A Wednesday puzzle from Hippogryph this week.
Sometimes we get a theme from Hippogryph but Wednesday in the Independent is usually a theme-free day.
We have SINHALESE and CEYLON but that’s about the only link I can see between the entries. There are quite a few geographic references in the clues, but I doubt if that’s a theme either.
I think it is just a good crossword with entries that are everyday words, phrases or terms often seen in crosswords.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 |
Quietly long to pursue a new sense of style (7) PANACHE (sense of style) P (piano; quietly) + A + N (new) + ACHE (yearn; ache) P A N ACHE |
| 5 |
International appearance by Bale, in trouble with qualification, … (7) CAPABLE (with qualification) CAP (players selected for an international appearance are often awarded a cap for each game they play) + an anagram of (in trouble) BALE – Gareth BALE is a Welsh international footballer CAP ABLE* |
| 9 |
… time and again losing head from temper (5) OFTEN (many times; time and again) SOFTEN (temper) excluding the first letter (losing head from) S OFTEN |
| 10 |
Manually produce floating structure after a couple of taps? (9) HANDCRAFT (create by HAND; manually produce) H AND C (reference Hot AND Cold taps) + RAFT (floating structure) H AND C RAFT |
| 11 |
O’Neill’s put pickled item on the menu? (6,4) LENTIL SOUP (an item that may be on a menu) Anagram of (pickled) O’NEILL’S PUT LENTIL SOUP* |
| 12 |
A little sleep at home then cocaine? This could have a galvanising effect! (4) ZINC (metallic element resistant to atmospheric corrosion, used in galvanizing, battery electrodes, etc) Z (a short form [a little] of ZIZZ or ZZZ, both terms indicating sleep) + IN (at home) + C (cocaine) Z IN C |
| 14 |
Flower displayed by people supporting F1 Ferrari? (3,9) RED CARNATION (a flower) RED CAR (in Formula 1 racing, Ferrari CARs have RED livery) + NATION (people) RED CAR NATION |
| 18 |
Expansion following recent cycling feature in middle of the paper (6,6) CENTRE SPREAD (feature across the two middle pages of a newspaper) CENTRE (word formed by cycling RECENT two characters to the left) + SPREAD (expansion) CENTRE SPREAD |
| 21 |
Unsteady, regularly absent and had taken drugs (4) USED ([had] taken drugs) USED (letters 1, 3, 5 and 7 [regularly] of UNSTEADY) USED |
| 22 |
Reordered arsenic bottles, tea and sweetener (10) SACCHARINE (an intensely sweet, white crystalline semi-soluble compound used as an artificial sweetener) Anagram of (reordered) ARSENIC containing (bottles) CHA (tea) SAC (CHA) RINE* |
| 25 |
Senile and has confused language (9) SINHALESE (language of the majority population of Sri Lanka) Anagram of (confused) SENILE and HAS SINHALESE* |
| 26 |
Alaskan ice traps river crustaceans (5) KRILL (small shrimplike creatures; crustaceans) KILL (In America [Alaska] ‘to ICE‘ can mean ‘to kill’) containing (traps) R (river) K (R) ILL |
| 27 |
Regulars annually knocked back quick drink (7) PATRONS (regular customers) PA (per annum; annually) + SNORT (informal term for a quick drink) reversed (knocked back) PA TRONS< |
| 28 |
In poor shape in Germany and with badly worn clothing (3-4) RUN-DOWN (in poor shape) Anagram of (badly) WORN containing (clothing) UND (German for AND) R (UN D) OWN* |
| Down | |
| 1 |
Chasing drug smuggling ring, the French move at a leisurely pace (6) POOTLE (move casually, idly or at a leisurely pace) (POT [the drug cannabis in any of its form] containing [smuggling] O [ring shaped letter]) + LE (one of the French forms of ‘the’) PO (O) T LE |
| 2 |
Two insects head off swimming (6) NATANT (swimming) (GNAT [insect] + ANT [another insect]) excluding the first letter [head off] G NAT ANT |
