Happy New Year to all setters, bloggers, commenters and lurkers.
Just got back from my son's and decided to get the blog done before falling asleep so that it was ready for early birds. Thankfully, it wasn't too taxing, although I'm not 100% sure that CLOSE is right for 14dn, and I'm not convinced my parsing of INSURGENCY is entirely right either, as "mortal" is a strange anagrind. Otherwise, all good.
Thanks, Jason.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | COHERE |
Company at this point is to be consistent (6)
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Co. (company) + HERE ("at this point") |
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| 9 | EXAMINER |
I weigh up backing cut with pitman? (8)
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[backing] <=AXE ("cut") with MINER ("pitman") |
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| 10 | REAL |
Authentic run brewing ale (4)
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R (run) + *(ale) [anag:brewing] |
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| 11 | CROSSBONES |
Hybrid remains the image of piracy (10)
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CROSS ("hybrid") + BONES ("remains") |
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| 12 | LAWN |
Litigation and what ends it for grass? (4)
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LAW ("litigation") and [what ends] (litigatio)N ("it" in the clue) |
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| 13 | MACKINTOSH |
Thick mason damaged showerproof skin (10)
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*(thick mason) [anag:damaged] |
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| 17 | DERV |
Very embarrassed going about for fuel (4)
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<=(V (very) + RED ("embarrassed"), going about) |
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| 18 | ROOKS |
Fleeces four men on board (5)
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Double definition, the second referring to chess pieces. |
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| 19 | MASS |
Total change needed to make home hose (4)
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The "change needed to make" HO(m)E HO(s)E is to replace the M with the S, so M as S |
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| 21 | SPORTSWEAR |
Good egg to promise trackies, say (10)
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SPORT ("good egg", as in "be a sport") + SWEAR ("promise") |
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| 23 | THAW |
What alters to become less formal? (4)
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*(what) [anag:alters] |
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| 24 | CONSUMMATE |
The best scoff about coaster (10)
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CONSUME ("scoff") about MAT ("coaster") |
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| 28 | TURN |
Go with term for plant pot (4)
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[term, as in end, for] (plan)T + URN ("pot") |
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| 29 | DISASTER |
Tragedy is in dead plant (8)
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IS in D(dead) + ASTER ("plant") |
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| 30 | CHOICE |
Plum summer treat not cold at heart (6)
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CHO(c) ICE ("summer treat", not C (cold) at heart) |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | COVERAGE |
Report caught by being too old? (8)
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C (caught, in cricket) by OVER AGE ("being too old") |
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| 2 | WELL I NEVER |
Wow! Source of oil being popular always (4,1,5)
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WELL ("source of oil") + IN ("being popular") + EVER ("always") |
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| 3 | BENCHMARKS |
These’ll set standards as worktop becomes scratched (10)
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BENCH ("worktop") + MARKS ("becomes scratched") |
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| 4 | REDO |
Again attempt German river going upstream (4)
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<=ODER ("German river", going up(stream)) |
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| 5 | TARS |
Those at the forefront of trade across rough seas (4)
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[those at the forefront of] T(rade) A(cross) R(ough) S(eas) |
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| 6 | BIRO |
Pen life story involving King (4)
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BIO ("life story") involving R (Rex, so "king") |
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| 7 | REBELS |
Measure of noise in small residence rises up (6)
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BEL ("measure of noise") in [small] RES(idence) |
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| 14 | CLOSE |
Crowded bar (5)
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Double definition |
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| 15 | INSURGENCY |
Rising mortal sin which requires prompt action? (10)
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*(sin) [anag:mortal] + URGENCY ("which requires prompt action") |
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| 16 | TEMPTATION |
Praying should not lead you here (10)
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Mildly cryptic definition. "Lead me not into temptation" from the Lord's Prayer. |
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| 20 | SHAMROCK |
Outrage about a chap’s title — this is emblematic of Ireland (8)
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SHOCK ("outrage") about A Mr. ("a chap's title") |
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| 22 | PROFIT |
In favour of suitable return (6)
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PRO ("in favour of") + FIT ("suitable") |
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| 25 | SNAG |
Catch son riding horse (4)
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S (son) [riding, i.e. on] NAG ("horse") |
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| 26 | MATT |
Dull friend struck short by temperature (4)
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MAT(e) ("friend", struck short) by T (temperature) |
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| 27 | AIRY |
Fresh food type daughter ignored (4)
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(d)AIRY ("food type") with D (daughter) ignored |
Without a doubt, one of the best puzzles I’ve done this year. 😉
Nothing too taxing. I’d never heard of DERV (a British specialty, I believe?) and I was unable to solve REBELS, as “bel” was new to me. A decibel is a tnth of one, I guess.
I had 14d & 15d the same as you. CLOSE for crowded seemed a bit of a stretch but I bet there’s dictionary support somewhere. In 15d mortal is just one of the multitude of English words for drunk so works fine as an anagrind.
Thanks to both blogger & setter.
As said a gentle puzzle to start the year (unlike I imagine Vlad’s puzzle in the Guardian).
Also hadn’t heard of bel as a measure of noise.
Loved CROSSBONES
Thanks Jason and loonapick
Happy New Year
A decibel is a 10th of a bel, but bels are too big for normal use, we prefer not to be working in units that are a fraction of one, similar to the way we use centimetres (100ths of metres) and ml (millilitres – thousandths of a litre) to measure household things.
Reasonably straightforward – I need to remember that M AS S trick.
Thank you to loonapick and Jason.
Has anyone got this puzzle on the app yet?
Loved Sportswear, Shamrock, Examiner… but there was lots to like.
Thanks to Jason and Loonapick
What GDU@1 said.
Yep, James P@5, I did this on the app
Thanks Jason and loonapick l
Happy new year everyone, esp today’s setter and blogger.
I have a 100% success rate at crosswords this year with no assistance from t’internet.
Liked mackintosh.
Thanks Jason and loonapick
14dn: Collins 2023 has the following
p 389 close¹ 2 having the parts near together; dense: a close formation. This fits “crowded”
p 390 close² 2 to bar, obstruct, or fill up (an entrance, a hole, etc): to close a road.
It was the second definition that worried me when solving unaided, but there it is explicitly
15dn: Collins p 2188 has urgence a less common word for urgency. I put INSURGENCY as the answer here, but I think anyone who put INSURGENCE instead should mark their answer as correct.
I fairly flew through this by my standards until getting stuck on Consummate and Insurgency, neither which is particularly difficult. They held me up for longer than the rest of the crossword.
Happy New Year to everyone and thank you for helping this beginner of 20 years of trying…..
And a special mention to Pelham Barton whose thoughtful and precise contributions I always enjoy reading ☺️
I had a delayed start, due to app issues, as mentioned by others.. but a nice early evening sprawl on the sofa was recompense… shikasta#2 answered my question over “mortal” as anagram indicator, obvious when pointed out.. nothing else troubled in this very pleasant intro to 2026, altho I did look up “bel”, before coming to the blog..
Thanks Jason n loonapick
I forgot to mention that, unlike others here, I found this quite challenging in places.
Thank you, Moly@10, for your kind words, and a Happy New Year to everyone from me as well.