Independent 11,710 by Mog

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This was a very entertaining puzzle from a setter I've not seen before, although I can see there have been other puzzles.

I found it quite tricky in places but the effort was rewarded with some nice clues. 18D was my favourite for the cunning use of "say".

ACROSS
1 BEHEST
Order bloke to wear top (6)

He(=bloke) in best(=top)
4 PENCHANT
Bent to shut up football supporters’ song (8)

Pen(=shut up) + chant(=football supporters' song)
9 LIMPID
Clear troublemaker must wear top! (6)

Imp(=troublemaker) in lid
10 SATIRIST
Watched blossom with introduction of Taylor Swift, perhaps (8)

Sat(=watched?) + iris(=blossom) + T[aylor]. I'm struggling to match sat with watched – the only context I can think of is baby-sitting. The def refers to Jonathan Swift, author of the satirical work Gulliver's Travels.
12 ALLITERATION
Fully stripped kites, helping to trim tails, e.g. (12)

All(=fully) + [k]ite[s] + ration(=helping). "To trim tails" is an example of alliteration because all the leading letters are the same.
15 ELAPSED
Led astray on fringes, portion of cathedral ran out (7)

Led* around apse(=portion of cathedral)
17 CHALICE
Cup of tea left to chill (7)

Cha(=tea) + l{eft} + ice(=chill)
18 REEL OFF
Dance poorly, say, with no visible effort (4,3)

Reel(=dance) + off(=poorly)
20 STAMINA
Resistance to wearing yoga things back in America (7)

Mats< + in A{merica}
21 ABSOLUTE ZERO
Grabbing instrument, zoo’s bear played bottom of scale (8,4)

(Zoo's bear)* around lute(=instrument)
25 THEMATIC
That group in charge sucks at relating to subjects (8)

(Them(=that group) + i{n} c{harge}) around(=sucks) at
26 TAHITI
Passage from bachata hit irks island (6)

Hidden in bachata hit irks.
27 PARADIGM
Model soldier, like Rambo, essentially (8)

Para(=paratrooper) + dig(=like) + [Ra]m[bo]
28 JETSAM
Cycling group stops bunch of traffic things going overboard (6)

(Set(=group) with "s" cycling to the end) in jam(=bunch of traffic)

DOWN
1 BALLADEERS
Pub’s line-up includes Alabama and fellow singers (10)

Beers(=pub's line-up) around (Al{abama} + lad)
2 HUMILIATED
I point up after drone is lowered (10)

(I detail<(=point)) after hum(=drone)
3 STILT
Small and lean? Grow taller on this (5)

S{mall} + tilt(=lean)
5 ELASTIC
Deal the wrong way with jerk following band? (7)

Sale< + tic(=jerk) after(=following). An elastic band is an example of a band.
6 CHIPOLATA
Electronic piece spun a lot — a banger? (9)

Chip(=electronic piece as in silicon chip) + (a lot a)*
7 ACID
Trip provider needs current credentials (4)

AC(=alternating current) + ID(=credentials). The def refers to acid as a slang term for LSD, a "trip" provider.
8 TUTU
I don’t like that posh skirt (4)

Tut(=I don't like that) + U(=posh in U/non-U sense)
11 BRED
Raised right, boring to sleep with (4)

R{ight} in(=boring) bed(=to sleep with)
13 MINISERIES
Government departments take time out for English TV event (10)

Ministries(=government departments) with the t{ime} replaced by E{nglish}
14 METABOLISM
It blends with some lamb in your food processor (10)

(It + some lamb)*
16 SNOWBOARD
Ski resort offering swine bagged in downs, stewed (9)

Boar(=swine) in downs*
19 FOOTING
Return of old item cancelling out husband’s purchase (7)

Of<(reversal signalled by return) + o{ld} + t[h]ing (h{usband} removed). The def is in the sense of footing the bill.
20 SPUD
Filling food ultimately ruins dessert (4)

[Ruin]s + pud(=pudding, dessert)
22 ELATE
First couple of letters on counter tucked away to send (5)

Le[tters] reversed(=on counter) + ate(=tucked away). The def is in the sense of sending someone into rapture.
23 STEP
Leaders of swimming team on record pace (4)

S[wimming] t[eam] + EP(=extended play)
24 TEAR
Career streaker? (4)

DD. To career along would be tear along and tears make streaks down the cheeks.

