It’s two weeks since we had an Eccles crossword, so it is no surprise to see his name today.
This was a typically well-constructed crossword from Eccles with plenty of good surfaces on the clues and a few less well-known entries. ASTROCHEMISTRY I can understand as being associated with the universe, but a NOSOLOGIST working on disease classification was completely new to me.I thought the clue for THATCHERITE was excellent, with allusions across the political spectrum from Trotskyists to the far-right via a close relative of a familiar Labour politician. We had another political entry with a nod to Zack Polanski of the GREEN Party.
I also liked the clues for AT A PRICE, NEAT, DOG IN A MANGER and STRAPPING with its reference to Stokes and Botham. I get the impression Eccles likes his cricket, as there are often some mentions of the sport in his puzzles.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | Cry, as time short for rejigging study of the universe (14)
ASTROCHEMISTRY (the study of molecules and radicals in outer space; study of the universe) Anagram of (for rejigging) CRY AS TIME SHORT ASTROCHEMISTRY* |
| 9 | Conductor unknown in Cuba (4)
ZINC (an electrically conductive metal; conductor) Z (letter frequently used to denote an unknown value in mathematics) + IN + C (International Vehicle Registration for Cuba) Z IN C |
| 10 | No substance protects unaccompanied medic (10)
NOSOLOGIST (a medical person who deals with the classification of diseases) (NO + GIST [main point or substance of a matter]) containing (protects) SOLO (unaccompanied) NO (SOLO) GIST |
| 11 | I ate carp, unfortunately with bad consequences (2,1,5)
AT A PRICE (with consequences, usually bad ones) Anagram of (unfortunately) I ATE CARP AT A PRICE |
| 12 | Do not change income, essentially, for backing groups (6)
OCTETS (groups of eight) (STET [restore after marking for deletion; do not change]) + CO [central letters of {essentially} inCOme]) all reversed (for backing) (OC TETS)< |
| 14 | Reason for illness, oddly, lies in Soho obsession (10)
LEISHMANIA (any protozoan of the genus Leishmania of Protozoa, which can create several diseases; reason for illness) LEISH (letters 1,3, 5, 7 and 9 [oddly] of LiEs InSoHo) + MANIA (obsession) LEISH MANIA |
| 17 | Orderly content to chaperone a therapist (4)
NEAT (orderly) NEAT (hidden word in [content to] chaperoNE A Therapist) NEAT |
| 18 | Listen to them fart endlessly (4)
HEAR (listen to) HE (letters remaining in tHEm when the outer letters T and M are removed [endlessly]) + AR (letters remaining in fARt when the outer letters are removed [endlessly]) – both endlessly HE AR |
| 19 | Shocked, calls business receiving millions (10)
DUMBSTRUCK (silent with astonishment; shocked) (DUBS [names; calls] + TRUCK [dealings; business as in ‘I have no TRUCK with someone’]) containing (receiving) M (millions) DU (M) BS TRUCK |
| 21 | Boost sheep chased by young dog (4,2)
RAMP UP (boost) RAM (male sheep) + PUP (young dog) RAM P UP |
| 23 | What Santa did to get around greatly impressed, it’s said (8)
SLEIGHED (what Santa did when pulled by Rudolph and the other reindeer to get around the world and deliver presents) SLEIGHED (sounds like [it’s said] SLAYED [greatly impressed]) SLEIGHED |
| 25 | British Rail director taking small measure is good idea (10)
BRAINCHILD (original thought or work; good idea) B (British) + ([RAIL + D {director}] containing [taking] INCH [small measure]) B RA (INCH) IL D |
| 27 | Give out terms of reference with no introduction (4)
EMIT (give out) rEMIT (terms of reference) excluding the first letter R (with no introduction) EMIT |
| 28 | Selfish spoilsport to prepare trap those people infuriate (3,2,3,6)
DOG IN THE MANGER (a person who will not let others enjoy what they themselves have no use for; selfish spoilsport) DO (prepare) + GIN (snare or trap) + THEM (those people) + ANGER (infuriate) DO G IN THE M ANGER |
| Down | |
| 2 | Volcanic region around Etna hot and saline (5,6)
SAINT HELENA (SAINT HELENA is a 47 square mile volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean) Anagram of (around) ETNA and H (hot) and SALINE SAINT HELENA* |
| 3 | Summary concerning player in national team (5)
RECAP (a summary) RE (with reference to; concerning) + CAP (a player who has received a CAP for playing in his / her national team) RE CAP |
| 4 | Ratified two companies welcoming new editor (9)
