A good solid puzzle from Brummie this morning. There are a couple of names that may be unfamiliar to some, but the clues are helpful. Thanks to Brummie.
This setter’s puzzles almost always have a ghost theme, but I can’t see anything here, so over to you…
| Across | ||||||||
| 1 | OSMOSIS | All the universe except the speed of light is an assimilation process (7) COSMOS less C (speed of light) + IS |
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| 5 | SOLICIT | Very legitimate request (7) SO (very) + LICIT |
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| 9 | ENROL | Measure uncompleted turn and record (5) EN (printer’s measure) + ROL[L] (turn) |
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| 10 | GALANTINE | Dashing lover left out popular oriental cold dish of meat? (9) GALLANT (dashing lover) less one L + IN (popular) + E (eastern, oriental) |
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| 11 | TINSELTOWN | Can south-eastern officer have control of Hollywood? (10) TIN (can) + SE + L[ieutenan]T + OWN (have control) |
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| 12 | ACRE | State in Brazil covered in Virginia creeper (4) Hidden in virginiA CREeper. Acre is a stat in north-western Brazil |
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| 14 | ABSENT‑MINDED | Not paying attention — makes amends in bed, squeezing sweetheart’s bottom (6-6) [sweethear]T in (AMENDS IN BED)*. Some might object to “bottom” to indicate the last letter in an across clue, but I’m OK with it |
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| 18 | CARICATURIST | Bell cracked by a US art critic? (12) (A US ART CRITIC)* – reference to the Guardian’s long-running cartoonist Steve Bell |
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| 21 | TWIG | Cotton on stick (4) Double definition: I liked this one |
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| 22 | ABHORRENCE | Where non-western carbon emission leads to revulsion (10) Anagram of WHERE less W + CARBON |
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| 25 | TOPIARIST | Clipper‘s No 1 record-keeper has day off (9) TOP (number 1) + DIARIST less D |
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| 26 | PRISM | Political leader holds back gentleman, a solid figure (5) Reverse of SIR in PM |
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| 27 | CHEETAH | Fast mover, iconic figure: ‘Don’t like being rejected!’ (7) CHE (Guevara, iconic figure) + reverse of HATE |
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| 28 | RESPECT | Regard support protecting a chest muscle (7) PEC (pectoral muscle) in REST (a support) |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 1 | OMERTA | Essentially, newcomer tackles code of silence (6) Hidden in newcOMER TAckles |
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| 2 | MARINA | Deep trench lacking a facility for craft (6) MARIANA (deep trench in the Pacific ocean) less the |
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| 3 | SILVERBACK | Cutlery support for mature anthropoid (10) SILVER (cutlery) + BACK (support) – a silverback is an adult male gorilla |
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| 4 | SIGHT | Mean to change leader’s vision (5) TIGHT (mean, stingy) with the first letter changed to S. I’m not keen on clues like this that don’t tell what the letter should be changed to |
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| 5 | SALT WATER | Latest war over the sea (4,5) (LATEST WAR)* |
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| 6 | LONG | Marathon taking place, cutting through Lake Geneva, initially (4) ON (taking place) in L[ake] G[eneva] |
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| 7 | COINCIDE | Money detectives at last appearance of The Clash, date-wise (8) COIN (money) + CID (detectives) + [th]E |
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| 8 | THE BENDS | Definitive crooks a diver must avoid (3,5) BENDS are crooks, with THE to make them “definitive” |
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| 13 | PINSTRIPES | Old habit of city gents: get naked under cover of trees (10) STRIP (get naked) in PINES |
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| 15 | ESTABLISH | Found bliss? Hate to differ! (9) (BLISS HATE)* |
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| 16 | ECSTATIC | Earth caught by radio interference over the moon (8) E[arth] + C[aught] + STATIC |
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| 17 | FRUIT PIE | Dessert product, one taken during exercise (5,3) FRUIT (product) + I in PE |
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| 20 | HERMIT | Solitary record success includes REM riff (6) REM* in HIT (a successful record) |
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| 23 | OUTER | Network device doesn’t start — it’s far from gold (5) [R]OUTER – outer and gold are sections of an archery target |
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| 24 | WAIT IN LINE | ‘Comedian’ encompasses a fashionable occupation — join the queue (4,2,4) A in WIT + IN (fashionable) + LINE (occupation) |
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Just what a crossword should be! Fun and a bit of learning (galantine).
