Cryptic crossword No 29,728 by Brendan

by

Apologies for the late blog, have had some tech issues this morning. Thanks to Brendan for the puzzle…

…with a theme in many clues and solutions around BLACK AND WHITE

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
8 SORTABLE
Starts off one risky transaction in black, ready to divide into groups (8)

starting letters from O-[ne] R-[isky] T-[ransaction]; all inside SABLE="black"
9 NEWMAN
Cardinal recently appointed black or white bishop, say (6)

definition: Cardinal Newman [wiki]

a NEW MAN=a recently appointed MAN, with MAN = a chess piece such as a black or white bishop

10 BLACKEST
Most tragic need in defeat (8)

LACK="need" in BEST=to defeat
11 WANGLE
Manipulate position after white’s opening (6)

ANGLE="position" after W-[hite's] opening letter
12 CROSSWORD ADDICT
One who sits obsessively writing letters in square (9,6)

cryptic definition referring the square (e.g. of 15×15) that is a crossword grid
15 PIANO
Some players’ forte, oddly – its key components are black and white (5)

cryptic definition: the 'oddly' is because 'piano'/quiet and 'forte'/loud have opposite meanings in music notation
16 OP ART
Old district that’s frequently created 20 (2,3)

definition: Op art is a style of art that often uses black and white [wiki]

O (Old) + PART="district"
20 IN BLACK AND WHITE
Home sides in some games recorded on paper (2,5,3,5)

for definition, e.g. printed on paper in black and white

IN=[at] "Home"; plus BLACK AND WHITE="sides in some games [such as chess]"
21 DOMINO
American rock-and-roller’s piece to play, combining two numbers (6)

double definition: the rock-and-roller Fats Domino [wiki]; or a game piece marked with two numbers used when playing dominoes
23 HEBRIDES
Male joining females in white, typically, in part of Scotland (8)

HE="Male" plus BRIDES="females in white, typically"
25 BEAGLE
Black bird that transported Darwin (6)

definition: Charles Darwin travelled on the HMS Beagle [wiki]

B (Black) + EAGLE="bird"
26 WHITEFLY
Problem for plant that could be why I left (8)

definition: whiteflies feed on plants

anagram/"that could be" of (why I left)*
DOWN
1 BOWLERS
Black headgear for some cops and some cricketers (7)

double definition; BOWLERS=bowler hats="Black headgear for some cops"; or cricket BOWLERS
2 STOCK-STILL
Statuesque sheep, for example, all the same? (5-5)

[farm] STOCK = "sheep, for example"; plus STILL=nevertheless="all the same"
3 ABLE
Starters for All Blacks look extremely talented (4)

starting letters for A-[ll] B-[lacks] L-[ook] E-[xtremely]
4 WESTERN
Movie with traditionally distinctive headgear we back (7)

for definition, western films often feature Stetson hats

WE (from surface) + STERN="back" of a boat
5 SNOW-CAPPED
Like Mont Blanc, with cow wandering into shot (4-6)

anagram/"wandering" of (cow)*, inside SNAPPED=took a photo="shot"
6 SWAN
Singular white bird that’s rarely black (4)

S (Singular) + WAN=pale="white"
7 BADLUCK
Hard cheese dished up initially with black spread (3,4)

definition: 'hard cheese' is an expression used to mean 'tough luck'

anagram/"spread" of ( d u black)*, with d u from the initials of d-[ished] u-[p]
13 WINE COOLER
White container we put outside in prison (4,6)

definition: a container for whites [white wines]

WE (from surface), put around IN (from surface); plus COOLER=slang for "prison"
14 DARK-HAIRED
Like Labrador, as opposed to 5? (4-6)

as opposed to being white-haired / SNOW-CAPPED (5dn)
17 SNOOKER
Game which ends with white dispatching black (7)

in a game of snooker where all balls are potted, the black ball would be the last ball potted (using the white cue ball)
18 CASHEWS
Gets ready for gathering in white nuts (7)

