Our Thursday challenge from Bluth.
Not the easiest today: a couple of awkward definitions (19a is a bit of a stretch and 7d is unfamiliar, at least to me) and complicated constructions (such as 5d and 8d). But some nicely straightforward ones too; my favourites were 16a, 26a and 28a. Thanks Bluth as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CARBONATED WATER |
For example, Perrier Award certain to be less independent when restructured (10,5)
|
| Anagram (when restructured) of AWARD CERTA[i]N TO BE, minus the I (abbreviation for independent). | ||
| 9 | BIPLANE |
Flyer told to pay for uniform? (7)
|
| Sound-alike (told = spoken out loud) of BUY (pay for) PLAIN (uniform = homogeneous or undecorated). | ||
| 10 | DROP-OFF |
Delivery of sink cancelled (4-3)
|
| DROP (sink, as a verb = become considerably lower) + OFF (cancelled, as in “the game is off because of rain”). | ||
| 11/12 | NAIL CLIPPERS |
Artificial Intelligence – oddly local children accepted digital refinement tool (4,8)
|
| AI (abbreviation for artificial intelligence) + odd-numbered letters of L[o]C[a]L, contained (accepted) in NIPPERS (slang for small children).
An old crossword favourite: digital = relating to the fingers. |
||
| 16 | THE LIKE |
Mostly they enjoy similar things (3,4)
|
| THE[y] (mostly = all but the last letter) + LIKE (enjoy). | ||
| 17 | ASCETIC |
Monk, say, when jerk joins church (7)
|
| AS (when), then TIC (jerk = an involuntary movement) after CE (abbreviation for Church of England). | ||
| 19 | INSIGHT |
Make out with Diane regularly seeking penetration (7)
|
| SIGHT (as a verb = make out = begin to see), after alternate letters (regularly) of [d]I[a]N[e].
Insight = penetration = understanding? |
||
| 20 | ETERNAL |
Everlasting Love – hit single over in America – Carl finally makes it (7)
|
| Last letters (. . . finally makes it) of [lov]E [hi]T [singl]E [ove]R [i]N [americ]A [car]L. | ||
| 21/23 | ICE-CREAM CONE |
Ace encore music playing – without American cornet (3-5,4)
|
| Anagram (playing) of ACE ENCORE M[us]IC, without US (American). | ||
| 26 | TO ORDER |
Possibly radish on the counter as requested (2,5)
|
| RED ROOT (for example a radish) reversed (on the counter). | ||
| 28 | APPOINT |
Select a quiet property (7)
|
| A + P (p = abbreviation for Italian piano = quiet, in musical notation) + POINT (property = a characteristic, as in “good and bad points”). | ||
| 29 | RAYMOND CHANDLER |
Run article Henry McDonald edited for writer (7,8)
|
| R (abbreviation for run, in cricket scoring) + A (the indefinite article), then an anagram (edited) of HENRY MCDONALD.
US detective fiction writer. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | CABINET MINISTER |
Mischievously inscribe an item with tip from Tommy Cooper maybe (7,8)
|
| Anagram (mischievously) of INSCRIBE AN ITEM + first letter (tip) of T[ommy].
For example Yvette Cooper, currently Foreign Secretary and therefore a Cabinet Minister. |
||
| 2 | REPAIRERS |
They make good couple on TV show – breaking short series up (9)
|
| PAIR (a couple) + ER (a TV show), contained in (breaking) SER (short for series) reversed (up, in a down clue). | ||
| 3 | OVAL |
Cricket ground – somewhere to go round in retirement (4)
|
| LAV (short for lavatory = somewhere to go = somewhere to urinate) + O (round), all reversed (in retirement).
Surrey County Cricket Club’s home ground, now officially called the Kia Oval after its sponsors. |
||
| 4 | ALEC |
Having beer with Charlie – Guinness? (4)
|
| ALE (beer) + C (Charlie in the radio alphabet).
For example the actor Alec Guinness. |
||
| 5 | END |
Mounting madness after old woman abandoned ship – escaping death (3)
|
| [ma]DNE[ss] reversed (mounting = upwards in a down clue), without (. . . abandoned) MA (old woman = slang for mother) and without (. . . escaping) SS (abbreviation for a steamship). | ||
| 6 | WOODPECKER |
Club with spirits and cider? (10)
|
| WOOD (a type of golf club) + PECKER (spirits = cheerfulness or courage, as in the old phrase “keep your pecker up”).
A brand name for commercially-produced sweet cider. |
||
| 7 | TROPE |
Misfit team manager is one using English left back (5)
|
| E (abbreviation for English) + PORT (left, in nautical terminology), all reversed (back).
Not sure about the definition here: trope = a frequently-encountered concept (perhaps a slightly less disparaging term than cliché), but I’m not familiar with “misfit team manager” as one. |
||
| 8 | REFUSE COLLECTOR |
Discophile making my day following deal with binman (6,9)
|
| RE[cord] COLLECTOR (discophile), with COR (cor! = my! = and expression of surprise) + D (abbreviation for day) replaced by F (abbreviation for following) + USE (deal with). | ||
| 13 | LOADED |
Flush loo – handle occasionally stays down (have wiped) (6)
|
| Alternate letters (occasionally stays = only some of the letters stay?) from L[o]O [h]A[n]D[l]E, then D[own] with OWN (have) removed (wiped).
Flush = loaded = slang for wealthy. |
||
| 14 | DIDGERIDOO |
Instrument used to ride cycles through gunge? (10)
|
| DID (used to = did in the past but no longer do), then RIDE (with the letters “cycling” to put E at the front) inserted into (through) GOO (gunge = a messy substance). | ||
| 15 | BERTHA |
Some remember that collar (6)
|
| Hidden answer (some . . .) in [remem]BER THA[t].
A wide flat collar on a dress, often made of lace. |
||
| 18 | TONSORIAL |
Working accordingly during test of hairdressing (9)
|
| ON (working, as in “is the electricity on?”) + SO (accordingly), inserted into TRIAL (test). | ||
| 22 | EBONY |
Key material drawn by Hergé conclusively? (5)
|
| BONY (drawn = thin and unhealthy-looking) next to the last letter (conclusively) of [herg]E.
Type of hardwood traditionally used for black piano keys. |
||
| 24 | DASH |
Daughter remains in touch (4)
|
| D (abbreviation for daughter) + ASH (remains of something burned).
A dash = a touch = a small amount. |
||
| 25 | SPIN |
Put favourable slant on offence involving parking (4)
|
| SIN (offence) containing P (abbreviation for parking, in street signs and maps). | ||
| 27 | ROD |
Staff enter no bid, according to terms (3)
|
| Last letters (terms) of [ente]R [n]O [bi]D. |
If you Google ‘misfit team manager’ a hit comes up with the idea that it’s a trope in narrative storytelling for certain specialised groups. I haven’t investigated fully thru lack of interest. The clue was clever enough with back as the reversal indicator in his G puzzle today as well. I had to cheat for REPAIRERS because I couldn’t twig the def and I was pressed for time. Enjoyed NAIL CLIPPERS and the other long entries which Bluth always has in his puzzles and which he does well. Thanks for the blog and the puzzle.
I guessed that TROPE was referring in some way to Ted Lasso but still a bit vague as a definition. Wordplay clear enough though.
22d is a bit strange. Why pick Hergé? It ends in an e aigu not a plain e so the answer doesn’t follow.