(Andrew – you have an L missing in the fodder for 15d)
Oh, and OMERTA is new to me.
What Tim @1 said, except that for me it was that I didn’t know of Acre the state in Brazil rather than acre the area of land that one man could plough in a day with a team of oxen.
“Bottom” in an across clue would have annoyed Ximenes, and I don’t like it much; but when the surface is as brilliant as ABSENT-MINDED the setter is readily forgiven.
Other delights TINSELTOWN, CARICATURIST, SALT WATER, COINCIDE.
Generally a really pleasant start to the day. Thanks Brummie and Andrew.
Haha! Couldn’t get TWIG, which as Andrew said is a really good clue. All good fun, somewhat challenging in parts. Thanks to B & A.
Thanks Andrew – I agree, a good solid puzzle, and entertaining with it. Bang in the Goldilocks zone for me – I was very much on Brummie’s wavelength this morning, and all the cultural references were known to me. I suspect that’s an age/upbringing thing.
TWIG was my LOI, appropriately enough (took me far too long to, er, cotton on), and also my favourite clue today. Smashing. Thanks, Brummie.
Thanks Brummie and Andrew
Very enjoyable. No particular favourites – lots of satisfying clues.
I didn’t know ACRE in Brazil, and there are more accessible definitions available (“Crusaders’ downfall”?).
18 would be a bit obscure for solvers who just use the free crossword rather than buy the paper!
Small point, Andrew – it’s the second A missing in 15d.
Liked TWIG and ABHORRENCE in particular.
Thanks Brummie and Andrew.
Lots to like – WAIT IN LINE, SILVERBACK, PRISM, CARICATURIST (what an anagram) and, my favourite for the surface, PINSTRIPES (and, yes, they do seem a relic from the past in these post-lockdown times).
I’m with others who have already suggested ACRE was rather more obscurely defined than was necessary. And I didn’t manage to get FRUIT PIE. I had -r-i- PIE and ‘product’ gave me a fairly wide range of possibilities for the first word – a product can be almost anything. I have a savoury rather than a sweet tooth so am out of my comfort zone but is ‘fruit pie’ actually a Thing? I’ve seen specific fruit attached to ‘pie’ and ‘fruit’ attached to salad, cocktail etc but can’t recall, on a menu, say, or on a supermarket shelf, ever seeing fruit pie per se.
Thanks Brummie and Andrew
Yes, muffin @7, I just assumed Bell was a caricaturist as it was hard to see what else it could be.
Also concur that TWIG was brilliant. The surface had me thinking of fairy floss (cotton candy to Americans).
There’s me thinking that Steve Bell is a cartoonist, before anything else. Agree too that FRUIT PIE is not really a ‘thing’, as most of them are named for the fruit they contain (apple pie, say). The TWIG clue whilst good has been done a few times before, so devalued as a result for me. Otherwise, very much a Guardian puzzle with attendant imperfections and ‘get away with its’ for me.
Lots to like. I twigged TWIG but could not see the hidden ones, OMERTA and ACRE which were new to me – got there eventually.
Thanks Brummie and Andrew
the last plantagenet @11
Yes, the “If” strip cartoons would make him a cartoonist, but he also occasionally did caricatures for the leader page.
Tackling a Brummie crossword is like receiving a well fastened package. At first the tape appears to have been so well applied there appears no way in, especially as in the excitement to reach the contents, you jump from place to place looking for an easier entry. But when patience is restored and the brain scissors have made one or two incisions, the gift’s delights unfurl one by one and reasonably quickly to provide a fulfilling experience.
