Independent on Sunday 1,774 by Laccaria

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The puzzle is available to download or solve online here.

 

Hi everyone.  Thanks to Laccaria for today’s puzzle, which features a theme right up my universe.  In an impressive grid fill we find Dr WHO, complete with POLICE BOX TARDIS, and all episodes of the very first serial: An UNEARTHLY CHILD, The CAVE of SKULLs, The FOREST of FEAR, and The FIREMAKER.  I very nearly missed it, but I was scanning for clue highlights and the first two across answers jumped out at me like a big scary monster going “raaarrrgh!”  I never did go back to select a favourite clue, but at least I survived!  How did you get on?

 

 

Definitions are underlined in the clues below.  In the explanations, most quoted indicators are in italics, specified [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER.  For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.

 

Across

9a    Phantom hunter lay prepared (9)
UNEARTHLY
An anagram of (… prepared) HUNTER LAY

10a   The Parisian abandons almost freezing infant? (5)
CHILD
LE (the Parisian) leaves (abandons) CHIL[le]D (almost freezing … ?)

11a   Craft Centre occupied by a criminal case (7)
CORACLE
CORE (centre) containing (occupied by) A and the outer letters (case) of CriminaL

12a   Saw dog restrained by lead (7)
PROVERB
ROVER (dog) inside (restrained by) PB (lead)

13a   Enthusiastic traveller initially following meanders of Blue Nile (9)
EBULLIENT
The first letter of (… initially) Traveller following successive anagrams of (meanders of) BLUE and NILE

15a   Hamlet’s prop that could move boat on air (5)
SKULL
Sounds like (… on air) SCULL (move boat)

17a   Left with bill for setter, obtained on demand (7)
EXACTED
EX[i]TED (left) with AC (bill) in place of (for) I (setter)

20a   Disturbs hospital signs (7)
HARROWS
H (hospital) + ARROWS (signs)

23a   See 31 Down

25a   Does your hairdresser take some of this from your gross income in the States? (3,3,3)
OFF THE TOP
Two meanings; for the second I had to hint online:  Webster via Collins says that “off the top” means “from gross income” in American English

28a   Provides for issue primarily (7)
SUCKLES
A cryptic definition

30a   Relaxing start of recital with arrangement for flutes (7)
RESTFUL
The first letter of (start of) Recital with an anagram of (arrangement for) FLUTES

32a   Unfinished silver collection for 1950s/60s icon (5)
ELVIS
Without the last letter (unfinished) SILVEr, anagram (collection)

33a   Nothing to be left unchanged in multinational group, concerning deliveries (9)
OBSTETRIC
O (nothing) + STET (to be left unchanged) in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China: multinational group)

 

Down

1d    Think around 150 needed to show strength (6)
MUSCLE
MUSE (think) around CL (150)

2d    Be afraid of the sea monster, ultimately (4)
FEAR
Final letters of (… ultimately) oF thE seA monsteR

3d    Band of two meeting obstacle (8)
BRACELET
BRACE (two) + LET (obstacle)

4d    Wrongly take article, one acquired on memorable day (6)
THIEVE
THE (article) with I (one) inside (acquired) above (on) VE (memorable day)

5d    Cheap yet tailored possible headgear for pirate? (8)
EYEPATCH
CHEAP YET anagrammed (tailored)

6d    Issue’s about 101 descendants (6)
SCIONS
SON’S (issue’s) around (about) CI (101)

7d    Coin has the middle part raised (4)
DIME
Hidden in (… part) thE MIDdle reversed (raised)

8d    Chances to host dance for weirdos (8)
ODDBALLS
ODDS (chances) surrounding (to host) BALL (dance)

14d   See 27

16d   Perhaps 22’s 27 14 isn’t one such? (1,1,1)
UFO
Replacing the numbers with their corresponding entries we have, “perhaps WHO’s POLICE BOX …” – so perhaps an identified flying object rather than a UFO!  (And if you wish to discuss whether “flying” is the right word for what the TARDIS does, be my guest.  The clue works either way)

17d   He needs Mike actively involved (8)
ENMESHED
An anagram of (… actively) HE NEEDS M (Mike)

18d   American national swimmer (3)
AUK
A (American) + UK (national)

19d   Loses possession of illegally gained ball, landing at back of net (4,4)
DROP SHOT
DROPS (loses possession of) + HOT (illegally gained)

21d   Put another way, he shared crackers (8)
REHASHED
HE SHARED anagrammed (crackers)

22d   How disorganised is international body! (1,1,1)
WHO
An anagram of (… disorganised) HOW

24d   Like a pickle? (6)
RELISH
Two definitions

26d   Ousting everyone, beat Dean maybe (6)
FOREST
Removing (ousting) ALL (everyone), FOREST[all] (beat)

27d & 14.   Band has hit with antiquated communication equipment (6,3)
POLICE BOX
POLICE (band) + BOX (hit)

29d   Beware of cut (not with right)! (4)
CAVE
CA[r]VE (cut) without (not with) R (right)

31d & 33.   Prometheus, for one, to dispense with God? (4-5)
FIRE MAKER
FIRE (to dispense with) + MAKER (God?)

