Independent 12,078 by Eccles

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Eccles in his usual Wednesday slot.

As usual with this setter, a few unfamiliar words and some delightfully offbeat definitions, mixed with a handful of more straightforward clues to get started. My last one in was 28a – I’d guessed the non-obvious definition from the crossers, but it took me far too long to see the wordplay. A big laugh when I finally got it; this ended up being my joint favourite today, along with the well-disguised definition in 4d. Thanks Eccles for the fun.

Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.

ACROSS
1 ARCHAIC
Obsolete language Switzerland will replace in the morning (7)
AR[am]AIC (a language), with CH (abbreviation for Switzerland) replacing AM (abbreviation for Latin ante meridiem = before noon = in the morning).
5 FERAL
Wild, if beer hall has odd characters ejected (5)
[i]F [b]E[e]R [h]A[l]L without all the odd-numbered letters.
9 SCORN
My parts extremely shrunken, leading to derision (5)
COR (cor! = my! = an expression of surprise), inserted into (parting) the end letters (extremes) of S[hrunke]N.
10 YODELLING
Singing and shouting, taking too many drugs (9)
YELLING (shouting), containing (taking) OD (abbreviation for overdose = too many drugs).
11 ORIFICE
First female in workplace becoming rather impatient, at first, for opening (7)
O[f]FICE (workplace), with the first F (abbreviation for female) replaced by the first letters of R[ather] I[mpatient].
12 IDIOTIC
I would twitch around ten, which is ludicrous (7)
I’D (contracted form of “I would”) + TIC (twitch = involuntary muscle contraction), around IO (one, zero = ten).
13 NIGHTRIDER
Racist dithering about Republican (10)
Anagram (about = scattered) of DITHERING, then R (abbreviation for Republican).

Term for a member of the Ku Klux Klan, from their habit of carrying out racist attacks at night when they were less likely to be recognised.
15 WRIT
Summons dwarf regularly to get sex (4)
Alternate letters (regularly) from [d]W[a]R[f], then IT (slang for sex appeal).

Writ = summons = a legal demand presented in writing.
18 SAGA
He maybe recalled a long story (4)
GAS (maybe He = chemical symbol for helium), reversed (recalled), then A.
20 AT A STRETCH
He attracts eccentric with difficulty (2,1,7)
Anagram (eccentric) of HE ATTRACTS.
23 HOLSTER
Model lost her case (7)
Anagram (model, as a verb = reshape) of LOST HER.

A carrying-case for a gun.
24 DESCANT
Fall about instead of beginning to embrace counterpoint (7)
DESC[e]NT (fall), with A (abbreviation for about) instead of E which is the first letter of E[mbrace].

Descant = counterpoint = a second musical theme sung or played at the same time as a repetition of the original melody.
25 POLAR BEAR
Make a couple of deliveries to Spooner for native of the far north (5,4)
Spoonerism for BOWL A PAIR (make a couple of deliveries, in cricket terminology).
26 COSTA
Rib functions lessened (5)
I’m not sure about the wordplay here, but Eccles may be referring to functions in trigonometry, giving relations between the sides of a right-angled triangle: COS (abbreviation for cosine) + TA[n] (abbbreviation for tangent), with the last letter dropped (lessened). Unless anyone has a better idea?

Costa = anatomical term for a rib bone, as in “intercostal muscles” between the ribs.
27 TOOTS
American sweetheart blows horn, for example (5)
Double definition. US term of endearment; or as a verb = makes the sound of a horn.
28 FISH OUT
Produce cry at Silverstone? (4,3)
FI (F1 = abbreviation for Formula 1 = motor racing, for example at Silverstone racetrack) SHOUT (cry).

To pull something out of a container.
DOWN
1 ADORING
Notice seal is devoted (7)
AD (short for advertisement = notice) + O-RING (a ring-shaped rubber seal to prevent leaks at a joint).
2 CONSISTS
Conservative Society is extremely treacherous, and is free from contradiction (8)
CON (abbreviation for Conservative) + S (abbreviation for society) + IS + end letters (extremes) of T[reacherou]S.

Not the most common use of “consist” as a verb, but recognisable from the adjective form “consistent”.
3 AZYME
Starting late, work-shy midwife on vacation makes unleavened bread (5)
[l]AZY (work-shy) without the first letter (starting late), then M[idwif]E without the inner letters (on vacation = after emptying).

Also spelled azym: bread without yeast.
4 CO-DRIVERS
Sometimes they navigate watercourses, following fish (2-7)
RIVERS (watercourses) after COD (fish).

