A thematic challenge to get one’s teeth into today – it is Tuesday after all!
This was one of the toughest puzzles that I have had to solve and blog in quite some time, and only my second outing with a crossword by Magus. I made very slow progress at first, then gathered some speed for a while before grinding to a halt. It was only when I twigged the theme that I could fill in a few more of the thematic entries in the grid and on that basis solve the few remaining clues.
Like with my previous Magus blog, a literary theme has been chosen, the titles of the Rutshire Chronicles by Jilly Cooper having been accommodated in the completed grid (highlighted in pink), albeit with the one with the longest title being spread across the clue at 16 and the entry at 17. Again, hints as to this theme are dotted through the clues – at 6A, 8, 17 …
My favourite clues today, out of a challenging set, were: 11, for all the misleading musical references; and 12, 22, 25 and 26, all for the need to split the forename from its surname when parsing each clue; and, above all, 5, for the clever inclusion of misleading needlework references.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DECREPIT |
Feeble boss of MI6 agent obliged to return cases (8)
|
| [C (=boss of MI6, from “chief”) + REP (=agent, as in sales rep)] in DEIT (TIED=bound; “to return” indicates reversal) | ||
| 6 | PAINTS |
Adds colour to Appassionata’s intro in editions without Cooper’s backing (6)
|
| A<ppassionata> (“intro” means first letter only in P<r>INTS (=editions; “without <coope>R‘s backing” means last letter, i.e. “r”, is dropped) | ||
| 9 | RIVALS |
Iran’s ready to defend against opponents (6)
|
| V (=against, versus) in RIALS (=Iran’s ready, i.e. Iranian currency) | ||
| 10 | CALFSKIN |
Hide from Jersey Boy’s brothers? (8)
|
| CALF’S (=Jersey Boy’s, i.e. offspring of Jersey cattle) + KIN (=brothers, i.e. relatives); the “hide” of the definition is a noun meaning skin, leather | ||
| 11 | PINEAPPLE |
Remix of Elaine Paige’s number one cover of pop banger (9)
|
| *(ELAINE + P<aige> (“number one” means first letter only) + P<o>P (“cover of” means first and last letters only)); “remix of” is anagram indicator; in slang, a pineapple is a hand grenade or a bomb, i.e. a banger, something that makes a loud noise | ||
| 12 | SCORE |
Nick Knowles’s ultimate essential? (5)
|
| <knowle>S (“ultimate” means last letter only) + CORE (=essential, as in core skills and core business); a nick is a small cut, hence a score | ||
| 14 | PANDORA |
First Lady‘s revolting shag with TV explorer (7)
|
| PAN (NAP=shag, on cloth; “revolting” indicates reversal) + DORA (=TV explorer, i.e. in the long-running children’s programme Dora the Explorer); Pandora was the first woman created by the gods in Greek mythology | ||
| 15 | SODS LAW |
Something always goes wrong with this damn salad! (4,3)
|
| SOD (=damn, i.e. mild expletive, as in Sod it / Damn it!) + SLAW (=salad, as in coleslaw) | ||
| 17 | JEALOUS |
Resentful unknown shuns enthusiastic Jilly’s tip for starters (7)
|
| J<illy> (“tip” means first letter only; “for starters” means comes at the front of the word) + <z>EALOUS (=enthusiastic; “unknown (=z, in algebra) shuns” means letter “z” is dropped) | ||
| 19 | PERSEUS |
Intrinsically American hero (7)
|
| PER SE (=intrinsically) + US (=American); Perseus was the Medusa-slaying hero of Greek mythology | ||
| 22 | SMEAR |
Mike Brown’s absorbed in women’s Test (5)
|
| M (=Mike, in NATO alphabet) in SEAR (=(to) brown, scorch); a smear test is offered to women to detect potential cervical cancer | ||
| 24 | BIGAMISTS |
Grown-up films featuring adult Mormons from yesteryear? (9)
|
| A (=adult) in [BIG (=grown-up) + MISTS (=films, hazes)] | ||
| 26 | BUSHBUCK |
President George Washington’s money game (8)
|
| BUSH (=President George, of US) + BUCK (=Washington’s money, i.e. US dollar); a bushbuck is a small South African antelope, hence “game” | ||
| 27 | RIDERS |
Las Vegas club refusing entry to angry bikers? (6)
|
| R<a>IDERS (=Las Vegas club, i.e. American football team; “refusing entry (=first letter) to angry” means letter “a” is dropped) | ||
| 28 | STIR UP |
Heartless equestrian Kit’s whip (4,2)
|
| STI<r>RUP (=equestrian kit; “heartless” means middle letter is dropped); to whip up discontent, say, is to stir it up | ||
| 29 | DOWAGERS |
Rich, elderly ladies typically take risks (8)
|
| DO WAGERS (=take risks) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | ELIMINATE |
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream opened by bird (9)
|
| MINA (=bird) in ELITE (=cream, the best); to ice is to kill, eliminate, in US English, as suggested by Ben & Jerry’s! | ||
| 3 | REAR-END |
Run into revolutionary nurses near Barking (4-3)
|
| *(NEAR) in RED (=revolutionary); “barking (=mad, crazy)” is anagram indicator | ||
| 4 | POSTPARTUM |
Playing Top Trumps inspires focus in females after childbirth (10)
|
| <fem>A<les> (“focus in” means central point, i.e. middle letter) in *(TOP TRUMPS); “playing” is anagram indicator | ||
| 5 | TACKLE |
Gear made of spun silk bound by yarn (6)
|
| CK (KC=silk, i.e. King’s Counsel; “spun” indicates reversal) in TALE (=yarn) | ||
| 6 | POLO |
Motor // sport? (4)
|
| Double definition: a Volkswagen polo is a model of car, hence a “motor” AND polo is a game played on horseback, featured prominently in the novels of Jilly Cooper | ||
| 7 | INSECTS |
Home schools little blighters? (7)
