Morning everyone, and happy Saturday
My third outing blogging a grid by Bluth, who is normally a setter I enjoy solving with their gentle style and clever clue constructions.
Well: this one was very nearly a DNF for me courtesy of 12 across. Actually, more a technical DNF on account of solving the clue from the crossers but singularly failing to parse the thing. It was one of those times when the more I stared at it, the less I could see it. After much eleventh-hour sweating, it finally revealed itself….and what a blinder it was!
Thanks to Bluth for the wrestling match.
Definitions are underlined.
ACROSS
5. Somehow hide panic with Liz Truss – oddly it’s something Boris used to enjoy (4,11)
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Anag [“somehow”] of HIDE PANIC LIZ + T U S [Truss oddly = odd letters]
9. Funny business caught on motorway (5)
COMIC
Business [CO] caught [C] on motorway [M1]
10. Film fan’s crunchy snack (6,3)
BRAZIL NUT
Film [BRAZIL] fan [NUT]
11. Naked cycling can get better as a group (2,3,10)
IN THE ALTOGETHER
Cycling [anag] can get better [IN HEALTH] as a group [TOGETHER]
12. Despondent when making ladies say stuff to get award (6)
GRAMMY
Despondent [GLOOMY] when making ladies say stuff [change LOO to RAM]
14. Theatrical Chancellor of the Exchequer’s going after small tax payments (6)
SCENIC
Chancellor of the Exchequer’s [CE] going after small [S] tax payments [NIC = National Insurance Contribution]
19. Membership fee is 10p assuming boss taking credt it’s growth is important but not profit (11,4)
SUBSISTENCE CROP
Membership fee [SUBS] is [IS] 10p [TEN P] assuming [taking inside] boss [CE] taking [placed around] credit [CR]
22. Month since North American league formed with eight sides (9)
OCTAGONAL
Month [OCT] since [AGO] North American league [N A L]
24. Working on radio with Clive Anderson narrating documentary about principally famous artist (8,2,5)
LEONARDO DA VINCI
Anag. [“Working”] of ON RADIO & CLIVE + anag of first letters of [about principally] of Anderson Narrating Documentary
DOWN
1. On reflection, butter cat up to get rodent (6)
MARMOT
On reflection [backwards], butter [RAM] cat [TOM] up [also backwards]
2. Cool dish and ceramic plate’s back requires spraying (3,5)
ICE CREAM
Anag. [“Spraying”] of CERAMIC and E [plate’s back]
3. Whole of hospital department having extremely deficient siren (6)
ENTIRE
Hospital department [ENT = “Ear, nose & throat”] having extremely deficient siren [remove first and last letter = IRE]
4. Hit feature gets cheers
CHIN CHIN
Double definition. Aside from being a facial feature, CHIN is also a British slang verb to punch someone.
5/19. Form of public humiliation being in the middle of Wigan covered in bird poo (7-5)
DUCKING STOOL
In [IN] the middle of Wigan [G] covered in bird [DUCK] poo [STOOL]
6. Forbidden City’s flattened structure (6)
TABULA
Forbidden [TABU] City [L.A.]
7. Fanatic seeing Tenable on TV regularly if following ultimate in quiz shows (6)
ZEALOT
Tenable on TV regularly [] following ultimate in Quiz [Z]
8/16. At one point, Doctor Who‘s in Time Lord trousers by Top Shop (5,7)
PETER CAPALDI
Time [T] Lord trousers [inside PEER] by Top [CAP] Shop [ALDI]
13. Dream I’m in boat at sea (8)
AMBITION
Anag. [“at sea”] IM IN BOAT
15. Original copyright over revolutionary Queen musical withdrawn (8)
CREATIVE
Copyright [CR] over revolutionary Queen ER backwards] musical withdrawn [EVITA backwards]
17. High Street done badly (6)
STONED
Street [ST] done badly [anag. DONE – “badly”]
18. 11 peacekeepers joining 150 on active duty for starters (6)
UNCLAD
11 = Naked
Peacekeepers [UN] joining 150 [Rom. Num. = C L] on active duty for starters [A D]
20. Not 18 and ready to drive (2,4)
IN GEAR
Cryptic clue with “Gear” slang for clothes. Not 18 = Not naked
21. Spool back on air (6)
REWIND
On [RE] air [WIND]
IN THE ALTOGETHER
(my reading)
can=TIN —>cycling—->INT
get better=HEAL
The rest as in the blog.
SUBSISTENCE CROP (a minor slip/typo)
boss=CEO
Thanks Bluth and leedsclimber
Parsed 11a as KVa. I found this great fun with no real hold-ups.
Some ingenious clueing but a steady solve, leaving me feeling neither Gormless nor Fed up. Thanks to both.
Thanks both. Some excellent surfaces here, best of which for me has to be DUCKING STOOL – public humiliation, indeed, a form of ‘ducking hell’ as they say in Wigan.
Delightful to see a movie that isn’t the usual one. One of my favourites and an “oh, gawd’ moment when I got it. Loved the time in the lord, but did some head scratching trying to see how Mr Davison could fit. Oops, wrong century.
Thanks Bluth and thanks Leedsclimber for unravelling 1, 11 and 24 a’s which I guiltily stuck in without trying to parse.
Thanks Bluth. I enjoyed clues like COMIC, TOWEL, MARMOT, and CREATIVE but overall I guessed too many from the definitions and crossers to feel truly satisfied with this crossword. I revealed the nho PETER CAPALDI and SCENIC. Thanks leedsclimber for the blog.
Excellent fun as usual from this setter. My only reservation is needing to uncover the very obscure film in 10a.
Lots of ticks with DUCKING STOOL my favourite.
Many thanks to Bluth and to Leedsclimber.
Not an obscure film in my book, RD, and with one of the most haunting melodies as its theme.
Indeed. I saw Brazil when it came out in the eighties. And I remember the brouhaha over the US distributor giving the US release a happy ending.
I completely forgot this was in on Saturday and was busy on a beach at the time.
But thanks to Leedsclimber for the blog – and to all.
KVA’s parsing of 11a is as I intended.
I think you have a slight typo in 15D, Leedsclimber where copyright = C not CR.
Cheers!
A little late in the day I know, but 23 (TOWEL) was the only clue I didn’t parse, and it seems to be missing from the blog. Any explanation would be appreciated!
Many thanks to Bluth and to Leedsclimber.
@11
I is a vowel, remove V for Volts and put T for lead letter of tumble before it to give towel, a drier.