Ringoe’s first puzzle appeared in the Independent series in January with subsequent appearances in February, March and now April
I think there are a few references to thrillers or crime series made as films or TV series found on a variety of channels and streaming services. I rarely watch these series, but think that REBELLION, ASSENT, PSYCHO, HASTINGS (Line of Duty), RUTHLESS, MANTIS and LUTHER have links to such programmes.
There were also a couple of Indian references with NEHRU and SITAR in the central row.
There were some splendid anagrams in this puzzle. I liked especially those for the long anagrams at 9 and 26 across.
I enjoyed the surfaces of several clues, such as the ones for MOONLIT, PARAFFIN, and DOSTOEVSKY. I look forward to further puzzles from Ringoe.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 9 | Are orgasms a plus perhaps in such establishments? (7,8)
MASSAGE PARLOURS (some MASSAGE PARLOURS offer what is euphemistically referred to as ‘happy endings’), in addition to traditional massage) Anagram of (perhaps) ARE ORGASMS A PLUS MASSAGE PARLOURS* |
| 10 | Article by Ringoe to organise around topic (5)
THEME (topic) THE (definite article) + ME (Ringoe is the setter of this puzzle) THE ME |
| 11 | Like some exercises writer needed after a chocolate bar? (9)
ANAEROBIC (like a form of exercise that consists of short, high-intensity bursts of movement that break down glucose for energy without using oxygen) AN (a) + AERO (a brand of chocolate bar) + BIC (a ballpoint pen; writer) AN AERO BIC |
| 12 | Clerk to Scrooge not right to be punished (5,2)
CATCH IT (be reprimanded or punished) CrATCHIT (reference Bob Cratchit, clerk to Ebenezer Scrooge in the novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens [1812 – 1870]) excluding (not) the R (right) CATCH IT |
| 13 | Opera in which dog devours priest (7)
FIDELIO (the only opera composed by Ludwig van Beethoven [1770 – 1827]) FIDO (generic name for a dog) containing (devouring) ELI (the crossword world’s favourite priest) FID (ELI) O |
| 15 | Original chicken sent back in famous Indian (5)
NEHRU (reference Jawaharlal NEHRU [1889 – 1964], first and longest serving Prime Minister [1947 – 1964] of the Republic of India) (UR– [original] + HEN [chicken]) all reversed (sent back) (NEH RU)< |
| 17 | Savage nomad hard one in the north? (3)
HUN (member of a savage nomadic race of Asia who moved eastwards and overran Europe in the 400s AD) H (hard, as in the descriptor of pencil lead) + UN (a northern dialect word for ‘one’) H UN |
| 18 | Instrument from India shielded with lead (5)
SITAR (stringed musical instrument, especially of India) – the definition could be ‘Instrument from India’ if we let India do double duty in the definition and wordplay I (India is the international radio communication codeword for the letter I) contained in (shielded with) STAR (the lead performer) S (I) TAR |
| 20 | Certain players from GB cavalier with rules (7)
BUGLERS (players, specifically [certain] of the BUGLE instrument) Anagram of (cavalier) GB and (with) RULES BUGLERS* |
| 21 | Love found in New Milton on such a night? (7)
MOONLIT (the type of night often associated with romantic liaisons) O (character representing zero [love score in tennis]) contained in (found in) an anagram of (new) MILTON M (O) ONLIT* – either O could be the one included |
| 23 | Rising hero seen with bishop in lively dance (9)
REBELLION (rising) (B [bishop] contained in [in] REEL [lively dance]) + LION (hero) RE (B) EL LION |
| 25 | Key it opens throne room from the back (5)
VITAL (crucial; key) IT contained in (opens) LAV (LAVatory; toilet; throne room [slang term for toilet]) reversed (from the back) V (IT) AL< |
| 26 | Train in Kings Cross: men expecting problem? (7,8)
MORNING SICKNESS (nausea and vomiting in the morning, experienced during the early stages of pregnancy; ‘expecting’ problem’) Anagram of (train) IN KINGS CROSS MEN MORNING SICKNESS* |
| Down | |
| 1 | Garbled notice inscribed with second digital symbol (8)
EMOTICON (a combination of symbols used to express a personal feeling, such as pleasure or anger, in e-mail, etc; digital symbol) Anagram of (garbled) NOTICE containing (inscribed with) MO (moment; second) E (MO) TICON* |
