Some neat touches along the way from Philistine this week, although I didn’t help myself by taking a couple of minor detours…
…firstly by tapping in ‘PICK OF THE BUNCH’ at 10A, and later with ‘LOQUACIOUS’ at 6D…the former maybe justifiably, with no crossers yet; the latter was a bit of a hopeful punt, with a few crossers and a tenuous link to the definition! Luckily I was on the iPad, so no eraser or Tippex needed (other electronic tablet devices and liquid paper error-correctors are available…).
There seemed to be a multi-national spicy-sauce theme-ette over on the right of the grid, with WASABI, KIMCHI and HABANERO, but I’m not sure that counts as a Nina or full-on theme. (Unless I’ve missed anything more subtle.) And the grid is a Z short of being a pangram, for those that observe that kind of thing.
Otherwise some enjoyable (and punning) clueing and surface reads – my favourite probably being the SUNG LASSES Caroline and Peggy Sue at 23A; closely followed by the duelling FENCER at the bottom of the garden at 13A! The ERG in the CONVENT (‘as nuns’!) at 13D was also a nice touch. ODDNESS at 15A was clever, using the middle letters of several words and pulling them together into a credible surface read.
All in all, an enjoyable (but maybe not too taxing) solve – ideal for a blogging week! My thanks to Philistine. (I have solved many of your puzzles over the years, but I think this is the first one I have had the pleasure of blogging – unless you are also an Indy or EV setter under a different pseudonym?…)
And I trust all is clear below…
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| Clue No | Solution | Clue (definition underlined)
Logic/parsing |
| 8A | JEALOUSY | Every now and then Joe has awful feelings of resentment towards a rival (8)
JEA (alternate letters, i.e. every now and then, from ‘JoE hAs’) + LOUSY (awful) |
| 9A | EXOTIC | Sexy kiss for Romeo’s fancy (6)
E( |
| 10A | BEST (OF THE BUNCH) | & 11 Top banana? (4,2,3,5)
punning CD!? |
| 11A | OF THE BUNCH | See 10 (2, 3, 5)
See 10A |
| 12A | FENCER | Swordsman who works at the end of the garden? (6)
punning double defn. – a FENCER can be a swordsman; and a FENCER might work at the end of your garden! |
| 14A | RHINITIS | Perhaps cold egg in Irish stew (8)
RHI_IS (anag, i.e. stew, of IRISH) around NIT (egg of a louse) |
| 15A | ODDNESS | In essence, God, Buddha and Jesu use idiosyncrasy (7)
middle letters, or essences, of ‘gOd , buDDha aNd jESu uSe’ |
| 17A | ATROPHY | A prize being wasted (7)
A + TROPHY (prize) |
| 20A | NEVER (YOU MIND) | & 24 Solvers surrounded by rats in flipping sanctuary? Don’t ask! (5,3,4)
NE_D (den, sanctuary, flipping) around VER_MIN (rats), itself around YOU – the solvers! |
| 22A | WASABI | Relish being in Glasgow as a bisexual (6)
hidden word in, i.e. being in, ‘glasgoW AS A BIsexual’ |
| 23A | SUNGLASSES | Accessories for Caroline and Peggy Sue? (10)
Caroline (Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, etc.) and Peggy Sue (Buddy Holly), were both girls (LASSES) who were SUNG about, making them SUNG-LASSES! |
| 24A | YOU MIND | See 20 (4)
See 20A |
| 25A | ATONED | Made up for United having dismal start (6)
AT ONE (united, together in unison) + D (starting letter of Dismal) |
| 26A | OVERTURE | Approach clear river (8)
OVERT (clear) + URE (river, in North Yorkshire) |
| Down | ||
| Clue No | Solution | Clue (definition underlined)
Logic/parsing |
| 1D | REVEREND | Minister’s cut always included (8)
R_END (cut, tear) around (including) EVER (always) |
| 2D | FLAT (MATE) | & 24 Lacklustre meat cooked for fellow resident (8)
FLAT (lacklustre) + MATE (anag, i.e. cooked, of MEAT) |
| 3D | HUMOUR | In time, hesitation can be fun (6)
H_OUR (time) around UM (hesitation) |