Another excellent example today with too many finely composed clues to choose a favourite.
And yes, PostMark@7, you can buy “fruit pies” with that stated on the packing or, as I will be doing when summer rolls in, make my own pie containing six or seven types of fruit. I call it, ingeniously, a fruit pie!
A good, solid crossword. Thanks to setter and blogger.
Postmark @9. You’ve obviously never been to the buffet car on a train and had an individual fruit pie.
Thanks Andrew as I couldn’t parse ENROL, getting stuck on L = length for measure and ORNE as uncompleted (at each end) Corner for Turn, all reversed, far too complicated and of course couldn’t justify it – I have seen the various printing measures but didn’t make the leap.
Pleased that I am not the only one to take surprisingly long over TWIG, a word I use and see on here all the time!
Then guessed FRUIT pie as ‘best plausible fitting crossers and wordplay’, maybe it is an accepted category like “Wader” or “Raptor” for birds although I suppose puddings don’t have an official taxonomy.
As I (just) managed to squeeze into a suit yesterday for the first time in a couple of years I will pick PINSTRIPES as my favourite, thanks Brummie.
This was a nice bit of fun this morning. Didn’t know acre (as defined) or galantine but they were easily solved. I have no problem with fruit pies (especially with custard!) and being a Guardian reader ( without sandals) I miss the hilarious Steve Bell cartoons. Yes, he’s a cartoonist, but his strips featured exaggerated versions of politicians and other public figures so caricaturist is entirely valid. Thanks Brummie and Andrew.
I’m in total agreement (as often) with NeilH @4 – with the addition of TWIG!
Many thanks to Brummie and Andrew – a great start to the day.
Chris @16: if I’m going to open myself up to the fruit pie experience, is a buffet car on a train the best place to start?
Degee @14: I think we’ve had summer! And full marks for your denominative originality 😉
Tough puzzle for me. Failed to solve 21ac and 17d.
I guessed some by the definition but could not parse my answers for 9ac, 14ac (anagram?), 18ac, 22ac, 27ac, 2d, 4d, 23d.
Liked TINSELTOWN, COINCIDE. TOPIARIST.
New ACRE = state in Brazil.
Thanks, both.
A delight with ticks at TWIG, COINCIDE, PINSTRIPES, & ECSTATIC.
Struggling a bit to equate ENROL with record, but I suspect if I had a dictionary to hand it would appear.
Brummie is fast nearing the top of my “preferred setters” list.
Many thanks, both.
Glad, I’m not alone PM@9; ‘product’ was very non-specific and FRUIT PIE was my last in by some margin, but only after an alphabet trawl and I didn’t know it was a Thing. Anyway, apparently it is, as explained by others above.
Apart from that, no major problems though several had to go in from wordplay or def, such as ACRE, BELL and OUTER.
Thanks to Brummie and Andrew
This was a good challenge this morning. Though strictly a non finish, as I only knew ACRE as being a town or city that was the centre of attention during The Crusades. Also had Salient in at 5 ac for a while but as it didn’t make sense for “request” I realised the error of my ways. Couldn’t parse MARINA, but definite ticks for ABSENT-MINDED (COTD for me), CARICATURIST ( maybe in a dead heat for that accolade with 14ac) and ESTABLISH. Glad of Andrew’s explanation of ECSTATIC as I was wondering if it might be some kind of tricky homophone at first…
Chris@16: are individual fruit pies genuinely sold as such on trains, and if so on what lines? For the history:
https://www.kzwp.com/lyons1/bakery.htm
and scroll down to the fruit pie section. 2000 million of them! A fair proportion of them eaten by my family as we grew up after WW2.
