This puzzle is available to solve online or download here.
Hi everyone. This went surprisingly smoothly, given that Twin can be challenging when he wants to be. Perhaps it helps that I’ve solved many of his puzzles.
My last in was 12a, STARR, which I periodically returned to, clueless, during the solve. Once everything else was in I was prepared for perhaps a long hold-out, but inspiration struck in a flash. Nice when that happens. A great clue to finish on, and my clue of the day.
I also liked 11a’s four aliens (TÊTE-À-TÊTE), “no longer ready for …” in 6d (MARKS), 23d (MYRIAD) and more. Thanks Twin!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are usually 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 | |
| 1a | Receiving signal, criminal stamped in frustration (14) |
| DISAPPOINTMENT — Taking in (receiving) POINT (signal), an anagram of (criminal) STAMPED IN | |
| 9a | Dance arranged at school with zero publicity (5) |
| PROMO — PROM (dance arranged at school) with O (zero) | |
| 10a | Biplane got the rim tangled (5,4) |
| TIGER MOTH — GOT THE RIM anagrammed (tangled) | |
| 11a | Four aliens returned without a word (4-1-4) |
| TÊTE-À-TÊTE — Four copies of ET the alien, ET ET ET ET, reversed (returned) outside (without) A | |
| 12a | Best replacement name, right? (5) |
| STARR — STAR (name) + R (right). Ringo replaced Pete Best just before the Beatles became really famous. The whole clue also offers a nice alternative definition – whether or not you agree that STARR is the best pseudonym! | |
| 13a | Team removing lead supporter by choice (7) |
| IDEALLY — Removing the first letter (lead), sIDE (team) + ALLY (supporter) | |
| 14a | Australian prime minister’s backed out (6) |
| ASLEEP — A (Australian) + PEEL’S (prime minister’s) reversed (backed) | |
| 18a | Less prudent breakfast option (6) |
| RASHER — Double definition | |
| 20a | Artist probing yellowish-brown and dark brown (7) |
| CARAMEL — RA (artist) going into (probing) CAMEL (yellowish-brown) | |
| 24a | Kind of Rugby League (5) |
| UNION — Two definitions | |
| 26a | North Leeds transformed by Stallone forever (9) |
| ENDLESSLY — An anagram of (… transformed) N (North) LEEDS by SLY (Stallone) | |
| 27a | Perfume covering lake, breaking Parisian agreement (9) |
| PATCHOULI — PATCH (covering) + L (lake) inserted into (breaking) OUI (Parisian agreement) | |
| 28a | Capital of Ghana losing exterior bits (5) |
| HANOI — gHANa missing outer letters (losing exterior) + IO (bits, computing) | |
| 29a | Dog in manger confused steer (6,8) |
| GERMAN SHEPHERD — MANGER anagrammed (confused) + SHEPHERD (steer) | |
| Down | |
| 1d | Second job keeping record (6) |
| DEPUTY — DUTY (job) holding (keeping) EP (record) | |
| 2d | Seen with acne (7) |
| SPOTTED — Two definitions | |
| 3d | Spread support with semiprecious stone (9) |
| PROPAGATE — PROP (support) with AGATE (semiprecious stone) | |
| 4d | Just toting unusual heft spontaneously (2,3,3) |
| ON THE FLY — ONLY (just) carrying (toting) an anagram of (unusual) HEFT | |
| 5d | Arm going up to win gold (6) |
| NUGGET — GUN (arm) going up in the grid + GET (to win) | |
| 6d | No longer ready for German philosopher to be announced (5) |
| MARKS — Ready money. Sounds like (… to be announced) MARX (philosopher) | |
| 7d | Bright colour worried baby (7) |
| NEONATE — NEON (bright colour) + ATE (worried) | |
| 8d | Style of music unknown in support of The Cure? (7) |
| THERAPY — RAP (style of music) and Y (unknown) underneath (in support of) THE | |
| 15d | Exotic vehicle happening to follow special ones (9) |
