An early blog for a change
It’s unusual for me to have the time this early in the morning to blog, but recent “lifestyle changes” (ie voluntary redundancy) have allowed me to do what I want when I want (for a wee while at least).
So, to the puzzle – a good solid offering from Sleuth, with only one clue presenting me with any issues. I can’t satisfactorily parse 5dn, as there appears to be one word too many.
Given the grid pattern, I thought there may be a theme or a NINA, but I can’t find one. Doesn’t mean there isn’t one, just that I couldn’t find it.
Thanks, Sleuth.
| Across | ||
| 9 | MINNESOTA | Maine’s not mistaken for another state (9) |
| *(maines not) | ||
| 10 | RAITA | Characteristic principally lacking with a dish from India (5) |
| (t)RAIT + A | ||
| 11 | GAUGUIN | Good promise falling short in artist (7) |
| G + AUGU(r) + IN | ||
| 12 | KILLING | Piece of skill in gambling producing large financial gain (7) |
| Hidden in “sKILL IN Gambling” | ||
| 13 | ERA | Revered figure loses head for a period (3) |
| (h)ERA
Hera was queen of the Gods of Olympus, hence a “revered figure”. |
||
| 14 | AMENABILITY | It could be represented in amiable type (not half) (11) |
| *(in amiable) + TY(pe) | ||
| 17 | DREAD | Fear day before study (5) |
| D + READ | ||
| 18 | ELM | Tree guide lacking introduction (3) |
| (h)ELM | ||
| 19 | TASTE | Sample discrimination (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | DISCONTINUE | Stop discordant tune in club first (11) |
| DISCO + *(in tune) | ||
| 23 | TUG | Recall deeply personal pull (3) |
| <= GUT (as in gut feeling, I presume) | ||
| 25 | CHIPPER | College joint for one that’s cheerful (7) |
| C + HIP + PER (“for one”) | ||
| 27 | COLLIDE | Clash with daughter enthralled by dog (7) |
| COLLI(D)E | ||
| 28 | INEPT | Clumsy painter awkwardly dropping a roller initially (5) |
| *(pinte) (ie “painter without A + R(oller)) | ||
| 29 | TALKATHON | Time a woman interrupts endlessly extended debate (9) |
| T + A + KATH “interrupting” LON(g) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | EMIGRE | English fighter about to become one settled abroad (6) |
| E + MIG + RE | ||
| 2 | INCUBATE | Develop curiosity without others about island (8) |
| INTE(rest) about CUBA | ||
| 3 | GET-UP-AND-GO | Dress, a number worn by broadcasting executive showing dynamism (3-2-3-2) |
| GET-UP (“dress”) + A NO “worn by” DG (director general = “broadcasting executive”) | ||
| 4 | BOON | Favour element forgoing resistance (4) |
| BO(r)ON | ||
| 5 | BACKGAMMON | Support among fans with minute gone in game (10) |
| BACK + *(among m)
Not sure of the parsing here, as the anagram indicator could be “gone” or possibly “fans”, but it shouldn’t be both? (See comment 1 below for a possible parsing) |
||
| 6 | ORAL | Exam or lesson in which master is deficient (4) |
| (m)ORAL | ||
| 7 | RIMINI | Equipment mostly put on car in Italian port (6) |
| RI(g) + MINI | ||
| 8 | GARGOYLE | Grotesque sort of royal egg, scrambled (8) |
| *(royal egg) | ||
| 15 | ELECTORATE | Figures on register required for returns? (10) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 16 | IN THE CLEAR | Cheer Latin rogue out of difficulty (2,3,5) |
| *(cheer latin) | ||
| 17 | DIDACTIC | Lift for police detaining ungentlemanly sort after appeal that’s instructive (8) |
| <= C(IT CAD)ID | ||
| 20 | SIT TIGHT | Model getting drunk? Wait patiently (3,5) |
| SIT + TIGHT | ||
| 22 | SWIVEL | Ring from Cornish area I have put on top of locker (6) |
| SW (“Cornish area” = South West (of England)) + I’VE + L(ocker) | ||
| 24 | GREENE | Discussion of inexperienced novelist (6) |
| Homophone of GREEN | ||
| 26 | PATH | Secretary facing outwardly tough course (4) |
| P.A. + T(oug)H | ||
| 27 | CELL | Betray on radio tight-knit group (4) |
| Homophone of SELL | ||
*anagram
Thanks loonapick
For 5dn I think the intended wordplay is probably BACK (support) plus the insertion (with … gone in) of M (minute) in an anagram (fans) of AMONG.
OK, that works
I can’t think of any sentence in which “swivel” and “ring” are interchangeable. Are there examples?
Thanks Sleuth and loonapick
Kevin @ 3: e-Chambers has ‘swivel’: “1 A ring or link that turns round on a pin or neck”
hth
Thanks loonapick and Sleuth.
And thanks too to Gaufrid for the parsing of 5dn which also gave me difficulties.
Afraid that I can’t spot a Nina – if there is one?
A good solid challenge.
Thanks Sleuth and loonapick
Continuing the backlog and this one took three sittings to get out and looking back over it now, I don’t understand why it did. There were a lot of charade type clues where the wordplay had to be built, sometimes in a complex way (such as with BACKGAMMON) … and maybe that contributed to the increased solving time.
Finished with DIDACTIC (another fiddly wordplay), DISCONTINUE and the cryptic ELECTORATE as the last few in.