Our Thursday challenge is provided by Bluth this week.
Quite a lot of the usual crossword abbreviations this week, along with several showbusiness references, and not one but two digs at our ex-PM. I particularly liked 5a and 14d for the plausible surfaces, and 17d made me laugh. 19a is clever but seemed strangely familiar: there was a very similar clue for the same word in one of last week’s Indy puzzles. Great minds think alike, clearly, but perhaps the editor should have picked it up. Thanks Bluth for the fun.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 |
See 2 Down
|
|
| 5 | SUSPECT |
Dodgy cult claims universal knowledge (7)
|
| SECT (cult), containing (claims) U (abbreviation for universal) + SP (knowledge or information about a specific subject: derived from an abbreviation for “starting price” = the odds for betting on a particular horse at the start of a race). | ||
| 9 | ANKLE |
Cross husband leaves finally – roll the joint (5)
|
| ANK[h] (a cross with a loop at the top), without H (husband), then the last letters (finally) of [rol]L [th]E. | ||
| 10 | FOLLOWING |
Silliness curtailed by outstanding fans (9)
|
| FOLL[y] (silliness) without the last letter (curtailed), then OWING (outstanding = yet to be paid).
As in “the club has a loyal following” = it has loyal fans. |
||
| 11 | SHADOWIER |
West’s involvement in Rhodesia’s dissolution appears to be less substantial (9)
|
| Anagram (dissolution) of RHODESIA with W (west) inserted. | ||
| 12 | CREDO |
Wine business takes belief (5)
|
| RED (short for red wine), inserted into (. . . takes) CO (abbreviation for company or corporation = business). | ||
| 13 | DEBASE |
Partly decorates a bedroom in retirement to add value? Far from it! (6)
|
| Hidden answer (partly), reversed (in retirement), in [decorat]ES A BED[room].
Debase = to lower the value of something. |
||
| 15 | PLACE MAT |
Student wearing dull top backwards – it offers thermal protection (5,3)
|
| L (learner, as in L-plate = student), inserted into TAME (dull) + CAP (top), all reversed (backwards). | ||
| 18 | FOR A SONG |
Cheap excuse to drop tab amidst confusion (3,1,4)
|
| R[e]ASON (excuse), dropping the E (tab = slang for a tablet containing the drug ecstasy), inserted into FOG (confusion).
As in “going for a song” = being sold at less than its true value. |
||
| 19 | MIASMA |
Maternal grandmother taking in Italy’s foul atmosphere (6)
|
| MA’S MA (maternal grandmother), containing I (abbreviation for Italy). | ||
| 22 | NIECE |
Attempt to contact the dead – assuming that is not main relative (5)
|
| [sea]NCE (attempt to contact the dead), containing (assuming = taking in) IE (i.e. = Latin id est = that is), without SEA (main). | ||
| 24 | RED CARPET |
Favourite racecourse’s first to provide VIP treatment (3,6)
|
| PET (favourite), with REDCAR (horse racing course) first.
Red carpet = traditionally used at the entrance to events attended by showbusiness stars, or (metaphorically) special treatment for privileged people. |
||
| 26 | ACQUITTAL |
American court about to stop gangster getting discharge (9)
|
| A (abbreviation for American), then CT (abbreviation for court) around QUIT (to stop), then AL (Al Capone = gangster). | ||
| 27 | HINDI |
Deer essentially bit tongue (5)
|
| HIND (female deer) + middle letter (essentially) of [b]I[t].
Tongue = language. |
||
| 28 | TEEPEES |
Pegs go inside tents (7)
|
| TEES (pegs used to support golf balls) with PEE (go = urinate) inside. | ||
| 29 | DEPLORE |
Strongly disapprove of part changing hands after actor Johnny’s quietly sacked (7)
|
| ROLE (part for an actor) with the L and R (hands) swapped, after DEP[p] (actor Johnny Depp) with one P (p = Italian piano = musical term for quietly) removed. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BRAISED |
Stewed lamb’s tail brought up (7)
|
| Last letter (tail) of [lam]B, then RAISED (brought up). | ||
| 2/1A/16 | LIKE A BULL IN A CHINA SHOP |
Clumsy – audience’s sympathetic during a friend’s dance (4,1,4,2,1,5,4)
|
| Homophone (audience’s) of LIKEABLE (sympathetic), then IN (during) + A CHINA’S (friend’s, from Cockney rhyming slang china plate = mate = friend) + HOP (dance). | ||
| 3 | ICEHOUSES |
Cold storage facilities having no news once sunshine’s blazing (9)
|
| Anagram (blazing?) of O[n]CE SU[n]SHI[n]E with all three N (abbreviation for new, so in the plural “news”) removed. | ||
| 4 | AU FAIT |
Posh interrupting a group of footballers before international – tip for team is familiar (2,4)
|
| U (posh = upper-class, as in “U and non-U”) inserted into (interrupting) A + FA (group of footballers), then I (international) + first letter (tip) of T[eam].
As in “You need to be au fait with lots of standard abbreviations to solve cryptic crosswords”. |
||
| 5 | SELF-RULE |
Feel slur affected political autonomy (4-4)
|
| Anagram (affected) of FEEL SLUR. | ||
| 6 | STOIC |
Truss extremely upset – to begin with only one conservative resigned (5)
|
| End letters (. . . extremely) from T[rus]S, reversed (upset = upwards in a down clue), then first letter (to begin with) of O[nly], then I (one in Roman numerals) + C (abbreviation for conservative).