CASHES=gets/gives cash for [e.g. a cheque]="Gets ready for", with "ready" as slang for cash; around W (white)
19 OTHELLO
Play game for two (7)

double definition: a Shakespeare play; and a game for two players with black and white pieces
22 IAGO
I advance after securing a major role in 19 (4)

definition: a character in Shakespeare's Othello

I (from surface) + GO="advance", around A (from surface)
24 BRIO
Vivacity of performance in part of noir blockbuster elevated (4)

hidden in (in part of): [n]-OIR B-[lockbuster], reversed up/"elevated"

56 comments on “Cryptic crossword No 29,728 by Brendan”

  1. This was a lot of themed fun and not as tricky as it first looked, with the unhelpful grid. I laughed at CROSSWORD ADDICT, wondering how many of us would identify with that one. Other favourites were NEWMAN, HEBRIDES, DOMINO, WESTERN, SNOW-CAPPED, DARK-HAIRED, WINE COOLER and CASHEWS. Great, witty start to the week.

    Ta Brendan & manehi.

  2. I really welcomed this lovely tussle, the wit and ingenuity and the cleverly worked theme. To begin with I thought it was just a chess theme and then, as the level of challenge increased the predominant theme became very apparent – but so cunningly worked into clues and solutions in multiplicitous, duplicitous ways. I felt ridiculously chuffed to see a central place for “us” at 12ac. Clues I struggled with included 1d with the ref to “some coppers”. I decided it meant those hats that women in the force had to wear at some point? Or do the chaps also sometimes wear those BOWLER-type titfers? Oddly, my LOI was 21ac where I initially couldn’t think who the rock-n’roller was. I finally remembered Fats – and only then saw the full beauty of the clue.

  3. Thanks Brendan and manehi
    I usually like Brendan’s puzzles, but I found this a bit tedious and rather loose in places. Why are BOWLERS headgear for some cops? Why district for PART? Why is DARK-HAIRED the opposite of SNOW CAPPED (and many Labradors aren’t anyway)? Game for two is very loose for OTHELLO, which I got from IAGO rather than its clue.
    I think the WESTERN reference is to the old tradition of the goodies wearing white hats and the baddies black ones.
    Favourite HEBRIDES.

  4. Great fun and a theme even I spotted. Didn’t understand CASHEWS or PIANO but still managed to get them.

    A bit chewy for a Monday but some great clues. Liked WANGLE and NEWMAN.

    Thanks Manehi and Brendan.

  6. A fun start to the week. Even we couldn’t miss the theme.

    Favourites were 9 ac, 12 ac, 23 ac, 26 ac and 5 d. Can someone clarify ‘the cops’ in 1 d?

    Thanks to Brendan and Manehi.

  8. Muffin@3 I thought the headgear differentiation might be that of “Cowboys and Indians”, but you may be right.
    Where is W = white … I don’t see it in Chambers?

  9. All the swans around here are black FYI 😉. And there are plenty of them too. I found this quite hard to get into, then the last three took far longer than they should have. IAGO gave me OTHELLO too, muffin. But the black and white theme was entertaining. Thanks, Brendan and manehi.

  12. Chambers has the 2nd headword of cop meaning “A top or head of anything” so I took it as Black headgear for some ‘heads’.

    cop2 , also coppin
    noun
    1. A conical ball of thread on a spindle
    2. A top or head of anything
    ORIGIN: OE cop, copp
    copped
    adjective

    Rising to a cop or head

  13. I did wonder whether there was some wordplay in DOMINO that combined 2 notes (do, mi) with a number (no), but the b&w domino piece fits better.

    Jay @8, Chambers only has B as an abbreviation for pencil leads, but I’m pretty sure both B and W are used in Chess notation.

  14. Thank you Brendan for a masterclass in how to incorporate a theme that enhances a puzzle rather than detracting from it.

    I had no objections to 19D: “game for two” would be loose by itself, but the double definition with “play” was clear enough.

    New to me: OP ART and WHITEFLY, but both fairly clued.

