Although I can see that a handful of his puzzles have already been published in the Indy, this is my first experience of blogging a puzzle by Quince, and what a treat it was!
It is a long time since I have enjoyed solving and blogging a puzzle as much as this one. It felt like the gift that kept on giving, as there was something to admire in almost every clue.
I think that I have managed to solve all the clues and have parsed everything to my satisfaction apart from 15, where fellow solvers’ input would be welcome. I thought until the very end that I would fail to parse 13D, but the penny eventually dropped about the “trouble getting up”!!
My favourite clues today really are too many to mention, but if I were to single out just a selection, they would be 4, 9, 20, 22, 23 and 27, all for their exquisitely smooth surfaces; and despite its length, 21 deserves a special mention for the wealth of cricket references squeezed into a single clue.
I am already looking forward to my next encounter with Quince, as either solver or blogger.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | HIP REPLACEMENT | Operation Phi
*(PHI); the solution is to be read as a clue to “Phi”, which is an anagram (“replacement”) of “hip”! |
| 09 | ETONIAN | Cut from expensive Toni and Guy with roots like Boris Johnson
Hidden (“cut from”) in “expensivE TONI ANd guy” |
| 10 | IMMORAL | Quince’s married, and said to be cheating
I’M (=Quince’s, i.e. the compiler’s) + M (=married) + ORAL (=said) |
| 11 | AXE | One used to go swinging in the woods
Cryptic definition: the “swinging” of the definition refers to the wielding of an axe! |
| 12 | BLANKET BANS | Hide bars for periods of Prohibition
BLANKET (=(to) hide, cover) + BANS (=bars, blocks) |
| 13 | WHEAT GERM | What about taste of Emma Stone’s inspiring recipe for superfood?
[E<mma> (“taste of” means first letter only) in WHAT] + [R (=recipe, i.e. take, in Latin) in GEM (=stone)] |
| 15 | ERASE | Off the mark in Times puzzle at last!
ERAS (=times, ages) + <puzzl>E (“at last” means last letter only); to erase is to “(take) off the mark”, remove it |
| 16 | IGLOO | Frigid without layers, John digs in the snow
<fr>IG<id> (“without layers” means first two and last two letters are dropped) + LOO (=john, lav); the “digs” of the definition refers to accommodation |
| 18 | RAUCOUSLY | Gunners, facing United, callously kicking everyone in a rowdy way
RA (=gunners, i.e. Royal Artillery) + U (=United, as in Man U) + C<all>OUSLY (“kicking everyone (=all)” means letters “all” are dropped) |
| 20 | KIND-HEARTED | Good journalist pursues short in the dark
*(IN THE DARK) + ED. (=journalist, i.e. editor); “shot” is anagram indicator |
| 22 | UFO | Seconds for customers, after hot dish that’s out of this world
<c>U<stomers> <a>F<ter> <h>O<t>; “seconds for” means second letter only of each word is needed; cryptic definition for a UFO or flying saucer |
| 24 | ENABLES | Macron’s article stops baked beans sanctions
LE (=Macron’s article, i.e. a French word for the) in *(BEANS); “baked” is anagram indicator; to enable is to authorise, permit, hence “sanction” |
| 25 | UKULELE | One picked Lukaku, dropping centre back and half from eleven
UKUL (LU<ka>KU; “dropping centre” means middle two letters are dropped; “back” indicates reversal) + ELE<ven> (“half from” means 3 of 6 letters are dropped); a ukulele is an instrument which is picked, i.e. plucked |
| 27 | PERSUASIVENESS | Severus Snape is brewing charm
*(SEVERUS SNAPE IS); “brewing” is anagram indicator |
| Down | ||
| 01 | HYENA | One spotted laughing, laughing about desire
YEN (=desire, longing) in HA (=laughing); the “spotted” of the definition refers to the markings on a hyena’s fur |
| 02 | PHONEME | Sound pick-up line
PHONE ME! is an example of a pick-up line! |
| 03 | ELI | Priest that is ringing bells heartily from below
<be>L<ls> (“heartily” means middle letter only) in I.E. (=that is); “from below” indicates vertical reversal |
| 04 | LEND AN EAR | Listen and learn about harnessing energy
E (=energy) in *(AND LEARN); “about” is anagram indicator |
| 05 | CLICK | Sound of a mouse – // hit it off!
