A trademark challenge from GAFF.
FF: 9 DD: 9
Midway through the solve, I googled and confirmed that the 30th anniversary preamble possibly refers to Toy Story. There is one clue that I need to complete the parse for, but wont be able to get to my computer until much later. So putting the nearly-complete blog up, in the interest of time.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SORE HEAD |
Hangover from mixing rosé with some beer (4,4)
|
|
[ ROSE ]* HEAD ( some beer ) |
||
| 5 | POTATO |
Starts to pursue overseas trade agreement to optimise source of chips (6)
|
|
starting letters of "..Pursue Overseas Trade Agreement To Optimize.." |
||
| 9 | INFINITY |
Space for a pool (8)
|
|
cryptic def; referring to the infinity pool |
||
| 10 | BEYOND |
Further over there, covered with litter (6)
|
|
YON ( over there ) in BED ( litter ) |
||
| 12 | PIGGY BANK |
Pop outlaw into small park with stash (5,4)
|
|
[ IGGY ( pop, referring to the singer ) BAN ( outlaw ) ] in PK ( park, small ) |
||
| 13 | SPACE |
Bar room (5)
|
|
double def |
||
| 14 | ISLE |
Man maybe steeped in his lechery (4)
|
|
hidden in "..hIS LEchery" |
||
| 16 | DROPLET |
A little bit of rainfall allowed (7)
|
|
DROP ( bit of rainfall ) LET ( allowed ) |
||
| 19 | ADENOID |
One did a performance with tissue in nose (7)
|
|
[ ONE DID A ]* |
||
| 21 | ALTO |
Singer with slightly nasal tone (4)
|
|
hidden in "..nasAL TOne" |
||
| 24 | WOODY |
Tough court — extremely dry (5)
|
|
WOO ( court ) DY ( DrY, extremely i.e. end letters ) |
||
| 25 | LIGHT-YEAR |
King keeps the powerful leaderless from a distance (5-4)
|
|
LEAR ( king ) containing mIGHTY ( powerful, leaderless i.e. without starting letter ) |
||
| 27 | TRIVIA |
A question of trifles (6)
|
|
&lit |
||
| 28 | PLAYBILL |
Compete with US Money Programme (8)
|
|
PLAY ( compete ) BILL ( us money ) |
||
| 29 | RANGER |
Could be the lone conservation worker (6)
|
|
cryptic ? refers to the lone ranger |
||
| 30 | SCUDDING |
Sex initially left out of intimacy clouds activity (8)
|
|
S ( Sex, initially ) CUDDlING ( intimacy, without L – left ) – never came across this word until now |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SKIMPY |
Inadequate villain covered by broadcaster (6)
|
|
IMP ( villain ) in SKY ( broadcaster ) |
||
| 2 | REFUGE |
Rubbish good for small shelter (6)
|
|
REFUsE ( rubbish, with S – small, replaced by G – good ) |
||
| 3 | HANDY |
Top drink’s available (5)
|
|
sHANDY ( drink , topped i.e. without first letter ) |
||
| 4 | ACTUATE |
Turn half a degree holder of spur (7)
|
|
ACT ( turn ) gradUATE ( degree holder, half of ) |
||
| 6 | OVERSHOOT |
Balls on fire go too far (9)
|
|
BALLS ( over, cricket ) SHOOT ( fire ) |
||
| 7 | ADORABLE |
Apt to follow fuss about right kind (8)
|
|
ADO ( fuss ) R ( right ) ABLE ( apt ) |
||
| 8 | ODDMENTS |
Not even women take half-wits’ left-overs (8)
|
|
ODD MEN ( not even women ) TS ( wiTS, half of ) |
||
| 11 | SKID |
Slide for small child (4)
|
|
S ( small ) KID ( child ) |
||
| 15 | STORYLINE |
Plot curve describing party at length (9)
|
|
SINE ( curve ) containing [ TORY ( party ) L ( length ) ] |
||
| 17 | TAP WATER |
Bath content to appoint party whips as their elected representatives in capitals (3,5)
|
|
starting letters of "..To Appoint Party Whips As Their Elected Representatives.." |
||
| 18 | DEVOTION |
Love giving powers to regions, ignoring centre (8)
|
|
DEVOluTION ( giving powers to regions, without central letters ) ; i guessed the answer but the parse required some time with the dictionary |
||
| 20 | DOLL |
Small figure but a lot of money (4)
|
|
DOLLar ( money, a lot of ) |
||
| 21 | ANGELIC |
Delightful sweet? (7)
|
|
cryptic def? |
||
| 22 | GEMINI |
Signed pair (6)
|
|
cryptic def, referring to the gemini twins ( zodiac reference ) |
||
| 23 | PROLOG |
States introduction for the record (6)
|
|
PRO ( for ) LOG ( record ) |
||
| 26 | TOYED |
Fox solvers taken in and amused (5)
|
|
?? |
26 Tod = fox ,ye= solvers
I found this very difficult, but not in a good way.
