Lucky me to get to blog two Basilisk puzzles in a row.
A wonderful puzzle from Basilisk – the setter who likes to keep us on our toes. As always, the clues are witty and meticulously constructed. A most enjoyable puzzle so many thanks to Basilisk. And to echo the setter’s sentiments – Merry Christmas to all!
([r]ESULTS)* (*in chaos, after eliminating R (resistance))
IS limiting CE (church, Church of England) + CUBE (power, i.e. to the power of three)
REAR (to raise) + RANGE (limits)
BE (live) + GUN (piece)
A (adult) + WAY (established routine)
YES (agreed) + TEAR (rent) around RYE (Sussex town)
“I SO TOPE” (alcoholic’s emphatic admission)
PA (agent) + L[aunched] (primarily) during NAM (conflict?),
EDIT: P[etrochemical] A[gent] L[aunched] (primarily) during NAM (conflict?) – &lit
The ‘?’ denoting that NAM is an example of a conflict
[DN]A TO MIC[robiologists] (sequence of)
HACK (poor writer) + YEN< (money, <about)
(MALE PRISON)* (*could be)
Triple definition
ST (stone) + ASH (wood)
TEXT (message, circulated) about ROVER (gypsy?)
The ‘?’ used to denote that the synonym might not be exact. Gypsies are one example of rovers.
OVERT (public) accepts CO (county) + A[ntrim]’s (leader)
The ‘?’ because an ULSTER is an example of an overcoat
MISER[l]Y (Scrooge-like, L (pound) stolen)
P[opulate] (beginning to), TERRAIN (country) hedges
SOUT[h] (mainly) nursing WAN (sickly) + AB (sailor, able seaman)
Cryptic definition
(Is ‘necessary’ slang for cash? EDIT – yes, apparently so)
CON (deceive) with concealed HEAT (ardour) – &lit
(SECRECY + P[rivacy] + B[reaches] + A[ffecting] (leads to))* (*compromised)
I.E. (that is) south of BOG (slough)
SENT (transported) by RY (railway)
SN (partners holding hands) + “EASE” (moderate, “caught”)
In a game of Bridge, South and North are partners. ‘Holding hands’ refers to hands of cards.
ZOOM (fly) + ORPHIC (associated with mythical musician, Orpheus)
LONDON (American writer, Jack) + “I” (author, “reported”)
Cryptic definition
If a symmetrical object is revolved it will still look the same
RA (god) brought low in CHORALE (hymn tune)
HEATH (Tory prime minister) making case for L (liberal)
F1 (Formula One) + ASCO[t] (racetrack, having no T (time))
HAS (is subjected to) boring PE (instructive exercises, Physical Education)
(CO (company), IF (provided) guards)< (<around)
16a is, I would say, also an &lit with the initial letters of first 3 words inside NAM.
In 3d, I have certainly heard people say “Have you the necessary?” to ask if you have the money to pay.
18d didn’t quite work for me as this only applies to ‘rotational symmetry’ not ‘reflectional symmetry’.
I commented that the last Basilisk crossword didn’t feel like it was one of his. This definitely did!
I’m with Hovis on 16a.
I just checked ‘necessary’ in Chambers. The third nounal definition is an informal term for money.
Thank you Hovis. I have edited the blog following your input.
Thanks Basilisk and Oriel
18dn in response to Hovis@2; I think this is yet another case of the question mark on the end of the clue indicating a definition by example.
3dn: I had this as LIRE in the plural. One of the problems with one part clues is that there is nothing to resolve an ambiguity, and I do not think the singular verb “What was necessary” quite does the job.
Thanks Oriel and Basilisk.
Beautiful.
Merry Christmas to you too. Very helpful as I saw it midway.
I had unparsed SORT at 25a, and was convinced the middle four letters are STET (no changes) in 18d, until I realized I was over-thinking it.
PB@7
What was (the) necessary/money in Italy?
LIRA rather than LIRE is a better answer, I think.
Agree with you on SYMMETRY.
Thanks, Basilisk and Oriel!
Liked NAPALM and SNEEZE.
3dn: The definition here is of course the whole clue, but I think Peter@10 has the better way of splitting it up, particular in the Financial Times. It looks as though the smallest coin in regular circulation before the switch to the Euro was the 50 lire coin, although apparently smaller coins were still minted for collectors.
… and of course I meant “particularly in the Financial Times”.
An excellent puzzle for the festive season for which I have only praise, although I never spotted the nina. Many thanks to Basilisk and Oriel .
