A straightforward puzzle this morning.
I completed this in two passes, the first leaving only a handful of unanswered clues, all of which became obvious with crossers. Parsing was also very straightforward, although MOBSTER held me up for a minute or so, until I remembered that "term" can mean "end". I started this one later than normal, so was relieved that I could get it done so quickly. This in no way takes anything away from the quality of the puzzle. It is a skill in itself to be able to produce a puzzle that with a couple of tweaks, would be an excellent beginners' puzzle, without dumbing it down too much and still making it enjoyable for more experienced solvers.
Thanks, Jason.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | ADORATION |
Praise a daughter facing speech (9)
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A + D (daughter) facing ORATION ("speech") |
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| 10 | AMUSE |
Entertain a girl such as Clio (5)
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A + MUSE ("girl such as Clio") Clio was the Muse of history in Greek mythology. |
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| 11 | SUMMERY |
Review, we hear, of warm weather (7)
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Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [we hear] of SUMMARY ("review") |
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| 12 | PASTIME |
I am in to absolutely smash hobby (7)
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I'M (I am) in PASTE ("to absolutely smash") |
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| 13 | MAN |
Motorway on the west of an isle (3)
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M (motorway) on the west of AN |
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| 14 | SQUARE DANCE |
Conventional Scandinavian taking in clubs for folk do? (6,5)
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SQUARE ("conventional") + DANE ("Scandinavian") taking in C (clubs) |
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| 17 | STOIC |
With stiff upper lip son stands by restorative with no note (5)
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S (son) stands by TO(n)IC ("restorative", with no N (note)) |
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| 18 | SAG |
Flag source of power in retreat (3)
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<=GAS ("source of power", in retreat) |
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| 19 | SHRED |
Fragment is distributed, no need for answer (5)
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SH(a)RED ("distributed", with no need for A (answer)) |
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| 21 | PARISHIONER |
Trojan prince worked iron — he is a community member (11)
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PARIS ("Trojan prince") + *(iron he) [anag:worked] |
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| 23 | TEA |
Char cheers packing energy (3)
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TA (thanks , so "cheers") packing E (energy) |
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| 25 | REPLICA |
Imitation parcel I must move (7)
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*(parcel i) [anag:must move] |
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| 27 | MOBSTER |
Mafioso, say, is a brute born for term in prison (7)
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MO(n)STER ("brute") with B (born) for (instead of) [term in (end of)] (priso)N becomes MO(B)STER |
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| 28 | STALE |
Small lie is off (5)
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S (small) + TALE ("lie") |
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| 29 | LIGHTEN UP |
Take it easy! Sort of dash in to become happy (7,2)
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EN ("sort of dash" in printing) in LIGHT UP ("to become happy") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | HANSOM |
Cab is pretty damned fine, as they say (6)
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Honophone/pun/aural wordplay [as they say] of HANDSOME ("pretty damned fine") |
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| 2 | COMMANDO |
Point of short pause on November feast for soldier (8)
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COMMA ("point of short pause") on N (November, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) + DO ("feast") |
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| 3 | HAVERSACKS |
Hum and haw over dismissals for carriers (10)
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HAVER ("hum and haw") over SACKS ("dismissals") |
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| 4 | AIRY |
Spacious cowshed where days are wasted (4)
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(d)AIRY ("cowshed") where D (days) are wasted |
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| 5 | SNAPDRAGON |
Unexpected pain concerning plant (10)
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SNAP ("unexpected") + DRAG ("pain") + ON ("concerning") |
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| 6 | BAGS |
Lots of trousers (4)
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Double definition |
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| 7 | BUNION |
Bravo! Workers’ association is swelling (6)
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B (Bravo, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) + UNION ("worker's association") |
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| 8 | REVEREND |
Member of the clergy always plugging split (8)
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EVER ("always") plugging REND ("split") |
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| 15 | UNSUITABLE |
Pimping up blue Austin would be improper (10)
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*(blue austin) [anag:pimping up] |
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| 16 | DISTRIBUTE |
Share senior copper’s commendation (10)
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DI's (detective inspector's, so "senior copper's") + TRIBUTE ("commendation") |
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| 17 | SUPPRESS |
Cancel drink with journos in general (8)
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SUP ("drink") with PRESS ("journos in general") |
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| 20 | ROTATING |
Taking turns train got derailed (8)
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*(train got) [anag:derailed] |
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| 22 | REPEAL |
Gym in actual cancellation (6)
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PE (physical education, so "gym") in REAL ("actual") |
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| 24 | ABRUPT |
Snap, a British game with point (6)
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A + B (British) + RU (rugby union, so "game") + pt. (point) |
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| 26 | IDEM |
One had them — same in Latin (4)
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I'D (one had) + 'EM (shortened version of "them") |
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| 27 | MUGS |
Succeeded dropping down in complacent fools (4)
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S (succeeded) dropping down in S-MUG ("complacent") becomes MUG-S |
Certainly not in your class as a solver, but I got through the puzzle unscathed. I thought the clues were excellent and I particularly liked STOIC and MOBSTER. Thanks Jason for a fun puzzle and Loonapick for a great blog.
Ioonapick’s opening remarks nicely sum up my experience and thoughts about the puzzle.
I ticked STALE for its surface and misdirection, DISTRIBUTE & HANSOM for their surfaces
The only hitch was I did not realise term can mean end, so I failed to parse MOBSTER
Thanks Jason and loonapick
I may have missed a few but I’ve enjoyed every Jason puzzle I’ve attempted thus far, including this one.
I liked the surfaces for UNSUITABLE (15d, my favourite) and ROTATING (20d), the snappy double definition BAGS (6d), and PARISHIONER (21a).
Didn’t know – but was happy to learn – the ‘hum/haw’ sense of ‘haver’ (3d).
Thanks for another entertaining puzzle Jason and Loonapick for the blog – fairly straight-forward, asyou say.
I’m in line with the consensus that this was a reasonably straightforward but enjoyable puzzle. SQUARE DANCE has an amusing surface; MOBSTER is a neat substitution; UNSUITABLE and ROTATING are nice anagrams; nice to see ‘haver’ pop up in HAVERSACKS and ID ‘EM made me laugh. Slightly odd to find DISTRIBUTE, defined by SHARE, intersecting with SHRED which is made from SHARE(d) defined by DISTRIBUTE(d).
Thanks Jason and loonapick
I enjoyed this one, even though I came up short on 4 answers. I kicked myself (in a good way) when I twigged Commando, Haversacks and Square Dance.
3d Learnt the Scottish word HAVER from The Proclaimers. Inordinately pleased to find this citation at oed.com:
“1988 And if I haver, yeah I know I’m gonna be I’m gonna be the man who’s havering to you. C. Reid & C. Reid,” – (Craig and Charlie) –
“I’m gonna be (500 Miles) (song) in Proclaimers, Sunshine on Leith (record sleeve notes)”
Managed to get 27A although I miss-parsed “term in prison” to mean “sounds like stir” and bunged in Mobster – so the right answer for the wrong reason. 🤷🏼♂️
Hmm. To nitpick slightly, I’m not happy that SACKS = DISMISSALS. SACKINGS perhaps. In this sense I don’t think SACK is a noun, nor DISMISSALS a verb…
We thought 11ac was a bit ambiguous, one of those clues where an ‘operator’ (in this case a homophone indicator) could be referring to either what precedes or what follows it. At least here the ambiguity was resolved by a checking letter.
Anyway, a satisfying solve, with plenty to enjoy, such as PASTIME, PARISHIONER, COMMANDO and REVEREND.
Thanks, Jason and loonapick.