Filbert is one of the most prolific setters of Independent puzzles at the moment and today we have another of his challenging puzzles
I always find Filbert’s puzzles difficult and today was no exception. Filbert pushes the boundaries of daily cryptic puzzles with definitions that make you think out of the box and cluing devices that sometimes away from standard fare, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
As this is Tuesday, I was on the lookout for a theme. I started off by thinking there were a few surnames that could be preceded by MARK, the answer to the gateway clue at 23 down. By the time I had finished studying the grid I realised that there were a lot more entries that could be associated with MARK as shown below.
MARK (theme word)
Entries that could be preceded by MARK
MARKINCH (village in Fife near Glenrothes) – this one might be a coincidence as Markinch is not a particularly well known location.
MARK CARNEY (born 1965, Canadian economist who was Governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020)
MARK ROTHKO (1903 – 1970 American abstract artist)
MARK SPITZ (born 1950, American swimmer who seven gold medals in world record times at the Munich Olympics in 1972)
Entries that could be followed by MARK
PLIMSOLL MARK (more commonly referred to as PLIMSOLL LINE – ship’s load line)
DENMARK (European country)
WAYMARK (signpost)
TELEMARK (a sudden turn on the outer ski, first practised at TELEMARK in Norway; also in ballroom dancing, a step incorporating a heel pivot)
STRETCH MARK (MARKs left on the skin after STRETCHing)
WATERMARK (a distinguishing MARK in paper or a tideline)
Entries have the same meaning as MARK
STIGMA (MARK of infamy or a MARK on the skin indicative of a particular disease
PIGEON (a MARK or [target or victim])
SMEAR (MARK or patch of anything sticky, for example)
Other entry associated with MARK
Also the clue to LUKE at 24 across also refers to MARK.
One of the side effects of a themed crossword is that the setter is sometimes faced with unusual combinations of letters that require uncommon words to be placed in the grid. The ones that I hadn’t encountered at all or rarely encountered before were CARNEY, SHLEPPED, GO TO THE BAD and ICTERICAL, but all were clued clearly by standard cluing techniques. The word ‘nurses’ screams out ‘hidden word for me’ so ICTERICAL just needed to be checked in the dictionary for its meaning. For 1 across, I started thinking of breeds of goats to go with the ‘kids’.
I raised an eyebrow at ‘problem with’ as an anagram indicator in the clue for SIMILITUDE, but I did a search for anagram indicators on the web and found a treasure trove of sites where ‘problematic’ was one of the examples listed. If you look on the web there are some bizarre candidates for anagram indicators.
Thanks to Filbert for the Tuesday workout.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | 23 awful people coming over, one with kids (6)
STIGMA (MARK [entry at 23 down] of infamy or a MARK on the skin indicative of a particular disease) GITS (contemptible people; awful people) reversed (coming over) + MA (mother; someone who has children [kids]) STIG< MA |
| 5 | Funny limp only reduced left shoe (8)
PLIMSOLL (rubber-soled canvas shoe [the line where the sole joined the upper having been supposed to resemble the Plimsoll line]) Anagram of (funny) LIMP + SOLE (only) excluding the final letter (reduced) E + L (left) PLIM* SOL L |
| 9 | Chelsea net, ruining this? (5,5)
CLEAN SHEET (a situation in which no goals are conceded; if a goal is scored in the net either for Chelsea (‘net’ as verb] or against Chelsea (‘net’ as a noun, the relevant goalkeeper has his/her CLEAN SHEET ruined) Anagram of (ruining) CHELSEA NET – ‘ruining’ appears to be doing double duty CLEAN SHEET* |
| 10 | Creep visiting hospital catches cold (4)
INCH (move by slow degrees; creep) (IN [visiting] + H [hospital]) containing (catches) C (cold) IN (C) H |
| 11 | Shelter here finally protected by DM’s successor (3)
DEN (the hollow lair of a wild animal; a shelter) E (last letter of [finally] HERE) contained in (D + N [letter following M in the alphabet) D (E) N |
| 12 | Bloc on reflection regret Australia joined (8)
EUROZONE (the bloc of countries that are members of the European Economic and Monetary Union and use the euro as their currency) RUE (regret) reversed (on reflection) + OZ (informal term for Australia) + ONE (undivided; joined) EUR< O Z ONE |
| 14 | Wealthy holding company evading tax, at first glance (8)
RICOCHET (glance) by rebounding) (RICH [wealthy] containing [holding] CO [company]) + ET (initial letters of [first of] each of EVADING and TAX) RI (CO) CH ET |
| 16 | Meat with chilli yankee finds fair in NY (6)
