Fewer clues, no less fun from Monk
The number of clues in the puzzle was less than normal due to the long entries across the middle and down the sides, but the lack of quantity was mitigated by the quality. I think that TERZETTO is a new word to me, but I was just about able to remember FIXATURE (my LOI) and GAMELAN. I'd be interested in people's opinion on whether "northern" and "western" as seen in 2dn and 8ac are reversal indicators. To me, they don't indicate any instruction to reverse words, they are simply an adjective.
Thanks, Monk.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | TOYOTA |
Week off in two years at old western car manufacturer (6)
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W (week) off T(w)O + Y (years) <=(AT O (old), western) |
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| 9 | EVILDOER |
Be withdrawn by party on backing wrong’un (8)
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<=LIVE ("be", withdrawn") by DO ("party") + <=RE ("on", backing) |
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| 10 | PORTRAIT |
Picture feature on Left snubbed (8)
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TRAIT ("feature") on POR(t) ("left", snubbed) |
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| 11 | ANTRIM |
Edge past soldier, perhaps, in county (6)
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RIM ("edge") past ANT ("soldier, perhaps") |
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| 12 | TEQUILA SUNRISE |
Cocktail time — anise liqueurs shaken (7,7)
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*(t anise liqueurs) [anag:shaken] where T = time |
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| 13 | GENERAL ELECTION |
House alterations typically result herefrom (7,8)
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Cryptic definition, the house in question being the House of Commons. |
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| 16 | HUNTER-GATHERER |
Rather urgent struggles involving male who eschews cultivated elements of consumerism? (6-8)
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*(rather urgent) [anag:struggles] involving HE ("male") |
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| 19 | PUBLIC |
Open bar, smooth on the inside? (6)
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PUB ("bar") + (s)LIC(k) ("smooth", on the inside) |
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| 20 | IN THE RED |
Drunken teens regularly tried last of scotch on the rocks (2,3,3)
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*(en tried h) [anag:drunken] where EN is (t)E(e)N(s) [regularly] and H is [last of] (scotc)H |
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| 21 | GAME PLAN |
Indonesian ensemble adopts quiet strategy (4,4)
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GAMELAN ("Indonesian ensemble") adopts P (piano, in music notation, so "quiet") A gamelan is a South East Asian orchestra. |
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| 22 | OUTWIT |
Surpass numpty following Open University (6)
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TWIT ("numpty") following OU (Open University) |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | GO FOR THE JUGULAR |
Be savage and be issued prison having broken a rule abroad (2,3,3,7)
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GO FORTH ("be issued") + JUG ("prison") having broken *(a rule) [anag:abroad], so GO FORTH E(JUG)ULAR |
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| 2 | BOUTIQUE |
Cut flowers placed outside northern sex shop (8)
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[cut] BOUQUE(t) ("flowers") outside [northern] <=IT ("sex") |
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| 3 | SALAMI |
Food regrettably thrown up, note (6)
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<=ALAS ("regrettably", thrown up) + MI ("note") |
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| 4 | SEPTUAGENARIANS |
Guarantees pains will be treated for some senior citizens (15)
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*(guaranteed pains) [anag:will be treated] |
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| 5 | FIXATURE |
Lock-keeper’s dilemma — only half of boat on river (8)
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FIX ("dilemma") + [only half of] (bo)AT on (River) URE A fixature is a gloopy kind of hair gel (so "lock" in th clue refers to hair). |
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| 6 | EDITOR |
Journalist travelled up from the south to cover case of ill-treatment (6)
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<=RODE ("travelled", up from the the south) to cover [case of] I(ll-treatmen)T |
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| 7 | PETITS BOURGEOIS |
Conventional sorts failed to be prestigious (6,9)
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*(to be prestigious) [anag:failed] |
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| 14 | AGRICOLA |
General in Indian city securing international pass (8)
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AGRA ("Indian city") securing I (international) + COL (mountain "pass") General Gnaeus Julius Agricola (40-93) was a Roman general who led much of the invasion of Britain. |
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| 15 | TERZETTO |
Musical trio has Fourteenth Street essentially gushing about welcoming final character (8)
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(four)TE(enth) (st)RE(et) [essentially] + <=OTT (over the top, so "gushing", about) welcoming Z ("final character" of the alphabet) |
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| 17 | TALKED |
Did gas leak out in study periodically (6)
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*(leak) [anag:out] in (s)T(u)D(y) [periodically] |
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| 18 | HATBOX |
Bowler that’s taken off could rest here (6)
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Cryptic definition |
Thanks Monk and loona. That was tough, thought it mightve been another Io, though looking back the hair gel and the trio were the only unknowns. So maybe it’s just brainarthritis setting in.
[Once at our annual arts fest mrs ginf and I saw an Indonesian interpretation of Lear. It was sort of dance-based and accompanied by a 14-piece gamelan, and it was absolutely entrancing].