  15. As Jacob @14 says, a masterclass in this type of puzzle, at which Brendan excels. I can spot only a couple of clues/solutions with no reference to black/white.

    I particularly enjoyed the very neat combination at 19/22.

    Many thanks to Brendan and to manehi (plus commiserations re your tech issues).

  17. Have to say I’m with muffin on this (as I frequently am). In particular, lots of labradors are not dark haired. I also didn’t care for the SNOOKER clue since they are rarely black ball games.

  19. I spotted the theme, for once, though it took me a while. I’d never heard of whitefly, though I have of greenfly.

    In 5ac PIANO, the piano’s keys are black and white.

    Thanks, Brendan and mahehi.

  20. Complaint withdrawn, I just re-read 20ac, I’m sure he was thinking of NUFC as one of those home sides.. 🙏

  21. Very enjoyable after I had realised that this was not going to be a Mondayish romp. Loved the theme. I hadn’t realised that BOWLER was a slang name for the UK female police officer’s headwear; I put in the answer loosely thinking that it was slang for police, but now realise that I was thinking of Bow Street Runners. Thanks Manehi and Brendan.

  22. We had a guava blight in my city a couple of decades ago. Spiralling whitefly infestation. All guava trees had to be cut down. We didn’t have fruit for nearly 5 years after that, if memory serves me.

    Thanks

  23. Very good puzzle. Excellent blog.

    Thanks Brendan and manehi.

    My top faves: PIANO, STOCK-STILL, WESTERN and CASHEWS.

  24. Thanks for the blog , some very neat clues , WINE COOLER flows nicely , DOMINO a clever idea , CASHEWS I really like the use of ready .
    DARK-HAIRED seems to be the only dud unless there is some Canadian angle to save it , we need Cellomaniac .
    This could have been put on a different day , I like the Monday tradition for newer solvers .

  25. I enjoyed this with all the unravelling, but am a bit disappointed by “dark-haired” as I have known and loved several golden haired labradors in my time . Although it was guessable from the opposed to snow-capped, referring of course to my hubby.
    And white fly are viscious little things you can barely see them but they wreak havoc on your roses
    Very nice start to the week, thanks to All.

  26. 4D In early WESTERNs, the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys wore black, so I think it can be added to the theme.
    Last one in, like some others, DOMINO – which I eventually got from trying letter combinations until the two pennies dropped.
    Thanks manehi and Brendan.

  27. Very good, though I share the reservations about the Labrador clue. SNOOKER was one of my favourites – I spent some time looking for wordplay before realising it was a simple CD.
    Regarding the use of W for white, apart from chess as noted by Tim C@13, this is used in wiring diagrams e.g. for a car; black can be B, but more often Bk to distinguish it from blue or brown.
    Thanks both.

  28. Tough puzzle but the theme helped me slightly.

    Favourite: CROSSWORD ADDICT – that was me today!

    I know nothing about snooker so the clue surface for 17d was baffling until I got some help about the game via an online search. Also new for me: OTHELLO = game for two players; Cardinal NEWMAN – never heard of him. I know more medieval cardinals by name as that is the part of history that interests me 😉

    I couldn’t parse 21ac – the piece to play, combining two numbers bit but I had thought of Fats Domino for the first bit.

  29. Good to see Michelle again , Cardinal NEWMAN seems to be the name for quite a few schools and colleges in the UK , I have seen it quite often .

  30. michelle @28
    As in the link that manehi gave (though not prominently!) Cardinal Newman is best remembered for writing the poem The Dream of Gerontius, which Elgar used for his oratorio.

  31. I don’t think anyone else has mentioned that Brendan missed an opportunity in 22d. The game of Go also uses black and white pieces.

  33. Finished, but didn’t really enjoy this.
    With the theme, just all felt a bit contrived.
    Thanks all.

  35. Ginger Tom and I both really enjoyed this Monday romp. Loved the theme and the clever clueing. Thanks to Brendan for the fun solve and Manehi for the clear explanations.

