Gurney is the FT compiler today
This was mostly straightforward, but there were a few unusual words in here (BATHETIC, RIPARIAN and the second meaning of AERIAL) which held me up a little, the last one because I had to Google it to make sure AERIAL also meant “of ethereal beauty” as this meaning wasn’t in Chambers. As I commented in the blog, RIPARIAN was one of those words I knew, but had to dig into the memory banks to remember, and I suppose the same could be said of BATHETIC. Ingres is one of my favourite pre-Impressionist painters, so INGRESS was a write-in for me, but maybe not for those who haven’t heard of him.
Thanks, Gurney
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MARGIN |
After return, sign drink is making difference (6)
|
| [after return] <=RAM (“sign” of the Zodiac) + GIN (“drink”) | ||
| 4 | PAMPHLET |
Tract produced by friend about speed, out of this world! (8)
|
| PAL (“friend”) about MPH (miles per hour, so “speed”) + ET (extraterrestrial, so “out of this world”) | ||
| 9 | SOLVER |
One like you lover’s recollected (6)
|
| *(lovers) [anag:recollected] | ||
| 10 | POLLUTER |
Slick producer, in the main? (8)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 11 | ORACLE |
On reflection, some feel car owner a good source of advice (6)
|
| Hidden backwards in [on reflection, some] “feEL CAR Owner” | ||
| 12 | INTERNAL |
Domestic alert, inn disrupted (8)
|
| *(alert inn) [anag:disrupted] | ||
| 13 | END |
Space for printers — Director’s first aim (3)
|
| EN (“space for printers”) + D(irector) [‘s first] | ||
| 14 | ENLIST |
Win support of kennels, regularly visited, first (6)
|
| (k)E(n)N(e)L(s) [regularly visited] + 1st (first) | ||
| 17 | TWIRLER |
One moving in circles both sides write about (7)
|
| *(rl write) [anag:about] where RL is right and left (“both sides”) | ||
| 21 | TIRADE |
Turning point involving artist’s angry words (6)
|
| TIDE (“turning point”) involving RA (member of the Royal Academy, so “artist”) | ||
| 25 | ASK |
Being King, make request (3)
|
| AS (“being”) + K (king, in chess) | ||
| 26 | UNAWARES |
Inadvertently swear, aunt no end upset (8)
|
| *(swear aun) [anag:upset] where AUN is AUN(t) [no end] | ||
| 27 | HANDEL |
Give the Spanish for ‘composer’ (6)
|
| HAND (“give”) + EL (“the” in “Spanish”) | ||
| 28 | BATHETIC |
Anticlimactic container mention taken the wrong way (8)
|
| BATH (“container”) + <=CITE (“mention”, taken the wrong way) | ||
| 29 | VIKING |
Man in charge after six, North European (6)
|
| KING (“man in charge”) after VI (six, in Roman numerals) | ||
| 30 | BARNACLE |
One hard to get rid of in pub before clean — unsteady (8)
|
| BAR (“pub”) before *(clean) [anag:unsteady] | ||
| 31 | ANNEXE |
Queen by European supplementary building (6)
|
| (Queen) ANNE + X ((multiplied) “by”) E (European) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MISNOMER |
It incorrectly describes Scrooge maybe with no money initially inside (8)
|
| MISER (“Scrooge, maybe”) with NO + M(oney) [initially] inside | ||
| 2 | RELIABLE |
Clever to follow religion not half well-founded (8)
|
| ABLE (“clever”) to follow RELI(gion) [not half] | ||
| 3 | IDEALIST |
One with understanding in German is visionary (8)
|
| I (one) with DEAL (“understanding”) + IST (“is” in “German”) | ||
| 5 | ABOUND |
Answer sure to be ‘plentiful’? (6)
|
| A (answer) + BOUND (“sure”) | ||
| 6 | POLLEN |
Vote, even in the extreme — this brings problems for some (6)
|
| POLL (“vote”) + E(ve)N [in the extreme] | ||
| 7 | LATENT |
Concealed in US city shelter (6)
|
| LA (Los Angeles, so “US city”) + TENT (“shelter”) | ||
| 8 | THRALL |
Being dominated leads on to harm, risk facing everyone (6)
|
| [leads on] T(o) H(arm) R(isk) facing ALL (“everyone”) | ||
| 12 | INGRESS |
French painter with second means of entry (7)
|
| (Jean-Auguste-Dominique) INGRES (“French painter” (1780-1867)) with S (second) | ||
| 15 | TWO |
Pair excessively outspoken (3)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [outspoken] of TOO (“excessively”) | ||
| 16 | VET |
Doctor’s right to say no? Not quite (3)
|
| [not quite] VET(o) (“right to say no”) | ||
| 18 | RIPARIAN |
Banker’s state as expected over current article (8)
|
| RI (Rhode Island, so “state”) + PAR (“as expected”) over I (electric “current” in physics) + AN (“article”)
Riparian, meaning “of a riverbank” is one of those words I forgot I knew, if that makes sense. |
||
| 19 | HARDLINE |
Uncompromising one moving fast about endlessly idle home (8)
|
| HARE (“one moving fast”) about [endlessly] (i)DL(e) + IN (“home”) | ||
| 20 | NEGLIGEE |
Clothing item from North, say, I originally glimpsed in shelter (8)
|
| N (north) + e.g. (“say”) + I + [originally] G(limpsed) in LEE (“shelter”) | ||
| 22 | HUBBUB |
Noisy exciting situation in centre blurbs periodically used (6)
|
| HUB (“centre”) with B(l)U(r)B(s) [periodically used] | ||
| 23 | CANTOR |
Insincere talk, nothing ultimately fair, from singer (6)
|
| CANT (“insincere talk”) + O (nothing) + [ultimately] (fai)R | ||
| 24 | CAMERA |
Feature of smartphone period, California miles ahead (6)
|
| ERA (“period”) with Ca. (California) + M (miles) ahead | ||
| 25 | AERIAL |
Antenna of graceful beauty? (6)
|
| Double definition, although the second is not in Chambers. |
Thanks for the blog , good puzzle , neat and concise clues . I know RIPARIAN from Three Men in a Boat. I have never seen the second reference to AERIAL . CANTOR could have had a reference to Georg or his set theory.