‘Northern sex’ for ‘ti’ feels less iffy than ‘at old western’ for ‘ota’. I don’t mind setters taking liberties, but they are both just a bit iffy.
Forgot to comment on the pangram. Quite an achievement with so few clues.
Overall enjoyable and difficult in places.
The long anagram clues were the highlight for me. Loved 7dn (severe spelling test that it is), but TEQUILA SUNRISE was even better. Appreciated 4dn too. BOUTIQUE also got a tick.
There were a few clues I did not like. Yet another UK civics test in ANTRIM. HUNTER GATHERER and GENERAL ELECTION confirmed my dislike of cryptic definitions, while AGRICOLA clued an obscure answer with an obscure word (although I did know the general’s name once). I did not know the words highlighted by loonapick, but I did not mind the clues. I was ok with northern and western as reversal indicators.
I could not parse 1d and did not understand “por” in PORTRAIT so thanks to the blogger
Thanks Monk and loonapick
Thanks for the blog , very good set of clues especially the long anagrams .
Northern/western can both mean moving towards the north/west .
Roz@6 – granted, but they also mean FROM the north/west
Monk defeated me with two or three, here, including FIXATURE (5d), and TERZETTO (15d), a classic case of tough wordplay with tough definition, with unheard of solution words.
I didn’t mind either northern or western as reversal instructions, but I did think that using two so alike in one puzzle is a bit unsatisfactory.
Rather a master-class on long anagrams, which was impressive but not necessarily “entertaining”.
I found the puzzle testing and ingenious, but a bit of a “fun-free” zone.
Good stuff, ‘though, Thanks Monk & loonapick
Thanks Monk & loonapick.
Liked T SUNRISE (great surface), G F T JUGULAR (for the ‘broken ….abroad’ and more), SEPTUAG… and TALKED.
TALKED
Doesn’t the surface require a QM?
Loonapick@6 – I can understand your objection, given the familiarity of the meanings you mention, but I think there is no doubt that Monk is on firm ground in using “northern” as a reversal indicator in a down clue and “western” as a reversal indicactor in an across clue. Collins lists “going or directed to or towards the north/west” ahead of “coming or originating from the north/west”, and qualifies the latter meaning by reference to winds etc. Chambers gives the second meaning precedence over the first, and makes no qualifiaction about usage. In any event, irrespective of the order in which the meanings are listed in those two sources, the fact that the meaning Monk intends is given there is sufficient justification.
Loonapick @6 a good clue should have wordplay where many words have multiple meanings , it is up to us to select the right meaning to crack the clue .
Roz@10 – yeah, I withdraw my objection.
Hmmm, I got 8 answers and was pleased to get that many. I enjoyed SEPTUAGENARIANS and TEQUILA SUNRISE.
Otherwise this was above my pay grade. Ah well, thanks to MONK and loonapick, and tomorrow is another day.
Thanks Monk and loonapick
7 brought a particular smile as I passed that threshold last week.
Congratulations and happy birthday Simon S
I found this quite tough in the closing stages with the nho FIXATURE and TERZETTO and PETITS BOURGEOIS wherein not only did I not recognise the definition but I also failed to make any sense of the anagram in my head. IN THE RED, GAME PLAN and BOUTIQUE my podium for today.
Thanks Monk and loonapick
Thanks Monk. I found this challenging and more work than fun. I guessed a bit from the crossers & definitions but I really can’t fault the clues for that. I revealed 9a and 7d & missed FIXATURE (I had ‘ligature’) but all else fell into place with my top picks being TOYOTA, BOUTIQUE, 4d, EDITOR, and AGRICOLA. I spotted the pangram which helped with TERZETTO.Thanks loonapick for the blog.
Mostly straightforward but we struggled in the end with FIXATURE (NHO) and PETITS BOURGEOIS. For the former we thought of ‘ligature’ (possibly something to tie the hair with) but of course it wouldn’t parse, and for the latter, before we got ‘fixature’ we’d forgotten the F in 1dn so thought ‘failed’ in the clue had to be part of the anagram fodder to complete the pangram. So wordfinder to the rescue and all became clear.
Thanks, Monk and loonapick.
Loonapick@6, yes, but in 2a BOUTIQUE northern can only mean to the north. If it were from the north, “northern” would be redundant, as IT would stand on its own. As for 2a TOYOTA, from or two gives you ATO or OTA. That is a healthy narrowing down of the three letters you need – it doesn’t need to be less cryptic than that.
I love a great surface, especially when it relates to the solution in a witty way, and when it contains a brilliant anagram it is even better. That made 12a TEQUILA SUNRISE and 7d PETIT BOURGEOIS my joint clues of the day.
Thanks Monk and Loonapick for the excellent puzzle and blog.