Wire continues his (roughly) once-a-month appearances with today’s puzzle.
A good range of clues here, with nothing too obscure (and the less common words given straightforward wordplays). The surfaces contain quite a few references to stage performance, and there might be a reason for that, though for me it was a couple of names that rang a bell . . .
Tuesday is usually theme day, of course, and the key to today’s is part of 26a. It’s the rock band QUEEN, who might be considered ROCK (part of 1a) ROYALTY; in the band’s heyday its members were Freddie MERCURY, Brian MAY, John DEACON, and ROGER Taylor. The last of these doesn’t have a very crossword-friendly surname, so we’ll forgive Wire for the slight inconsistency. We also have references to two of their RECORDS: CHAMPIONS (for We Are The Champions) and MAGNIFICO (which features memorably in the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody). ROCK might also remind you of We Will Rock You – if you’ve ever seen a live performance of this song, which tends to involve the whole ARENA (23d) clapping in sync (9a CLAPPERS). And we could go on about ENCORED and a SHOWMAN with CHARISMA, who sadly is now notable by his ABSENCE. Along with all the references in the surfaces, it’s a well-developed theme. Thanks Wire for an enjoyable puzzle.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ROCK DOVE |
Pigeon in port briefly with stick from Brighton? (4,4)
|
| DOVE[r] (port town in SE England) without its last letter (briefly), after ROCK (stick of rock = confectionery sold at seaside resorts, such as Brighton).
Another name for a wild pigeon. |
||
| 5 | SCORER |
Musical composition has right person on pitch (6)
|
| SCORE (musical composition, as in film score = music composed for a film) + R (abbreviation for right).
Scorer = a player on a sports pitch who has scored a goal. |
||
| 9 | CLAPPERS |
They applaud one hundred fast movers on track? (8)
|
| C (one hundred in Roman numerals) + LAPPERS (athletes on a track who move fast enough to lap slower runners). | ||
| 10 | STAGEY |
Long time in enclosure being theatrical (6)
|
| AGE (a long time) in STY (enclosure for pigs). | ||
| 12 | RAPID |
Quick words to music biddy regularly missed (5)
|
| RAP (rhythmic speaking of words accompanied by music) + [b]I[d]D[y] with alternate (regular) letters missed out. | ||
| 13 | INAUGURAL |
Gold lining grand urinal bewildered maiden (9)
|
| AU (chemical symbol for gold, from Latin aurum), inserted into (lining) an anagram (bewildered) of G (grand = slang for £1000 or $1000) + URINAL.
Maiden, as in “maiden voyage” = inaugural = the first occurrence of something. |
||
| 14 | SHOWMAN |
Spectacular performer‘s week in quiet country (7)
|
| W (abbreviation for week) in SH (sh! = instruction to be quiet) + OMAN (country in the Arabian Peninsula). | ||
| 16 | MERCURY |
Metal spun in Shanghai and Baghdad (7)
|
| The chemical symbol for the metal mercury is Hg (from an earlier Greek-derived name hydrargyrum); the letters HG are reversed (spun round) in both [shan]GH[ai] and [ba]GH[dad]. | ||
| 18 | ENSIGNS |
Banners Poles badly singe beforehand (7)
|
| N + S (abbreviations for the North and South Poles), with an anagram (badly) of SINGE before. | ||
| 20 | ARCADIA |
Solo work about rascal in classical rural setting (7)
|
| ARIA (a piece of music for solo voice, often as part of a larger opera or choral work) around CAD (rascal = disreputable person).
A classical image of idealised rural life: shepherds and shepherdesses in a pretty landscape (without the messy reality). |
||
| 22 | CHARISMAS |
Star qualities help primarily in securing many album sales (9)
|
| CHAR (short for charwoman = help = a domestic servant), then the first letters (primarily) of I[n] S[ecuring] M[any] A[lbum] S[ales]. | ||
| 24 | PARTS |
Pieces band arranged back-to-front (5)
|
| STRAP (band = narrow strip of leather or fabric) back-to-front. | ||
| 25 | RE-EDIT |
Make another change to grass by centre of site (2-4)
|
| REED (a type of grass) + centre letters of [s]IT[e]. | ||
| 26 | MAY QUEEN |
Festival star‘s powerful piece on PM (3,5)
|
| QUEEN (the most powerful playing piece in chess) added to MAY (Theresa May, former British PM).
