It feels like a while since we last saw IO.
IO’s puzzles are extremely creative, a bit rule-bending at times, and tend to stretch my abilities. I love this about him.
As always, different/better interpretations are very welcome.
Many thanks to IO for the fun. I very much enjoyed this!
Before RINGER (man with bell) appears; (SIGNS HELP)* (*frothing)
PUNTER (better) circling (H (horse) + TO)< (<back)
GO (depart) in ANY (some)
TOIL (hard work) + [w]E TRY (we hear, without W (wife))
HI (welcome) + TT (on the wagon, i.e. teetotal) + HE (chap) + GROUND (worked with mill) + RUNNING (operative)
16, 20 referring to the clue number
(WIFE FED THEMATIC ITEM)* (*estranged)
24 referring to the clue number
E.G. (say) + GLAD (pleased) to accept SA (it, i.e. sex appeal)
JA (Dieter’s agreed) + PAN (to critically review)
‘Dieter’ being a common first name in Germany, pointing us to a German word for ‘agreed’
(GO THIS FAR)* (*could make)
OTHER (second) + UNIT (team) keeps HAM (awful player) in RED (ruddy)
(THE MAP)* (*decipherable)
Cryptic definition
‘Getting it’ = being beaten; ‘Pat’ = man in Dublin / typical Irish name
[m]INUTE RO[w] (little argument, neither the first nor the last)
(NOTE RHYMES)* (*rough)
The question mark in this instance indicating that ‘Bow’ and ‘Slough’ are examples of the solution
POT (chamber); R (right) harbour
[v]ITAL (essential, not V (very) + (IN A)* (*working)
GO OUT (court) + LIKE (to dig) + ALIGHT (land)
[l]IGH[t] (central area of) overlooked by (EARLY)* (*dynamic)
BRIDGEROOM (cards on the table here, after change of heart)
SWEAR (cuss) + E.T. (Elliott’s little friend) + J (jack) dipping into it – &lit
(O + INCENSE (this))* produces NICE NOSE &lit
(ALAS NOR)* (*dicky)
ED + TED (Edwards) keeping IT
[tu]B AT H[ome] (a little) &lit
Io has long occupied my “Don’t attempt” list, but I do recall completing one a few months ago, so I took the bull by the horns and gave today’s a shot.
After half an hour, I’d solved three. Looks like he stays in said list.
Thanks, Io and Oriel! Excellent puzzle. Superb blog.
Enjoyed it all. Thanks again.
PORT
chamber=chamber pot=PO (something I found online. Correct me if I am wrong), right=RT.
harbour, left
A triple-def?
Agree with KVa that it is PO + RT, so wordplay + two definitions. 19d should be ED + ED, not TED. Normally, like GDU, I can’t do IO crosswords but rattled this off quite quickly with no need for any cheats or look-ups.
Just checked and confirmed chamber=chamber pot=po is in Chambers.
Hovis@3
Sorry. I stand corrected. wp+2 def.
Another for the PO+RT parse, although I was unsure of the PO synonym and have learned today that a chamberpot can be called a chamber, even though it is a pot. I very nearly completed the solve but did need some help from the blog for some of the more complex assemblies; HIT THE GROUND RUNNING and ROTHERHAM UNITED for two. I was particularly taken with some of the shorter clues: AGONY, EGG SALAD, ITALIAN, INCENSE, ALSO-RAN and the delightful BATH. COTD was JAPAN for the fabulous use of Dieter. A couple of lovely &lits in there. My only real solving problem was the unknown POT HUNTER where I guessed at a not properly parsed PIT PUNTER which sounded as if it might be some kind of better.
Thanks Io and Oriel
Quite friendly for an Io until it wasn’t but as usual I did enjoy myself solving the crossword
Many thanks to Io and Oriel
I’ll bet that Rotherham United have never had as much publicity as today! I’ll bet that not too many Aussies would have solved that, unless they were born and raised in England as I was.