| 4D | MYSTERY | Philistine’s tyres blown? That’s hard to explain (7)
MY (Philistine’s, the setter’s) + STERY (anag, i.e. blown, of TYRES) |
| 5D | DERELICT | Ramshackle antiquity appearing in adverts regularly (8)
DE_T (regular letters from aDvErT) around RELIC (antiquity) |
| 6D | VOLUMINOUS | Big and bright benevolent heart at first (10)
VO (heart, or mddle letters,, of beneVOlent) + LUMINOUS (bright) |
| 7D | KIMCHI | Korean-inspired meals can have it for starters (6)
&lit-ish – whole clue acts as definition? First letters, or starters, of ‘Korean-Inspired Meals Can Have It’! |
| 13D | CONVERGENT | Coming together, some work as nuns (10)
ERG (unit of work) in CONV_ENT (as nuns are!) = CONVERGENT |
| 16D | SKYWARDS | Broadcaster’s drawback covered up (8)
SKY_S (Sky’s, broadcaster’s) around (covering) WARD (draw, back) |
| 18D | HABANERO | Champion welcomes a boycott of hot stuff (8)
H_ERO (champion) around (welcoming) A + BAN (boycott) |
| 19D | MUGSHOT | Picture a reason for a sensitive person to delay drinking tea? (7)
A sensitive person might delay drinking tea because the MUG’S HOT! |
| 21D | EQUITY | Leave secured by you, once up for union (6)
E_Y (ye, or you, archaic, or once, up, or reversed) around (securing) QUIT (leave) [Equity being the actors’ trade union, in the UK] |
| 22D | WISHES | That woman is following her organisation’s desires (6)
WI (Women’s Institute, organisation for women, so maybe ‘hers’) followed by SHES (that woman, SHE, plus contracted ‘is’ as ‘S’) |
| 24D | MATE | See 2 (4)
See 2D |
Thanks mc_rapper67. A walk in the park I thought after writing in three of the first four across answers. It didnāt quite work out like that though, partly because one of them was wrong ā like you I had āpickā instead of ābestā in 10a. Progress was steady though until I was finally held up by MUGSHOT and SUNGLASSES. The crossing letters werenāt a lot of help but they are both admirable clues. The second word of 20,24 was obvious but fitting in the other two was more of a challenge. I had some trouble trying to explain ‘converging’ for 13d before seeing the error of my ways.
One typo, it is the meat that is cooked in 24d.
Nice puzzle, good blog – and I would concur that KIMCHI is an &lit.
The only one I had trouble justifying is ATROPHY – the word is a noun or a verb, but the definition “wasted” is adjectival. Just realized, maybe the definition is “being wasted”, so both can follow “state of” and mean the same thing.
The first clue to catch my eye was 10a, 11a, and like you mc_rapper I immediately thought, that’s obviously “pick of the bunch” and put that in, only to be disabused a bit later by the crossers.
Lots of good clues here, favourite being MYSTERY with a brilliant surface – “Philistineās tyres blown? Thatās hard to explain”!
SUNGLASSES was also good. This was clued a bit similarly by Tees in Independent 9,896, which I only noticed because that puzzle was referenced in General Discussion @96 a few days ago. Is there nothing new under the sun?
Many thanks Philistine and mc_rapper67.
(It would be nice to see comments by Gervase and Roz today.)
Did half last week and forgot to complete until I saw it was here just now. Rushing a bit but stuck at RHINITIS KIMCHI SUNGLASSES MUGSHOT to name several. Kicking myself.
Thanks both.
Would have thought Actors Equity, Oz version, was a colonial inheritance, but it seems the first was in NY city, hey ho.
Yep, fun puzzle, not too hard. Good suggestion, Dr Wh @2, re atrophy, at which my eyebrow too did a flicker. Even with Neil Diamond in one ear and Buddy Holly in the other, sunglasses was still LOI … dim! Also, failed to correct an unparsed converging, (phonic error, thinking about virgins) … again dim. Not my best effort, but enjoyed, ta Phil and rapper.