CONFIRMED (ratified) ([CO {company]} + FIRM {company}] giving two companies)] containing [welcoming] N [new]) + ED (editor) CO (N) FIRM ED |
| 5 | Oriental festival ending in altercation (7)
EASTERN (oriental) EASTER (religious festival) + N (last letter of [ending in] altercatioN) EASTER N |
| 6 | Basic accommodation’s one good toilet? (5)
IGLOO (a form of basic accommodation made of blocks of hard snow) I (Roman numeral for one) + G (good) + LOO (toilet) I G LOO |
| 7 | Harry tethering spanner, perhaps? (9)
TIGHTENER (a spanner is a tool that tightens) Anagram of (harry) TETHERING TIGHTENER* |
| 8 | Coyest nurses agreed (3)
YES (agreed) YES (hidden word in (nurses) coYESt) YES |
| 13 | Right-winger, originally Trotskyist, that Blair, perhaps, welcomes (11)
THATCHERITE (adherent to the views of Margaret THATCHER [1925 – 2013], former UK Conservative Prime Minister; right-winger in political terms) (THAT + CHERIE [reference CHERIE Blair [born 1954], human rights lawyer and wife of former UK Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair [born 1953]) containing (welcomes) T (first letter of [originally] Trotskyist) THAT CHERI (T) E |
| 15 | Stokes tricking Beefy (9)
STRAPPING (beefy) S (stokes [CGS unit of kinematic viscosity]) + TRAPPING (tricking) – note that Ben STOKES is current England Test Cricket captain and BEEFY [Ian Botham] was also an English Test captain S TRAPPING |
| 16 | Husband to leave pet with mother in city (9)
AMSTERDAM (city in The Netherlands) hAMSTER (example of a pet) excluding (to leave) H (husband) + DAM (moth) AMSTER DAM |
| 20 | Great footballer, I see, is saviour (7)
MESSIAH (saviour) MESSI (reference Lionel MESSI [born 1987], Argentinian footballer) + AH (expression meaning ‘I see’) MESSI AH |
| 22 | Writer skirts around tree (5)
PECAN (North American nut tree) PEN (writer) containing (skirts) CA (circa; around) PE (CA) N |
| 24 | Perhaps Zack Polanski about to probe data (5)
GREEN (Zack Polanski [born 1982] is currently leader of the GREEN Party of England & Wales] RE (with reference to; about) contained in (to probe) GEN (information; data) G (RE) EN |
| 26 | Staff cross, but halfheartedly (3)
ROD (staff) ROoD (cross) excluding either one of the two central Os [half-heartedly) ROD |
Freudian slip, on DOG IN [A] MANGER, which is how I say it, but “THE” seems to be quoted, too.
Clever pairing of NOSOLOGIST and LEISHMANIA, though if I were Dr. Leishman, I wouldn’t be ecstatic about the epithet…then again, his parents chose the name Boog for ‘im.
25(ac), BRAINCHILD, is a novel idea, but not necessarily a “good” one…..I give you…..The Clive Sinclair C5. Which they couldn’t give away.
18(ac), I don’t personally equate “listen” with “hear”, but I like the clue.
An excellent puzzle, eclectic and eccentric. Best in show – an anagram(!) TIGHTENER. ( Hello again, SPANNER )
Top-notch stuff, from setter & blogger both.
Cap doffed, Eccles and duncan
A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle as always from this setter with just two unknowns for me today: NOSOLOGIST and LEISHMANIA.
My page is filled with ticks with DOG IN THE MANGER, THATCHERITE and STRAPPING the pick of the bunch.
Many thanks to Eccles and to Duncan.
Excellent from Eccles again.
All solved and parsed correctly except HEAR which should have been obvious DOH!
Thanks All.
Haven’t seen or heard truck used as dealings/business for an aeon, and yet it’s totally familiar; funny that.
Loved 13d, both in itself and for the memory of Cherie B popping out the door of No 10, in her nightie, as if to fetch the milk. Priceless. Fun puzzle, ta Eccles and duncan.
For grantinfreo #4 – I recall “no truck or trade with the Yankees” said by Canadian PM hopeful Borden. I suspect it’s been resurrected recently.
Another solid puzzle from perhaps my favourite setter
2 NHOs today – LEISHMANIA and NOSOLOGIST (the latter I thought could’ve been a doctor specialising in noses but that would probably be a rhinologist or something of that ilk)
Thanks Duncan and Eccles
Thanks Eccles. As usual I liked many of the clues including ZINC, AT A PRICE, EASTERN, AMSTERDAM, and MESSIAH. I missed LEISHMANIA and DOG IN THE MANGER, both unfamiliar to me. Thanks duncanshiell for the blog.
ASTROCHEMISTRY is a beaut for such an ugly word. (Not saying there is anything wrong with the science, mind). Solid as ever.
Thanks both
Enjoyable puzzle. I’m grateful to the blog for parsing STRAPPING for me.