A young woman taking a starring role in a traditional springtime festival. |
||
| 27 | DEACON |
Clergyman made a confession to some extent (6)
|
| Hidden answer (. . . to some extent) in [ma]DE A CON[fession]. | ||
| 28 | REHEARSE |
Practise on vehicle used for final journey (8)
|
| RE (on = on the subject of) + HEARSE (vehicle that takes the coffin for a person’s final journey to the grave). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | RECORDS |
Documents contents of grey trousers (7)
|
| Inner letters (contents) of [g]RE[y], then CORDS (short for corduroy trousers). For once “trousers” isn’t being used as a containment indicator. | ||
| 2 | CHAMPIONS |
Supports children playing pianos (including Mike) (9)
|
| CH (abbreviation for children, in genealogy records perhaps?) + anagram (playing) of PIANOS, including M (Mike in the radio alphabet).
Champion, as a verb = support = give one’s backing to. |
||
| 3 | DOPED |
Party extremely permissive, duke’s high? (5)
|
| DO (slang for a party) + end letters (extremely) of P[ermissiv]E + D (abbreviation for duke).
Doped = high = slang for under the influence of drugs. |
||
| 4 | VERSION |
Form most of stanza number one travelling north (7)
|
| Most of VERS[e] (stanza = section of a poem or song text), then NO (no. = abbreviation for number, from numero) + I (one in Roman numerals) reversed (travelling north = upwards in a down clue). | ||
| 6 | CATEGORIC |
Feline energy excited corgi, that’s clear (9)
|
| CAT (feline) + E (scientific symbol for energy) + anagram (excited) of CORGI.
Categoric (or categorical) = direct and unambiguous = clear. |
||
| 7 | ROGER |
Half of standard radio confirmation (5)
|
| Half of [jolly] ROGER = pirate flag = standard.
Word used in radio communications to mean “message received and acknowledged” = confirmation. |
||
| 8 | ROYALTY |
Payment from King with allegiance lacking at first (7)
|
| R (abbreviation for King, from Latin Rex) + [l]OYALTY (allegiance) lacking its first letter.
A payment to an author when their book is sold, to a musician when their work is performed, etc. |
||
| 11 | MAAM |
8’s address maybe shared by Emma and Amanda (4)
|
| Hidden answer in the combination of the two names (shared by . . .): [em]MA AM[anda].
Shortened form of “madam”, traditionally used when speaking to a Queen, so perhaps an address to 8 down ROYALTY. |
||
| 15 | MAGNIFICO |
Grandee in AGM if breaking up company (9)
|
| Anagram (breaking up) of IN AGM IF, then CO (abbreviation for company).
Magnifico = grandee = a high-status or influential person. |
||
| 17 | UNDERWEAR |
The German runner in UK crowned by one in French clothing (9)
|
| DER (a form of “the” in German) + WEAR (river in NE England = water that runs = runner in UK), with UN (a form of “one” in French) at the beginning (crowned by = at the top in a down clue). | ||
| 18 | ENCORED |
Central section in finale came on once more (7)
|
| CORE (central section) in END (finale).
Encore, as a verb = to come back on stage and perform again at the audience’s request. |
||
| 19 | SUMO |
Two seconds hold acceptable for wrestling (4)
|
| S (abbreviation for second) + MO (short for moment = second), so “two seconds”, containing U (acceptable?) Perhaps the U is as in “U and non-U” = acceptable to upper-class society; or possibly a U (unclassified) grade in an exam = just about acceptable but not very good. | ||
| 20 | ASSUAGE |
Calm animal, good in a hot country (7)
|
| ASS (another word for donkey = animal), then G (abbreviation for good) inserted into UAE (United Arab Emirates = a hot country).
