Jason is today's compiler.
This was a fairly straightforward crossword. I don't recall coming across FINIAL (my LOI) before, but I must have. My favourite clue was that for TURNCOAT.
Thanks, Jason.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | STALEMATE |
Tired team struggles, there’s no getting away from it (9)
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STALE ("tired") + *(team) [anag:struggles] |
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| 10 | ELITE |
Pick some counsel I tender (5)
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Hidden in [some] "counsEL I TEnder" |
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| 11 | REINS IN |
Checks on popular shortcoming (5,2)
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RE ("on") + IN ("popular") + SIN ("shortcoming") |
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| 12 | CONFINE |
Restrict rook quite well (7)
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CON ("rook") + FINE ("quite well") |
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| 13 | YOU |
Second person is green but no good (3)
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YOU(ng) ("green") but (i.e. except) NG (no good) |
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| 14 | STEAMROLLER |
Flatten mall and restore in a new way (11)
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*(mall restore) [anag:in a new way] |
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| 17 | WHERE |
Question of place with that girl close to me (5)
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W (with) + HER ("that girl") + [close to] (m)E |
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| 18 | GEL |
Returning stage of course to come together (3)
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[returning] <=LEG ("stage of course") |
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| 19 | TOTEM |
Carry minute symbol of charm? (5)
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TOTE ("carry") + M (minute) |
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| 21 | NIGHTINGALE |
Singer’s evening at home with good beer (11)
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NIGHT ("evening") + IN ("at home") with G (good) + ALE ("beer") |
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| 23 | RUM |
Unusual spirit (3)
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Double definition |
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| 25 | LASAGNE |
Flag in street is what you get at trattoria, say (7)
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SAG ("flag") in LANE ("street") |
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| 27 | CREW CUT |
Drop in ratings implies reduced cover above (4,3)
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If you CUT the CREW of a ship, that could be described as DROPping the number of RATINGS |
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| 28 | SWELL |
Great source of oil found by son (5)
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WELL ("source of oil") found by S (son) |
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| 29 | EASY CHAIR |
A place to relax in laid-back clubs — shock (4,5)
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EASY ("laid back") + C (clubs) + HAIR ("shock") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | ASTRAY |
When carrier is out of place (6)
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AS ("when") + TRAY ("carrier") |
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| 2 | MANICURE |
Trim chap set on one kipper (8)
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MAN ("chap") set on I (one) + CURE ("kipper") |
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| 3 | PERSISTENT |
Steady’s blooming prettiness (10)
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*(prettiness) [anag:blooming] |
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| 4 | BARN |
Secure new farm building (4)
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BAR ("secure") + N (new) |
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| 5 | PEACH MELBA |
Sweet cracker wound up meal with first bit of Brie included (5,5)
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PEACH ("cracker") + *(meal) [anag:wound up] with [first bit of] B(rie) included |
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| 6 | BEAN |
Head from boycott being full of energy (4)
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BAN ("boycott") being full of E (energy) |
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| 7 | FINIAL |
I will be included in latest decoration (6)
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I will be incuded in FINAL ("latest") A finial is a decoration at the top of a gable or spire. |
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| 8 | TELEGRAM |
Glare met unsettling old message (8)
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*(glare met) [anag:unsettling] |
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| 15 | ENGINEERED |
Created in green Eden, I flourished (10)
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*(green eden i) [anag:flourished] |
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| 16 | ON THE FENCE |
In two minds about the guard (2,3,5)
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ON ("about") + THE + FENCE ("guard") |
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| 17 | WINDLASS |
This might draw in mostly nervous girl (8)
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[mostly] WIND(y) ("nervous") + LASS ("girl") |
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| 20 | TURNCOAT |
Go and hide, fink (8)
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TURN ("go") + COAT ("hide") |
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| 22 | GASPER |
Natter over a ciggie (6)
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GAS ("natter") over PER ("a") |
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| 24 | MATURE |
In text you’re caught by couple that’s grown-up (6)
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UR ("in text(speak) you're") caught by MATE ("couple") |
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| 26 | GOLF |
Sell up what stands before hotel? (4)
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<=FLOG [up] = GOLF ("what stands before hotel" in the NATO phonetic alphabet) |
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| 27 | CASH |
Bread while in church (4)
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AS ("while") in Ch. (church) |
Another great puzzle from Jason, albeit a tad gentler than previous outings.
Cleanly clued throughout so that parsing was relatively straightforward – as Loonapick says – though I was initially inclined to fit ‘I’ll’ into FINIAL until, finally (ha) I remembered those orbs decorating staircases.
BEAN’S surface was nice with its sly misdirection, along with TURNCOAT, ASTRAY and STALEMATE.
I feel I’ve seen a version of NIGHTINGALE before yet I still enjoyed it.
Thanks to Jason and Loonapick.
I agree with Diane. FINIAL was my loi too. It is seen not only on buildings and staircases but also on almost any man-made object e.g. furniture , curtain rods.
Thanks to Jason and to Loonapick.
CREW CUT was my favourite. I, too, vaguely remember a similar clue for NIGHTINGALE, but still enjoyed it.
Thanks Jason and Loonapick
I thought I would follow up the comments about NIGHTINGALE. We only need to go back to FT 17,878 by Julius (Puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 27, 2024) to find
Evening at home, good beer, singer (11)
https://www.fifteensquared.net/2024/11/02/financial-times-17878-by-julius/
We had to check ‘fink’ in the dictionary to solve 20dn but otherwise all straightforward and enjoyable. LOI was LASAGNE after WINDLASS but we could have kicked ourselves for not getting it sooner. Favourite was STEAMROLLER.
Thanks, Jason and loonapick.
NIGHTINGALE was well remembered Pelham Barton@4. I forgot where I had seen it before .
SM@6: Thanks for that, but I should really have said that I put the answer NIGHTINGALE into this site’s search option.
I enjoyed this one a lot. Though I failed badly by putting in REMEDIATE as an anagram of Tired Team in 9AC! Why that means something that is ‘no getting away from’ search me! And so lost the whole top left! I also didn’t know the term GASPER and so put in gossip and thought somehow that spill could be a cheeky source of oil in 28AC. Thank you All.