Independent 11,584 by Gila

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This was a very intricate and challenging puzzle.

A lot of the definitions were skilfully hidden. 12 and 13 were my favourite clues. 12 had a smooth surface and cleverly hidden definition. 13 used a device I've not seen much before.

ACROSS
1 DIGITAL NATIVE
Vital editing badly requiring input of a tech-savvy youngster (7,6)

(Vital editing)* around a
10 OSCAN
Huge container – a sort once seen in Italy? (5)

Os(=oversize, huge) + can(=container). The Oscans were ancient race from Southern Italy.
11 PIMPERNEL
Long borders made primarily for a large plant (9)

Pine(=long) around (m[ade] + per(=for)) + l(=a large size)
12 NASHVILLE
Architect with very bad English country home (9)

Nash(=John Nash) + v{ery} + ill + E{nglish}. The def refers to Nashville being the home of country music.
13 HALVA
Confectionery almost cut in two (maybe just left of centre!) (5)

Halv[e] + [m]a[ybe] (the character just to the left of the centre). Halva is a Turkish type of confectionery.
14 ERRATUM
Signs of hesitation covering up traitor’s mistake (7)

(Er and um) around rat(=traitor)
16 OLD FART
Curmudgeonly type occasionally howled if presented with trickery (3,4)

Even letters of howled if + art(=trickery)
18 CHAIRED
Presided over church broadcast (7)

Ch{urch} + broadcast(=aired)
20 ENSNARE
Catch some veterans nervously retreating (7)

Hidden, rev in veterans nervously
22 ADAPT
Adjust plug fitting (5)

Ad(=advertisement, plug) + apt(=fitting as an adjective)
24 HIBERNATE
Movement of bear in the winter (9)

(Bear in the)*. Winter here is used as a verb – to winter somewhere.
26 MIKE TYSON
Repackaged Sky item about retired fighter (4,5)

(Sky item)* + on(=about)
27 BREAK
Smash several pots on a table? (5)

DD, the second part referring to pots in a game like snooker.
28 ANNIVERSARIES
Vacant rooms in Vienna possibly house celebrations (13)

R[oom]s in (Vienna* + Aries(=Zodiac house))
DOWN
2 INCISOR
Onset of caries is found in one new gold tooth (7)

(C[aries] is) in (I n{ew}) + or(=gold))
3 INNOVATOR
One trailblazing star entertained by a fan of Queen (9)

Nova(=star) in (into R{egina}(=fan of queen))
4 APPAL
Horrify a quiet friend (5)

A + p{iano=quiet} + pal(=friend)
5 NUMBER ONE
Most important anaesthetic assigned to surgeries centrally (6,3)

Number(=something which numbs i.e. anaesthetic) + on(=assigned to) + surg[e]ries
6 TEETH
Support majority of the force (5)

Tee(=support in golf) + th[e]. Def is used I suppose in the sense of having teeth i.e. power to do something.
7 VANILLA
Orchid seen in deep blue lake in Virginia (7)

((Anil(=a shade of blue) + l{ake}) in Va(Viriginia postal abbrev)
8 COUNTERCLAIMS
Opposing arguments perhaps given by solicitors from Coleman Curtis, misguidedly (13)

(Coleman Curtis)*
9 CLEAR THE DECKS
Organise related checks and get ready for action (5,3,5)

(Related checks)*
15 MADE HASTE
Rushed domestic worker said to dislike taking breaks in the end (4,5)

Hom of maid + hate around [break]s
17 DESCRIBER
One painting a picture of small home surrounded by woodland creatures (9)

(S{mall} crib) in deer
19 ALASKAN
Request received by a PC link-up from part of the States (7)

Ask in a LAN(=local area network)
21 ACADEME
A Democrat flanked by great scholars (7)

(A Dem{ocrat}) in ace(=great)
23 TUTTI
Musically, everyone initially thinks ukuleles tear it up (5)

Initial letters of thinks ukeleles tear + it<
25 BONUS
An extra book paid for by you and me (5)

B{ook} + on us(=paid for by you and me)

14 comments on “Independent 11,584 by Gila”

  1. It’s an absolute cracker to start the week – nicely challenging and a lot of fun.

    13a was a new word for me and cleverly clued.

    My top picks were NASHVILLE, OLD FART, BREAK, INNOVATOR and NUMBER ONE.

    Many thanks to Gila and to Neal.

  2. Very enjoyable! Raced through this until I got to 13a/6d, which took me ages, not having heard of the confectionery.
    Undoubtedly it is clever but I can’t decide if I like it or not.
    Plenty of tickets on my page including OLD FART, the &litish HIBERNATE, MIKE TYSON, the aforementioned TEETH and the pick of the bunch for me BREAK.
    Thanks Gila and NH.

  3. I groaned as I went through my first pass, thinking I’d never finish this one, but eventually everything fell into place after cracking the south-east corner. Had to look up ‘halva’ though. Very clever to base the anagram at 8D on a real person. Very nice, so thanks Gila and Neal.

  5. HALVA unknown but gettable from WP and then checked. All else was solved and parsed – not too tricky but no easy Monday puzzle either. PIMPERNEL, NASHVILLE, HIBERNATE, MIKE TYSON, BREAK and DESCRIBER were my favourites.

    Thanks Gila and Neal

  7. Halva was indeed clever – new to me but clear as long as you’re happy to take the wordplay on trust.

    Other favourites included MIKE TYSON, DIGITAL NATIVE, and TEETH (I spent some time trying to justify THEME[t]).

    Thanks Gila and NealH.

  8. First time I’ve heard of the term DIGITAL NATIVE – I could certainly do with having one in residence here!
    At least I knew HALVA but I did need Neal to tell me how I should have arrived at the final ‘a’.
    Think my picks would be ADAPT & HIBERNATE.

    Thanks to Gila and to Neal for the review.

  9. DIGITAL NATIVE & OSCAN both unfamiliar & requiring confirmation. Needed a letter reveal to complete but I’ll take that for a Gila puzzle. Very enjoyable.
    Thanks to Gila & to Neal

  10. Thanks both. Talked myself out of TEETH feeling it didn’t mean force! HALVA was an unknown but I am not a sweet person – read that how you will, and I would add that I am probably somewhere between a DIGITAL NATIVE and an OLD FART, yet unwilling to reveal which of the two extremes I am closest to.

  11. Many thanks to NealH for the blog and to all who’ve commented thus far.

    Re: 8D, Coleman Curtis is entirely made up, but it struck me as a good name for a legal firm that should exist, so I went with it.

    Oxtoby @6 – a perfectly reasonable and good point. Apologies for the (I hope, uncharacteristic) lack of due diligence and forethought on my part here

  13. We raced through this; what I didn’t know Ms DiBosco did and vice-versa. eg she knew of Digital Native, halva and pimpernel, all of which were new to me.

    Favourites were Mike Tyson, which made me smile, Nashville, Old Fart, Number One and Break. Lots of great clues and learnt new words.

    Thanks Gila and NealH

  14. Rabbit Dave @4, Gila @11. Apologies for delayed response. Bit of a stretch I suppose, and a coincidence it seems, but Rebecca Coleman Curtis is an American author, poet, psychologist and psychoanalyst.

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