Independent on Sunday 1,729/Hoskins

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Hoskins has the Sunday Independent puzzle for us this weekend.

Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

1 Old soldier and I might treat SEALs
VET
A dd.

3 Outgoing old writer seen to be half-cut
EXPENSE
A charade of EX, PEN and SE[EN].

7 A nincompoop necking nip of nice port
ANTWERP
An insertion of N in A TWERP.

8 High dudgeon?
AIR RAGE
A cd.

10 Capital husband invested in food store
DELHI
An insertion of H in DELHI.

11 A pig that mother will feed water
ADAM’S WINE
An insertion of DAM in A SWINE.

12 Jarring Boris? No flipping singer!
ORBISON
(BORIS)* and NO reversed.

14 Men on stretch of land in vehicle
TRACTOR
A charade of TRACT and OR.

17 Indian greeting a Pole in Tyneside
NAMASTE
An insertion of A MAST in NE.

19 A musical combo performing in desert
ABANDON
A charade of A, BAND and ON.

20 Ensemble singer arranging Coral hits
CHORALIST
(CORAL HITS)*

22 My God, it’s tops to be a dog!
CORGI
A charade of COR and GI for the initial letters of ‘God’ and ‘it’s’.

24 Odd business with a bishop and earl
BIZARRE
A charade of BIZ, A, RR and E.

25 Old gear shot in arm with ecstasy by tenor
RAIMENT
A charade of (IN ARM E)* and T.

26 European country finally bans cars
ESTATES
A charade of E, STATE and S for the last letter of ‘bans’.

27 Have a go at judge?
TRY
A dd.

Down

1 Relations stuck in loo, turning key
VITAL
An insertion of IT in LAV reversed.

2 My wife muses this must change
THE MISSUS
(MUSES THIS)*

3 Old flame nowt special? Tell me about it!
EXPLAIN
A charade of EX and PLAIN.

4 Nice to have nothing to do with large yokel
PEASANT
P[L]EASANT

5 Geeks right to punch Celtic hooligans
NERDS
An insertion of R in NEDS.

6 Tea a medic drugged to get wasted?
EMACIATED
(TEA A MEDIC)*

7 With child, having to inhale oxygen etc.
AND SO ON
An insertion of O in AND SON.

9 I’m told the solver is a beast!
EWE
A homophone of YOU.

13 Confuse smack with alcohol? Drop of lager injected!
BAMBOOZLE
A charade of BAM and L inserted into BOOZE.

15 Johnny Rotten was one in charts with a hit
ANARCHIST
(IN CHARTS A)*

16 Go wild with game knight having great laugh
RUN RIOT
A charade of RU, N and RIOT.

18 Hoskins had to enter contest? That’s clear!
EVIDENT
An insertion of I’D in EVENT.

19 Star workers ‘accommodating’ American soldiers
ANTARES
An insertion of A and RE in ANTS.

20 Bishop sat on by copper? Little beast!
CUB
A charade of CU and B.

21 Some from bar returning judgement in Paris
ARRÊT
Hidden in bAR RETurning.

23 Like grass? Ruddy yes, European admitted!
REEDY
An insertion of E in RED Y.

Many thanks to Hoskins for this Sunday’s puzzle.

15 comments on “Independent on Sunday 1,729/Hoskins”

  1. I couldn’t parse NAMASTE or EVIDENT so thanks to Pierre. I was distracted by ‘Pole’ as a compass point in one and ‘vie’ for contest in the other. I guess that was intended. Great fun as usual. I’m au fait with ‘with’ meaning ‘and’ so 7d was clear. My favourite clues are ANARCHIST because Johnny Rotten was certainly was one and probably still is and BIZARRE for the Right Reverend. Thanks to Hoskins.

  3. Morning Bob. The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the US Navy’s primary special operations force, which makes sense of the surface reading.

  5. Top notch stuff from Harry, as ever.

    NAMASTE was a new word for me, but readily derivable from the wordplay and checkers.

    BIZARRE was my favourite.

    Many thanks to Hoskins and to Pierre.

  6. Not that I would want Hoskins to change but I really found myself enjoying him in less drink &drugs besotted mode today. Nice crisp cluing, with often quite simple constructions pleasingly dressed up to make for fun surfaces and a very nice Sunday solve. ANTWERP, THE MISSUS, ANARCHIST and VITAL were my favourites today.

    Thanks Hoskins and Pierre

  7. As ever, very enjoyable from Harry perhaps in a slightly more restrained mood.
    I’ve got ticks all over the grid but the ones that produced the biggest smiles were ORBISON, BIZARRE, VITAL, THE MISSUS and BAMBOOZLE.
    Many thanks to the setter and to Pierre for a top puzzle and blog.

  9. Hi Pierre – slight typo:
    BAMBOOZLE – A charade of BAM and L inserted into BOOZE.
    A very gentle solve. Liked “High dudgeon”
    Thanks H&P

  10. ANARCHIST was my favourite, though Johnny Rotten would never have got away with rhyming anarchist and antichrist on fifteensquared. Foolishly bunged in CHORISTER and RUN AMOK (I could see the game, the knight and OK for great), which slowed me down.

  11. Thanks both. LOI was AIR RAGE as I needed to look up the meaning of dudgeon – always a bit embarrassing when I don’t understand a clue! The subtlety of ‘accommodating’ in inverted commas for ANTARES is also lost on me

  12. Didn’t realise that AIR RAGE has become an established expression but I guess it makes sense.
    Top clues for me were BIZARRE & EXPLAIN.

    Thanks to Hoskins and to Pierre for the review – sad you got no opportunity to include a bird link.

  13. Thanks, Pierre and Hoskins.

    Hoskins really is the master of the surface; reading them back, they are all superb. I believe this is the answer to TFO @11 – ‘accommodating’ is in quotes to represent a double-entendre to make the surface how Hoskins wanted it- a bit cheeky.

  14. Dave J @ 13

    Hoskins really is the master of the surface

    Is this a joke?

    “Like grass? Ruddy yes, European admitted!”
    “Tea a medic drugged to get wasted?”
    “Jarring Boris? No flipping singer!”

    They’re awful

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