I must have already had crossers to help so I had BEST not Pick. The ‘as nuns’ in CONVERGENT took me a while but is clever when you get it. Others I enjoyed were KIMCHI (not a fan), EXOTIC and the clever SUNGLASSES.
Lots of fun. I’m easily amused so loved SUNGLASSES and MUGSHOT. Also enjoyed ATONED for the clever variation on united.
Thanks mc_rapper67 and Philistine.
Another “pick” instead of BEST in that bunch, here. I also loved the SUNGLASSES. Nothing too taxing, but fun. For some reason I can’t explain CONVERGENT took the longest.
Thanks Philistine and mc_rapper67.
@Tim C — “not a fan” — of the pickle or of the clue? š [I happen to love Kimchi (spicy/sour/fishy) and also is probiotic. And there are many different kinds. Kind of like sauerkraut with Worcester sauce.]
Got all but 23 and 19, which are both exceeding clever. And 9, where I was trying to parse EROTIC with no success, even knowing the Romeo=R!
Thanks to Philistine for the fun puzzle and to mc_rapper67 for the blog. (I, too was looking for more spicy clues …)
A fine crossword overall — I liked EXOTIC, ATROPHY, RHINITIS, the brilliant KIMCHI, HUMOUR, and MYSTERY, the latter for its wonderful surface. I did have problems, however, with SUNGLASSES and MUGSHOT — I guess I don’t hear well in my head — as well as CONVERGENT and OVERTURE. Thanks to both.
Really interesting puzzle, fortunately cracked before worst of the heat in my neck of the woods. Except I failed with the EXOTIC.
Looking forward to hearing the verdict on which clue was BEST OF THE BUNCH. I guess SUNGLASSES may take some beating. Thanks, all.
Of the pickle Calgal @9 The clue was a great &lit. My Korean friends rave about it (the pickle not the clue š ).
Very good, just ran aground in the SW.
Thanks for the explanations.
Enjoyed this and got off to a good start, but ground to a halt in the SW and like Calgal@19 didn’t get 23 and 19.
Favourites included EQUITY, MYSTERY, KIMCHI, NEVER YOU MIND, RHINITIS
Thanks Philistine and mc_rapper67
Excellent fun. Particularly liked SUNGLASSES, groaned a little at MUGSHOT, liked the neat KIMCHI, failed to parse CONVERGENT properly (thanks mc_rapper67 for the explanation), and spent too long trying to decide between exotic and erotic for 9a before finally realising how the clue worked.. Thanks, Philistine.
Slight typo in the grid where you have HABANERE, though it’s correctly HABANERO above. I originally had CONVERTING for 13D which held me up with 23A. When I finally saw 23A was SUNGLASSES, I changed 13D to CONVERGING and only realised how the clue worked on the Sunday and finally corrected it. MUGSHOT needed the crossers, but I gave myself a hefty kick when I finally saw it. Enjoyable puzzle with smiles along the way as always with Philistine, to whom much thanks, as also to mc_rapper67 for the blog.
I had some crossers in before I got BEST OF THE BUNCH, so didn’t get misled into pick. The southwest corner took me longest, with groans for the SUNGLASSES and MUGSHOT when I parsed them. Another with CONVERGING unparsed so DNF, grump.
Thanks Philistine and mc_rapper67
Pretty quick once I had corrected PICK (that so many of us went for it confirms my impression that it’s the more common expression), but lots of fun. Laughed out loud at SUNGLASSES!
Not too difficult for a Prize, I thought. Well, I finished it anyway, and a weekās passing means that I canāt actually recall if I used any crossword-solvery-app help to do so.
Like almost everyone I went PICK before BEST but crossers put me right. I had to re-read 9a a few times before I could work out which consonant was replacing which, but pleased to see I got it right. As usual, I got a few from the definitions and crossers without getting the wordplayā¦ the one that made me laugh today was SUNGLASSES, which I knew was the right answer but hadnāt parsed as SUNG LASSES. Doh!
Thanks both.