12 comments on “Independent 11,710 by Mog”

  1. Made slow but steady progress and finished it without cheats, making for a very enjoyable solving experience. Wasn’t keen on ‘must’ in 9a and also could only think of ‘babysitting’ in 10a. I thought ‘footing’ might equate to ‘purchase’ in the sense of a sturdy grip on something.

  2. SAT must mean ‘babysat’ and ‘must’ in LIMPID seems superfluous as already mentioned. A good challenge to complete, nevertheless. I thought ‘purchase’ for ‘footing’ was in the sense of ‘foothold’. Thanks NealH and MOG.

  3. I’m with NealH on the entertainment value of the puzzle and with Hovis on the interpretation of FOOTING as purchase in the sense of leverage. ALLITERATION, CHALICE, STAMINA, HUMILIATED, MINISERIES, the aforementioned FOOTING and TEAR are my pick of the bunch.

    Thanks Mog and Blog!

  4. Enjoyed all of this, mainly because nearly every clue led me astray to begin with. I’ve no problem with a superfluous must to make the clue read more naturally.
    The only one which made me wonder was METABOLISM as food processor. I’d have said the digestive system processes food and metabolism uses the energy thus provided. But a rather neat anagram nonetheless.
    Thanks Mog and NealH. A nice relief after all the cryptic and double defs that evaded me in today’s Gruaniad.

  5. Eventually retired defeated with several blanks in the NW – some of our setter’s guile proved too much for me.
    Favourite for the laugh-out-loud moment was PENCHANT.

    Thanks and apologies to Mog and much gratitude to Neal for filling in the blanks.

  6. Thanks both. I needed to reveal a couple of letters to finish this for SATIRIST – I remain unconvinced by the watched/sat element, the obscurity of which combined with the vowel-only crossers was defeating me before I reflect that I know Swift as an author but not the finer point of the definition.

  7. Parsed 19d FOOTING with “purchase” = grip, firm foundation, foothold, as Hovis@1 & Sofamore@2
    For the Spanish footing means jogging. [And they and the Italians (and Galicians) borrowed the Pseudo-anglicism via the French – a TTLi]
    26a TAHITI – nho “bachata”, dance music from a different “island” – or at least the Eastern half (or 5/8) of one: Hispaniola – another TTLi
    25a THEMATIC “That group in charge sucks at relating to subjects” – It does, doesn’t it? – It’s been 14 years. I liked 18a REEL OFF, too.
    A fine puzzle – inventive cluing and clever definitions.
    Thanks M&NH

  8. I found a lot of contrast, almost sublime to ridiculous. Some dodgy defs but also sublimity in 2d n 13d. Second sighting of PARADIGM in as many days helped things along, but didnt lead to a swift solve…
    Thanks Mog n NealH

  9. Thanks to NealH and Mog!
    A couple of tenuous definitions but otherwise fair. “Mats” for “yoga things” is definitely parsing after the answer stuff. Agree with Pete HA3 re METABOLISM.
    Had to come here for parsing of 1D – I had BARS for “Pub’s” then struggled, obviously. Clearly need more beers in my life.
    (Wee typo in blog: 18A not 18D)

  10. Thanks NealH and Mog.
    Excellent puzzle.

    ALLITERATION
    CHALICE
    STAMINA
    ABSOLUTE ZERO
    BALLADEERS
    ACID
    ELATE
    FOOTING make my list.

  12. Challenging for me
    Some very clever clues that I would never get in a million years but once you see the answer, it all makes sense.
    I cheated on 70% of the puzzled as I am still learning.
    Thanks to both

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