Independent 11,223 by Bluebird

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A new compiler for me as October comes around and we begin to solve by candle-light?

Though not the first puzzle from Bluebird. Some interesting and fun clues – 14ac, 5dn and 16dn are highly original and arguably the trickier sort of cryptic clue

2dn was simply exquisite in its misdirection, whilst 4dn really made me think (still not 100% sure of the intended correct parsing). The parsing of 8dn eludes me.

Many thanks Bluebird – a highly refreshing set of clues

Key: * anagram, Rev. reversed; underline definition; DD Double definition

Across
1 Legendary figure bringing about illness, suffering and the onset of barbarism (7)
Rev. flu (illness) + woe (suffering) + b (onset of barbarism) = BEOWULF

5 By 11, they deliver cigarettes (4-3)
roll (bap – 11ac) + UPS (they deliver) = ROLL-UPS

9 Harry got royals trying to predict the future (9)
(got royals)* = ASTROLOGY

10 A sailor’s east of Quebec – here, maybe? (5)
a + tar(sailor) after Q(Quebec) = QATAR

11 Two characters observed outside petrol station eating a bun (3)
BP (Two characters observed outside petrol station) around a = BAP

12 Relative entropy is linear, varying in the extremes of tidal-flow (6-2-3)
S (entropy) + is + (linear)* in TW (extremese of tidal-flow) = SISTER-IN-LAW

13 A lot of energy is created by Storm Oscar (5)
gust (sorm) + o (oscar) = GUSTO

14 Those taking in workers from the colonies? (9)
Cryptic defintion ANTEATERS

17 Rose might be in this old hat, carrying tent back to the start (4,5)
passe (old hat) around tent moving back t to start = PAST TENSE

18 Unused tin-opener to get patent (5)
over (unused) + t (tin-opener) = OVERT

20 Being indecisive, I rub around desperate cowboy’s bottom (8,3)
Rev. I rub + Dan’s (desperate cowboy’s) + ass (bottom) = BURIDAN’S ASS

23 Piece of dripping picked up (3)
Homonym of oozy = UZI

24 ‘Chili’ – irregular or alternative spelling of fruit (5)
(chili)* = LICHI

25 Mix chopped tomato with sliced bread, though not to make a dish (9)
(tomato – to + bread)* = DREAMBOAT

27 Turned on, artist is playing with balls across the table (7)
Rev. re (on) + Koons (artist – new one for me) = SNOOKER

28 Back from the west of Russia with slightly-damaged spoons (7)
(R (west of russia) + spoons)* = SPONSOR

Down

1 Might one sit on this purse? (7)
DD BEANBAG

2 They are, in the main, army or company retreats with firstclass appliances (9)
Rev. co(company) + top (firstclass) + uses (appliances) = OCTOPUSES (army as in many arms)

3 Its existence is up in the air (3)
Cryptic definition = UFO

4 Eggs that may be taken on board by Miss Piggy? (9)
Cryptic definition = FROGSPAWN (I think a reference to Kermit and Miss Piggy from the muppet show)

OR Miss Piggy uses a lot of French (Frog’s) pawn (that may be taken on board)

5 With time it will do so (5)
Cryptic definition = RHYME (rhymes with time)

6 £51 cooked roast? Are they wind-up merchants?! (11)
LI (51) + quid (£) + (roast)* = LIQUIDATORS

7 To release docked vessel at last (5)
untie (release) – e (docked) + l (vessel at last) = UNTIL

8 Lies about special spinning tools (7)
S(special) + pr(spinning) + awls (tools) = SPRAWLS

12 Sponge located on top of mug (7,4)
spotted (located) + dick (mug) = SPOTTED DICK

15 Green tea’s brewed for young people (9)
(green tea’s)* = TEENAGERS

16 Those that bring about death and deal with its aftermath (9)
DD EXECUTORS

17 Books footballer’s written about Brighton’s uneven playing surface (7)
Pele’s (footballer’s) around bb (books) = PEBBLES

19 Bluebird represents this silly-billy with the discontented face of regret (7)
twit (silly-billy) + te (discontented the) + r (face of regret) = TWITTER (emblem)

21 At sea – Côte d’Azur’s southernmost point? That’s right (5)
(cote + r)* = RECTO

22 Managed to catch Basic Instinct – on reflection, it’s the pits (5)
Rev. ran (managed) around Id (basic instinct) = NADIR

26 Low sound of whisky being tipped over room’s contents (3)
m (w(whisky tipped over)) + oo (room’s contents) = MOO

17 comments on “Independent 11,223 by Bluebird”

  3. 4D
    FROGSPAWN
    I agree with your parsing.
    PAWN seems to be referring to a pawn on a chess board.
    FROG’S PAWN

  4. I’m not sure you need the Miss Piggy speaking French element, twencelas. If she’s playing chess with Kermit, then the man she’s taking on the board is the Frog’s pawn.

    I found this considerably tougher than Bluebird’s previous offerings – even with that old crossword staple, BURIDAN’S ASS helpfully lurking in the middle!!! I’ll confess to using the occasional bit of help from both Check and Reveal Letter when stuck about 60% of the way through. Hats off to our compiler for some witty and wonderfully misdirectional definitions in OCTOPUSES, FROGSPAWN, EXECUTORS, LIQUIDATORS, PEBBLES and, for me, the star of the show, the opportunity to uniquely utilise the setter pseudonym for TWITTER. Very neat indeed.

    Thanks Bluebird and twencelas

  6. Thanks KVa – have added parsing now. And thsnks Postmark that does make the Frogspawn clue more PC remembering that Kermit is a frog.

  7. I am another who had to resort to the Check button to finish this. I got fixated on what the Bluebird over the white cliffs of Dover might represent. BURIDAN’S ASS a nho rather than a chestnut for me.

  8. BURIDAN’S ASS was new to me too. I’m not sure how far back the Site Search here goes, but today’s was the only example I could find and a search on the Times for The Times site also comes up with nothing. Maybe it only appears in highbrow puzzles such as those on MyCrossword.co.uk (I’d insert an only joking emoji here if I knew how to). FWIW a Google search comes up with (as expected) only 49,500 results!

    Yes, I found this harder than I remember Bluebird’s previous three offerings. Some excellent clues, with among others, the setter name that wasn’t for TWITTER, FROGSPAWN and the ‘whisky being tipped over’ W to M device for MOO tickling my fancy.

    Thanks to Bluebird and twencelas

  9. To be clear, my comment about crossword staple was firmly tongue in cheek! BURIDAN’S ASS smacks to me like one of those ‘only thing that’ll fit’ situations. With which I am only too familiar 😀 (Smiley face, just for WP 😉 )

  10. PostMark@9 or maybe he had a choice between two equally attractive options and couldn’t decide which to go for. Ok I’ve just looked the phrase up.

  12. Thanks to twencelas for the excellent blog, and to all those who took the time to comment – it’s greatly appreciated. I’ll aim to dial down the difficulty for the next one!

  13. Couldn’t get into this. Got only a handful of answers.

    But I did know BURIDAN’S ASS, so once I realised what the last part of the answer was, I did find immediately get it.

  14. Some very good fun clues here and some just too hard for me today. I ‘knew that I knew’ the ass but didn’t know his name and didn’t recognise it when Googling. Had a couple unsolved when I came here – BAP and FROGSPAWN, both really clever. Thank you Bluebird, I shall look forward to your next with trepidation. Thanks also twenceslas for a very helpful analysis.

    And thank you Petert @10 for a brilliant comment!

  16. Redddevil@15: Does “I put this IKEA cabinet together, but I still had 5 screws left [over/unused]. Should I be worried?” work for you?

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