| SPACESHIP — HIP (happening) to follow SP (special) and ACES (ones) | |
| 16d | Happiness of one in top hotel (7) |
| TRIUMPH — I (one) in TRUMP (top) + H (hotel) | |
| 17d | Polish overheard that submarine, say (8) |
| SANDWICH — SAND (polish) + homophone of (overheard) WHICH (that) | |
| 19d | Sweet pin (7) |
| SKITTLE — Double definitions | |
| 21d | Delicatessen ceases stocking spirit (7) |
| ESSENCE — DelicatESSEN CEases is holding (stocking) the answer | |
| 22d | Small horse nearly getting shiner (6) |
| SEQUIN — S (small) + EQUINe (horse) without the last letter (nearly) | |
| 23d | Farm worker, lacking aid, raised millions? (6) |
| MYRIAD — DAIRYM[aid] (farm worker) lacking AID, reversed (raised) | |
| 25d | Drone carrying an upturned book (5) |
| NAHUM — HUM (drone) underneath (carrying) AN upturned. A Biblical book | |
I really liked patchouli. Tete-a-tete was another great clue but a very recent repeat so an easy write in. Not sure why you have colour Red in the parsing of NEONATE – the bright colour is Neon; probably an autoincorrect.
Thanks Twin and Kitty
TÊTE-À-TÊTE
Four contrary aliens welcoming a conversation (4-1-4) June 18 2024-G-Brockwell
Twin must have composed this puzzle much before June 18. Just a coincidence.
Liked STARR, HANOI, MARKS, SANDWICH and MYRIAD.
On the whole an enjoyable puzzle. Thanks Twin.
And thanks Kitty for the excellent blog!
Matthew @1 – No idea where the red came from. All I can say is I’m very sleep-deprived right now! Now corrected, with thanks. 🙂
I liked STARR and MYRIAD. Thanks, both.
I couldn’t see STARR so DNF. It had to be SKITTLE at 19A but I’d never heard of (or consumed) the sweet. Otherwise very much enjoyed, so thanks Twin and Kitty.
Thanks Twin and Kitty
An enjoyable puzzle, with enough lateral going on to make you keep paying attention.
There’s a minor typo in the blog for 20A, the yellowish-brown being CAMEL not CARMEL.
Favourite today Tete-a-tete, Skittles are colourful sweets,
Thanks Twim and Kitty.
Thanks Simon S @6 – will remove the errant R now.
Edit: done, though I nearly took out the wrong R (the one in the answer) by mistake. Neeed sleeeep!
Thanks both. I needed to reveal a letter in the unknown PATCHOULI to unlock the stubborn south-west corner, then I could see TRIUMPH having toyed with and dismissed Trump as the hotel, rather than the verb, then SKITTLE became obvious, maybe having held out as I am sure nobody has ever consumed just one.
Much preferred the alternative 11a clue that KVa mentioned – ‘word’ doesn’t quite cut it for me, neither am I totally convinced by ‘dark brown’ for caramel but I guess it can cover many shades.
Top clues for me were those for STARR, UNION & SKITTLE.
Thanks to Twin and congratulations on your debut Toughie in the Telegraph. Thanks also to our sleepy Kitty!
Thanks Colin/twin not trivial but yours rarely are. Good stuff I’d expect from you
No quibbles but way beyond me. Far too clever, particularly in the bottom half.
Hats off to Twin and (thanks to) Kitty.
I first learned 23d MYRIAD as the Ancient Greek for 10,000. So the “millions?” in the clue seemed a bit too large to me. But I suppose that was the largest number they needed in those days, in a world without cities containing millions of people, or obscenely rich billionaires, or evil trillion-dollar companies.
So maybe the “millions?” is a bit too small. That’s inflation for you. Really liked the puzzle, especially my LOi : 12a STARR – 😉
Thanks T&K
Just noticed that this puzzle appeared on the eve of Ringo’s 84th birthday. 🎂