As in to calm / assuage someone’s fears. |
||
| 21 | ABSENCE |
Lack of muscle on view when cold descends (7)
|
| AB (short for abdominal muscle, though more usually used in the plural form “abs”), then SCENE (view) with the C (abbreviation for cold) moving a couple of places towards the end (descending, in a down clue). | ||
| 23 | ARENA |
An age to put up place for a concert (5)
|
| AN ERA (an age) reversed (to put up = upwards in a down clue). | ||
| 24 | PIQUE |
Excite highest level in auditorium (5)
|
| Homophone (in auditorium) of PEAK (highest level).
As in to excite / pique someone’s curiosity. |
That was fun, favourite was ENCORED when the penny dropped. Not expected as a verb. Also novel to have only one AB and more than one CHARISMA. All entertaining, thanks W & Q
Queen released their INAUGURAL eponymous first LP in 1973 – a 50-year-old album clebrating its golden anniversary. The Pub Landlord will be pleased.
It’s reassuring to know (I have just started doing indy crossword after years of gruniad) that I can miss the obvious theme in the indy too.
Thanks Setter and Blogger
I wasn’t really happy with CHARISMAS, e.g wouldn’t you say ‘They all have charisma’, not ‘charismas’? Otherwise all very enjoyable so thanks Wire and Quirister.
That was fun. Happy Charismas, everyone.
I smiled when the pdm dropped half way through the solve and it made mopping up the remainder very pleasurable. I note that TAYLOR, whilst not suitable for a solution, does form an anagram of the majority of ROYALTY; I’m not certain I’d be brave enough to use Roger as an anagrind though …
It’s another 50th for FrankieG to celebrate as well.
I did not spot the HG trick in MERCURY – very neat. I was particularly taken by the surface of the clue for INAUGURAL: worth the price of admission in itself. U for (socially) acceptable seems … acceptable to me.
Thanks Wire and Quirister
Correction to self – pdms don’t drop!
I parsed 19ac as SUMO with the U from film classification = suitable for all = acceptable.
Thanks Wire and Quirister
FreddieM had great STAGEY presence and CHARISMAS – there’s a pun in there somewhere. One of Benny Hill’s, I think.
Thanks W&Q
[FrankieG @9: you have to expect some awful puns at CHARISMAS-time 😀 … I’ll get my coat. ]
🙂
No pennies were dropped in the solving of this puzzle – but I enjoyed it thoroughly nonetheless, aside from almost bunging in SNOWMAN!
Thanks Wire & Cineraria.
All good fun. Lots to like, and I even spotted the theme before I finished the puzzle, which actually helped!
Thanks to Wire for the thouroughly ingrained theme and to Quirister particularly for the parsing of MERCURY which I’d never have worked out.
I have no idea as to whether Fred had a gold-lined urinal, but I’d like to think that he did. (1across was for the true fans.) Thanks to all for the comments and thank you Quirister for the blog.
I finished this, although there were many I couldn’t parse. I had heard of Queen, even heard of Freddie Mercury, but the theme totally escaped me.
Very nice. – and 1ac was very decorously laid.
Thanks to Wire and Qurister
26a MAY QUEEN – Shame There’s a “former British PM” in the clue. So many to choose from.
The solution had to be “lift-and-separated” from it’s meaning in Stamp@6,7,10’s recent WIcker Man golden anniversary.
Let’s hope everybody gets nice CHARISMAS presence next week. [Of course the plural should really be CHARISMATA]
…and CHARISMA is the source of Rizz – “named Oxford University Press’ word of the year for 2023″.
I’m wondering what ‘”unspoken rizz”, referring to a person’s ability to attract a person without speaking, such as by simply glazing them over.’ means.
Rizz hasn’t made it to Wiktionary, or even (surprisingly) oed.com yet.
Here’s another Rizz link – the one above gives ‘about:blank#blocked’