A typical Zamorca puzzle this morning.
Zamorca's puzzles are always pangrams, and this one was no exception. A fine puzzle, especially if you like partial anagrams, with only one minor quibble (the loose definition for LATE RISER).
Thanks, Zamorca.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SIDE DISH |
Took part of his mixed salad with main course? (4,4)
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SIDED ("took part of") + *(his) [anag:mixed] |
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| 5 | GLOATS |
Revels in loutish leader being bitten by animals (6)
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L(outish) [leader] being bitten by GOATS ("animals") |
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| 9 | CASTS OUT |
Gets rid of mould that’s revolting to us (5,3)
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CAST ("mould") + *(to us) [anag:revolting] |
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| 10 | STUPOR |
Goes off in retirement to embrace happy lethargy (6)
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<=(ROTS ("goes off", in retirement)) to embrace UP ("happy") |
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| 12 | ELEGY |
Lament variable online support going forward (5)
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Y (variable, in mathematics) with E- ("online", as in e-commerce) + LEG ("support") [going forward] |
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| 13 | FLOOR PLAN |
Diagram of building gets female toilet right by design (5,4)
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F (female) + LOO ("toilet") + R (right) by PLAN ("design") |
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| 14 | JAMMED |
Stuck with improvised music (6)
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Double definition |
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| 16 | EASIEST |
I see a devious way that’s least effort (7)
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*(i see a) [anag:devious] + St. (street, so "way") |
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| 19 | MARQUIS |
Nobleman in France who admitted to spreading MRSA (7)
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QUI ("in France, who") admitted to *(mrsa) [anag:spreading] |
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| 21 | CORRAL |
Impound fuel-guzzling luxury car (6)
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COAL ("fuel") guzzling RR (Rolls Royce, so "luxury car") |
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| 23 | RARE EVENT |
Artist’s opening with installation of endless trees, an exceptional thing (4,5)
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RA (member of the Royal Academy, so "artist") + VENT ("opening) with installation of [endless] (t)REE(s) |
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| 25 | RUPEE |
Regret pinching exercise class money (5)
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RUE ("regret") pinching PE (physical "exercise") |
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| 26 | VICTOR |
Champion’s in charge during comeback set, getting gold (6)
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IC (in charge) during [comeback] <=TV (set), getting OR ("gold", in heraldry) |
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| 27 | WEAK SPOT |
Take seven days reportedly to notice flaw (4,4)
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Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [reportedly] of WEEK ("seven days") + SPOT ("to notice") |
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| 28 | SYSTEM |
Model’s wearing messy ensemble for routine (6)
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(Model) T wearing *(messy) [anag:ensemble] |
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| 29 | MEASURED |
Decided to fill alcoholic drink to a preset level (8)
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SURE ("decided") to fill MEAD ("alcoholic drink") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SACHET |
Satchel trimmed and refashioned as a little bag (6)
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*(satche) [anag:refashioned] where SATCHE is [trimmed] SATCHE(l) |
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| 2 | DISREPAIR |
Succeeded in dreadful couple’s ruin (9)
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S (succeeded) in DIRE ("dreadful") + PAIR ("couple") |
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| 3 | DUSTY |
Study waste that’s powdery (5)
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*(study) [anag:waste] |
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| 4 | STUFFED |
Forced fellows taking drug to hide in stables (7)
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FF (fellows) taking E (ecstasy, so "drug") to hide in STUD ("stables") |
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| 6 | LATE RISER |
Night owl passed on part of flight (4,5)
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LATE ("passed") on RISER ("part of flight" of stairs) Not keen on the definition, as a late riser need not be someone who goes to bed late. |
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| 7 | APPAL |
Shock to see Dad engaged in lap dance (5)
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PA ("dad") engaged in *(lap) [anag:dancing] |
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| 8 | SERENITY |
Son worked entire year to find peace of mind (8)
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S (son) + *(entire) [anag:worked] + Y (year) |
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| 11 | ZONE |
Area unknown on summit of Everest (4)
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Z (unknown, in mathematics) + ON + [summit of] E(verest) |
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| 15 | MOUSEHOLE |
Small animal’s come round to exploit house/burrow of another (9)
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MOLE ("small animal") has come round USE ("to exploit") + Ho. (house) |
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| 17 | EXAM PAPER |
Test copier after template lost last two letters (4,5)
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APER ("copier") after EXAMP(le) ("template" with last two letters lost) |
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| 18 | IMPROVES |
Makes better-produced movies getting to grips with marketing (8)
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*(movies) [anag:produced] getting to grips with PR (public relations, so "marketing") |
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| 20 | SLED |
Winter transport needs tail light… (4)
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(need)S [tail] + LED (light-emitting diode, so "light") |
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| 21 | CAT’S EYE |
…yet case made for road lighting (4,3)
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*(yet case) [anag:made] |
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| 22 | BESTED |
Beaten hollow, teams return in buzzer round at the end (6)
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[hollow] <=T(eam)S [return] in BEE ("buzzer") + (roun)D [at the end] |
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| 24 | ROCKS |
Surprises with diamonds (5)
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Double definition |
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| 25 | RAKES |
They slow down bachelor leaving with libertines (5)
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B (bachelor) leaving (b)RAKES ("they slow down") |
Easy clues got me off to a good start, then some difficult clues slowed me at the finish.
I most liked EASIEST for its surface (and I like anagrams), RUPEE, SERENITY, WEAK SPOT as it made me think, JAMMED, and LOI ROCKS
BESTED and RARE EVENT seemed unnecessarily complicated and I do not see CATS EYE as lighting.
Thanks Zamora and loonapick
Lots of neat clues made for an enjoyable solve. If moonlight is considered ‘lighting’, I don’t see why ‘cat’s eyes’ wouldn’t be.
Agree with Hovis on CAT’S EYE.
Something to reflect on Martyn! 🙂
Does ‘took part of’ become SIDED or SIDED with?
Maybe SIDED with ISH?
A reliably enjoyable crossword from Zamorca which was a quick-ish solve though I needed the blog to see ‘aper’ from ‘copier’ and ‘bee’ from ‘buzzer’ – should have been wise to the bee, at least, as I’ve seen this before.
MARQUIS was probably my favourite but hunting down the anticipated pangram elicited most satisfaction today.
Thanks to Zamorca and Loonapick.
Cats eyes are the small lights in the road often used to show exits or the edges of roads – they reflect the headlights of cars.
I found this more difficult than usual for Zamorca (not sure why in retrospect) but as always I enjoyed it, and like Diane @ 4 particularly liked looking out for the pangram.
Thanks Zamorca and loonapick
Had the same thought, KVa @3. Took part = sided, took part of = sided with. Happy to learn otherwise tho …
We enjoyed this, including tracking down the pangram – being short of B and V helped us get our last few in.
Thanks, Zamorca and loonapick.
15D was my fave today. I’m a fan of Zamorca, a setter who very rarely disappoints.
This was a lot of fun. I had rare treat for 23 across for a long time which threw me off for to long. But eventually got there. Thank you all
Loonapick, re 6d, as someone for whom the terms night owl and LATE RISER are used interchangeably, I don’t find the definition loose at all. And the opposite of “early to bed, early to rise , makes a man…” is surely “late to bed, late to rise…”. (My wife bought me a t-shirt that says “Music is the reason I get up every afternoon.”)
Thanks, L for the early bird blog, and Z for the pleasingly pangrammatic puzzle.