CARNEY (American [New York {NY}] term for carnival or fair) CARNE (reference chilli con CARNÉ [a highly seasoned dish of meat, onions, beans and chilli powder) + Y (Yankee is the International Radio Communication codeword for the letter Y) CARNE Y |
| 18 | 23 that’s had stuff a very long time (6)
PIGEON (someone who is fleeced; victim or dupe. a MARK [entry at 23 down] can be similarly defined as a suitable victim of trickery, theft, etc) PIG (devour greedily; stuff) + EON (vast age or eternity) PIG EON |
| 19 | Lugged spring, making a piano in outhouse (8)
SHLEPPED (slang term for carried; dragged; lugged) LEAP (spring) with A being replaced by P [making A P] to form LEPP) contained in (in) SHED (outhouse) SH (LEPP) ED |
| 20 | Two visits to the loo, runs very bad (4-4)
PISS POOR (of a contemptibly low standard; very bad) (PISS [urinate] + POO [defecate] – together describing two visits to the loo) + R (runs) PISS POO R |
| 22 | Wife always shows style (3)
WAY (method; manner; style) W (wife) + AY (always) W AY |
| 24 | Large and small guitar book (4)
LUKE (Book of the New Testament that comes before MARK [entry 23 down]) L (large) + UKE (ukulele; small guitar) L UKE |
| 25 | Get wicked vagrant dog to bathe (2,2,3,3)
GO TO THE BAD (go to moral ruin; get wicked) Anagram of (vagrant) DOG TO BATHE GO TO THE BAD* |
| 26 | Retired Parisian perhaps with no capital cut costs (8)
RETRENCH (cut down expenses) RET (retired) + FRENCH (descriptive of a Parisian) excluding the first letter (with no capital) F RET RENCH |
| 27 | American on canvas heard “Fury, by knockout” (6)
ROTHKO (reference Mark ROTHKO [1903 – 1970], American abstract painter; American on canvas) ROTH (sounds like [heard] WRATH [fury]) + KO (knockout) ROTH KO |
| Down | |
| 2 | Scrabble piece showing E, not one in the box (4)
TELE (television; box) TILE (Scrabble piece) with E replacing I [showing E not I [Roman numeral for one]) TELE |
| 3 | Wild orgies entertaining and extravagant (9)
GRANDIOSE (extravagant) Anagram of (wild) ORGIES containing (entertaining) AND GR (AND) IOSE* |
| 4 | Wrong lighting wasting vicar’s power (5)
ARSON (the crime of maliciously and feloniously setting fire to property; wrong lighting) PARSON (vicar) excluding (wasting) P (power) ARSON |
| 5 | Christmas parcel perhaps dispatched in advance? (7)
PRESENT (Christmas parcel) PRE (prior to) + SENT (dispatched) – together indicating something sent in advance PRE SENT |
| 6 | Jaundiced addict Erica lovingly nurses (9)
ICTERICAL (jaundiced; icterus is the medical term for jaundice) ICTERICAL (hidden word in [nurses] ADDICT ERICA LOVINGLY) ICTERICAL |
| 7 | Dog sprays saliva in your ear (5)
SPITZ (a group of breeds of dog generally having long hair, pointed ears and a tightly curled tail) SPITZ (sounds like [in your ear] SPITS [sprays saliva]) SPITZ |
| 8 | Cost of 2 nice fleeces changed up to start of sale (7,3)
LICENCE FEE (the charge for having a television set [TELE, entry at 2 down]) Anagram of (changed) NICE FLEECES excluding the S [first letter of [start of SALE]) LICENCE FEE* |
| 13 | Problem with uniform is limited identity (10)
SIMILITUDE (likeness; comp[arability; identity) Anagram of (problem with) U (uniform) IS LIMITED SIMILITUDE* |
| 15 | Writing newspaper, maybe wound player (4,5)
HAND ORGAN (barrel organ [mechanical instrument for playing tunes by means of a revolving drum set with pins and turned by a handle]; wound instrument). HAND (HANDwriting) + ORGAN (means of communicating information, such as a newspaper) HAND ORGAN |
| 17 | Compensation, alas for Shakespeare, pocketed by two theatres (9)
REPAYMENT (compensation) (AY ME [alas] – I can’t track down the Shakespeare link in either Chambers or Collins dictionary) contained in (pocketed by) (REP [REPertory theatre] + NT [National Theatre] – giving two theatres) REP (AY ME) NT |
| 19 | Make longer and thinner stone cat (7)
STRETCH (make longer and thinner) ST (stone) + RETCH (vomit; cat) ST RETCH |
| 21 | 23 Mars trips taking in Earth (5)
SMEAR (a sticky mark) Anagram of (trips) MARS containing (taking in) E (earth) SM (E) AR* |
| 22 | Spectator has neither cold nor hot drink (5)
WATER (drink) WATCHER (spectator) excluding (has neither) C (cold) and H (hot) WATER |
| 23 | One before 24, note(4)
MARK (note) MARK (Book of the New Testament that comes before LUKE [entry at 24 across) LUKE |
Splendid blog, duncan, to accompany a splendid puzzle. I had spotted some but not all of the Marks.
Ref REPAYMENT, duncan, in my Chambers online dictionary, I find:
ay1 /ā/
interjection
Ah, oh
Alas, esp in ay me
Immediately below, with ‘ay’ as an alternative spelling of ‘aye’ there is a Shakespeare reference:
aye2 or ay /ā/ (now Scot and N Eng or archaic)
adverb
Ever
Always
For ever
combining form
Denoting ever, as in Shakespeare’s ayeˈremaining, etc
It’s not quite 100% backing for the clue but I’m wondering if that’s where the bardic reference comes in? Certainly, ‘alas’ = AY ME seems supported.