Stoic = resigned = accepting one’s circumstances without complaint. |
||
| 7 | EPIDERMIS |
Per diems fiddled – I invested in waterproof layer? (9)
|
| Anagram (fiddled) of PER DIEMS, with I inserted (invested).
The outer layer of the skin. |
||
| 8 | TUGBOAT |
Tying up guards for starters, then woman regularly breaks into BT Tower (7)
|
| First letters (for starters) of T[ying] U[p] G[uards], then alternate letters (regularly) of [w]O[m]A[n] inserted into BT.
Tugboat = a vessel that tows other vessels = tower. |
||
| 14 | BURLESQUE |
Problem arising with contrived sequel – it’s supposed to be entertaining (9)
|
| RUB (problem, as in “there’s the rub” = that’s the problem) reversed (arising = upwards in a down clue), then an anagram (contrived) of SEQUEL.
Theatrical entertainment parodying other works, or risqué stage shows often featuring scantily-dressed performers. |
||
| 16 |
See 2
|
|
| 17 | UNTRUTHS |
Hunt and Truss mostly broadcast lies (8)
|
| Anagram (broadcast = scattered) of HUNT + TRUS[s] (mostly = all but the last letter). | ||
| 18 | FINE ART |
Appropriate to protect local sculpture, say (4,3)
|
| FIT (appropriate) containing (to protect) NEAR (local). | ||
| 20 | ASTAIRE |
Sinatra’s working, making number exciting, principally for dancer (7)
|
| Anagram (working) of SI[n]ATRA, with the N (number) replaced by the first letter (principally) of E[xciting].
The dancer originally known as Frederick Austerlitz. |
||
| 21 | ADDLED |
Confused – put on light (6)
|
| ADD (put on) + LED (light-emitting diode, now a common form of light bulb). | ||
| 23 | ELITE |
Cream from Aldi, regularly described by French and English (5)
|
| Alternate letters (regularly) of [a]L[d]I, contained in (described by) ET (French “and”), then E (English).
Cream = elite = the best. |
||
| 25 | PANTO |
Cruise company theatre’s opening for start of drag show (5)
|
| P AN[d] O (the cruise company P&O, originally The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company), with the first letter (opening) of T[heatre] replacing the first letter (start) of D[rag]. |
A typical Bluth crossword with lots of fun throughout.
Not only did I remember 19a from last week, but I’ve seen the REDCAR PET before (although a long time ago) too
Thanks very much to Bluth for the fun and Quirister for the blog
19A The Ma’s Ma device for MIASMA appeared somewhere else recently – great minds think alike no doubt. Well up to Bluth’s usual high standard, so thanks to him and Quirister.
Very entertaining and even I could understand what the UK political references were all about. Easier to fill the grid than to work out the sometimes complicated parsing. Obvious now, but I still managed to miss the LIKE A BULL for ‘sympathetic’ homophone.
Favourites were the surfaces for TUGBOAT and UNTRUTHS.
Thanks to Bluth and Quirister
For those not aware, Mr Gorman’s favourite mangling of a well-known phrase is like a bowl in a China shop. It does make me laugh when you think ‘what’s that even supposed to mean?’. I agree it is a shame about MIASMA but c’est la vie. Wonder if Tyrus may be upset he didn’t appear in 6d 🙂
Well, Bluth, considering you were going commando with this one, nothing too bad seems to have slipped through!!! 😉 Not your fault about MIASMA – happens to everyone once in a while.
FOLLOWING, RED CARPET, TEEPEES, BURLESQUE, ASTAIRE, TUGBOAT and ADDLED were my favourites today. All very nice constructions.
Thanks Bluth and Quirister
Great stuff with all a lot of the usual parsing challenges from this setter typified by the amazing LIKE A BULL IN A CHINA SHOP.
My top picks were: BURLESQUE, UNTRUTHS, RED CARPET and FOLLOWING.
Many thanks to Bluth and to Quirister.
What Rabbit Dave said. Thanks, both.
Blog for 8 has (B)oat where it should have (G)uards.
Enjoyed this but got held up by putting ARTISTE for 20 (which isn’t an anagram but had 3 of the letters in the right place!).
Thanks to Bluth and Quirister
reddevil @8: Thanks, blog now corrected. Yes, I had ARTISTE for a while too.
ASTAIRE my last in too. Great puzzle & as usual clever wordplay from one of my favourite setters. Too many goodies to single ones out.
Thanks to B&Q
Yes, we also slapped in a careless ‘artiste’ for 20, but as that made 27 ‘hinds’ when the definition had to be ‘tongue’ rather than ‘deer’ we realised our error. Otherwise fairly straightforward, although the SW corner held us up a bit, and we liked the political allusions.
Thanks, Bluth and Quirister.
Great puzzle as ever from this setter, a perfect accompaniment to an early evening beer.
LIKE A BULL….was a Tour de Force and it’s joined on my podium by TUGBOAT and PANTO. Great stuff
Thanks Bluth and Quirister.
Thanks Bluth and Quirieter.
That was a work out. Enjoyed it esp the very long one. Plus ICEHOUSES, TUGBOAT and PANTO
Needed parsing for PLACE MAT, FINE ART and FOR A SONG.
Messing with mat(t) for dull, fine for appropriate, or, forgive for excuse for that matter, was not helpful.
Thanks Quirister. And thanks all.