One of a pair of drivers for the same vehicle, alternating between driving and navigation duties.
5 FILLIP
Uplifting tablet provided boost (6)
PILL (medicinal tablet) + IF (provided), all reversed (uplifting = upwards in a down clue).
6 ROISTER
I put in schedule: Make merry (7)
I inserted into ROSTER (a schedule of working hours).
7 LOGIC
Reason American soldier enters places briefly (5)
GI (American soldier), inserted into LOC[i] (places, from the plural of Latin locus) without the last letter (briefly).
8 AS SOON AS
The moment music producer with shaved head was missing wife (2,4,2)
[b]ASSOON (musical instrument = music producer) without the first letter (head), then [w]AS without the W (abbreviation for wife).

As in “The moment I saw you” = “As soon as I saw you”.
14 INTERLEAF
Page that’s blank after line abandoned (9)
Anagram (abandoned) of AFTER LINE.

A blank page bound into a book between printed pages.
16 TAHITIAN
I see boring Renaissance artist from Pacific island (8)
AH (ah! = I see! = expression of understanding) inserted into (boring) TITIAN (Renaissance artist).
17 PROSECCO
Experts there making fizzy wine (8)
PROS (short for professionals = experts) + ECCO (there! = a command to look at something, from Italian).
19 GALILEO
Astronomer in Jesus’ home losing footing, getting old (7)
GALILE[e] (Jesus’ home), without the end letter (bottom, in a down clue = footing), then O (abbreviation for old).
21 TRANSIT
Architect ran site showing passage (7)
Hidden answer (. . . showing) in [architec]T RAN SIT[e].
22 UTERUS
Early people-carrier (Australian pick-up truck) with corrosion reduced (6)
UTE (Australian shortening of “utility vehicle” = pick-up truck) + RUS[t] (corrosion) without the last letter (reduced).

Where people are carried very early in life.
23 HOP IT
Leave brothel! (3,2)
Ho = US slang for prostitute, more or less offensive depending on context: so a place where prostitutes gather (a brothel) could be called a HO PIT.

Hop it! = a slang command to go away = leave!
24 DORIS
Woman is supporting upwardly mobile staff (5)
ROD (staff = pole) reversed (upwardly mobile = upwards in a down clue), with IS after it (below, in a down clue = supporting).

A woman’s name, though not a common one these days.

10 comments on “Independent 12,078 by Eccles”

  1. Great fun, of course, as Wednesdays always are nowadays with Eccles turning up regularly every week.

    I think only AZYME was a new word for me today.

    FISH OUT was my last to parse even though the answer couldn’t have been anything else. POLAR BEAR is a wonderful Spoonerism. Those two plus CO-DRIVERS were my top picks from a plethora of ticked clues.

    Many thanks to Eccles and to Quirister.

  3. Eccles Wednesdays are a reliable treat. All good, and same favourites as Rabbit Dave @1, plus 8d for the image of the mournful musician. Thanks to Eccles and Quirister (I parsed 26a as in the blog).

  4. I agree with Jayjay’s first sentence.

    I had fun working out AZYME, a new word for me, too and also enjoyed ARCHAIC, ORIFICE, SAGA, GALILEO, and UTERI – lovely story-telling surfaces all round.

    I parsed COSTA as Quirister and others did. I’m trying to remember in what context ‘a’ is an abbreviation for ‘about’. I know I’ve seen it before and it’s in Chambers.

    Many thanks to Eccles and Quirister.

  5. A dolly catch for Ms.Q at 24(ac), DESCANT; whereas I sat on DESCENT for ages….because I’m thick.
    I think 22(d) epitomises Eccles, for me. Lovely surface, misdirection, doable but crafty clueing, smashing definition – ” UTERUS = early people carrier”.
    The whole puzzle is set to the same standard, you could throw a dart at the grid, and still say “that’s my favourite!”
    Re, DESCANT: I don’t like “about = A”. It may be in Chambers, but I don’t have to like it.
    Superb stuff from Ecc & Ms.Q, aka The A Team. Big Ta.

  6. Just to agree with the above comments, and add that Eccles appears to be able to make his wavelength suitably tricky, but eminently available
    Thanks Eccles and Quirister

  7. Thanks both. Particularly liked UTERUS once I eventually realised what was going on. Learned a number of things including the ‘Ecco’ element of PROSECCO though I couldn’t quickly find anything to confirm its usage in English.

  9. Agree with all the above. Most went in with a little struggle especially new words. To my shame I got stuck finally on F*L*I* at 5d and used a word search. Came up with FALSIE which I thought was pretty good for ‘uplifting’ or ‘providing a boost’.

    Many thanks E and Q

  10. Thanks Eccles for your customary cleverness with my top picks being SCORN (liked ‘parts’), SAGA (liked ‘he’), UTERUS (liked ‘early people carrier’), and DORIS (liked ‘upwardly mobile staff’). I couldn’t fully parse FISH OUT. Thanks Quirister for the blog.

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