Fed is today's inquisitor.
I found this quite difficult to complete, but got there in the end with TEE SHIRT my LOI. Some of the clues were very straightforward, which thankfully gave me the crossers I needed for some of the meatier clues. I don't agree with the enumeration for PDQ as it's not a 3 letter word, but an abbreviation of 3 words, and some of the surfaces were quite tortuous, although all fo them were fair, but on the whole, I enjoyed the challenge and it was a satisfying solve.
Thanks, Fed.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ICEBERG |
Diver caught by current around hazardous sea feature? (7)
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<=(GREBE ("diver") + C (caught) by I (symbol for electrical "current" in physics), around) |
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| 5 | ART DECO |
Architectural style of a road round middle of Acton Green (3,4)
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A + Rd. (road) round [middle of] (ac)T(on) + ECO ("green") |
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| 10 | DEFORM |
Oddly looking in reflection of mirror, Freud reveals damage (6)
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[oddly, lookiing in reflection of] <=(M(i)R(r)O(r) F(r)E(u)D) |
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| 11 | CRIMINAL |
Somehow I’m in car pound to complete fence? (8)
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*(im in car) [anag:somehow}] + L (pound, as in L/s/d) |
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| 12 | PDQ |
Palladium line-up announced without delay (3)
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Pd (chemical symbol for "palladium") + homophone [announced] of QUEUE ("line-up") PDQ stands for "pretty damn quick", so enumeration should have been (1,1,1) instead of (3). |
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| 13 | ENZYME |
State of excitement after father leaves me stain remover? (6)
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(fr)ENZY ("state of excitement" after Fr. (father) leaves) + ME |
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| 14 | UNDULATE |
Ripple of muscle with inappropriate squeezing (8)
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LAT ("musce") squeezed by UNDUE ("inappropriate") |
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| 15 | BEARD |
Show with lead for Dick Van Dyke, say (5)
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BEAR ("show" as in display, e.g. a cost of arms on a shield) with [lead for] D(ick) |
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| 16 | GREEN BELT |
It’s hard to build on this level of martial arts proficiency (5,4)
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Double definition |
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| 19 | HITPARADE |
Camouflage-wearing soldier on first of these charts (3,6)
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HIDE ("camouflage") worn by PARA ("soldier") on [first of] T(hese) |
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| 21 | PASSE |
Dad and sister occasionally dated (5)
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PA ("dad") + S(i)S(t)E(r) [occasionally] |
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| 24 | TASMANIA |
Last of flight crew joining when international airport’s opening in part of Australia (8)
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[last of] (fligh)T + MAN ("crew") joining AS ("when") + I (international) + A(irport) ['s opening] |
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| 26 | OLD-HAT |
Former bowler, possibly 21 (3-3)
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OLD ("former") + HAT ("bowler, possibly") The 21 in the clue refers to thesolution to 21ac. |
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| 27 | SHY |
Throw pipe down next to yard (3)
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SH ("pipe down" as in "be quiet") next to Y (yard) |
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| 28 | TEE-SHIRT |
Top 30 without The White Stripes ultimately taking year out (3-5)
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THIRT(y) taking Y (year) out without (th)E (whit)E (stripe)S [ultimately] |
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| 29 | ADAGIO |
See you in Ibiza, when snorting a gram, son must go slowly (6)
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ADIO ("see you" in Spanish, so "in Ibiza") when snorting A + G (gram) |
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| 30 | BY A NOSE |
Just soybean spread (2,1,4)
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*(soybean) [anag:spread] |
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| 31 | BEDEVIL |
Torment two bases (7)
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BED ("base") + EVIL ("base") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 2 | CLEANSE |
Sanitise scalpel – as NHS vet regularly (7)
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(s)C(a)L(p)E(l) A(s) N(h)S (v)E(t) [regularly] |
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| 3 | BOOBY TRAP |
Practical joke – bash knocker – run the other way (5,4)
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<=(PARTY ("bash") + BOOB ("knocker", as in breast), run the other way (i.e. backwards)) |
