Steerpike has provided this morning’s challenge.
I realised early on that this was probably going to be a pangram, but also thought there may have been a theme when the first two across entries indicated military terms, but the theme idea died out quickly. This is the thrid or fourth Steerpike puzzle in a rown to be pangrammatic. I’m not sure of the use of “exalting” in FOCCACIA, unless the setter is asking us to promote the I to above the A? Thoughts, my revered commenters?
Thanks, Steerpike
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | COHORT |
Commanding officer given roasting about King’s Regiment (6)
|
| CO (Commanding Officer) given HOT (“roasting”) abour R (Rex, so “King”) | ||
| 4 | SQUADRON |
Question a medic working alongside second airborne division (8)
|
| S (seconf) alongside Qu, (question) + A + Dr. (doctor, so “medic”) + ON (“working”) | ||
| 9 | ARYANS |
Ancient people, say, ran amok (6)
|
| *(say ran) [anag:amok] | ||
| 10 | AIRTIGHT |
Incontrovertible report of beneficiary getting drunk (8)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay of [report of] HEIR (“beneficiary”) getting TIGHT (“drunk”) | ||
| 12 | SCREW TOP |
Company enthralled by revolutionary cooking utensil’s lid (5,3)
|
| CREW (“company”) enthralled by [revolutionary] <=POT”S (“cooking utensil’s”) | ||
| 13 | EUREKA |
International organisation exposed fakery around announcement of discovery (6)
|
| EU (European Union, so “international organisation”) + [exposed] <= (f)AKER(y), around | ||
| 15 | CUSS |
Swear copper meets suspects on vacation (4)
|
| Cu (chemical symbol for “copper”) + S(uspect)S [on vacation] | ||
| 16 | OSTENSIBLE |
Old student’s conclusion in practical is apparent (10)
|
| O (old) + (studen)T [‘s conclusion] in SENSIBLE (“pracrical”) | ||
| 19 | APOLOGETIC |
Expressing remorse, writer holding record within agency retired (10)
|
| POET (“writer”) holding LOG (“record”) within [retired] CIA (Criminal Intellingence “Agency”) | ||
| 20 | SNOG |
Kiss taken aback by lighting on stage (4)
|
| HIdden backwards in [taken aback by] “lightinG ON Stage”) | ||
| 23 | IN A WAY |
Somehow home and not home (2,1,3)
|
| IN (“home”) + AWAY (“not home”) | ||
| 25 | CHAMPION |
Advocate hiding heroin in plant (8)
|
| H (heroin) hiding in CAMPION (“plant”) | ||
| 27 | TWITCHER |
Benevolent witch eruditely entertains visibly nervous individual (8)
|
| Hidden in [entertains] “benevolenT WITCH ERuditely” | ||
| 28 | FURORE |
Pelt doormen regularly in commotion (6)
|
| FUR (“pelt”) + (d)O(o)R(m)E(n) [regularly] | ||
| 29 | RAMPAGED |
Servant died after farm animal went berserk (8)
|
| PAGE (“servant”) + D (died) after RAM (“farm animal”) | ||
| 30 | STATUS |
Condition of artwork European traded with leader of Sioux (6)
|
| STATU-E (“artwork”) trading S (leader of S(ioux)) for E (European) becomes STATU-S | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | CLASSIC |
Official essentially supports group of students enduring work (7)
|
| (off)IC(ial) [essentially] supports CLASS (“group of students”) | ||
| 2 | HEY PRESTO |
As if by magic, Tory sheep scattered (3,6)
|
| *(tory sheep) [anag:scattered] | ||
| 3 | RENOWN |
Celebrity regarding present with nonchalance, initially (6)
|
| RE (“regarding”) + NOW (“present”) with N(onchalance) [initially] | ||
| 5 | QUIT |
Somewhat short of energy? Give up! (4)
|
| QUIT(e) short of E (energy) | ||
| 6 | ALTRUISM |
The French reflected on commonplace consideration (8)
|
| <=LA (“the” in “fFench”, reflected) on TRUISM (“commonplace”) | ||
| 7 | ROGUE |
Rascal chopping ends off shoes (5)
|
| [chopping ends off] (b)ROGUE(s) (“shoes”) | ||
| 8 | NUTCASE |
Crackpot can’t use mobile (7)
|
| *(cant use) [anag:mobile] | ||
| 11 | JOUSTED |
Accepting nothing, impartial journalist partook in competition (7)
|
| JUST (“impartial”) accepting O (nothing) + Ed. (editor, so “journalist”) | ||
| 14 | ZENITHS |
School of Buddhism hits new heights (7)
|
| ZEN (“school of Buddhism”) + *(hits) [anag:new] | ||
| 17 | BANDICOOT |
Spooner’s American sweeties kick Australian native (9)
|
| If uttered by the Rev, Spooner, CANDY (“American sweeties”) + BOOT (“kick”) may have been BANDY COOT | ||
| 18 | FOCACCIA |
Uploaded carbon copy account of article exalting India’s flatbread (8)
|
| [uploaded] <=(cc (carnon copy + ac. (account) + OF) + A exalting I (international vehicle registration code foe “India”)
Not sure about the use of “exalting” here. |
||
| 19 | AVIATOR |
Pilot worked out ratio is below average (7)
|
| *(ratio) [anag:worked out] is below Av. (average) | ||
| 21 | GANDERS |
Birds finally extending range across river (7)
|
| [finally] (extendin)G + ANDES (“range”) across R (river) | ||
| 22 | AMOUNT |
Sum doctor charges relative (6)
|
| MO (Medical Officer, so “doctor”) charges AUNT (“relative”) | ||
| 24 | AXIOM |
Ring after eleven in the morning, it’s fundamental (5)
|
| O (ring) after XI (eleven) in AM (ante meridiem, so “morning”) | ||
| 26 | FETE |
Oddly withdrawn after the party (4)
|
| [oddly withdrawn] (a)F(t)E(r) T(h)E |
I didn’t spot the pangram. I often don’t and, as with many other solvers, J is the letter that might get me wondering if anything will. And today I was beaten by FOCACCIA and JOUSTED. I couldn’t properly parse the first even after revealing. The second is my bad. GANDERS, AMOUNT, NUTCASE and IN A WAY are the clues that earned my ticks.
Thanks Steerpike and loonapick
I did spot the pangram, not that it helped with the solve. I shrugged on FOCCACIA, because it was the only bread that fitted with most of the letters given. The rest was parsed.
Thank you to Steerpike and loonapick.
18d FOCACCIA – Took “article exalting India” to mean “A” lifting up “I” = “IA”, just as you did, loonapick.
Never spot pangrams, but thought there might be one after my L2i were 14d ZENITHS, then 11d JOUSTED. Fine puzzle. Thanks S&L.
2d my fave, for some obscure reason. Probably because it’s an unusual phrase
Lots of great surfaces. Nice puzzle.
Thanks Steerpike and loonapick
An enjoyable puzzle if a bit challenging in places – FOCACCIA for example where we weren’t sure about ‘exalting’. We started looking for a pangram once Q and Z showed up, and it helped towards the end when we needed B,F,J,K and X to complete it.
Thanks, Steerpike and loonapick.
Martin@4
When I was a boy and enjoyed conjuring tricks HEY PRESTO! was a very popular expression, although perhaps not any more. Demanding puzzle with some great clues,well explained in the blog.
Thanks to both.
Sorry about the typos.