It’s not unknown for Tees to provide the Monday puzzle in the Independent. He is on his usual good form with this offering.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
9 Article one penned by prisoner not given life?
INANIMATE
An insertion of AN I in INMATE. The insertion indicator is ‘penned by’.
10 Smallest republic wants gold in vase returned
NAURU
An insertion of AU in URN reversed. The reversal indicator is ‘returned’; The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
11 Raise bread, consecrated, one should cut
HOIST
An insertion of I in HOST. The insertion indicator is ‘should cut’.
12 In Ukrainian city never go Dutch, do they say?
CHERNOBYL
A homophone, allegedly, of SHARE NO BILL.
13 One French actor Amber’s not listened to?
UNHEARD
A charade of UN and [Amber] HEARD.
14 Work with uranium, fast becoming rich
OPULENT
A charade of OP, U and LENT (the forty days thereof).
16 Stench surrounds Republican Spike
PRONG
An insertion of R in PONG. The insertion indicator is ‘surrounds’.
18 Party hard? I’ve been foolish!
DOH
A charade of DO and H.
19 Lady Gaga encases king in durable resin
ALKYD
An insertion of K in (LADY)* The insertion indicator is ‘encases’ and the anagrind is ‘gaga’.
21 Grassland in southeast provides cover
SHEATHE
An insertion of HEATH in SE. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
22 Scientist, absent-minded, departs for week
FARADAY
Tees is inviting you to replace the W in FARAWAY with D.
24 Putting together new dissertation after second year
SYNTHESIS
A charade of S, Y, N and THESIS.
26 In sheikhdom, we’re told we should make purchase?
DUBAI
A homophone of DO BUY.
27 Signal from whaler transmitted
ALERT
Hidden in whALER Transmitted.
28 Swimmer‘s good following among bolshie nuts
GLOBEFISH
A charade of G and F inserted into (BOLSHIE)* The insertion indicator is ‘among’; the anagrind is ‘nuts’.
Down
1 Intoxicated judge and posh politician in event with bar
HIGH JUMP
A charade of HIGH, J, U and MP.
2 Go like a commercial vehicle?
VANISH
My pet snail was a really slow mover, so I removed his shell to see if he would speed up; but he just became more sluggish.
3 One virtuous person into the beer becomes frantic
DISTRAUGHT
An insertion of I ST in DRAUGHT. The insertion indicator is ‘into’.
4 Was plain-clothes police supremo bad?
RANCID
If you were once a supremo of the non-uniformed police, then you could say that you RAN CID.
5 Two insects circling horse — huge beast
BEHEMOTH
An insertion of H in BEE and MOTH. The insertion indicator is ‘circling’.
6 Macron’s refusal supplied to America in due time
ANON
A charade of A and NON.
Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again.
7 Public holiday’s sudden start
OUTBREAK
A charade of OUT and BREAK.
8 Optimistic investor, extremely efficient, getting sack
BULLET
A charade of BULL and ET for the outer letters of ‘efficient’. ‘She got the bullet after proving incompetent.’
15 Guard in bed, suffering complete
UNABRIDGED
(GUARD IN BED)* with ‘suffering’ as the anagrind.
17 Flower in Europe that chokes slender shrub
OLEANDER
An insertion of LEAN in the [River] ODER. The insertion indicator is ‘chokes’.
18 Horse moves long time after groom
DRESSAGE
A charade of DRESS and AGE.
20 Dawn‘s daughter certainly not heavy
DAYLIGHT
A charade of D, AY and LIGHT.
21 Strut surely has broken inside for example
SASHAY
An insertion of (HAS)* in SAY. The insertion indicator is ‘inside’ and the anagrind is ‘broken’.
22 Misunderstanding where fiddle eschewed in jazz-rock genre?
FUSION
[CON]FUSION
23 Style shown by Labour’s leader in European city
DUBLIN
A charade of DUB, L and IN.
25 Detest bowler perhaps — and England’s opener?
HATE
A charade of HAT and E for the initial letter of ‘England’.
Many thanks to Tees for the start to the Indy week.
VANISH:
Liked Pierre’s ‘slug-gish’ bit. ‘Van-ish’ explained nicely.
Thanks, T and P!
Thanks, Tees, a lovely fun start to the week – RANCID, VANISH, CHERNOBYL… all very droll.
And you’ve got Pierre at it too… been raiding the Christmas crackers for jokes already, Pierre? 🙂
Great Monday fun from Tees with one brilliant homophone (26a) and one utterly appalling one (12a).
Many thanks to Tees and to Pierre.
Thanks to Tees for another great crossword
Thanks also to Pierre
Bit of a stretch, Chernobyl (ch as in chomp) = share no bill, but I’ll let it pass! Otherwise very smooth and enjoyable as always, so thanks Tees and Pierre.
I thought this was hugely entertaining, one where you admire the setter’s art and wit in equal measure.
I laughed at the cringeworthy homophone at 12a and liked 19a although the surface is basically nonsensical and smiled at plenty more.
I’ll highlight DOH, FARADAY, DISTRAUGHT and RANCID.
Many thanks Tees and Pierre.
I’d imagine there are many different pronunciations for Chernobyl (some of them undoubtedly wrong). I pronounce the first syllable as ‘share’ but the last two as knob’ll. I’m quite happy that “share no bill” is close enough to some pronunciation (a correct or wrong one I couldn’t say).
Tees in good form with a few (not many) easy ones, some not so easy ones, eg FARADAY, a new word in ALKYD and an appropriately bad homophone in CHERNOBYL. Who knows though, maybe Hovis @7 is right and it’s not as bad as we think, which means of course one less thing for us to whinge about.
Thanks to Tees and Pierre who’s also in top form today
No complaints from here about the ‘maybe’ homophone – we all got the answer didn’t we so it’s probably fair enough!
New word for me in ALKYD and I’d like to add OPULENT to the list of favourites that are getting mentioned.
Thanks to Tees and to Pierre for the review and the ‘cracker’ joke!
In the clue for 12a I took Cher in the homophone to be pounced as in Cher, the singer and actress.
Thanks Tees and Pierre.
Pronounced, of course.
Very nice puzzle. I don’t really think of HEATH as grassland, but it’s close enough.
In the HBO series Chernobyl, Chernobyl is pronounced with CH as in chap/church.
Said that, as jane@9 says, the solution was easy to guess.
Can someone please explain 11A as I don’t see where HOST and consecrated fit in at all. Must be missing something obvious
Alan S@14 “bread, consecrated” is a reference to what Catholics call the “bread” in their masses.
Thanks Tees for another top-notch crossword. CHERNOBYL was so bad that it was good; it was one of my favourites along with DOH, FARADAY, HIGH JUMP, SHEATHE, and FUSION. Thanks Pierre for the blog.
Super puzzle. A fun solve from start to finish. Basically what RD said @ 3 though Tony S has a point with CHERNOBYL I suppose.
Thanks to Tees & Pierre.
Well y’know, DO they say? We must find out who THEY are first I s’pose. And then …
I’m sloshed, as it was the band curry this evening in Dishoom Carnaby, but still able to convey thanks to Pierre and to all who commented.
Cheers
Ts
Thanks Mega Electron Volts @ 15.
I also did not know that “Host” is a technical name for bread in that context.
Loved “Faraday” clue. Thanks Tees.
Can someone do a Scientist themed puzzle please