A very accessible puzzle from Goliath.
This was extremely enjoyable, and I seemed to fly through it. We very nearly have a pangram, but not quite. Thanks to trusty Goliath for the fun!
A + PEST (nuisance); DUB< (call, <returned) first
MOS[t] (but not all) + [d]A [v]I[n]C[i] (regularly)
Cryptic definition
Hero and Leander are characters from Greek mythology. They were in love, and Hero lived in a tower from where she might have exclaimed ‘O, Leander’. For more, click here.
Double definition
D[a]ILY (quotidian, O for A)
STARLING (bird) eating [withou]T (end)
DID* (*wrong) stuffing HEN (chicken)
[s]ELECT OR[chestra] (of)
CONFER (have a discussion) about I (one)
(STAY + ME)* (*could be)
IMPROVE (better) to hide I’S (one’s)
B[a]R[b]A[r]I[a]N[s] (oddly)
RILE< (upset, <over) admitting IX (nine, Roman numerals)
[st]Y[le] (essentially) wearing BLOUSES* (*fancy)
[ha]T[es] (at heart) + HEIST (crime)
BRED< (raised, <the wrong way) surrounded by THEY (those people)
B-ROADS (minor highways)
DIE (cube) + TITIAN (artist)
[holida]Y SNAP[s]< (<turned up, in)
STEPS ON (tramples)
OVERT (obvious) + HERE (present in this place)
([g]A[rl]I[c] (two slices of) + OIL)* (*mixed with) – &lit
CAT (tiger perhaps) + [fierc]E (ultimately) + GORY (gruesome)
Cryptic definition
C over AGE
[someone’]S LID OFF AD[miring]< (<flipped)
We seem to be missing the containment indicatorEDIT: […one’]S LID OFF AD[miring]< (some…, <flipped)
MOST* (*criminal) + [l]AWYER[s] (dropping case)
ACCENT (stress) about ID (papers)
RA[p]ID (fast, heartless)
STEAL (pinch) + TH[e] (article, mostly)
IN JURY (serving as part of twelve)
“PRIES” (snoops, “report of”)
AS (like) to be in BED
My knowledge of Greek mythology is not great, so I failed to solve OLEANDER. Also I’m not familiar with Norfolk, so 1d was a guess that proved correct. A relief to twice see flowers meaning flowers, not rivers! Yes, Oriel, there seems to be no inclusion indicator for DAFFODILS, until you split “someone’s” into two perhaps?
A slow but steady solve, and quite enjoyable.
Yep, don’t see why the ‘some’ can’t be lifted to do the including …
I agree, I suspect Goliath means solvers to split someone’s into some (containment indicator) and one’s as part of the fodder. We got a similar trick on Monday with Sway in for Sentry.
Fun puzzle – I had to look up Hero and Leander as not in my general knowledge. Everyday’s a school day. And why I do puzzles, to learn things!
Thank you to Goliath and Oriel.
Thanks grantinfreo and Shanne – I had missed the lift and separate device for 15d, but of course you are right! I will amend the blog.
It was a delight to find a Goliath puzzle his morning, so soon after Monday’s Philistine in the Guardian.
Some lovely clues, as always. DAFFODILS is brilliantly hidden – and clued! Other favourites (among many ticks) were MOSAIC, ELIXIR, CATEGORY, TOM SAWYER, DIETITIAN (with a useful mnemonic for the spelling: it always seems to me that it should be ‘dietician’) and OLEANDER – I’m very familiar with the sad story and have seen variations of this clue before – but this one was one of the best.
I have to confess to a temporary hold-up in the bottom left corner – comeuppance for my haste. Such is my faith in the integrity of Goliath’s clues that, seeing ‘mishap’ in the clue, I had fairly confidently pencilled in EMPHASIS at 18dn on my first run through, leaving the spare E S to parse later!
Huge thanks, as ever, to Goliath for a lot of fun and to Oriel for a fine blog.
My faves: OLEANDER, DAFFODILS, CAGE and INJURY.
STARTLING
Someone may have a word or two to say about ‘without end’.
BLESS YOU
As if there are two WP but no def…
Thanks Goliath and Oriel.
Eileen @5. According to Chambers, ‘dietician’ is perfectly acceptable (but not here, of course).
KVa – STARTLING is “eating (inclusion indicator) withouT end (letter indicator)”. What’s the problem? Other than the use of more than one inclusion indicator to mislead.