Re 13D: is there really such a thing as a “Bridge Room”?
Re 21A: Once again “IT” and “SA” raise their heads, if you will excuse the pretty obvious pun. Where is Pamela? She usually has something to say about this.
Thanks for the blog, perhaps a bit friendlier than usual for IO but still a stiff challenge and wonderful clues. I liked SWEET-JAR avoiding the usual film=ET , JAPAN was very devious , hiding the capital D at the front and a misleading meaning. RAYLEIGH is very clever, the Rayleigh criterion involves the central disc of light in a diffraction pattern .
INCENSE is neat , I would call it a compound anagram . I could go on …..
Wow! (blush)… it seems that I have an admirer. Sorry, Peter, but I didn’t manage to finish today’s crossword so I didn’t manage to equate “sa” and “it”. I also didn’t know that there was such a thing as a “bridge room”. Does that mean that there is also a “poker room” and a “canasta room” and a “euchre room”?
KVa @several is right for PO , chamber pot= chamber = po . Used to be common usage when they were used . See Steptoe and Son – And so to Bed
BRIDGE ROOM , not sure it is an actual term but it is not the answer so it can be whimsical. I think Gentleman’s Clubs have a card room in Victorian literature and bridge would be played.
I saw it was Io, and I did not have much time, so I did not even start.
INCENSE – another one of those HETERONYMS. The thurifer incenses the congregation. He certainly does. I’m livid.
Thanks IO and Oriel.
Enjoyed this.
This is IO’s 11th puzzle this year here. Normally, one every month, two in Aug, none in Oct.
SWEET-JAR top fav.
Pleased with myself finishing this though it took some time, effort and head-scratching. I tend to be very wary of Io.
Loi was Toiletry.
I had no idea of the ET reference.
Enjoyed Rotherham United- nickname The Millers. Maybe a connection with clue 12/14?
Perhaps they are pot-hunting this year
Thanks for help with parsing of a couple, including Port.
For 9ac POT HUNTER you could also have TOP (better, as a verb) reversed (circling) followed by (…to the back) HUNTER (horse). Two parsings for the price of one.
Oh look Martyn came in.
I think he missed a good puzzle, as any puzzle with a frothing dog in it would have to be a good puzzle.
For me.
As Oriel says, IO’s puzzles are extremely creative, a bit rule-bending at times, and tend to stretch abilities. Well, we duly had our abilities stretched but it was worth the effort for the satisfaction when we completed it. Mind you, there were a number of clues where we only saw the parsing well after we got the answer from definition and/or crossing letters. Favourite was HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, not that that’s what we did.
Thanks, Io and Oriel.
paulb@17 so much so that ENGLISH SPRINGER should become rhyming slang for rabid right-winger.
😀
Thanks Io and Oriel
It’s a huge shame that a puzzle as excellent as this attracts so few comments.
Steeled myself for this IO as usual, pleasantly surprised in the end, wind direction probably accounting for any success e.g. never saw the Dieter/dieter misdirection.. phew
Thanks IO n Oriel
Utterly horrible. Ruined my evening.
Thanks Oriel for the parsing of the end of Toiletry in particular. This must have been easier end of Io’s spectrum as I solved it over two cups of tea though the 2nd was pretty cold by the end thanks to a few new phrases, but agree it was a lot of fun and Elliot’s little friend definitely a welcome change. Thanks Io.
I love to go into the ring with an Io just to see how long I can stay standing before getting floored. I did have to resort to some external help for 11 (TOILETRY) and reveal a couple of letters for 9 (POT HUNTER) which I could not guess. Lots of oh so clever stuff as one would expect – specially loved the appropriate cluing of RAYLEIGH. My take on PORT was ‘chamber’ (POT) enveloping (‘harbouring’) letter R (‘right).
… (p.s. and was determined to have 15d be a SWEAR BOX/TIN/JAR/etc… ) – totally did not get the Elliott – ET connection. I do think that’s maybe a bit of a stretch.