A fun challenge from ZAMORCA today.
FF: 9 DD: 7
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PRAGMATIC |
Mum arrested in tragic error goes on, quietly matter-of-fact (9)
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{ MA ( mum ) in [ TRAGIC ]* } after P ( quietly ) |
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| 6 | SEE TO |
Take care of supporters retiring with nothing (3,2)
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reverse of O ( nothing ) TEES ( supporters ) |
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| 9 | UNDID |
Released around half of papers (5)
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aroUND ( half of ) ID ( papers ) |
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| 10 | A GOOD TURN |
Do a tour abroad including golf partner as a favour (1,4,4)
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{ [ DO A TOUR ]* containing G ( golf ) } N ( partner, bridge ) |
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| 11 | BOTTLENECK |
Courage and audacity required for a hold-up (10)
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BOTTLE ( courage ) NECK( audacity ) |
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| 12 | FLUX |
Mutation in disease’s unknown (4)
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FLU ( disease ) X ( unknown ) |
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| 14 | PROBATE |
Will validation for club come at last? (7)
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PRO ( for ) BAT ( club ) E ( comE, last letter ) |
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| 15 | SHAMPOO |
Shock cleaner with fake crap (7)
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SHAM ( fake ) POO ( crap ) |
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| 17 | AUSTERE |
Romance ends after writer deleted number — harsh! (7)
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AUSTEn ( writer, jane, without N – number ) RE ( RomancE, ends ) |
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| 19 | CREDITS |
Believes Charlie’s wine is infused with tea primarily (7)
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C ( charlie ) RED ( wine ) [ T ( Tea, primarily ) in IS ] |
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| 20 | TYPE |
Variety of characters making a comeback in creepy tales (4)
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hidden , reversed in "..creEPY Tales" |
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| 22 | FIRST PRIZE |
Criticism over spritz cocktail winning award (5,5)
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FIRE ( criticism ) containing [ SPRITZ ]* |
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| 25 | STABILISE |
Enquiry’s beginning to pursue way various alibis balance (9)
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ST ( way ) [ ALIBIS ]* E ( Enquiry, starting letter ) |
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| 26 | OPERA |
Singer Rita’s holding back record for big musical production (5)
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reverse of EP ( record ) in ORA ( singer rita ) |
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| 27 | DODGE |
Duck down next to girl feeding deer (5)
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[ D ( down ) G ( girl ) ] in DOE ( deer ) |
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| 28 | MANSFIELD |
Bloke’s life transformed by day in a Nottinghamshire town (9)
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MAN'S ( bloke's ) [ LIFE ]* D ( day ) |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PLUMB |
Explore best on radio (5)
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sounds like PLUM ( best ) |
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| 2 | AUDITIONS |
Checks outside, no-one turned up for screen tests (9)
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AUDITS ( checks ) around reverse of [ NO I ( one ) ] |
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| 3 | MIDDLE-AGED |
40-60 say, to be set up in commercial centre going forward (6-4)
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i think 'say' could be thought of as double duty although not fully convinced; MIDDLE ( centre ) [ reverse of EG ( say ) in AD ( commercial ) ] |
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| 4 | TRAINEE |
Fruit grower secures first class new apprentice (7)
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TREE ( fruit grower ) containing [ AI ( first class, A1 ) N ( new ) ] |
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| 5 | CHOICES |
Picks companion ring with small diamonds set in (7)
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[ CH ( companion ) O ( ring ) S ( small ) ] containing ICE ( diamonds ) |
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| 6 | SIDE |
Miliband is rising with Left perhaps (4)
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reverse of ED ( miliband ) IS |
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| 7 | EQUAL |
Peer has some admirable qualities (5)
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hidden in "..admirablE QUALities" |
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| 8 | OBNOXIOUS |
Old inbox is corrupted by forums, regularly offensive (9)
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O ( old ) [ INBOX ]* OUS ( fOrUmS, regularly ) |
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| 13 | WATERPROOF |
Activewear clothing model taking cover under top photographer’s raincoat (10)
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{ [ WEAR ]* containing T ( model ) } P ( Photographer, first letter ) ROOF ( cover ) |
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| 14 | PRACTISED |
Rehearsed a scripted play (9)
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[ A SCRIPTED ]* |
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| 16 | PRIVILEGE |
Gripe angrily about disgusting advantage of being wealthy (9)
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[ GRIPE ]* around VILE ( disgusting ) |
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| 18 | ELITISM |
Snobbery’s kindled by ones protected by English money (7)
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[ LIT ( kindled ) IS ( ones ) ] in { E ( english ) M ( money ) } |
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| 19 | CISTERN |
Designed insert to suppport cold water tank (7)
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C ( cold ) [ INSERT ]* |
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| 21 | PLAID |
Checked fabric’s unruffled when cutting out cape (5)
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PLAcID ( unruffled, without C – cape ) |
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| 23 | ELAND |
Antelope’s content in pasturelands (5)
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hidden in "..pasturELANDs" |
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| 24 | JIBE |
Taunt boy replacing original virtuoso in dance (4)
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JIvE ( dance, with B – boy replacing V – Virtuoso, first letter ) |
Thanks Zamorca and Turbolegs. There is a lot of imprecise language in this set of clues, but I would acquit Zamorca of double duty in 3dn: I think “40-60” is sufficient for the definition.