  36. Thoroughly enjoyed this — thanks Brendan & manehi. I had “closet” at 13, which seems plausible, but COOLER is clearly superior.
    [BG@32: just curious how you might have clued 22, given posterntoo’s insight.]

  37. The snooker one … I was thinking about Jimmy White, the best player never to have won the world championship.

  38. Coloradan@36: Maybe something like: Brendan introducing a game for black and white, part of 19 (4)

    Esprit d’escalier!

  40. Ok another fan’s question to Brendan please: ‘home sides in some games’ parses perfectly as manehi had it, and also as a straight ‘home sides in some games are in black and white’ (maybe Kilkenny Black and Whites GAA the first team to spring to your mind?..). Was that clause’s double parsing consciously inspired, or do these amazing things sometimes happen unconsciously?

  41. Hadrian@40: I had not considered that. One of the main reasons I come to 225 is to be enlightened about extras like this.

  42. By the way, I write political stuff on Substack for anyone interested (just enter: georgebriangreer.substack.com). I’ve just entered a short piece “The Art of Political Lying”.

  44. Brendan @42

    I’m immensely grateful to have been recently guided to your Substack:
    I can’t recommend it highly enough.
    Latest posting at 22.24.

  45. In addition to TimC @13 and beaulieu@27 comments regarding W for white, monochrome films and photos are also referred to as B & W, so no problem there as far as I can see.
    We weren’t very happy about the Labradors though…
    Thanks to Brendan and Manehi from me and Mr T.

  46. Tamarix@45 and others. The negative Lab tests are justified. I was sloppy and apologize. (Constructive criticism is something else I come here for).

  47. Did Brendan, thinking of the province, conflate Newfoundland and Labrador, and then pick the wrong dog? (Newfoundland dogs are dark-haired.)

    Eileen@15, I thought two clues weren’t theme related – 2d STOCK STILL and 4d WESTERN. Muffin@3 connected WESTERN convincingly, but I still cannot see any theme stock for 4d.

    Although I agree that Brian’s esprit d’escalier (a favourite term) at 38 is a better clue for 22d IAGO, the answer fit the theme when connected to 19d OTHELLO.

    Thanks Brendan for the superbly contrived puzzle, and for joining in on the discussion so wittily. (And thanks for the Substack link @42.

  48. Cellomaniac @47 – I think we’re in broad agreement: I said ‘a couple of’ clues / solutions’.

  50. Started this a day late, but really enjoyed it because of the theme. I thought maybe sheep are traditionally black and white for 4d?

  51. Hated that. Managed four clues. It was supposed to be a Monday, which I’ve taken to expect to be able to solve! That’s a me-problem I know but it was Monday!

    18D – ‘readies’ for cash, assuredly. But ‘ready’? I recognise ‘ready money’, but I don’t think it can be used in the singular like that (yes, I know it’s an adjective really!)

  52. Absolutely delightful!

    If this had been published exactly eight weeks earlier, it would have been even better: that would have been the 40th anniversary of Dennis Taylor’s world snooker championship black-ball victory over Steve Davis. A stunned Davis, quizzed immediately after his loss by presenter David Vine, quipped “it was all there in black and white”.

  53. James @51: Oddly enough, I’d only ever heard “ready” as slang for cash. The plural form “readies” is new to me (thank you!). My Chambers app gives both.

  54. Two short — missed SNOOKER and DOMINO. Favourite 19d OTHELLO

    Don’t think I’ve ever had so many clues with so many possibilities. CROSSWORD EDITOR, WRITER, SOLVER, SETTER, and finally ADDICT; FAIR- LONG- DARK-HAIRED; WINE CELLAR, CASKET, COOLER (and CLOSET from Coloradan@36); SNOW-PEAKED, -CAPPED. Took a lot of sorting out!

    I agree with Brendan (Brian Greer @34) that the setter’s job is to contrive. They can’t be too clever!

  55. Mrs B and I are having a light row about this but can someone please explain how Fats Domino can be described as a rock-and-roller?

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