| 3 |
Ruler’s graduation perhaps brings age into focus (10) CENTIMETRE (graduation on a ruler) TIME (an age) contained in (brought into) CENTRE (focus) CEN (TIME) TRE |
| 4 |
Note the empty, regressive system of values (5) ETHOS (distinctive habitual character and disposition of an individual, group, race; system of values) (SOH [fifth note of the scale in sol-fa notation] + TE (letters remaining when the central letter, H, of THE is excluded [empty]) all reversed (regressive) (ET HOS) < |
| 5 |
Winner is a cheat, getting nothing right under detailed questioning (9) CONQUEROR (victor; winner) CON (swindle; cheat) + QUERY (questioning) excluding the final letter (de-tailed) Y + O (character representing zero or nothing) + R (right) CON QUER O R |
| 6 |
Agreement is in the bag we re told (4) PACT (agreement) PACT (sounds like [we’re told] PACKED [put into a bag]) PACT |
| 7 |
City institute faces rising trouble with leading supporters (8) BRASILIA (capital city of Brazil) BRAS (supporters) + I (Institute) + AIL (trouble) reversed (rising; down entry) BRAS I LIA< |
| 8 |
Attractive and authentic, in gingham trousers? (8) ENTICING (attractive) ENTICING (hidden word in [trousers] AUTHENTIC IN GINGHAM) ENTICING |
| 13 |
Possible cause of downfall of crazy family (6,4) BANANA SKIN (something which causes a slip-up or a downfall) BANANAS (crazy) + KIN (family) BANANA S KIN |
| 15 |
Instruments from Spain turned up in Paris, ten at Sacré- Coeur? (9) CASTANETS (a pair of hollow shell-shaped pieces of ivory or hard wood, used as an accompaniment to Spanish dances and guitars) CASTANETS (reversed [turned up] in PARIS TEN AT SACRE-COUER) CASTANETS |
| 16 |
Prepares for the theatre with wine bottles emptied during drink (6,2) SCRUBS UP (prepares for the operating theatre) (CRU [wine vintage] + BS (letters remaining in BOTTLES when the central letters OTTLE are removed [emptied]) contained in (during) SUP (drink) S (CRU BS) UP |
| 17 |
Trainee heads east, close to perfect place for surfing? (8) INTERNET (a place for surfing [the web]) INTERN (trainee gaining practical experience in any profession) + E (east) + T (final letter of [close to] PERFECT) I think ‘heads’ is just a link word making the surface read well, but it could be an indication of the first letter of EAST. However ‘heads’ is plural so I am really not sure. INTERN E T |
| 19 |
Promise of partnership after politician displays desire (6) LIBIDO (vital urge; desire) LIB (Liberal Democrat politician) + I DO (words spoken at a wedding as a promise of aspects of a partnership) LIB I DO |
| 20 |
Missing Columbia’s capital, cyclone devastated the old country (6) CEYLON (former name of Sri Lanka) Anagram of (devastated) CYCLONE excluding (missing) C (first letter [capital of] COLUMBIA) CEYLON* – either C could be the one omitted |
| 23 |
Unblocked net (5) CLEAR (unblocked) CLEAR (net of debt or obligation) double definition CLEAR |
| 24 |
Picked up instruction for starters and ingredient for pudding (4) SAGO (nutritive cereal substance produced from the pith of the SAGO palm sometimes used as an ingredient for a pudding) SAGO (sounds like [picked up] SAY GO [an instruction to start]) SA GO |
Liked everything but especially POOTLE because it’s new and onomatopoeic. Some of the clueing held me up e.g., ‘with qualification’ in 5a, ‘ruler’s graduation’ in 3d, ‘detailed’ as ‘de-tailed’ in 5d, and ‘heads east’ in 17d (which has stumped the blog as well) although I’m not complaining. ‘Learnings’ with an ‘s’ as they say after sports matches these days. The hidden clues were nicely concealed and I couldn’t parse ETHOS. I knew it was a reversal and I can spell soh now, not just so. Thanks to Duncan and Hippogryph.