An enjoyable route to Zamorca’s trusty pangram today (which, for once, wasn’t needed to complete the grid.
My favourite was BOTTLENECK for the surface.
Thanks both to Zamorca and Turbolegs.
Why is neck audacity? I had no idea that Mansfield was in Nottinghamshire, but it was easy from the wordplay, so no big deal. Rita Ora was another matter! I couldn’t parse 3d, although after a few cross clues it was clear and I didn’t think the definition was inadequate.
All quite enjoyable, thanks Zamorca & Turbolegs.
Thanks, Zamorca & Turbolegs. The imprecision mentioned by PB @1 made some clues here a bit harder work than they needed to be but it’s all good fun.
GDU – Neck aka brassneck is an old fashioned word for cheekiness
Thanks Zamorca. For some reason this was difficult to start but easy to finish. My top picks were UNDID, BOTTLENECK (I never could have parsed this a few years ago), PROBATE, SHAMPOO, and WATERPROOF. Thanks Turbolegs for the blog and helping me understand MIDDLE AGES.
Didn’t spot any imprecision. Pretty much a write-in I thought. Time they made it interactive so we can save on the ink. Don’t start telling about the app really not interested. The mystery here is what do the answers to 17340 relate to cos they’re not for yesterday’s Velia
Ajcartesian: there is an interactive version at https://app.ft.com/crossword/crossword_index – despite the “app” in the name it’s really just a web page.
3d reminds me of the Chambers definition of middle-age(d): between youth and age, variously reckoned to suit the reckoner.
Andrew@8: Small typo there: the definition begins “between youth and old age”. You have the more important part exactly right.
Enjoyable, despite the occasional imprecision. And, as usual from Zamorca, a pangram.
Thanks, Zamorca and Turbolegs.
I also found some of the clues less precise. But still had a great time doing it. Thanks, Zamorca and Turbolegs
Let me retract the comment about imprecise. Now having read the guidance here I see it was quite precise and I missed things that I filled in with guesswork.
Ajcartesian @6
Very good point. Obvious slip there……
I think it is worth noting in Zamorca’s favour the use of anagrams in 25ac and 14dn to fix the current UK spellings of the two answers.
In view of Anil’s comments at 11 and 12, I feel I should clarify my remark about imprecise language. I was thinking of cases including “tragic error” to mean “anagram of TRAGIC” (1ac), the word order in “around half of” (9ac), and “original virtuoso” to indicate the letter V (24dn). I prefer setters who do not use indicators which stretch the language to that extent, but fully accept that these are widely recognised as legitimate crossword conventions.
The only one that actually held me up in solving was the unsignalled requirement to split a clue word in 13dn. Again I know that many people like this sort of thing, and some seem to wear their ability to handle it as a badge of honour, but to me it will always be a ghastly device. Again, I accept that crossword editors allow it and I can usually cope with it eventually. However, I do wonder whether that sort of thing encourages new solvers to join the world of crosswords. In this case I left the clue until last, and needing a W to complete the pangram helped me to see the split.
PB@14, to satisfy you the clue for 13d WATERPROOF should have opened with “Activewear Playtex clothing…”, which would have fit nicely into the surface.
PB@1, I agree that “say” in 3d does not have to be doing double duty, but it enhances the 40-60 definition, making the clue more elegant.
On that point, I don’t understand the objection to double duty. I think it just adds (but not unduly) another cryptic element to a clue, and it often makes a clue more concise, which is a virtue. I suspect that I am a minority of one on this matter.
Thanks Zamorca and Turbolegs for the pleasant diversion.
Cellomaniac@15: The idea that solvers should be expected to recognise “Playtex” as a coded instruction for splitting a clue word is not something that I could find satisfactory.
PB@16 ….but Roz would. 🙂
I agree with PB – Playtex is too much of an in joke to be a satisfactory indicator. But I spotted what was needed for 13d quite quickly so that one didn’t hold me up unduly.
The one that really gave me problems was 9a, which I read (not unreasonably, I think) as “around” + “half of papers”, sending me on a wild goose chase for a while. Eventually guessed it from the definition and crossing letters and reverse-parsed it.
PB and Widdersbel, yes, my Playtex suggestion was an attempt at humour, and not intended as a serious indicator. As indicated @17, the idea originated with Roz.