A puzzle by Eccles in the Independent on Wednesday is now becoming a tradition.
Eccles usually includes a couple of words or phrases that are not found in everyday speech unless you specialise in certain subjects. Today we had WHEY TUB, GOA TRANCE, ON THE LAM and POWER-AMP. The wordplay in each case was clear, so it was just a case of checking that the definition fitted the clue.
When parsing OPINION, I first looked at it as O [zero] + PINION [a word associated with restriction] suggesting free from restrictions, but couldn’t relate it to the words in the clue, before eventually working out that it was HOPING without the outer letters (free from restriction) + ION [charged particle).
For me, GOA TRANCE was the most obscure entry. The RAN CE bit was very clear, but I had to dredge the memory banks to remember that a GOAT could be a lecher.
The clue at 7 down is also a statement of fact as Scum is a 1979 movie.
It was a strange grid today with across entries in every row.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | Appreciating 60 minutes without husband in bar (9)
SAVOURING (relishing; appreciating) HOUR (60 minutes) excluding (without) H (husband) contained in (in) SAVING (except; bar) SAV (OUR) ING |
| 9 | Wishing to be free from restrictions, one is charged for belief (7)
OPINION (belief) HOPING (wishing) excluding the outer letters (free from restrictions) H and G + ION (a charged particle; one is charged) OPIN ION |
| 10 | Failing to shake off Victor, choose mountaineering equipment (3,4)
ICE PICK (a tool with a pointed end used for splitting ice; a piece of mountaineering equipment) VICE (a failing) excluding (to shake off) V (Victor is the International Radio Communication code for the letter V) + PICK (choose) ICE PICK |
| 11 | I’m doubtful sleeping policeman needs hotel (5)
HUMPH (a word expressing reserved doubt or dissatisfaction; I’m doubtful) HUMP (sleeping policeman) + H (Hotel is the International Radio Communication codeword for the letter H) HUMP H |
| 12 | Exciting new erotica includes introduction from Noddy Holder (9)
CONTAINER (holder) (Anagram of [exciting] N [new] and EROTICA) containing (includes) N (first letter of [introduction from] Noddy) CONTAI (N) ER* – either N could be the one contained |
| 13 | Can lose oar at sea (7)
AEROSOL (a pressurised can) Anagram of (at sea) LOSE OAR AEROSOL* |
| 15 | Lodger is very boring chap (5)
MASON (member of the FreeMASONs, a male fraternity, united in lodges for social enjoyment and mutual assistance. There are also two female lodges in the UK) SO (very) contained in (boring) MAN (chap) MA (SO) N |
| 17 | Perhaps Trump followed by small crowd (5)
PRESS (crowd) PRES (PRESident. Donald Trump is an example of a PRESident) + S (small) PRES S |
| 18 | Like to meet American uncle in Indian region (5)
ASSAM (region in northeast India) AS (like) + SAM (reference Uncle SAM [the United States or its people]) AS SAM |
| 19 | Change the last Word document’s header (5)
AMEND (change) AMEN (the last word) + D (first letter of [header] Document) AMEN D |
| 20 | Picked up method, but badly, for part of cheese-making kit (4,3)
WHEY TUB (a piece of equipment used in cheese-making) WHEY (sounds like [picked up] WAY [method]) + an anagram of (badly) BUT WHEY TUB* |
| 23 | Left article with disappointing news for Jeremy Clarkson? (9)
LANDOWNER (Jeremy Clarkson [born 1960] is a LANDOWNER at Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire) L (left) + AN (indefinite article) + DOWNER (depressing experience; depressing news) L AN DOWNER |
| 25 | King claiming the French become more friendly (5)
RELAX (become less severe; become more friendly) REX (king) containing (claiming) LA (one of the French forms of ‘the’) RE (LA) X |
| 27 | Fresh support system (7)
BRACING (fresh) BRACING (a system of braces used to strengthen or support – Collins gives this nounal definition) double definition BRACING |
| 28 | Crazy about North American pop star (7)
MADONNA (reference MADONNA Louise Ciccone [born 1958], pop star) MAD (crazy) + ON (about) + NA (North American) MAD ON NA |
| 29 | Upper-class girl finally treated terrible gas – about time! (9)
DEBUTANTE ( a young woman [usually upper-class] making her first appearance in society) DE (last letters of [finally] each of treateD and terriblE) + (BUTANE [a gas] containing [about] T [time]) DE BUTAN (T) E |
| Down | |
| 1 | Cane comedian in school (6)
SWITCH (rod or cane) WIT (comedian) contained in (in) SCH (school) S (WIT) CH |
| 2 | Even a Times cryptic can be a foreign language (10)
VIETNAMESE (example of a foreign language) Anagram of (cryptic) EVEN A TIMES VIETNAMESE* |
| 3 | Furious engineer ruins map (2,2,4)
UP IN ARMS (protesting hotly; furious) Anagram of (engineer) RUINS MAP UP IN ARMS* |
| 4 | Arrange to be at home with family (3,2)
INK IN (arrange or confirm definitely) IN (at home) + KIN (family) IN K IN |
| 5 | Lech organised church dance music (3,6)
GOA TRANCE ( type of trance music originating in Goa, India) GOAT (figurative term for a lecher; lech) + RAN (organised) + CE (Church [of England]) GOA T RAN CE |
| 6 | Nonentity turned over photo with woman (6)
CIPHER (nonentity) PIC (PICture; photograph) reversed (turned over) + HER (woman) CIP< HER |
| 7 | Scum is a movie (4)