|
| IN (=home) + SECTS (=schools, of thought or within a movement) | ||
| 8 | TRIER |
Row about Rutshire’s foremost judge? (5)
|
| R<utshire> (“foremost” means first letter only) in TIER (=row, rank); a judge tries criminals, so could be described as a “trier”! | ||
| 13 | BONE MARROW |
Load of fat old blokes hoisted into grave (4,6)
|
| [O (=old, as in OT) + NEM (MEN=blokes; “hoisted” indicates vertical reversal)] in BARROW (=grave, burial mound); bone marrow is partly made up of adipose tissue, hence “load of fat” | ||
| 16 | ADULTERER |
Romeo breaking date rule, possibly The Man Who Made Husbands 17? (9)
|
| R (=Romeo, in NATO alphabet) in *(DATE RULE); “possibly” is anagram indicator; The Mad Who Made Husbands Jealous (=entry at 17) is one of the Rutshire Chronicles by Jilly Cooper | ||
| 18 | LEATHER |
Tizzy over Spain getting beat (7)
|
| E (=Spain, in IVR) in LATHER (=tizzy, state); to leather is to beat, thrash | ||
| 20 | SHINDIG |
In love with second husband, as a celebration … (7)
|
| S (=second) + H (=husband) + IN + DIG (=love, appreciate, in slang) | ||
| 21 | WICKED |
… mischievous wife chose to go on top! (6)
|
| W(=wife) + <p>ICKED (=chose, selected; “to go on top” means first letter goes, disappears) | ||
| 23 | MOUNT |
Get up on // stage (5)
|
| Double definition: to get up on a horse, say, is to mount it AND to mount e.g. a protest is to stage or organise it | ||
| 25 | JUMP |
Jack Black needs to quit blow in spring (4)
|
| J (=Jack, in cards) + <b>UMP (blow, strike; “black (=B, as in HB pencils) needs to quit” means letter “b” is dropped) |
Found this extremely difficult. Felt like I was attempting a Nimrod. Had no idea about the theme and had to resort to aids to get a few of them.
Fell at the last hurdle though. I entered GOLF for 6d (which fits the clue and the L) and so failed to get 6a.
Despite spending a lot more time than I really should, I did enjoy this. Must be some kind of masochist.
Thanks both. I didn’t know how to finish without some assistance, and I don’t know where to start to explain the difficulties this presented. Perhaps the politest summary is that clues here tended to ask for one additional stage of solving e.g ELIMINATE where we are asked to see Ben & Jerry’s as singularly American, though it’s a global brand, then convert US slang to English. No chance with the theme; at least my loathing of Greek mythology was not triggered as much as I once feared; it does tend to be my Achilles heel!
Well done on this RR, I just got nowhere and gave up after three attempts with barely a third done. Wow Magus that was tough.
Our ignorance of Greek mythology and Jilly Cooper made this a difficult solve with several unparsed. Eliminate entered as a guess but parsing way above our level.
Our ignorance of Greek mythology and Jilly Cooper made this a difficult solve with several unparsed. Eliminate entered as a guess but parsing way above our level.
Apart from biffing around a couple of bits of absent parse — sear = Brown and the mina bird — this didn’t feel too demonic. No theme of course, Jilly Cooper being among the crop of authors one’s heard lots about and should have read but hasn’t. The angry bikers and the risk-taking elderly ladies were fun. Thanks Magus and RR.
Very late comment just to say I enjoyed this though I found it very tricky indeed. One of my longest Indy solves in a long time. I did not recognise the theme – not an area of interest for me. Everything eventually parsed except ELIMINATE where I had not interpreted the US indicator and was hopelessly lost.
Thanks both
This totally defeated me. Got about half a dozen answers.
This was rough but still fun. ELIMINATE went in unparsed, and the pap smear one defeated me entirely (not having a vagina may have played a part in that). No chance at the theme; I’ve never even heard of Jilly Cooper.
This felt more American than usual. Does Ben & Jerry’s actually export to the UK? Americans Elaine Page, Jack Black, and George Bush put in an appearance as well. Also mildly surprised to see the Las Vegas Raiders featuring in a UK puzzle. We’re still getting used to them having fled Oakland, though that’s been a while now already.
Yes, @9, seemed very yankee doodle. Solved with some help from online friends. I could see ‘ice’ meant eliminate but Ben & Jerry’s as a Yank indicator didn’t click. They are quite controversial, so I thought it was a poor reference. I don’t quite see ‘Mormons of yesteryear’ as bigamists but there was a ? for the def and if it was a flat joke (for me), it was a simple parse. Apart from my two gripes, it was a puzzle of outstanding clues. It’s been a good run over the last four days in the Indy with Tyrus, Filbert, Major and Magus whose nom-de-plume reminds me of the postmodern hero of John Fowles novel. Kept getting the ‘database error’ so late to comment but looking forward to dealing with the magic of this setter next time. Thanks for the blog RR.
Huge thanks to RR for a masterful blog, and to the stalwarts who gave this a bash. FWIW, Jump! is, like Polo et al, one of the 11 fizzers in the series referenced here. LEO (insignificantly tucked away in the top left) is the name of Jilly’s late husband. Ta lots – apologies for being beastly. PS … Elaine Paige is resolutely English (I suspect she’d be most displeased to be accused of being an American!) unlike Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield who are, of course, both New Yorkers.