My heart always beats a little faster* (!) when I see Philistine’s name on top of a puzzle and this one fulfilled my expectations. From the first clue I felt myself clicking onto Philistine’s wavelength. It was no walk in the park though as I did have a few issues in solving the whole thing. But it definitely was a solving experience that was right up my alley in terms of likeable clues, pleasing surfaces and just the right amount of challenge. All my favourites (and there were a lot) have already been mentioned here except (I think) VOLUMINOUS at 6d (another hearty clue!). Thanks very much to Philistine and mc_rapper67.
*Fortunately with excitement – no heart issues needing the surgeon’s skills
Like others, I also ground to a halt in the SW, but eventually got there this morning with the amusing SUNGLASSES and MUGSHOT LOI. (The check button also assisted, thankfully). MYSTERY and KIMCHI were marvellous.
Ta Philistine & mc
I’m frustrated that I can’t find my copy of this puzzle and so have no notes to refer to but I think Julie in Australia pretty well sums up my thoughts.
I do remember laughing at SUNGLASSES and the similarly constructed MUGSHOT. I remember Julie once commenting that she liked clues that would make her see words in a new light in future – but, although I agreed with her, I typically can’t now remember the clue in question!
Many thanks to Philistine for the fun and mc_rapper67 for the blog.
Great puzzle which I almost completed, but which finally beat me fairly and squarely. I was another CONVERGING EROTIC PICKer, and originally went for POTSHOT rather than MUGSHOT. SKYWARDS was very clever and defeated me as did SUNGLASSES, though I thought long and hard about the lasses’ musical connexion. So many thanks to the surely misnamed Philistine for all of the fun, and mc rapper for the much needed parsing.
Bravo Philistine for an excellent challenge and to Thanks mc_rapper67 for explaining it all so well,
Not especially difficult but unlike JinA @20 I never clicked into Philistine’s wavelength. So not only the joke-y SUNGLASSES and MUGSHOT were left blank but even some straightforward charades (EQUITY and OVERTURE). I too went for PICK OF THE BUNCH, and am heartened to see I wasn’t the only one. Thinking back on it, I’m not sure ‘PICK of the bunch’ is actually a thing – it actually isn’t in Chambers (phone version), whereas BEST of certainly is.
I think my fav clue was WASABI, just for the surface reading, which for me is best rendered in a Scottish accent.
Thanks again mc_rapper67 and all learned contributors on here for further increasing my store of knowledge.
SUNGLASSES was genius. I am only sorry that I defeated myself by inserting an incorrect (and dodgily unparsed) answer in for one of its crossers: a schoolboy error. This meant that I missed out on the laugh out loud clever clue (yes Eileen@22 iāll always hear that word like that now).
Thanks Philistine and an mc for a great puzzle and a delightful blog respectively.
By coincidence, I had just made my first batch of KIMCHI of the year, when i solved this. As well as the other favourites, I enjoyed the trademark lift and separate SKYWARDS.
Thanks Philistine and mc_r
I left the first word of 10/11 blank till I had a crosser, just to be sure.
But, like Es @ 24 apparently, Iāve heard both ābest of the bunchā and āpick of the cropā, but donāt think Iāve ever hear āpick of the bunchā.
Thanks for the various comments and feedback so far – much appreciated as usual.
Tomsdad at #16 – good spot, thanks – grid duly corrected. And Biggles A at #1 – MATE -> MEAT in the fodder at 2D/24D…
TimC at #12 – I do hope you are introducing your Korean friends to the dark arts of the cryptic crossword…
Apart from that, there seems to be a lot of consensus around overall enjoyment; groans at the SUNG LASSES and MUG’S HOT; and occasional blind alleyways – CONVERGING/ENT; PICK/BEST OF THE BUNCH; EROTIC/EXOTIC…
Enjoyable, but as often with clues that ask us to swap one letter for another, EXOTIC could just as easily have been EROTIC. Luckily I picked the right one.
poc @29 – surely the ‘for’ makes the substitution clear?
Thanks Philistine and mc. Well I had ERG and I had CONVENT and now I see why one is in the other. I put it down to a Grauniad typo at the time. Anyway, I had to cheat because I couldn’t spell ATTONED!
LOI and favourite of several enjoyable clues was 23a which I only got when I had given up and no longer had CONVENTING in front of me. It’s an old version of convening and I suppose Philistine or some others might clue it as something nuns do, so it parses.