| 2 | Advantage securing knight’s approval (6)
ASSENT (approval) ASSET (advantage) containing (securing) N (Knight in chess notation) ASSE (N) T |
| 3 | Writer‘s whereabouts unsettled with book’s release (10)
WATERHOUSE (reference Keith WATERHOUSE [1929 – 2009], British novelist) Anagram of (unsettled) WHEREAbOUTS excluding (with … release) B (book) WATERHOUSE* |
| 4 | Gold coin from South Africa criminal pockets (6)
BEZANT (gold coin first struck at Byzantium or Constantinople) BENT (slang term for criminal) containing (pockets) ZA (international vehicle registration for South Africa) BE (ZA) NT |
| 5 | Fuel soldier dropped: horrible smell rising (8)
PARAFFIN (type of fuel) PARA (member of the PARAchute regiment, whose soldiers frequently drop from aircraft; soldier dropped) + NIFF (horrible smell) reversed (rising; down entry) PARA FFIN< |
| 6 | Stumble over words in Pigalle on consuming litres (4)
SLUR (stumble over words) SUR (French [Pigalle] word for ‘on’) containing (consuming) L (litres) S (L) UR |
| 7 | Explorer Mike presumptuous coming into shelter (8)
HUMBOLDT (reference Alexander von HUMBOLDT [1769 – 1859], German explorer) (M [Mike is the international radio communication codeword for the letter M] + BOLD [presumptuous]) contained in [coming into] HUT (a shelter) HU (M BOLD) T |
| 8 | Film us leaving cat food endlessly (6)
PSYCHO (name of a film, originally released in 1960) PusSY (cat) excluding (leaving) US + CHOp (West African term for food) excluding the final letter P (endlessly) PSY CHO |
| 14 | He wrote about idiot in party spoiling votes heavens! (10)
DOSTOEVSKY (reference Fyodor DOSTOEVSKY [1821 – 1881], Russian author of ‘The Idiot’; he wrote about idiot) DO (party) + an anagram of (spoiling) VOTES + SKY (heavens) DO STOEV* SKY |
| 16 | Noble takes one designer drug through nose (8)
HIGHBORN (of noble birth) (I [Roman numeral for one] + GHB [gamma hydroxy butyrate, a designer drug with anaesthetic properties]) contained in (through) HORN (hotter; nose. I can’t find a dictionary listing nose and horn as synonyms, but the internet tells me that horn has been used as slang for nose in America in the past) H (I GHB) ORN |
| 17 | Super Ted owns properties Henry must leave (8)
HASTINGS (reference to Superintendent Ted HASTINGS, a key character in the TV series Line of Duty) HAS (owns) + ThINGS (properties) excluding (must leave) H (henry, a unit of inductance) HAS TINGS |
| 19 | Unforgiving Old Testament so defective? (8)
RUTHLESS (brutal; severe; unforgiving) RUTH (Old Testament character) + LESS (deficient; defective) RUTH LESS |
| 20 | What once involved two banks in a row? (6)
BIREME (an ancient vessel with two banks of oars) BIREME (cryptic definition with oars associated with the verb ‘to row’) – double definition, one cryptic BIREME |
| 21 | Person devout ultimately exists for prayer (6)
MANTIS (reference praying MANTIS insect) MAN (person) + T (last letter of [ultimately] devouT) + IS (exists) MAN T IS |
| 22 | Guitar maker shunned by one religious reformer (6)
LUTHER (reference Martin LUTHER [1483 – 1546], German religious reformer) LUTHiER (a maker of lutes, guitars, and other stringed instruments) excluding (shunned by) I (Roman numeral for one) LUTHER |
| 24 | Meat joint and large onion used occasionally (4)
LOIN (joint of meat) L (large) + OIN (letters 1, 3 and 5 [occasionally] of OnIoN) L O I N |
Super crossword. Never watched Line of Duty, so didn’t know who ‘Super Ted’ was but the answer was clear.
In 8d, I had CHO(w) for ‘food’.
A tough start, but a happy ending, albeit, quite a few things beyond my ken.
Like, GHB (drug), UN meaning “one” in dialect, and anything to do with TV series.
It must be a well-clued puzzle, since I completed it despite my appalling lack of GK.
Some original and craftily worded clues, lots to enjoy, and fast becoming a favourite setter.
Thumbs up, Ringoe & duncan
Liked MASSAGE PARLOURS and MORNING SICKNESS. Great puzzle. Thanks Ringoe.
Excellent blog. Thanks Duncan.
I share the liking for the two long anagrams. RUTHLESS felt like it needed character or book to work, or am I missing something?
I think the point of 19d is that an Old Testament that was RUTH-LESS would be defective.
Thanks Andrew.