd.
10 Couple expending energy bloody shattered
TIRED
A charade of TI[E] and RED.
11 Last from Beat poet seen in this term?
TRIMESTER
A charade of T and RIMESTER.
12 Member of the penguin family?
FLIPPER
A cd.
13 Book player on bench
RESERVE
A dd.
14 Angry collier holds chopper coming back for barrister
CROSS-EXAMINER
An insertion of AXE reversed in CROSS MINER.
17 At some stage note error also needs correction
SOONER OR LATER
(NOTE ERROR ALSO)*
21 Second fish for boss on trawler?
SKIPPER
A charade of S and KIPPER.
22 Pride issue working with copper to infiltrate party?
LION CUB
An insertion of ON and CU in LIB.
24 Changeable sort often smoked joint in church somewhere in Spain
CHAMELEON
An insertion of HAM in CE, followed by LEON.
25 Penny trapped in loveless marriage wants release
UNPIN
An insertion of P in UNI[O]N.
26 One spouted, always having to confine wife
EWER
An insertion of W in EER.
27 Old English character seen with British dicky bird
THORNBILL
A charade of THORN, B and ILL.
Down
1 Card man leaves if diamonds needed for some tricks?
ARTIFICE
A charade of [HE]ART, IF and ICE.
2 I’m impressed — infantryman becomes royal favourite!
CORGI
A charade of COR and GI.
3 Psychological attachment inside Opus Dei perhaps hard to handle?
OEDIPUS COMPLEX
An insertion of (DEI)* in OPUS, followed by COMPLEX.
4 Sickness worker Henry mentioned pains
ANTHRAX
A charade of ANT, H and RAX for a homophone of ‘racks’.
5 Horse rears, carrying glutton making witty remark
EPIGRAM
An insertion of PIG in MARE reversed.
7 Vignette, proper text occasionally read
INTERPRET
The even letters of vIgNeTtE pRoPeR tExT.
8 Penitent pruned the Spanish chestnut
SORREL
A charade of SORR[Y] and EL.
9 Private heading military unit messages section
PERSONAL COLUMN
A charade of PERSONAL and COLUMN.
15 Stubborn stain to be treated
OBSTINATE
(STAIN TO BE)*
16 Organisation that keeps peace in family court
TRIBUNAL
An insertion of UN in TRIBAL.
18 Absolutely serious eastern winds
EARNEST
(EASTERN)*
19 Soldiers go ashore round Floridian city
ORLANDO
A charade of OR, LAND and O.
20 Heard to exhale in frustration — vital for spirit?
PSYCHE
A charade of PSY for a homophone of ‘sigh’ and CHE for a homophone of ‘key’.
23 Better religious class seen in Tyrrhenian location
CAPRI
A charade of CAP and RI.
This provided a light but enjoyable diversion on a Sunday morning with FLIPPER, CHAMELEON and OEDIPUS COMPLEX the pick of the clues.
Thanks to Tees and Pierre.
Ditto.
Light and just right for the Sunday spot, with the usual Teesian mix of wit and elegant clueing. I’m in agreement with Rabbit and Tatras as to the podium of winners.
After a slow start, things fell nicely into place on susequent passes. LOI was anchorage because we were looking for an unpleasant duty! Pleased with our fish and bird knowledge, and no new words for us today! Most pleased with the quick find and parse for trimester, which made us smile.
Thanks Pierre and Tees!
Different podium selection for me, I went for LION CUB & OBSTINATE with FLIPPER in bronze medal position. The thought of a cross examiner also made me smile.
Thanks to the prolific Tees and to Pierre for the review. Must admit I hadn’t returned to the blog after leaving my comment on New Year’s Eve but I’ve now looked back at it!
Elegantly clued this certainly is, unlike some Sunday puzzles we see, unfortunately, in my view. Perhaps the allegedly feisty Tees could be approached, with appropriate caution.
Since a podium has been summoned into existence, I will go for OEDIPUS COMPLEX, with its rather neat and cheeky use of Opus Dei.
Thanks for the blog, Pierre. Sorry it was a chore for you. Pleased to say that business passed me by.
I’m in agreement with lady gewgaw @3 on this, except in that LION CUB, CHAMELEON and TRIMESTER were my personal favourites today.
Spot on for a Sunday, I thought. Favourites Flipper and Chameleon, with an honourable mention for Psyche, a double homophone that works (for me, anyway. Really not wanting to open cans of worms here). Thanks to Tees and Pierre.
Well JJ, the inane remarks about a certain clue type were brought to the thread to which you are referring by Spooner’s Successful Outhouse, or whatever he calls himself. So no need to worry about the opening of cans of worms, unless you are today’s blogger, especially as no-one seems to have taken the bait.
That’s particularly edifying, and something that our website managers will be extremely pleased about, I’m almost sure.
We checked the blog last night and gave a silent cheer when we read the preamble. We are also bloggers – almost 10 years have gone by since our first contribution. We do it because we love crosswords but on a few occasions being a blogger can be quite upsetting.