Independent 11,497 by Tees

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A slightly tricky challenge from Tees today.

A few of the solutions here depended on digging out memories of ancient Greek language and mythology; I’m not sure how guessable they would be for someone who hadn’t seen them before. I liked Verity’s prescription in 18a, the sleeveless outfit in 27a, and the almost-palindrome of RENEGER in 14d; today’s favourite has to be 4d, for both the ingenious anagram and the sneaky definition. Thanks Tees as always.

Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.

ACROSS
1 CASTAWAY
Alexander Selkirk thrown out? (8)
CAST (thrown) + AWAY (out).

Definition by example: Alexander Selkirk was a real-life castaway who may have been one of the inspirations for Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.
5
See 24
9 PROVERBS
More than one saw Old Testament book (8)
Double definition. The plural of “saw” as a noun = a proverb; or the book containing advice from Solomon and others in the Old Testament.
10 STOKER
Gothic writer beginning to socialise with pothead (6)
First letter (beginning) of S[ocialise] + TOKER (someone who takes drugs = pothead).

Bram Stoker, writer of Dracula.
12 CAMARADERIE
Back-slapping ale-swillers crossing a delta and lake (11)
CAMRA (abbreviation for the Campaign for Real Ale = ale-swillers) containing (crossing) A, then D (Delta in the radio alphabet) + ERIE (one of the Great Lakes in North America).
15 TELOI
Greek aims revealed in Haute-Loire (5)
Hidden answer (revealed in . . .) in [hau]TE-LOI[re].

In philosophy, the Greek word telos (plural teloi) means the ultimate goal or purpose (aim) of an activity.
17 XYLOPHONE
Instrument to cut branches? Sharpen axes first (9)
LOP (to cut tree branches) + HONE (sharpen), with X + Y (axes for mathematical coordinates) first).
18 TRUTH DRUG
Female doctor in boat giving prescription for Verity? (5,4)
RUTH (woman’s name = female) + DR (abbreviation for doctor), in TUG (tugboat).
19 TRICE
Instant food appearing on time (5)
RICE (a foodstuff) added to T (abbreviation for time).

As in “in a trice” = in an instant = very quickly.
20 GOURMANDISE
Enjoy good nosh — I’m done with sugar in the cooking (11)
Anagram (cooking) of I’M DONE+ SUGAR.
24/5 SECOND COMING
His returning minister jams back wheel (6,6)
MIN (abbreviation for minister) inserted into (jamming) SECOND (as a verb = back = declare support for) + COG (wheel).
25 ANGELICA
Plant in gale thrown about (8)
Anagram (thrown) of IN GALE, then CA (ca = abbreviation for Latin circa = about = approximately).

Genus of flowering herbs.
26 SANDAL
On beach almost everyone wearing this? (6)
AL[l] (everyone) without the last letter (almost), added to SAND (beach).

Extended definition: an open summer shoe that may be worn on the beach.
27 INTERNEE
Cold weather necessity, sleeveless, for political prisoner (8)
[w]INTER NEE[d] (a necessity in the cold part of the year), without the outer letters (sleeveless).
DOWN
1 CAPACITATE
To enable‘s better with a quote involving thanks (10)
CAP (as a verb = better = do better than) + A + CITE (quote), including (involving) TA (informal expression for “thanks”).

A verb more often used in its negative form “incapacitate” = to disable.
2 STORM CLOUD
Old Scrotum, wrinkled and indeed saturated retainer? (5,5)
Anagram (wrinkled) of OLD SCROTUM.

A cloud already retaining as much water vapour as it can (saturated), so likely to cause rain soon. I’m not sure what “indeed” is meant to contribute.
3 AMEER
American brought to attention heard commander (5)
AM (abbreviation for American, as in N Am for North American) + homophone (heard) of EAR (attention).

Also spelled amir or emir: a Muslim ruler or military commander.
4 AMBIDEXTROUS
Stadium boxer beaten having no first-hand experience? (12)
Anagram (beaten) of STADIUM BOXER.

Cryptic definition: able to use either the right or the left hand, rather than having one dominant (first) hand.
6 ON THE SPOT
In an awkward predicament — that’s sort of fine (2,3,4)
Double definition. Put in an awkward position, especially of having to say or do something without preparation; or a fine for a minor offence that can be imposed immediately without a court hearing.
7 ICKY
Unwell having refused starter — unpleasantly sweet? (4)
[d]ICKY (as in a dicky tummy = unwell) without its starting letter.
8 GORE
Clotted blood in neck swelling — it should be removed (4)
GO[it]RE (swelling caused by enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck) with the letters IT removed.
11 PROLEGOMENON
For introduction sign on with professional cricket side (12)
OMEN (a sign) + ON, after PRO (abbreviation for professional) + LEG (one side of the wicket in cricket).

An introductory discussion to a longer text. (From the Greek for “something said beforehand”.)
13 POLITICIAN
Implication millions missing — bad for Hunt? (10)
Anagram (bad) of I[m]PLICATION without the M (abbreviation for millions).

