Independent 11,854 by Lark

by

I've not seen this compiler before, although I can see that there have been earlier puzzles. I found it more difficult than most Monday puzzles, although that may in part be related to my unfamiliarity with the setter.

There was much to admire and a good range of clues. Nothing particularly stood out for me but 24, 17 and 22 were all very neat.

ACROSS
5 AURORA BOREALIS
Old artist bowled over, captivated by a limitless artistic philosophy and phenomenal vision (6,8)

(O{ld} RA(=Royal Academician) + b{owled} o{ver}) in a [s]urrealis[m]. The def refers to it being a phenomenon of the night sky rather than really good.
10 ASCOT
Many meetings here – one meets Glaswegian, for example (5)

A + scot(=Glaswegian). The def refers to race meetings.
11 GREAT DANE
Enraged at barking dog (5,4)

(Enraged at)*
12 EXERCISE
Use tax to house former monarch (8)

Excise around ER(=ref to previous monarch)
13 YUM YUM
Two lots of continental, very retro pastry (3-3)

After some research, I found the Spanish word for very is "muy", so this is muy< twice.
14 FINESSE
Penalty shootout’s first save essentially lacking skill (7)

Fine(=penalty) + s[hootout] + s[av]e
16 ADENOID
On the phone, mention also experiencing irritation of the glands (7)

Hom of add(=mention also) + annoyed(=experiencing irritation)
18 URCHIN
Staggering to undergo extreme deprivation – poor child (6)

[L]urchin[g]
20 DEVILISH
Sinister beauty concealing corruption (8)

Dish(=beauty) around evil(=corruption)
24 PENINSULA
Writer favoured by a liberal American from east Florida? (9)

Pen(=writer) + in(=favoured) + (a l{iberal} US)< (< indicated by from east)
25 PRIAM
Carriage taking single father to Paris (5)

Pram(=carriage) around i(=one, a single). The def refers to Troy, where Priam was the father of Paris.
26 SUPERINTENDENT
Maverick spent time under Met leader replaced by new chief (14)

(Spent time under)* with the M[et] replaced by n{ew}
DOWN
1 LUNCHEON
Student and university companion tucking into kind of light meal (8)

L(=learner,student) + U{niversity} + (CH(=companion of honour) in neon(=a type of coloured light))
2 COPTIC
Vision related roughly beforehand in religious language (6)

Optic(=vision related) with c(=circa, roughly) in front. Coptic is a liturgical language used by Coptic Christians.
3 LARGESSE
Liberal tendency not so excited initially about a Republican government (8)

(Less(=not so) + e[xcited]) around (a R{epublican} g{overnment})
4 ALBANY
New York city gangster meeting sticky end after Prohibition (6)

Al(=Al Capone) + ([stick]y after ban). Albany is the capital of New York state.
6 OVEN
Stove naturally includes it (4)

&lit – hidden in "stove naturally"
7 ENTHUSE
Rave involved hunts for double dose of ecstasy to swallow (7)

Hunts* in EE(=two doses of ecstasy)
8 STEAMED
Cooked meal writer’s fed to son and daughter (7)

(Tea(=meal) + me(=writer)) in s{on} and d{aughter}
9 LAME
Bemoan missing New Testament material (4)

Lame[nt]. The answer is actually lamé, an ornamental fabric.
14 FAUX PAS
Slip certificate into printed communication with abbreviated exam result (4,3)

(U(=certificate in the film sense, short for universal) in fax(=printed communication)) + pas[s](=exam result)
15 SKINNER
One with theories on behaviour carrying less weight, one to avoid (7)

Skinn[i]er. The def refers to the US psychologist BF Skinner.
16 ACETATES
Great time had with introduction of smelling salts (8)

Ace(=great) + t{ime} + ate(=had, as in "had a meal") + s[melling]
17 OPINIONS
What’s known by expert holding irrational beliefs? (8)

Onions(=what's known by expert, as in "he knows his onions") around pi(=irrational number)
19 CANOPY
An ape comprehends the treetops (6)

An with copy(=ape) around it
21 IMPEDE
Architect detailed foundations of dedicated office block (6)

Not totally sure but possibly impe[l](=architect as a verb) + [dedicate]d [offic]e
22 HAMS
Bad actors, fraudulent top to bottom (4)

Sham with the top letter moving to the bottom.
23 BURN
Blaze in capital reported (4)

Hom of Bern, capital of Switzerland.

20 comments on “Independent 11,854 by Lark”

  4. Good Monday morning workout. Thanks, Lark and NealH. Knew the architect but not the psychologist – although he was gettable from the clue.

    Would never have spotted the hidden theme in a million years if not for the tip – thanks, FrankieG!

  11. Chalmers: Yes, I should be– [notices the intense light coming from the 23d BURNing kitchen] GOOD LORD, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THERE!?
    Skinner: 5a AURORA BOREALIS?
    Chalmers: Uh… Aurora Borealis!? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your kitchen!?

  13. Remembered Lark as being a gentle compiler but not today, it would seem!
    Not a chance of getting the theme here, I was just grateful to have Neal’s help to get across the finish line.
    Thanks to Lark who was well outside my comfort zone today and to Neal for providing the explanations and the crutches that I so desperately needed.

  15. Wow! That’s the very definition of an obscure theme. Like a crossword based on the lyrics of a 10CC album track for example. Great if you’re familiar with the material, otherwise impossible.
    Just as much fun without the theme though, so thanks Lark and NeilH

  16. Incredible work. I was enjoying the clues, with PRIAM in particular standing out, and then the theme became clear, and bravo!

    (It’s not all that obscure – there’s a whole internet subculture around this one sketch, making more and more inventive versions/edits of it. This one is a phenomenal tribute to Glass Harmonica, a surrealist cartoon that was banned in the USSR out of concern for how it could be interpreted as criticism of the Soviet regime.)

  17. Thanks Lark, that was great. This was a slow solve for me, slow in a savouring sense, not in a tedious sense. I didn’t look for a theme; had I done so it would have been all for naught. In any event there were many excellent clues including GREAT DANE, FINESSE, DEVILISH, OVEN, ENTHUSE, SKINNER, CANOPY, and IMPEDE. I didn’t have the patience to parse FAUX PAS and SUPERINTENDANT. Thanks NealH for the blog.

  18. Sort of enjoyable. Yum yum is a nho which made the Spanish bit hard to confirm. And the theme remains a mystery despite all your comments, but you seem to be sending me to a cartoon clip so I guess it’s something I don’t know!

Comments are closed.