FILM (scum can be defined as a film of matter floating on the surface of a liquid) FILM (movie) double definition FILM |
| 8 | Dealing with Louise’s travel companion Mike moving south and running away (2,3,3)
ON THE LAM (making an escape; running a way) ON (about; dealing) + THELMA (Louise’s travel companion in the 1991 film THELMA and Louise) with the M moving south (down entry) to form THE LAM ON THE LAM |
| 14 | Temporary withholding of dodgy payment by government (10)
SUSPENSION (temporary withholding of) SUS (SUSpect; dodgy) + PENSION (the State PENSION is a payment by Government) SUS PENSION |
| 16 | Valley with large mammals upset animal carer (6,3)
STABLE LAD (animal carer) (DALE [valley] + L [large] + BATS [flying mammals]) all reversed (STAB L E LAD)< |
| 17 | River Wear damaged politician’s audio equipment (5-3)
POWER-AMP (the stage or element in an amplifier that regulates power output) PO (reference River PO in Italy) + an anagram of (damaged) WEAR + MP (Member of Parliament; MP) PO WER A* MP |
| 18 | Briefly recommend drinking a drink (8)
ADVOCAAT (a liqueur containing raw eggs and flavourings; drink) ADVOCATE (recommend) excluding the final letter (briefly) E and containing (drinking) A ADVOCA (A) T – either A could be the one contained |
| 21 | Leader of Tories making cuts, which is difficult (6)
TAXING (difficult) T (first letter of [leader of] Tories + AXING (making cuts) T AXING |
| 22 | British scoundrel, it’s said (6)
BROGUE (lilting Irish accent; spoken word; it’s said) B (British) + ROGUE (scoundrel) B ROGUE |
| 24 | Wealthy individual to take over Barclays, initially (5)
NABOB (person of great wealth) NAB (steal; take) + O (over) + B (first letter of [initially]) NAB O B |
| 26 | Cover head in outdoor pool (4)
LIDO (open-air swimming pool) LID (cover) + O (first letter of [head in] Outdoor) LID O |
Some beauts in here with the odd nod to popular culture like Noddy Holder, Jeremy Clarkson, Barclays etc which are always fun to encounter. SAVOURING, HUMPH, MASON, SWITCH, VIETNAMESE, TAXING and NABOB were all delightful.
However, rare though it is for me to criticise an Eccles, I did not like the double unches scattered around the grid and one of them, in particular, caused me great difficulty with my LOI, GOA TRANCE. I have never heard of the solution; like duncan, it took agesto dredge up GOAT for lecher and, of course, the division between the two words came right where there were two unchecked letters.
duncan – it is fairly insignificant but there is a wee typo in your filled grid with 16d, STABLE LAD.
Thanks Eccles and duncan
Wednesdays in crosswordland are always a delight now that we are getting an Eccles puzzle every week. Long may it continue.
I spent too long trying to see how BUMPH could meet the definition “I’m doubtful” until I realised there was an alternative word for the sleeping policeman.
I agree with PM @1 about GOA TRANCE and I would have said that ON THE LAM was American slang, although Collins does say mainly US.
As usual there were lots of superb clues, too many to list them all. SAVOURING was probably my favourite.
Many thanks to Eccles and to Duncan.
I agree, it is an unusual grid layout, but the inevitable clever setting by Eccles, overcame the potential problems.
In 5(d), “LECH” was a headscratcher, but clicked for me, via “Satyr”, the debauched mythical goat-like creature, so sort of a “synonym of a synonym”.
Never heard of the Goa music genre, so not one the setter’s best, from a personal viewpoint.
That one apart, a great puzzle, as we always get from Eccles. I enjoyed “ON THE LAM”, 8(d), if only because it’s not the over-used version of “lam”, as in “to hit”.
STABLE LAD, too, at 16(d), because it’s a killer reversal…and I used to be one. ( stable lad, not killer ).
Super stuff, Mr.Ecc & duncan
PostMark @ 1
Thanks – grid corrected now
Knew about Goa from Orange people (Freo was a hub), whose guru used to scold them “You come here to Pune, you get clear, then you run off to Goa, take drugs and trance out again”. Whey tub, otoh, was unfamiliar, and I totally forgot the quirkily cute sleeping policeman, d’oh. Liked the U-girl’s terrible gas, and much else, ta Eccles and duncan.
My woeful ignorance of subgenres of dance music meant I had to research GOA TRANCE even then I couldn’t get beyond the feeling of Solidarity which such music engenders to see the GOAT. There are enough conspiracy theories around without crosswords implying that the Devil was in charge of the Church of England.
Apart from that, I enjoyed the puzzle.
Very late in but just wanted to add my voice to the general praise for Eccles’ puzzles – he really is one of the best around. Hadn’t heard of the 4d music before today but nothing from that genre surprises me these days!
Thanks to Eccles and to Duncan for the review.
VERY late to this one; didn’t get to it until happy hour here in Chicago. The clue for ON THE LAM is superb because, as we all know, Thelma and Louise spend the last two-thirds of the movie…on the lam. And their general intent is to go south, even (although various circumstances lead them west instead). It would have been perfect if the Brad Pitt character were named Mike, but sadly not. Separately, I’m glad to learn that I’m not the only one who had never heard of GOA TRANCE.