Definition by example, referring to the Conservative politician Jeremy Hunt, with an extended definition: as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he really wouldn’t want to find millions missing from his budget.
14 REGENERATE
One breaking promise backed by goddess to revivify (10)
RENEGER (someone breaking a promise) reversed (backed), then ATE (Greek goddess of delusion and ruin).
16 IPHIGENIA
One Greek character endlessly sociable Mycenaean princess (9)
I (one in Roman numerals) + PHI (the Greek letter corresponding to PH) + GENIA[l] (sociable) without its last letter (endlessly).

Princess in Greek mythology.
21 NIECE
Inheritance finally claimed by particular relative (5)
Final letter of [inheritanc]E contained in (claimed by) NICE (particular = paying attention to detail).
22 ISIS
River‘s current seen before ship rounds island (4)
I (scientific symbol for electrical current), before SS (abbreviation for steamship) around I (abbreviation for island).

Alternative name for the River Thames, especially where it flows through Oxford.
23 ICON
International Tory symbol (4)
I (abbreviation for international) + CON (abbreviation for Conservative = Tory).

22 comments on “Independent 11,497 by Tees”

  2. I loved this. The Classical references were right up my street.
    STORM CLOUD – “wrinkled” is the anagrind, but an “Old Scrotum” would “indeed” be “wrinkled”

  4. I wonder if Tees got the inspiration for 2D from Viv Stanshall’s Rawlinson End epic, where the butler was “old Scrotum, the wrinkled retainer”?

    Thanks to Tees and Quirister.

  5. I have often looked at clouds and seen pictures, but never till today an old scrotum. AMBIDEXTROUS, INTERNEE and TRUTH DRUG my favourites, in what I thought was a tricky but enjoyable puzzle.

  10. I’m relieved not to see complaints about the Classical references, which were right up my street, too, although I did wonder whether ‘telos’ – in the plural! – was a step too far.

    Thanks, Simon S, for explaining the ‘indeed’ in 2dn, which had puzzled me. What a super clue!

    Along with Quirister’s favourites, I had ticks for PROVERBS, CAMARADERIE, GOURMANDISE (with a wry smile – I’ve just been told I’m prediabetic), AMBIDEXTROUS, POLITICIAN, REGENERATE, and IPHIGENIA.

    Many thanks to Tees for another enjoyable challenge and to Quirister for an excellent blog.

  11. Thanks both. Particularly liked AMBIDEXTROUS. To answer the question about the hefty serving of Greek, it’s something which personally gives me the shivers. I could argue it’s pretentious to assume solvers are educated in ancient language and culture, or that it retains any relevance, but crossword solving down the years in fairness has at least given me a better understanding of something otherwise I would have avoided. Specifically today, everything was fairly clued, factoring in Phi who we know as an Indy setter if for no other reason as part of IPHIGENIA who will be known to me only as Whatsherface come tomorrow, as I retain lee than I would wish these days

  12. Yes, a few classical references which aren’t really my thing, so this was a bit of a struggle. Managed to get the previously unheard of TELOI and PROLEGOMENON, both of which at least fitted the wordplay. I thought the surface for STORM CLOUD was v. amusing and along with others I liked the AMBIDEXTROUS def.

    Thanks to Tees and Quirister

  13. Worth doing for XYLOPHONE alone! What a truly stunning clue. Misdirection, cunning use of links, words used in totally different senses to normal. Pithy as can be and with a great surface. Chapeau.

    The rest wasn’t too shabby either 😉

    Thanks Tees and Quirister

  14. The classical references didn’t bother us, in fact ‘Greek’ in the clue for 15ac suggested the word might end in —OI so all we needed to do was check TELOI in Chambers. And Brewer was on hand to remind us who IPHIGENIA was.
    However, we didn’t know ‘toker’ and weren’t sure what word for ‘unwell’ needed its first letter removing, so we were held up a bit in the NE corner. But it all came together in the end. Favourite was XYLOPHONE.
    Thanks, Tees and Quirister.

  15. Thanks Quirister et al. Cheers for the blog and comments.

    As for Greek, I’ll give yer your TELOI and IPHIGENIA, but the rest of it is either in use in English (PROLEGOMENON) or standard Crosswordese (ATE and PHI). So I reckon it gives the impression of being hefty on the classics without actually being so. That’s what I’m saying at least, even though I do love a bit of ?????? ???????? occasionally. Or ‘his’ ??????. If I could read it in the Greek, I would of course. Ahem no Hellenist.

    The STORMCLOUD clue was done to a Stanshall theme. I’m a big fan of that film, and it was almost too good to be true to realise that a stormcloud can be a retainer of sorts, and ‘indeed saturated’, much like Scotum himself. That’s what I’m saying at least (cont. p. 94)

  17. Tees in top form. I like words that are new to me like GOURMANDISE and PROLEGOMENON when I can deduce them from the wordplay and I also enjoy digging up faint memories of Greeks like IPHIGENIA as well. STORM CLOUD = old scrotum was worth the price of admission. I also thought TRUTH DRUG and XYLOPHONE were great clues. Thanks to both.

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