Double definition: a click is the sound of a computer mouse AND to click with someone is to hit it off with them |
| 06 | MUM’S THE WORD | Who strummed wrong? Shh!
*(WHO STRUMMED); “wrong” is anagram indicator |
| 07 | NIRVANA | Northern Ireland Republican opposing an answer to ultimate free state
NI (=Northern Ireland) + R (=Republican) + V (=opposing, i.e. versus) + AN + A (=answer, as in Q&A) |
| 08 | BLUSTERY | By restraining someone horny, that gets you wild
LUSTER (=someone horny) in BY; e.g. blustery weather is wild |
| 12 | BUTTONHOLES | Accosts American behind playing round of golf
BUTT (=American behind, i.e. a US English word for bum, backside) + ON (=playing, of music) + HOLES (=round of golf, i.e. 18 holes) |
| 13 | WRINKLED | Lined with ice, learner driver has trouble getting up
W (=with) + RINK (=ice) + L (=learner driver) + ED (=trouble getting up, i.e. Erectile Dysfunction!) |
| 14 | MOUNT FUJI | Second ninja, unfit on run, regularly ascends this?
MO’ (=(a) second, i.e. moment) + UNT FIJI (<n>I<n>J<a> U<n>F<i>T <o>N <r>U<n>; “regularly” means alternate letters only are used; “ascends” indicates vertical reversal) |
| 17 | LINEAGE | Stock clue for ‘eagle’
L (=line) in EAGE would be a clue for ‘eage’!; e.g. to come from good stock refers to a person’s lineage |
| 19 | SQUEEZE | Pinch // lover
Double definition: to pinch someone is to squeeze, press them AND a person’s squeeze is their lover, boyfriend or girlfriend |
| 21 | AT SEA | Striking opener faces the bowler with seam exposed, getting stumped
<b>ATS (=faces the bowler; “striking opener” means first letter is struck out) + <s>EA<m> (“exposed” means first and last letters are dropped) |
| 23 | OVENS | More than one Range Rover runs off latest in clean fuels
<r>OVE<r> (“runs (=r, r, in cricket) off” means 2 x letter “r” are dropped) + <clea>N <fuel>S (“latest in” means last letters only are used) |
| 26 | USE | Some of Shaun the Sheep’s friends delivered milk
Homophone (“delivered”) of “ewes (=some of Shaun the Sheep’s friends)”; to milk is to use, exploit |
Thanks, Quince and RR!
Liked HIP R, ERASE, IGLOO, UFO, ELI, WRINKLED and AT SEA.
ERASE
‘Off’ used as a verb doesn’t seem to have any meaning other than ‘to kill/slay’.
Kill the mark=Remove the mark??
This was nicely challenging and great fun, although I couldn’t parse the last two letters in 13d.
AT SEA was my favourite.
Many thanks to Quince and RR.
I was convinced that 13 was RINK L lining WED (‘has trouble’ [and strife] = has wife, i.e. is married), and that ‘getting up’ was somehow an allusion to aging. Your parsing is much tighter, if a bit naughty.
I had ‘off’ in 15a as the verb ERASE i.e. erase the mark/stain etc. I wasn’t thinking ‘kill the mark’ but maybe that’s it. I had a few that dropped quickly such as 1a, and the anagrams for 27a, 4d, and 6d but then it became harder. I had APE rather than AXE for 11a so I was beaten there. I still find it confusing. And I couldn’t correctly parse WRINKLED (beaten fair and square there by the W for ‘with’ which I keep forgetting, and ‘ED’), or LINEAGE (again still a little confused by ‘eage’). They were obvious from the defintions. Toppies would be RAUCOUSLY for the extraction and PHONEME for the wit. Liked the clever use of selected letters in the clue menu as well. Thanks RR for the blog and Quince for the entertainment.
