Klingsor is occupying the Thursday slot this week. It tends to be on a Thursday that I encounter his work.
I found this puzzle to be accessible and entertaining in equal measure. Klingsor had the last laugh, however, since I needed to cheat at 19, having been blinded by BIGAMY, which doesn’t fully fit the wordplay.
My favourite clues today are 1, 7 and the & lit. at 2, all for smoothness of surface; 21A, for the clever use of “vanishing”; and 26, for sheer concision.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | STRONGHOLD | Keep short introduction to dreadfully long novel
*(SHORT + D<readfully> (“introduction to” means first letter only) + LONG); “novel” is anagram indicator |
| 07 | EXPO | Show alluring woman unclothed?
<s>EXPO<t> (=alluring woman; “unclothed” means first and last letters are dropped |
| 09 | BIRDCALL | Perhaps Twitter account’s blocked by right awful cad
[R (=right) + *(CAD)] in BILL (=account); “awful” is anagram indicator |
| 10 | CADGER | Worry, needing chapter for book? That’s a bummer
BADGER (=worry, pester); “needing chapter (=C) for book (=B)” means letter “c” replaces letter “b”; to bum something off someone is to cadge it off |
| 11 | POISED | Asked about one getting ready
I (=one) in POSED (=asked, e.g. a question) |
| 13 | KESTRELS | Half of street’s enthralled by wheeling glossy birds
STR<eet> (“half of” means 3 of 6 letters only are used) in KEELS (SLEEK=glossy; “wheeling” indicates reversal) |
| 14 | PERADVENTURE | A commercial undertaking that’s risky, perhaps?
PER (=a, each) + AD (=commercial, i.e. advert) + VENTURE (=undertaking that’s risky); peradventure is an archaic, humorous term for perhaps |
| 17 | DISOBEDIENCE | Naughty niece finally refused to follow copper’s order – showing this?
DI’S (=copper’s, i.e. Detective Inspector’s) + OBE (=order, i.e. Order of the British Empire) + *(NIECE + <refuse>D); “finally” means last letter only is used in anagram, indicated by “naughty”; semi- & lit. |
| 20 | DISTRAIT | On reflection, I would sound absent-minded
D’I (I’D=I would; “on reflection” indicates reversal) + STRAIT (=sound, as in Strait of Gibraltar) |
| 21 | LOTION | Place with origins in cosmetics advertises vanishing cream
LO<ca>TION (=place); “with origins (=first letters) in C<osmetics> A<dvertises> vanishing” means letters “ca” are dropped |
| 22 | SAFARI | African expedition is retreating, keeping at a distance
AFAR (=at a distance) in SI (IS; “retreating” indicates reversal) |
| 23 | MODERATE | Average cost of what’s fashionable?
Cryptically, the “cost of what’s fashionable” would be the “mode rate”! |
| 25 | TYKE | Cheeky tot? That about covers it
Reversed (“about”) and hidden (“that covers it”) in “cheEKY Tot” |
| 26 | NATTERJACK | Two rabbits and a toad
NATTER (=rabbit, chatter, as verb) + JACK (=rabbit, a long-eared American hare) |
| Down | ||
| 02 | TAILORED | Adapted to ideal requirements, primarily?
*(TO IDEAL + R<equirements>); “primarily” means first letter only is used in anagram, indicated by “adapted”; & lit. |
| 03 | ODD | Not even Democratic Party turned up
D (=Democratic) + DO (=party, function); “turned up” indicates vertical reversal |
| 04 | GRAND | Majestic old lady meets daughter
GRAN (=old lady) + D (=daughter) |
| 05 | OILSKIN | With roof gone, works hard to get family some waterproofing
<t>OILS (=works hard; “with roof gone” means first letter is dropped) + KIN (=family) |
| 06 | DACHSHUND | Children avoid feeding parent’s dog
[CH (=children) + SHUN (=avoid)] in DAD (=parent) |
| 07 | ENDORSEMENT | Somehow nerd met with one’s approval
*(NERD MET + ONE’S); “somehow” is anagram indicator |
| 08 | PAELLA | Friend entertains the Spanish with a dish of theirs
[EL (=the Spanish, i.e. a Spanish word for the) in PAL (=friend)] + A |
| 12 | STAND AT EASE | Sat and ordered guy to relax
*(SAT AND) + TEASE (=guy, rib); “ordered” is anagram indicator |
| 15 | VESPASIAN | Italian scooters I associated with an emperor
VESPAS (=Italian scooter) + I + AN; Vespasian was the Roman emperor from 69 to 79 AD |
| 16 | ACROSTIC | Tricky Socratic puzzle
*(SOCRATIC); “tricky” is anagram indicator |
| 18 | BATH MAT | Hotel bill picked up by friend, mostly? One’s floored!
BATH (H=hotel + TAB=bill; “picked up” indicates vertical reversal) + MAT<e> (=friend; “mostly” means last letter is dropped); a bath mat is to be found on the bathroom floor, hence “floored”! |
| 19 | PIRACY | Crime investigator gets animated
PI (=investigator, i.e. private investigator) + RACY (=animated, excited) |
| 21 | LEDGE | Crawl underneath large shelf
L (=large, of sizes) + EDGE (=crawl, inch) |
| 24 | RAJ | Conflict arising for British overseas rule
JAR (=conflict, clash, as verb); “arising” indicates vertical reversal |
STRONGHOLD, EXPO, BIRDCALL and TAILORED are my favs!
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again – for me, no setter matches Klingsor for surface construction. For the main part, clues read as natural sentences rather than cryptic clues. Some solvers, perhaps, don’t care too much about this but I marvel at his ingenuity in this regard.
Had to check DISTRAIT was a word and had completely forgotten PERADVENTURE having not seen it for many a year.
Good to see some old-fashioned words in PERADVENTURE and DISTRAIT making an appearance even if they’re rarely used in speech or the printed word these days. Lots to like including the misleading surface for the ‘Keep’ def, the MODE RATE and the ‘Italian scooters’ and ’emperor’ association.
I wonder if the first row of unches has any significance, particularly given ACROSTIC as an answer at 16d? Not that I can see.
Thanks to Klingsor and RR
Thanks both. A further reminder I need a proper e-dictionary as some definitions included here (e.g. guy-tease) and in many previous puzzles are not confirmed by what I have as a resource. I only knew DISTRAIT as a French word
Excellent. Well-written, good setting exemplified.
I agree with Hovis. Some of these are marvels of construction, OILSKIN for example.
Rather late to the party – the blog wasn’t up when I had to go out this morning and I’ve only just remembered to look for it.
I pretty much agree with Hovis @2: Klingsor is one of my top favourite setters, for his surface construction – I really don’t understand solvers who have scant regard for this: to my mind, they miss out on such a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction. (I do have a handful of others whom I admire greatly in this regard.)
My ticks today were for STRONGOLD, PERADVENTURE, DISTRAIT (especially for misleading definitions), DACHSHUND (for the construction – giving me a mnemonic for the spelling), and VESPASIAN, for the lovely mental picture and all, of course, for the surfaces.
I confess to having also been initially beguiled by BIGAMY (?I?R?Y) until I gave up trying to parse it and light finally dawned.
Many thanks to Klingsor for a highly enjoyable puzzle, as ever, and to RR for an entertaining blog.
Absolutely splendidly clued, so a pleasure to solve.
Among many others, would single out PERADVENTURE as a gem
Thanks to Klingsor and RatkojaRiku for the blog.