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| 4 | ROMPED |
Miles Pedro cycled went quickly, easily (6)
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M (miles) + PEDRO cycled becomes RO-M-PED |
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| 6 | REINDEER |
Dancer maybe needing control – Fred Astaire chose her conclusively (8)
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REIN ("control") + (fre)D (astair)E (chos)E (he)R [conclusively] |
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| 7 | DRILL |
Bad doctor starts practice (5)
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Dr. (doctor) starts with ILL ('bad") |
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| 8 | CHATTEL |
Property Lawrence left following gossip (7)
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TE (Lawrence (of Arabia)) + L (left) following CHAT ("gossip") |
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| 9 | ACQUIRED TASTE |
Bought smack – it’s not for everyone (8,5)
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ACQUIRED ("bought") + SMACK ("taste") |
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| 17 | BOARD GAME |
Risk for one willing to go after directors (5,4)
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GAME ("willing") to go after BOARD ("sirectors") |
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| 18 | BRANDIES |
These used to be wine and cheese consuming soirees originally (8)
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BRIE ("cheese") consuming AND + S(oirees) [originally] |
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| 20 | IMAGERY |
Mental pictures conjured up by this writer’s mature line (7)
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I'M ("this writer's") + AGE ("mature") + Ry (railway "line") |
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| 22 | SWAHILI |
Language in exchange with Larkin – the poet – after losing pages (7)
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SWA(p) ("exchange") with (p)HILI(p) (Larkin, the poet) after losing the Ps (pages) |
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| 23 | VOYAGE |
Lady Gaga finally appearing in fashion mag – not everyone can see this passage (6)
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(lad)Y (gag)A [finally] appearing in VOG(u)E ("fashion magazine", not U (film classificaton (universal (ie for anyone to see)) |
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| 25 | MASON |
A male issue undermining biggest character of Matthew Perry on TV? (5)
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A + SON ("male issue") undermining [biggest character of] M(atthew) Perry Mason is a criminal defence lawyer created by Erle Stanle Gardner, appearing in over 80 books and in a 1950s/60s TV series where he was played by Raymond Burr. |
I normally avoid Fed’s, as they have been known to end in tears, but I took the plunge today and surprised myself by coming within a whisker of finishing.
A few unknowns, including Philip Larkin and PDQ, which I thought should have been clued as (1,1,1).
ADAGIO (a minor omission)
A G in ADIOs less s(son).
I see we agree on PDQ, Loonapick.
KVa, you’re correct, as ever.
Beaten by TEE-SHIRT in the end: so many moving parts and a failure to spot the def. That apart, everything was reasonably smooth. I’d agree with the enumeration observation and also with KVA’s observation re ADAGIO. BEDEVIL, BOARD GAME and REINDEER my podium today.
Thanks both
Found this difficult as I’m not yet attuned to Fed’s style, but chipped away at it. Was relieved to get PDQ on my initial pass, so didn’t question the enumeration, but I think loonapick and GDU are correct. Perry MASON took me back to TV in the sixties when I had nothing better to do.. Liked ENZYME, HIT PARADE and BRANDIES. Thanks to Fed and to loonapick.
Thanks, KVa @ 2 – don’t know what happened there; will edit later when next on my laptop.
Comment #7
Slight typo in your spelling of muscle in UNDULATE.
Agree with PDQ and that some of the clues were a bit torturous. I always enjoy Fed’s cultural references, whether past or present and he didn’t disappoint with Matthew Perry Mason, White Stripes, and Lady Gaga for example. I also liked the link between HIT PARADE and the Top 30 in the clever TEE SHIRT. Very enjoyable excursion.
Ta Fed & loonapick.
…and typo in BOARD GAME as well fyi.
Yes, a few clues were tortuous, but the overall fun and cleverness won the day. Happened to particularly like PASSE (not suggesting approval!)
I failed to solve 15ac – never heard of the Van Dyke beard style but I do know of the painter van Dyck after whom it is named 😉
I couldn’t parse the SWA bit of 22d; and also 3d (was thinking that TRAP was a reverse of PART=run/go) – and do people still refer to breasts as knockers? Wow, that is very 21ac!
New for me: PDQ and PD = palladium; ENZYME = stain remover; 18d BRANDIES I did not know brandy is distilled from wine but I know of the Brandywine River from Tolkien 🙂
We have had the enumeration discussion before, maybe with RSVP. The Guardian style is that if it’s written without the full stops, it’s 3 or 4 rather than 1,1,1 or 1,1,1,1. Another great puzzle from Fed.
The OED (not, I think, O.E.D.) goes with PDQ, with P.D.Q. as a variant.