Quince is always enjoyable and hard at the same time and this was no exception. I’m annoyed in that before completing the grid I could see that only an X was needed for the pangram, but I didn’t bother reviewing 11a for which I congratulated myself that APE (like Sofamore @5) for ‘One used to go swinging in the woods’ was very clever; not really! Yes, it does work in a way, but it’s not as good as AXE and that X is needed for the pangram. I missed the ED bit of WRINKLED which really was clever.
Favourites were the semi-@littish MOUNT FUJI and our usual Friday setter’s appearance at 1a.
Thanks to Quince and RR
Sofamore@5
LINEAGE
L in EAGE =EAGLE
L in EAGE could be a clue for ‘eagle’.
In the blog, RR has mentioned L(=line). I think the ‘(=line)’ part is redundant.
KVa @2: if you take “off” as slang for kill, you could also take “mark” as someone who is the target of an attack. So “off the mark” = kill the person you want to get rid of. “Erase” can also mean kill in this sense. Perhaps a bit tenuous? I wasn’t really happy with “off” as a verb for removing a stain. Otherwise a great puzzle – thanks both.
Quirister@8
Your parsing makes better sense.
@7 KVa Got it; and ‘eage’ is actually a word which is what I didn’t realise.
I’m very much in agreement with our blogger – a super puzzle with a wide range of devices. I struggled to parse MOUNT FUJI and was beaten by both PHONEME (lovely spot) and, yes, WRINKLED (going down a similar blind alley to Ian @4). It always feels like somewhat of a cop out to say ‘too many excellent clues to pick a favourite’ but that is how I feel today.
RR – one small tweak to the blog: ‘guy’ should be included in the definition for ETONIAN.
Thanks Quince and RR
1A was brilliant, though I was sidetracked for a while by trying to work it as ‘the twentyfirst’ (phi being the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet). Very nice, so thanks Quince and RatkojaRiku
Can’t remember whether I’ve tackled an offering from this setter before today but I did enjoy this one – tough but fair was my considered opinion.
Failed to parse the ‘ED’ in 13d but it’s not something I’m ever likely to suffer from! It also took me a while to sort out the ‘range’ in 23d.
Favourite was HIP REPLACEMENT although I didn’t give a thought to our Friday setter as has been mentioned – more concerned with my own very doubtful response to being told that I need one.
Thanks to Quince and to RR for the review.
Thanks RatkojaRiku and Quince.
Superb puzzle…agree it was a gift that kept on giving.
Likes:
UFO
RAUCOUSLY
WHEAT GERM
MOUNT FUJI
MUM’S THE WORD
PHONEME
OVENS
AT SEA
HIP REPLACEMENT
Ok, that’s enough!
I have to say I thought this a work of art, one of the best puzzles to grace The Indy I can remember. I couldn’t possibly choose highlights from it as virtually every clue would be in with a shout. Thanks indeed Quince, take a bow, and thanks to RR for a top blog too.
Lovely stuff – as an English Language grad I thought of PHONEME fairly quickly once I had a couple of crossers, but the parse (and therefore the certainty) took about half as long as the rest of the puzzle combined…
No problem with ‘off the mark’; I think of ‘erase’ in the sense of kill as being some form of assassination, so not a great stretch for there to be a target/mark.
ETONIAN was my pick of the bunch for the misdirection.
Thanks Quince and RR.
I was hoping you were going to tell me the fancy word for a puzzle that uses all 26 letters, because no one’s mentioned I’m worried I miscounted somewhere.
Thanks Quince for a superb crossword. I liked many of the clues including HIP REPLACEMENT, IMMORAL (great surface), RAUCOUSLY, KIND-HEARTED (another great surface), and BLUSTERY. I couldn’t fully parse WRINKLED or LINEAGE so thanks RR for explaining.
Fd @ 17 See WordPlodder @ 6
Simon @19 Thanks, I thought I’d missed something.
Late to this but thanks, Quince and RR. Lots of cleverness on display here – I particularly liked the “L in EAGE” trick, that’s a great spot.
I think Quirister @8 is on the money re ERASE – the required sense of “mark” is “target”. The clue works fine if you think of “off the mark” and “erase” as being synonyms for what a sniper does, for example.