Made pretty good progress till I got to the SW where I got FRUIT PIE but it took me ages and I didn’t get TOPIARIST (lovely clue now I see it) or OUTER
I also loved TWIG – made me smile
Other favourites were TINSELTOWN, GALANTINE, COINCIDE, ECSTATIC, PINSTRIPES
Thanks Brummie and Andrew
I guess I had all the requisite GK, though ACRE took a while to bubble to the top – indeed, I saw it was included but passed on and the bubbling came on a later occasion. So many I liked have been mentioned by others, and I twigged TWIG straight away. Putting together TINSELTOWN bit by bit and then seeing in a flash what it formed was a highlight. With SIGHT, it wasn’t so much which letter to change, Andrew, as what word it was originally, for me. Thanks, Brummie and Andrew.
“Fruit” pies are probably mostly apple, in the same way that fruit drinks are, whatever it says on the container!
Held up by having TACK for 21a (thinking of the dress-making term, using cotton; hence stick).
Thanks Brummie & Andrew
Patience is a necessary virtue when tackling both crosswords and microwaved Lyons individual fruit pies. I’ve too often been burned by the latter and fallen into error with the former, as today when I made the mistake of assuming Apple was a product and bunged in APPLE PIE. A very enjoyable puzzle, though.
Hitherto I haven’t typically said, “Oh good, a Brummie!” (the accent’s a bit off putting!), but today’s offering may change my mind. A slow start with ACRE and OMERTÀ, and then fairly steady progress.
Several clues were pleasing after some thought – TOPIARIST, HERMIT for example – and only ABHORRENCE had me struggling to parse it.
I think for FRUIT we may need to think of it as the result (aka product) of something eg “the fruit of your loins”?
An entertaining puzzle, with TWIG the biggest tick. I initially wondered for 1a if “reation” could somehow mean an assimilation process. In 18a I’m not entirely convinced that the question mark at the other end of the clue from “Bell” is sufficient to indicate the definition by example.
25a reminded me of one of my all-time favourite clues, from Araucaria: “Topiary – a bough damaged – story of my life! (13)”.
Thanks Brummie and Andrew.
Very straightforward for a Brummie and can’t see any theme apart from the usual music references. ABHORRENCE and CARICATURIST clear favourites. Andrew, you’re missing an ‘e’ in State for your explanation of ACRE.
Ta both
Nothing to spook the horses but a very neatly constructed puzzle.
Did I a catch a whiff of Graunophobia somewhere here.
Reminds me of hh long ago but less said the better
TINSELTOWN reminded me of a favourite song.
https://youtu.be/2q5CGLHJ-54
Thanks for the blog, great puzzle, ABSENT-MINDED and PINSTRIPES typical of Brummie as Cyclops. Great to see Steve Bell get a mention ( and Bodycheetah ), clever setting with the capital B at the start. ABHORRENCE and TOPIARIST are brilliant. ACRE and GALANTINE are very fairly clued if you do not know the definition.
For those who like Brummie , he sets the Cyclops puzzle once a fortnight in Private Eye. BeerMagnet and mc_rapper do brilliant blogs. I think people would be able to find a link to it easily.
I found it difficult to get started but the fog gradually lifted. TILT was GALANTINE, nicely put together. I liked ABSENT-MINDED, even though ‘bottom’ is generally a Down indicator, and SILVERBACK. Slight quibble with the ‘a’ in the clue for RESPECT, and I wasn’t sure who ‘Money detectives’ were until I found this.
Thanks Brummie and Andrew.
Is that “Tinseltown is in the Rain” ? AlanC @36. From the first ever album on the Linn label.
Yes great fun, as more frequently these days from Brummie (that sounds more mealy-mouthed than I intend). Had trouble parsing ABHORRENCE which I put down to ’emission’ being a somewhat (imho) watery anagrind. But I don’t want to detract in any way from an excellent entertainment.
Thanks both.
Postmark @20. Probably not, but I’ve never seen them anywhere else, which says it all, really.
Lovely puzzle and shared the same experience as Degee@14. Many deft clues with ABSENT-MINDED a firm favourite. Thanks to Brummie for the challenge and Andrew for his blog.