Only TWIRLER earned a severe Paddington stare .
An agreeable, straight-forward puzzle, as Loonapick says. I also share our blogger’s admiration for INGRES so 12d was my favourite today. Parsed everything but for the RI of RIPARIAN because I somehow thought RIPARIAN referred to the river’s ‘state’ (rolls eyes).
So thanks for setting me straight, Loonapick, and cheers to Gurney.
‘Digging into the memory banks’ to find RIPARIAN seems highly appropriate, loonapick.
ORACLE was my favourite clue and is a lovely spot. Solid technical cluing (with a shared raised eyebrow regarding TWIRLER) but too many of the surfaces make little sense to me.
Thanks both
Very nice. I had the same two unknowns — BATHETIC & RIPARIAN. For a while I thought the latter may have been RIVERINE.
Thanks, Gurney & Loonapick.
Postmark@3,
I must admit, I shared your thoughts about the surfaces, with all but two or three seeming rather odd.
Thanks Gurney (except for 10ac) and Loonapick
10ac: My usual dislike of one part clues. If you do not get the setter’s one idea, you are stuck. I was trying to do an “& lit” with OIL in WATER, but the word WOILATER does not appear to exist.
😊
Thanks Gurney and loonapick. The very congested centre of the grid led to twirler – which is not my favourite clue ever. But very pleased with most of the others.
25dn: Collins 2023 p. 29 gives aerial as “ethereal; light and delicate” which I think is near enough to Gurney’s definition.
17ac: I would put this on the wrong side of the dividing line for acceptability of an indirect anagram, but only just. It occurs to me that the answer could be built up as RL in anagram of WRITE. If you dislike indirect anagrams (which I do), but are prepared to accept words doing double duty in wordplay (which I most emphatically am not), you could get that parsing from Gurney’s clue, with “about” doing double duty as anagram and containment indicator. Having said that, I will be surprised if that proves to be Gurney’s intention.
5a ABOUND – isn’t the definition “to be ‘plentiful’”? – [Why the single quotes here?]
Thanks G&L
Who could forget Hyacinth Bucket’s water-side supper with riparian entertainments? A nice puzzle to unwind with.
Thanks Gurney and loonapick
I wonder if TWIRLER is at the centre of the grid because it’s one of those four-parters that look like the sails on a windmill?
My favourites were POLLEN, LATENT and UNAWARES.
I did not know Ingres, but did not have any issue getting the answer. I raised my eyebrows at TWIRLING, but I did not mind it in the end. Like PB@6, my eyebrows remain raised at POLLUTER. I agree with the general disappointment in the surfaces. Additionally, most clues seem to use the same cryptic device, and I found little variety throughout the puzzle.
Thanks Gurney and loonapick
And, of course, I@14 meant TWIRLER, not TWIRLING. Apologies.
Apart from TWIRLER we found this an enjoyable and not too taxing puzzle. We were aware of the French painter, having been reminded of him in the recent re-run of the series on French art on BBC4. PAMPHLET, ORACLE and BARNACLE were among our favourites.
Thanks, Gurney and loonapick.
Thank you for the excellent blog, loonapick. Your explanation of TWIRLER is what was intended. Thanks also to all who commented.
A bit tricky but all fair enough
Pace Roz and PB, I liked 17 TWIRLER. Both sides = RL is pretty straightforward and so the indirect anagram is easy to spot. I don’t think Paddington would disapprove.
Cellomaniac @19 Indirect is indirect , it is not a matter of degree, you cannot mix up letters that are not present. Paddington was furious , fortunately there was no double duty or he would have eaten the crossword.