Merry Christmas to all too.
I never really got on board with this one. I cannot identify any specific shortcomings with the clues. I did spot the message about halfway through, and that helped drag me across the finish line. I also had LIRE, but that doesn’t matter much.
Thanks for the blog, a really good set of clues. I will refrain from quibbles concerning various scientific terms until I have checked in Chambers.
Pelham Barton @6. You are quite correct. For some reason, I didn’t notice the question mark.
Merry Christmas and thank you to Basilisk for this and all the other crosswords and to Oriel for all the blogs
Peter @10 – might be better if Basilisk could pop in to comment! I can only give my interpretation, and not the setter’s intentions.
My two cents (excuse the pun) on 3D, having thought some more about it: Especially with cryptic definitions, the language used is important to evoke concepts and guide us to the solution. I like and agree with your longer definition. I also think the use of ‘necessary’ with its colloquial connotation (possibly a very apt coincidence, possibly intentional) also helps to lead us to the solution. The word ‘settled’ could be a clever misdirection, wanting us to think of the settlers of ancient Rome, when in fact it is as you interpret it – ‘settling’ a bill.
Regarding LIRE/LIRA: I suggest that when we speak of currency we tend to refer to the unit of currency in the singular. Italians used to use the Lira – admittedly preceded by ‘the’. Although I can see how plural could be acceptable, especially in the context of the longer definition as you have interpreted it: “What did they need to settle bills?” “Lire.”
Thanks for dropping in Oriel.
Although I had LIRA, the answer to the question “ what is the necessary in the U.K. or the US ?“ would be pounds or dollars.
Many thanks to Oriel for the excellent blog.
I agree that 3d is ambiguous, with LIRA or LIRE being reasonable answers. It is indeed unfortunate that the final letter is unchecked, something I should have spotted. The wording of the clue, with its inclusion of “necessary” and “settlement” is quite deliberate. The whole clue is intended as a cryptic definition of Italy’s former currency with the surface reading suggesting something do with the establishment of Rome.
Regarding Hovis’s comment @2, I agree (having a degree in mathematics) that the (cryptic) definition only works for rotational symmetry (and I think some licence is usually granted for such definitions). Hence the question mark was intentional, as noted by PB.
Merry Christmas all. Many thanks for the kind words you have posted about my puzzles in 2023.
Basilisk
What Crypticsue said!
And here’s to many more of this quality in 2024! Great puzzle. Thanks, Basilisk and Oriel.
I knew there would be an inner Nina, but managed to ignore it and finish the puzzle first, and then read it. This meant that the SE corner was knottiest.
21d – HEALTH “Tory prime minister”? – So many to choose from. There’s another in yesterday’s Indy. At least it wasn’t Rish!
Liked YESTERYEAR so checked the 15^2 archives – Phi had “YES (=certainly) + [RYE (=whisky) in TEAR (=hurry)]” – the Scotch spelling in 2011;
Brendan had “YES (indeed) + RYE (whiskey) in TEAR (run)” – the !rish spelling in 2009 (’cause he’s !rish)
On LIRA/LIRE – You wouldn’t settle much with one LIRA – there used to be 3000 to the pound. The problem shouldn’t arise with the euro.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/euro ‘Usage notes The plural form euro was previously recommended for use in official European documents written in English, but this recommendation has been amended to euros. However, in !rish English the plural euro is now well-established. For further information, see Language and the euro on Wikipedia.’
Thanks B&O
What Cineraria wrote @14 about not getting on board with this one. Probably I was tired or distracted, and I never felt I was on Basalisk’s wavelength. But I got there in the end, albeit with a couple of clues unparsed that do not seem difficult in hindsight. And, as always, I did not spot the message.
Thanks Basalisk and Oriel
Thanks Basilisk for an excellent crossword and the Merry Christmas wishes. Basilisk and his alter egos remain in my upper echelon of setters due to clues like ICE CUBES, BEGUN, NAPALM, OVERCOAT, HEALTH, and FIASCO as well as his reliable hidden extras. I guessed but didn’t fully understand LIRA, CYBERSPACE, SNEEZE, and CHOLERA so thanks Oriel for the blig.
For a moment I did take 3d literally and wondered about some version of the Roman household god Lar(es), but sense prevailed, and Merry Christmas to Basilisk and all, too.
It was all going so well until LONDON EYE… ‘article’ hardly stands up to any kind of scrutiny for me.. didn’t spot the Nina which would have at least made it more obvious..
Thanks Basilisk n Oriel