This was the second puzzle that Postmark submitted at the recent S&B event at Nottingham. Postmarks’s puzzle and parsing can be found here
Once again, smooth surfaces and a number of short clues which are usually fun to sort out. 27d was particularly ‘good’.
With half the puzzle solved, Joyce left Bert to finish it on his own. On returning, there were a number that had circles round parts of the clue (a sign that we are stumped) or the odd question mark which made us think that this was harder than the first one we solved.
It was only talking over 3d that the penny dropped and we smiled. It’s often the case that the parsing is revealed by just reading the clue out loud to someone else.
We hadn’t come across to list = to border which needed checking in Chambers. That explained the use of the first and last letters in politicians in 11ac.
The technique of making something 50% smaller (C changing to L) has been seen before but again, the penny didn’t drop until we were both trying to sort out the parsing.
ROSES for 28d was a complete guess but we had no idea why until we checked Postmark’s own blog of the puzzle. Joyce is a very keen gardener but never calls a ‘watering can’ a ‘can’!
It was only when we were checking Postmark’s blog that we found out that there was theme to the puzzle – WHITE. Postmark has managed to incorporate an amazing number of themed entries – very impressive.
Thanks Postmark. Another enjoyable puzzle. Although we did complete it all we definitely needed help with the parsings on this one.
Many thanks for the blog and the link to the puzzle, I managed to get this printed at the IT office but I do not have the clue analysis. I share the overall praise, many fine clues.
RHINOCEROS I like the brass part, HILLTOPS is neat , Azed used list/ border recently.
DISTASTE is clever and the capital for Tesla at the start.
I too noticed the C/L trick but it works very well in NO LONGER.
(B)lighty very nice for LIGHTLY.
Very minor quibble for shoe with the capital for Smith , I know this is allowed but I still frown at it.
One query , I do not get the Barty=ash bit for STASHING ?? I am sure it must be stashing.
Forgot to say I totally missed the theme, I now see many WHITE things, especially the Down clues.
I have the second puzzle printed and will do it on my way home tomorrow.
Hi Roz. You have obviously followed the link to the puzzle. If you go back to the website you will see that Postmark has conveniently provided the parsings.
Thank you but using links is well beyond my powers, I just showed the blogs in the IT office and they printed the puzzles for me. I think I have got it all except the ASH and I got the theme from your introduction.
As the saying goes, setter here, popping in to express my gratitude to B&J for posting this and my thanks to all Roz’s who have attempted the crossword and then commented. I know themes are not particularly to your liking, Roz, but this one was meant to be in the background and, as you proved, the puzzle could be completed without being aware of it. Including a couple of serendipitous random contributions, there are 20 or so themed solutions.
Ashleigh, generally known as Ash, Barty was, until her recent retirement, a leading Australian tennis player and World No.1. You may recall, that particular clue had a tennis surface.
Very much a ghost theme and not spoiling the clues, I only get annoyed with themes when we have too many in the Guardian , especially themes in the clues.
I counted 19 WHITE things, although PENGUIN could be twice or even three times.
Tennis hmmmm , third on my list behind IT and cricket.
Joyce/Lynette I have been told you have sent me emails, alas I am allergic to all things IT including emails, the email address on here is the owner of this Chromebook I use . This site is my sole interaction with the internet.
However I do want to say thank you, it was a very kind thought.
An enjoyable solve, but I only spotted the theme when I came here.
Roz@6: Interesting to see your comment about PENGUIN; there are folk who say the name comes from Welsh pen gwin, meaning ‘white head’. Which is a bit odd seeing that a penguin’s head is as much black as white and some species have all black heads.
Thanks to PostMark and B&J.
AllanC @8 there is a white PENGUIN guitar , a stripped down White Falcon .
There is a famous white PENGUIN at Edinburgh zoo , I have seen him .
McVities sometimes do White PENGUIN chocolate biscuits , usually at Christmas.
I have heard the Welsh story for the naming of Penguin Island Canada, The Welsh sea captain named it after the white peaks not the bird .