I really enjoyed this, great stuff. In 15d, both halves of the surface are ESTABLISHed phrases, making that clue so much better. As for the much-mentioned TWIG, I parsed it right away but couldn’t think of the term till I had crossers – still, loved it. And for the contentious comestible, I had to show MrsDrW the _R_I_ PIE for the answer. COINCIDE was a little clunky, but the definition well-hidden and a delightful surprise.
[Roz @39: Indeed it is, a beautifully haunting air].
A really enjoyable puzzle, with plenty of ticks for many of the clues.
I think I had FRUIT PIE most summer/autumn weeks of my childhood. A base of apple, often with blackberries, blackcurrants etc, essentially anything we had in garden/allotment.
Faves today were – TINSELTOWN, TWIG, ESTABLISH and HERMIT
Thanks Brummie and Andrew
Whatever the last plantagenet says, TWIG hasn’t been done often enough before for me to get it (good one, though). Also failed to parse ABHORRENCE and didn’t know that kind of ACRE. Nice to see Monsieur L’Artiste making a guest appearance as the CARICATURIST. Other favourites TOPIARIST, TINSELTOWN, COINCIDE, PINSTRIPES and SALT WATER (though “over” is a rather unusual anagrind).
FRUIT PIE, like mixed fruit jam, is a convenient description allowing the manufacturer to make it out of whatever there’s a glut of this week.
Started slowly but eventually unraveled. But come someone explain how ENROL means record? I must be missing something.
HarpoSpeaks @47
It originally means “to enter on the rolls”, i.e. to record someone’s entry.
gladys @46 – I’m not surprised by tlp’s comment – I expect I’ve seen a similar clue for TWIG before but don’t remember when or where. I reckon it’s probably not as well known as Anto’s one the other day, but like that one, it’s a nice enough clue that it bears another airing so that more people can enjoy it.
As for the generic FRUIT PIE, that’s something I remember from when I had a Saturday job in the chilled food section at the local Co-op supermarket back when I was a teenager.
4d I think it’s clear what the choices are (TIGHT and SIGHT) but not which one you should choose.
ACRE and GALANTINE seemed vaguely familiar, but Steve BELL was new to me.
“Fruit pie” makes me think of cookbooks, which may discuss fruit pies, cream pies, meat pies etc.
My COTD was ECSTATIC, for the surface.
Thanks, Brummie and Andrew.
Yes TWIG held me up for a while…so many “stick”s and ENROLL I thought didn’t quite fit record for me.
Bet I was only one to have EXSTATIC with the X explained as = by
Thanks Brummie and Andrew
I knew GALANTINE from one of CS Forester’s Hornblower books, which got me off to a good start, and I generally made good progress until I was held up for ages thinking of CREAM PIE (with cream being a dairy ‘product’), but T_A_ wasn’t getting me anywere for 21a. Then, of course, I twigged!
Thanks to Brummie and Andrew.
Another most enjoyable crossword and blog – thanks to Brummie and Andrew
Thanks to Brummie and Andrew!
My 2 cents regarding the “bottom” discussion: The way I see it, “bottom” can be synonymous with “rear end”, and therefore it is completely fine for identifying the last letter of a word. I don’t see why it should be more acceptable in a down clue than in an across clue. After all, the clue is always written horizontally. Why does it make a difference whether the answer is written vertically or horizontally? Do those of you who think it should only be used in down clues imagine the text of the clue turning into vertical orientation while you solve a down clue?
Thanks Brummie for a most satisfying crossword with TINSELTOWN, CARICATURIST (excellent surface), PRISM, COINCIDE, and ESTABLISH among my favourites. Like sheffield hatter @52 I put in “cream pie” instead of FRUIT PIE and therefore missed the clever TWIG. Thanks Andrew for the blog.