Thanks to Philistine and mc_rapper67.
[No crossword fans among my Korean friends unfortunately mc_rapper67 @28, but you’ve just given me an idea for a themed crossword. š ]
So nobody else had STOKED for 25A? (made up = delighted)
Stokey Steve @34. So, it’s Stoke United now, instead of Stoke City? š
Pino @32. I had CONVENTING as a possibility, but didn’t write it in because CUTTLASSES ( š ) was obviously not the right word (or spelling) for Caroline and Peggy Sue’s piratical accessories…
…and I always liked CONVERGING as a better answer, though I couldn’t parse it, and didn’t yet have the crossing G. Then when I finally got the SUNG LASSES ( š ) – with help from the crossing S in MUGSHOT – I forgot to go back and check the last three letters (and the parsing) of 13d, so I didn’t actually get CONVERGENT after all.
Thanks to Philistine and our blogger.
Thanks for the blog. Happy to be in such good company, my FOI was (or so I thought) PICK OF THE BUNCH. Thankfully 1D was straightforward enough to be able to correct my mistake pretty quickly.
I got everything last week except MUGSHOT, which “check” set me right with tests of a few consonants in _U_S_O_. N didn’t work but T did.
Enjoyable puzzle, though I don’t remember much about solving it after a week. Thanks Philistine and mcrapper67.
sheffield hatter @36. Doh. Iād have known that if Iād ever been to Stoke. Looks like Stoke United is a village team in Norfolk … stupid google.
[Steve @39. You fooled me with your moniker. So, you live in Stoke Newington?]
Quite a smooth run with this one. I’m afraid I couldn’t suppress a giggle when I wrote in FLATMATE: memories of that hoary old ‘hedgehog’ joke. Sorry guys!
But my favourite here? EXOTIC perhaps. I’m always keen on well-concealed substitutions.
Thanks to Philistine an Mc_R.
Thanks mc_rapper, yes a strange Tig Vs Tag split between best/pick: I have only used the latter but would always use the former in choosing from a BAD bunch, no idea why. Enjoyed this and SW held me up a while as seems common, thanks Philistine.
mc – how can you doubt yourself? Modesty or diffidence? No need for “ish” or “?” KIMCHI is a neat &lit., no more no less (though you’ve had me questioning myself! Thanks!)
As ever with Philistine, there are clues that twinkle; thoroughly enjoyable crossword without being at all taxing.
(I’ve saved yesterday’s Enigmatist in anticipation of such!)
Many thanks, both and all
Many thanks
I’ve forgotten a lot about solving this puzzle last weekend, but I remember how much I admired and enjoyed it, plus one thing in particular: guessing SUNGLASSES from ‘Accessories’ and the letters already there and then, moments later, getting the lovely surprise on seeing how it worked. There were several other very good clues, as already noted by other commenters.
Thanks to Philistine and mc_rapper67.
Loved this – many thanks Philistine, I do so love your Cryptics. Great blog mc_r67. I did like your explanation of your solving process. I was in two minds about PICK or BEST until I got 1D. I think “picture” at 19D should be underlined but that is a very minor quibble. Would not have got MUGSHOT my LOI without SUNGLASSES which is brilliant. Too many great clues to list them all, but those are two of them.
Thanks for the continuing comments – much appreciated.
PaulineinBrum at #45 – another good spot – duly corrected. Three mistakes in one blog – I must be losing my proof-correcting touch!
William F P at #43 – diffidence – I’m always a bit wary of calling out an &lit, as I have done so on many times in the past and been corrected! My initial thought was that the ‘it’ in the sentence was the definition, but it is also part of the wordplay. Anyway, in tribute to that clue, I have just made a spicy cabbage and bean soup, using up lots of leftovers…
William FP@43 – if you have saved the Enigmatist hoping for it to be enjoyable without at all taxing you may be in for a disappointment. Enjoyable, yes…
I was busy during first half of week, so late finish. Logical clues, some devious but generally enjoyable and no obscure timewasters, so I stuck at it to the end. Liked 22ac, 7d and 16d. Just 1 error – erotic for 9ac – and I could not explain the answer. Good puzzle.