 

13 comments on “Independent on Sunday 1,774 by Laccaria”

  2. Thanks Kitty. I wonder if the publication of this puzzle was delayed from the end of last year, which would have marked the 60th anniversary of the serial.

  3. Hi KVa and DuncT, thanks for the comments!

    Yep you’re right DT – I had hoped to get this finished and sent to Mike in time for putting online around 23 November, which would have been the Whovian 60th anniversary – but I didn’t get it out in time. Never mind, it’s roughly the 60¼th anniversary which is close enough.

    Many of my generation will remember that the first episode went out just one day after the JFK assassination. I recall wondering if it would be cancelled, since the TV was full of stuff about the latter – but Dr Who went on air as planned.

    I also remember my first ‘behind-the-sofa’ moment. No! it wasn’t the you-know-whats with sink plungers and staircase jinx! It was in FOREST of FEAR, where Barbara stumbles and falls across what looks like the skull of a wild boar. I’ve no idea why that terrified me – but it did!

    Many thanks Kitty for your excellent blog.

  4. This puzzle ought to have appeared on November 23 2023, to celebrate the 60th (diamond) anniversary. I was very disappointed then, so wasn’t expecting it now.
    Didn’t spot the theme till my Loi POLICE BOX. Vaguely remember the first 4-episode Stone Age story. But began hiding behind the sofa when the dread Daleks debuted in December.
    Thanks L&K

  5. Never thought to look for a theme, well done to Kitty for spotting it. William Hartnell was, of course, the real Dr Who in the same way that Sean Connery was the real James Bond!
    My top picks were the dog restrained by its lead, the hairdresser’s cut, the party for weirdos and the disorganised international body.

    Thanks to Laccaria and to Miss K for making sense of the clues that had furrowed my brow.

  6. Very nice, so thanks Laccaria and Kitty. I needed two sessions to complete this, having nodded off during the first! I was a committed Dr Who fan in its earlier manifestation but lost interest for the current one. I don’t understand DROP SHOT – in which sport (presumably) does this occur?

  7. Thanks both. I was a big fan in the Jon Pertwee era, then introduced our kids once various regenerations had taken us to Christopher Eccleston. For me, the clue referencing WHO can only mean the programme, as the character is/was always the Doctor. Like Tatrasman@6 I don’t fully follow DROP SHOT as the definition doesn’t feel quite right for tennis or badminton in which such shots are intended to land close to the net on the opponent’s side, though perhaps that is the intention; when I play, they mainly end up hitting the net, which is an art I have yet to consistently perfect in football.

  8. Tatrasman @6 – the DROP SHOT is as described by TFO @7; TFO, I don’t have a problem with the clue using “at back of net” to mean “just behind the net” (from the perspective of the player making the shot).

    As for WHO is The Doctor, TFO, I’m with you really, but think your comment may be open to dispute. Links may follow if I can make it out of the rabbit hole wormhole I’m about to enter …

    … however, I agree it makes more sense for Dr Who here to refer to the show anyway, so I’ve tweaked my intro to remove the explicit reference to the character.

    Thanks. 🙂

  10. Kitty@9 Thanks for sharing – very interesting, and personally I’m delighted that some mystique remains to this day. I imagine all would agree that calling the character just Who would feel disrespectful at best; I haven’t watched for a while but may he/she/they enjoy many more seasons.

  11. Once again thanks everyone for the helpful comments.

    I was almost literally glued to the TV during the early Doctor Who episodes but gave up after his fourth incarnation (Tom Baker) and don’t think I’ve watched a single episode since. However, from what I recall, he was never referred to as “Doctor Who” in the script, always as “The Doctor”. It was only in the title sequence that the word “Who” appeared, so I admit I took a bit of a liberty in referring to him as “Who” in 16d. That’s cruciverbal licence for you! – apologies to those who object to this.

    As regards DROP SHOT, not being a tennis devotee myself, I had to look up what it meant (these damn’ filler words!). I decided that ‘at the back of the net’ to mean behind the net (while at the same time misleading solvers into thinking of football) was good enough. Once again, feel free to disagree!

    My original clue for 2d was “Worry about mice ending up in food (4)”. (FARE with E raised). I was told it was too tough. Would it have been?

  12. Laccaria@11

    No it wouldn’t.

    And thanks for the puzzle, and K thanks for the blog

    PS I chose RADISH not RELISH but there you go

  13. Thanks Laccaria and Kitty! Re mice ending up in food, that’s a funny surface but is “mice ending” really “E”?

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