A tricky puzzle from IO this morning.
I found this one very chewy, but the sense of fulfilment after an IO is worth any agonising over parsing. Many thanks to the setter for the challenge.
Cryptic definition
The cutting-room floor is metaphorically where film segments that aren’t used in the final cut are disposed of
EDIT: there’s more to this one – see comment 1, thanks @KVa
AIM< (target, <to the west) penetrated by UNIT* (*slick)
SHIP* (*spread) contributing to FEAST* (*unusual) &lit
Double definition
ETD (departure time, Estimated Time of Departure), IN (through) + SAYS (states) borders
Inset days are teacher training days in the UK
ACE (brilliant) + SLOT (opening) defending (ROOK (powerful man, chess) + IN ON (up on))
Cryptic definition
IN DEC (December), O (zero) RUM – i.e. an absence of Christmas spirit
MY (brother) welcomed NEST (home) following A
My/brother being expressions of annoyance
ENG (engineer) rings (CA (about, circa) + MP (redcap, military policeman) + IN)
Cryptic definition
Surely NOT available to rent online: NOT E-LET?
(Having (LET IT)* (*loose); TOOL + TOOL (tools)) + ATE (put away)
Double definition
F[ound] (originally) in LOCATIONS* (*different)
INTO (hot on) keeping W (women)
Breaking GISTS (points), RAF (servicemen) + FART (blow off) about IT + I
(HERO’S THME SONG)* (*new) involving A
FF (fines) through OP (work) + UTTER (say)
CONS (does) + TABLE (picture)
Table/picture in the sense of a diagram
CRUE[l] (inhumane, virtually) + TEST< (experiment, <got up)
A cruet set might be found on a table/board
PRED[a]TOR (hungry wolf, is it); I + C (see) frightening off A
VOIL[a] (that is, for Clouseau (i.e. in French), A missing); ICEMA[n] (jewel thief, short) caught
(I + SET (put)) in ANTE (stake for poker game, initially)
TERMLY* (*blooming)
INTRO (start) to wobble at the top (i.e. the first two letters/top ‘wobble’)
Thanks Io and Oriel!
Loved almost all clues.
Can’t pick faves. Another splendid Io puzzle!
Excellent blog Oriel!
CUTTING-ROOM FLOOR
Shot=CUT, can=TIN, GOFROM*, can=LOO, right=R
CAD (The ‘here’ is not in the WP& so not & an lit, I think)
NOTELET
Had the same parse Oriel!
H S MAGNET
I think there are two anagrinds. New and somewhat. The def starts from the ‘attractive’.
New HEROS* THEMESONGA* somewhat
FISH PASTE
Any interesting story hidden in the surface?
I thought ‘somewhat referred to ‘attractive’, ie MAGNET[IC].
Great clue, anyway.
Chewy indeed, Oriel! A bumpy journey brought an abrupt halt to my earlier comment.
I too felt satisfaction at finishing this puzzle which was a highly enjoyable challenge but the day I’m able to fully parse an Io grid is some way off!
So I’ll echo KVa’s praise for a super blog and add my favourites: CRUET SET, PREDICTOR, GRAFFITI ARTISTS and TICK OFF.
Thanks Io.
NOTELET
I find it means a brief communication too (not just the folded paper).
That can be one def.
We have an alternative possibility:
A brief communication=NOTe
to rent online=E LET
but there’s some connection missing in this explanation.
Gave up early
Congratulations to all who solved this.
It was far too obscure for my taste, and thus in the horrible category.
NOTELET I took NOT E LET means the house/flat has not been let so far, so STILL available to rent online.
Thanks for a great blog , fantastic puzzle, did this after yet another dreary Guardian theme puzzle and it really cheered me up. Sorry Moly@5 but I do love IO puzzles, it is only once a month and a Wednesday is the perfect day for me. I had similar thoughts to you about a Guardian setter called Bunthorne when I was a relative beginner.
CUTTING-ROOM FLOOR , I agree with KVa@1 , makes it a quite stunning clue.
A CROOK IN ONES LOT , do people know this phrase? I needed all the letters and just the wordplay to get it, my last one.
HORSE-SHOE MAGNET , I think the SOMEWHAT is just to preserve the preceding A , without it , it would read AN attractive ….. , and the wordplay requires just A .
Thank Roz @ 8.
The only problem is, I’m not a relative beginner ;).
Though I think I must be relatively useless
🙂
I’m with Moly on this and I’ve been doing the Grauniad cryptic for over 50 years, so not a relative beginner either.
Different strokes for different folks, I think, and admiration to those who enjoy a crossword like this.
I managed to finish this but it was too hard for me to enjoy. I did not know A CROOK IN ONES LOT and my experience was the same as Roz with for this clue.
Full of admiration for the blogger. What a fiendish puzzle but thanks to both all the same.
Parsed CUT+TIN+GOFROOM*+LOO+R as KVa@1, with “here” as the definition.
Hadn’t heard of A CROOK IN ONE’S LOT. oed.com has ‘15.b. a1732–: something untoward or distressing in one’s experience: an affliction, trial. Scottish.’
with citations from T. (Thomas) Boston, (Sir) W. (Walter) Scott, and J. W. (Jane Baillie Welsh) Carlyle – wife of Thomas. They’re all Scottish.
For VOICEMA[n]IL[a] – OED’s no use. For that we need Green’s Dictionary of Slang ‘iceman n. [ice n.1 ] 1. (US Und.) a diamond thief.’
Thanks IO&O
Parsed NOTELET as Roz@7 – NOT (yet) E-LET, hence “available to rent online”.
Brother, that was tough!
Stymied here by A CROOK IN ONES LOT and VOICEMAIL. Also got INSET but not DAYS. Otherwise not too dischuffed. Thanks Io and Oriel for the challenge and the clarifications respectively 🙂
I thought it was a horrible puzzle. A few clever clues burried in a swamp of obscurity.
I have just created a Do Not Attempt list that contains only IO.
NOTELET
Roz and FrankieG have the correct decoding for NOT E-LET.
Regarding the def:
I was toying with ‘brief NOTe etc.,) but couldn’t get out of the ‘circular reference’ the ‘ on this’ was landing
me in (Never EXCELled in IT but learnt a few terms).
‘a brief communication’ could be (a) NOTE or (a) NOTELET. NOTELET fits best, it looks like.
The fancy paper on which a brief letter is written is (a) NOTELET.
When filled in, that must still be (a) NOTELET (just a postcard before and after being filled in).
Well, the cryptic reading (for me) becomes NOTELET on NOTELET (this)
Io doesn’t do that.
Therefore, it must be a cryptic def (like Oriel said, but with the whole clue underlined). That’s a brief communication on this being available for renting online.
As Oriel has said a few times in his blogs, when it’s an Io, keep digging for layers. You don’t get a hand on golden eggs just like that!
I think JH was a great admirer of”Uncle Bob”(Bunthorne)who once set a clue simply EL(3,6,10)
It was a response to Araucaria . Cor (6,4) .