I thought PISS POOR very witty; other big ticks go to RICOCHET, SHLEPPED, TELE, ARSON, STRETCH and WATER. Beaten by SIMILITUDE – not a word in my personal lexicon though I suspect I’ve seen it before; I wondered whether ‘Problem with’ was an anagrind – it’s not my favourite, tbh – and should have looked harder for potential fodder. My bad.
Thanks Filbert and duncan
Got my morning off to a great start esp ‘wrong lighting’ for ARSON and the thematic material which often takes a tangent with a Filbert as in PIGEON from MARK kicked off with LUKE. Yes, Hamlet didn’t say ‘Ay me, poor Yorick’ but that’s neither here nor there for me. The clue works well. Maybe there’s an explanation. PISS POOR and the trick with LEAP in SCHLEPPED round out my favourites. Thanks for the blog duncan and to the mastro for the fun.
REPAYMENT
AY ME
Found this online:
Juliet
Ay me! What news? Why dost thou wring thy hands?
Nurse
Ah, weraday, he’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead!
We are undone, lady, we are undone!
Alack the day, he’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead!
Excellent blog duncan! Quite detailed & neat. Thank you.
Lovely puzzle. Found it tough. Thanks Filbert (&Thanks Google as always).
REPAYMENT
AY ME (a couple more)
Ay me! for aught that ever I could read,
could ever hear by tale or history,
the course of true love never did run smooth.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Queen Elizabeth
Ay me! I see the ruin of my house.
The tiger now hath seized the gentle hind.
Insulting tyranny begins to jut
Upon the innocent and aweless throne.
Welcome, destruction, blood, and massacre.
I see, as in a map, the end of all.
Richard III
7d SPITZ – A reMARKable coincidence – 21a ‘Where players sit close to Alcaraz after intro from Sue Barker (5)’ — (and elsewhere, today, too.)
I spotted only some of the Marks, but a typically enjoyable outing for Filbert.
Only sheer stubbornness (and the fact I’m on holiday, so have time) got me to SIMILITUDE, after ages trying to either justify MINIFIGURE or fit KIT+IS into… something.
Thanks both.
re 11ac. Column DN follows column DM on an Excel spreadsheet. A to Z, then AA to AZ, BA to BZ etc. A bit weak though.
Banksia @7: interesting thought. I think I’m more inclined to go with duncan’s interpretation – which is how I rationalised it. Occam’s Razor and all that.
Well, occasionally one of gets a mention in a crossword, but it’s special to become the theme. Just a shame Filbert couldn’t find a way to include Stamp.
Usually when I see Filbert I assume that I’ll give up in frustration after a few minutes where I’m lucky to get one or two answers at most, but today’s was as approachable as he’s ever been for me. Took some work, but ultimately got there…very satisfying. Thanks to Filbert for staying on my wavelength, and to Duncan for filling in a couple parsings I wasn’t sure of!
Spotted most of the MARKs, including 2d TELE, but from The Heroes of… – a film starring Kirk Douglas and Richard Harris, that I was taken to in 1965.
[My Mam wouldn’t normally pick a war film, but Richard Harris was !rish.]
Thanks F&DS
Thanks both. In places, this was only just the right side of approachable/enjoyable for me. I was held up in the linked clues which didn’t help – I honestly thought the uke in LUKE and guitar were different instruments, and had no chance of seeing MARK and PIGEON as synonyms despite checking online. ROTHKO I eventually recalled and I guess there’s a valid homophone in there for some, but I very much keep the ‘a’ sound in wrath. By way of consolation, it was pointed out by our son some time ago how often I utter PISS POOR during football matches, with the outcome I retired the expression from my vocabulary.
[Petert @9: Stamp gets far too much exposure as it is … 😉]
I did enjoy this, but agree with TFO@12 that a uke n a guitar are very different instruments, however notwithstanding the lack of a couple of strings, they look quite similar from a distance..
I’ve always taken SIMILITUDE to mean likeness rather than identity, but no doubt there’s a dictionary somewhere in the English-speaking world which confirms it… I’m only bitter cos I was looking at the wrong fodder for the anagram.. 20ac made me chortle as I use the 7 Ps made famous by the SAS as a sort of mantra when things are going awry.. spotted the theme but would only have helped if I’d taken it seriously for nho CARNEY for fair, but it makes sense a) if u think of carnival instead of fair n b) if ur from NYC..
Thanks Filbert for another slice of excellence n duncansheill similarly
TFO @ 12
Undrell @ 14
In support of Filbert, the derfinitions of UKULELE in each of Collins, Chambers and the Oxford Dictionary of English are:
Collins: A small four-stringed guitar, especially of Hawaii
Chambers: A small, usually four-stringed, guitar, popularized in Hawaii, although originally Portuguese
ODE: a small four-stringed guitar of Hawaiian origin
Petert @9 😉, and PostMark@13 😉