INTERN heads E=INTERN leads E (my take)
Thanks, Hippogryph and duncanshiell!
As Sofamore points out, some cunning twists and definitions in here and I was – delightfully – beaten at the end when I could not, for the life of me, interpret ‘ruler’s graduation’ and, therefore, getting nowhere near CENTIMETRE. Very neatly done. I also failed to parse the ‘RED’ in Ferrari, not following the sport so having no idea of the livery. I thought it might be an obscure reference to a hybrid!
Favourites included OFTEN, KRILL, PATRONS, POOTLE, PACT, ENTICING and SCRUBS UP.
Thanks Hippogryph and duncan
KVa @ 2
Thanks – that interpretation of ‘heads’ makes sense to put INTERN in front of E
Excellent! My top three were RED CARNATION, BANANA SKIN and CASTANETS but in reality you could perm any three from all the clues.
Many thanks to Hippogryph and to Duncan.
Excellent and a boost to my confidence after yesterday’s mauling at the hands of Nimrod! Loved BANANA SKIN. In the unches of 4th column from the right appear ARZT (German for the GP sort of doctor then DR and RD (DR written upwards), but this is probably idle musing on my part. Thanks Hippogryph and Duncan.
KVa@2 E for east following INTERN is good.
Apparently POOTLE used to be POODLE
Green’s Dictionary of Slang cites:
the memoirs of a ’30s Flying Squad DCI, a ’50s low-life novel, an ’80s Minder script, Alexei Sayle (’80s) and Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell, 2002/3)
https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/x6qpk4a
Very gentle stuff after yesterday’s Nimrod ordeal
Thanks H&d
POOTLE was new to me too, so it was interesting to read some examples and that (as POODLE), it originally came from NZ army slang. Of the rest, the one that gave me the most trouble was OFTEN, even though it looks pretty benign now. I missed the parsing of ETHOS.
Favourites were ZINC and the RED CAR NATION.
Thanks to Hippogryph and Duncan
PS Tatrasman @6 and FrankieG @8, you might want to have a look at today’s FT; one guess who the setter is!
This was right up my street, clever and witty with a dash of “panache” throughout.
I particularly enjoyed ZINC, RED CARNATION (excellent), SCRUBS UP and my favourite, the hilarious BANANA SKIN.
Many thanks Hippogryph and DS.
Very enjoyable – thank you Hippogryph.
Favourites here were POOTLE & BANANA SKIN.
Thanks also to Duncan for the review.
I’m with Tatrasman and FrankieG – today was a relief, and “mauling” is an apt term for yesterday’s offering. Today we got a just-hard-enough challenge that put up a bit of a fight but ultimately yielded, save SAGO, of which I’d never heard. Though it appears that’s on me, not on it…so happy to learn something new. Many thanks to Hippogryph and DS!
Thanks Hippogryph, that was enjoyable. My top picks were KRILL, RUN-DOWN, SCRUBS UP, CONQUEROR, and LIBIDO. I failed to get SAGO and couldn’t parse a few so thanks Duncan for the blog.
Too late to add anything but my appreciation of a fine puzzle.
Thanks to all for your kind comments. I must admit to experiencing a bit of trepidation when I realised I was following on from a Nimrod puzzle yesterday – so especially pleased that you also enjoyed my lighter offering today.
KVa @ 2 your interpretation of the HEADS in 17d is exactly what was in my mind
Thanks also to Duncan for the very clear blog – excellent. I did work on some of the clues for the puzzle while on a recent holiday in Sri Lanka but couldn’t get enough accessible words to make it a full theme on this occasion. Hope to be back soon
One of those coincidences: having just finished this crossword, I came across the word ‘pootling’ in the book I’m reading. Is SAGO unknown these days? Back when I were a lad, sago and tapioca were the mainstays of school dinners (although I can’t recall having either). The clue was a variant of the old school joke: How do you start a pudding race? Say go.