Neo is today's setter.
Thanks to the long entries being fairly easy to see, I was able to get a lot of crossers, so the rest of the solutions slotted in fairly quickly, thanks to the clarity of (most of) Neo's clues, albeit a fair amount of general knowledge was required. However, UTAH has me stumped. I stared at the clue for several minutes after deciding it couldn't be anything else, but can't parse the TAH bit at all. My apologies if it's something obvious, but I just can't see it.
Thanks, Neo.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | PRESTIDIGITATOR |
Tripartite god is reformed trickster (15)
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*(tripartite god is) [anag:refromed] |
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| 10 | WHOPPER |
Pork pie of considerable size? (7)
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Double definition |
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| 11 | OGHAM |
Celtic characters try rolls with meat (5)
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<=GO ("try", rolls) with HAM ("meat") Ogham is an early medieval language used to transcribe Irish. |
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| 12 | AESOP |
Storyteller at first avoided revolutionary attitude (5)
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[at first] A(voided) + [revolutionary] <=POSE ("attitude") |
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| 13 | AT HEART |
Essentially that worked to secure attention (2,5)
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*(that) [anag:worked] to secure EAR ("attention) |
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| 14 | INDRA |
Deity behind rain to an extent (5)
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Hidden in [to an extemt] "behIND RAin" Indra is the king of gods in Hinduism. |
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| 17 | ROBIN GOODFELLOW |
Foreign blood somehow deficient for drudging fiend (5,10)
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*(foreign blood) [anag:somehow] + LOW ("deficient) |
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| 19 | GRAIN |
Smile about adult suggestion (5)
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GRIN ("smile") about A (adult) |
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| 20 | CROWBAR |
This for leverage in constant dispute with lawyers (7)
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C (constant, in maths and science) + ROW ("dispute") with BAR ("lawyers") |
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| 22 | EVITA |
Show some Conservatives making return (5)
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Hidden backwards in [some…making return] "conservATIVEs" |
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| 24 | ASCOT |
Necktie in mum’s bed Frenchman mislaid (5)
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(m)A's COT ("mum's bed", with M (monsieur, so "Frenchman") mislaid |
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| 26 | TALARIA |
Winged sandals in short story and song (7)
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[short] TAL(e) ("story") + ARIA ("song") |
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| 28 | MARIE ANTOINETTE |
She who offered cake but gave her loaf (5,10)
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MARIE ANTOINETTE, who was ultimately beheaded ("gave her loaf") is supposed to have procalimed "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" ("let them eat cake") after being told that French peasants couldn't afford bread, but there's no evidence that she actually uttered these words and it was more likely said by Rousseau. |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SPEW |
Expel from Starmer’s front bench (4)
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S(tarmer) ['s front] + PEW ("bench") |
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| 2 | XENOPHOBIA |
One in phone box, mad American fearing foreigners (10)
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I (one) in (*(phone box) [anag:mad} + A (American)) |
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| 3 | UTOPIA |
Increased touring to Italy — a paradise? (6)
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UP ("increased") touring TO + I (internal vehicle registration code fo "Italy") + A |
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| 4 | ADORATION |
Love helping after difficulty (9)
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RATION ("helping") after ADO ("difficulty") |
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| 5 | OGLES |
Lecherous looks Dougal gets regularly (5)
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(d)O(u)G(a)L (g)E(t)S [regularly] |
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| 6 | ATROPINE |
Poison first-class protein shakes (8)
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A ("first-class") + *(protein) [anag:shakes] |
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| 7 | UTAH |
Reportedly solver travels around state (4)
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Can't parse this beyound U being a homophone of YOU ("solver" reportedly) |
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| 8 | CRIMEAN WAR |
Sadat say supporting evil act in conflict once (7,3)
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ANWAR (Sadat, say) supporting CRIME ("evil") |
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| 13 | AEROGRAMME |
Letter from Sky where A&E show failing to start? (10)
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A & E + (p)ROGRAMME ("show", failing to start) |
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| 15 | DELIBERATE |
Consider return to prison as it were? (10)
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LIBERATE is "free from prison" so DE-LIBERATE could mean "return to prison" |
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| 16 | EDUCATION |
Teaching English with Latin could upset learners leaving (9)
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E (English) with *(atin coud) [anag:upset] where ATIN COUD is (l)ATIN COU(l) with L's (learners) leaving |
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| 18 | NINETEEN |
20-1 on win bet seen to eschew initial tips? (8)
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(o)N (w)IN (b)ET (s)EEN [to eschew initial tops] |
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| 21 | ONLINE |
Individual traps Liberal at home using Internet (6)
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ONE ("individual") traps L (Liberal) + IN ("at home") |
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| 23 | IRONY |
Subtle humour fey cryptically? (5)
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IRON ("Fe" on the periodic table) + Y |
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| 25 | CURE |
That which heals chief priest in France (4)
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Double definition, although I'm not sure why "chief" is in the clue as a curé is simply a parish priest. |
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| 27 | APEX |
Top copy with illiterate’s mark? (4)
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APE ("copy") with X ("illiterate's mark") |
What a lovely midweek treat this was from Neo. From start to finish, it was thoroughly entertaining and just mildly challenging. Favourites included PRESTIDIGITATOR (I first encountered this word when learning French and it made an impression), WHOPPER, IRONY (for the inventive use of ‘fey’), NINETEEN (fabulous surface), CROWBAR and the ill-fated queen with a sweet tooth.
Nice, too, that the two unknowns (for me) – OGHAM and TALARIA were accessibly clued.
Much appreciated, Neo, and thanks, Loonapick for the blog (same issue with ‘tah’ BTW.)
Rattled through this. Had to check TALARIA & AEROGRAMME but the clueing was clear. My only stumbling block was also UTAH. I did wonder if, in some accents, it could be “you tour” (solver travels around).
Diane you have said it all. Thanks both.
7d isn’t Utah pronounced “you tour” by the locals.
Hovis at @2, we crossed
Comment #5
Thanks for comments about Utah – if it is a homophone, it’s a poor one. I can see U-TA or U-TAW as pronunciations but not U-TOUR even if it’s pronounced non-rhotically. There MAY be parts of the country (definitely not up here in Scotland), where it works, but that would need to be more specific in the clue than the generic “reportedly”.
UTAH defeated me too. An odd clue, methinks.
Only three NHOs (never heard of) — fewer than I was expecting from this setter.
When I looked up ATROPINE I got the impression It was a treatment after poisoning, rather than a poison itself. But I guess anything can be a poison if one overdoes it.
I was pleased to move Neo from my “avoid” list to my “good” list today, as I really enjoyed this. My favourite was DELIBERATE.
I enjoyed this, only missing out on Atropine (NHO), Aesop (kicking myself) and Indra (ditto). Then again, I started this at about 5.30am so I deserve a bit of slack!
Favourites were Ogham, Marie Antoinette, Xenophobia and Crimean War.
Just the right mix between some fairly easy and some slightly more chewy clues. I’d never heard of Talaria but it was easy to parse from the clue – always a good sign.
Thanks to NEO and loonapick.
I too remembered PRESTIDIGITATOR from early French lessons( prestidigitateur). Lovely puzzle. I am no chemist but I think ATROPINE is a poison as well as an antidote.
Thanks Neo and loonapick.
I’m sure Hovis and James P have the explanation for UTAH, having watched some videos online featuring some quirky pronunciations in that state.