I liked SPACE and ADENOID
I did not work out what anniversary the puzzle was celebrating, but in the end I did not really care. I am afraid I never felt on the same wavelength as the setter which means there were probably some nice clues that went over my head.
Thanks Gaff and Turbolegs
Only completed about half. Looking at the above, there were many I should have got. Should’ve had more Vegemite on my toast this morning.
ANGELIC
Found this online:
Angel Delight is a popular, light, and creamy powdered dessert mix from the United Kingdom that is whisked with milk to create a mousse-like treat.
Tricky but got there without too much fuss but a bit of head scratching.
Some vg clues including potato, adenoid, tap water, devotion.
Toy story is a classic. Theme words I saw were:
(Mr) potato (head),
(to) infinity (and) beyond
Piggy bank
Space ranger
Woody
Lightyear
Doll
Thanks both!
I thought Magus did a better job of this in Wednesday’s Independent (and even managed to include TOYSTORY as a nina). Having so many identical solutions helped but I thought some of the clues were weak. I took TRIVIA as a (poor) cryptic definition and can’t see how it can work as an &lit. Was aware of Angel Delight but ANGELIC still seems very weak. Maybe I’m just missing something.
Also TOY(ed) STORY(line)
(h)ANDY
POTATO (sore)HEAD
I stumbled through this with a lot of parsing only after guessing the solution. If I had not spotted the theme early on, I am not sure I could have finished this solely from the clues.
21d I took as a double definition, but not a very satisfying one.
Ie. angelic=delightful=sweet.
I don’t see how you get the (IMO revolting) dessert out it.
I figured out the theme, but that did me no good at all, since the only thing I know about the movie is Buzz Lightyear. But it was a fairly decent and meaty solve nonetheless, though parsing was more of a challenge e.g. 9a, for which thanks . . . I need to Google to find out what that is.
Thanks to Gaff etc.
How strange to have two themed puzzles based on a not very significant anniversary! [Talk of anniversaries reminds me that I still miss FrankieG]
This took some work. I don’t get PROLOG – we seem to have two sets of wordplay (the first being “prologue” stated out loud) with no synonym?
I also don’t think ANGELIC quite works for the reasons already given.
Adders. States here refers to the US, where ‘prologue’ is spelt ‘prolog’. So ‘States introduction’ is definition not wordplay.
Gaff themed puzzles are not my favourite way of passing time, since they often seem to me to lead to unnecessary contrivances. This time I did spot the theme about half way through, which helped finish it off, but I agree with Hovis@7 on those weak clues and would add that I was not very impressed by the unflagged definitions by example in “infinity” and “space”. To be fair, however, there were some I enjoyed, so enough grumbling.
Gave up in the bottom right hand corner. Did not enjoy, despite getting the anniversary fairly early on.
I once enjoyed Gaff puzzles but find them less and less satisfying. Too much tricky parsing or NHO.
Time for retirement?
Echoing several comments above: I found it too difficult, wasn’t on the right wavelength (which I admit always sounds a rather weak excuse), forgot there was a theme, and wouldn’t have got it anyway as I’ve never seen the film.
I’m not so sure I approve of “Balls” as a definition of “Over” in 6 d. It’s a bit loose, a bit like using “Fish” to define “Shoal” or “Songs” to define “Opera”. We don’t need such an obvious steer as “Six balls” but I feel some indication of quantity or context is lacking.
Another excuse: I was trying to solve on a busy train after rather a disturbed night listening to cricket. Was Geoff Down Under #3 similarly distracted?
I enjoy themes and Gaff. He does use more lateral thinking puzzles. But I do have an issue when too many answers could fit the bill. Adoring could have fitr for delightful and sweet for me. Ringer or RANGER might work as a conservation worker? not sure since i am always half guessing British words I must now know! Before I got the N there, I was thinking raider and rioter for a bit. I even knew the theme quite quickly, but the theme didn’t help with these ambiguities. Again, I am only an intermediate solver so what do I know. Thank you Gaff for the challenge and Turbolegs for the parsing and everyone for the comments.