Majortom @54 or even backside 🙂
Enjoyed this very much. Just the right level of difficulty to provide some sustained entertainment without too much head scratching. Even the obscurities like ACRE, OMERTA and (for me) GALANTINE were fairly clued so eminently gettable.
Thanks very much Brummie and Andrew.
No-one so far has mentioned that OMERTA is particularly associated with the Mafia (and other similar organisations, such as the Camorra).
Ref using ‘bottom’ in an across clue, in humans your bottom is part-way up your structure. It may be the bottom of the torso, but that’s not the same. And if you’re lying on your front, your bottom is top.
…perhaps I shouldn’t have said that!
(Thank you AlanC @44 for the shout out for the brilliant Blue Nile. They only released 4 albums but every ones a gem.)
Simon S @59 Does this mean that you would also object to the use of phrases such as “bottom of the street” and “bottom of the garden” to refer to the far end of a street or garden (which I think can be used even if the garden or street is completely flat)?
Nice crossword. Loved twig when I did.
The fruit pie discussion surprises me. I’m pretty sure every supermarket sells packs of “Fruit Pies” – either own brand, or from the leading producer of cakes in the country. Usually they’re a variety of flavours, hence the generic name.
AlanC @36: Wow! That’s a blast from the past – thank you for that. I tend to think of this lovely song from Feeder instead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbcoFGuzwK4
[JerryG @61 & MarkN @63: I’m glad someone listened and your most welcome. I still have The Blue Nile with me often on my constitutionals. Wonderful band]. I gave up counting the names of bands after OMERTÀ, MARINA and PINSTRIPES and don’t start me on Radiohead’s ‘THE BENDS’ 🙂
majortom @ 62 I thinkyou’ve misunderstood me. I wasn’t objecting to the use in the slightest, simply pointing out that a word can have multiple interpretations depending on its context. Your example gives two more such.
Simon S @65 Sorry that I had misunderstood the intention of your post.
[ I did listen to your link idea AlanC@64 but on vinyl of course. I am complete format snob ]
[Roz @67: a class above]
Wonderful puzzle! Took me 3 or 4 attempts to finish it, but it was worth it — went to sleep trying to get the kind of pie at 17d, then plopped it in this morning and then 7d followed as LOI.
At the wonderful shop that sells Lochinver pies you can buy a fruit pie or a savoury pie and of course there are lots of yummy choices for each.
Very enjoyable.
Whenever I see 26a (and I only ever see it in cross), I am always minded of the wonderful Margaret Rutherford in ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ as Miss of the same.
New word for me to remember and forget. OMERTA, MARIANAS, GALANTINE, all parsable though.
Thanks both.
Excellent crossword, just the right degree of difficulty to exercise the grey cells but not so difficult as to tempt me to give up. In fact my first four in were the four most helpful answers – 1a, 5a, 1d and 16d – so I got a rather generous head start on filling the rest of the grid. No, this doesn’t usually happen for me ! No stand-out favourites today, but I did enjoy being reminded of the estimable and much-missed Steve Bell. Oh, and I now finally know what a GALANTINE is. Thanks to Andrew and Brummie.
HIYD @71 – you remind me that I thought, while solving 2d, “but isn’t it the Marianas Trench?”. That gives an excess S on the end. Turns out that both versions are used (Wikipedia), but in my Geology degree, we only ever used the version with the final S.
Very enjoyable. Thanks Brummie. Topiary was my last one in. I also think that a clue which substitutes one letter for another should have reference to the substituting letter. No theme today? I thought that Brummie usually had one (but I might be getting confused).
I think enrol can mean to record someone’s name on a register.
Enjoyed this, thanks Brummie. Last one in was FRUIT PIE. I didn’t get the archery connection with OUTER. Great to learn the odd new word with an accessible clue.
Like Andrew, I wasn’t impressed with SIGHT, but there were more than enough gems to make this worth completing. OSMOSIS was my FOI, and immediately drew me in. SILVERBACK was another delight.