It’s been a long time since I blogged one of Neo’s crosswords. Quite enjoyable, and perhaps not as hard as he can sometimes be. Thanks to Neo. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 An animal god devours hearts in palace and fortress (8)
ALHAMBRA : { [A LAMB](an animal) + RA(the ancient Egyptian sun god) } containing(devours) H(abbrev. for the hearts suit in card games).
Defn: … in Granada, Spain.
6 Pub open, beer regularly supplies American flyer (6)
PHOEBE : PH(abbrev. for “public house”;a pub) + the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th letters of(… regularly) “open, beer“.
Defn: Any of a group of birds native to South and North America.
9 Managed detective division and rank (6)
RANCID : RAN(managed, say, an organisation) + CID(abbrev. for the Criminal Investigation Department, the detective division of the police).
Defn: Having a foul or offensive smell.
10 Resolve shown in large town after Etna’s eruption (8)
TENACITY : CITY(any large town) placed after(after) anagram of(…’s eruption) ETNA.
11 Political opponent one seen by social worker (4)
ANTI : I(Roman numeral for “one”) placed after(seen by) ANT(an insect that might belong to the worker caste in its society).
12 Fish cake one easily had (10)
LUMPSUCKER : LUMP(a compact, or even solid, mass of substance;a cake, such as of ice) + SUCKER(one who is easily had;conned).
14 Ruinous coup d’etat ousting pawn reproduced event (5,3)
ACTED OUT : Anagram of(Ruinous) “coup d’etat” minus(ousting) “p”(abbrev. for “pawn” in chess notation).
16 Take umbrage at sexism in design houses (4)
MIND : Hidden in(… houses) “sexism in design“.
18 Hard time for wife to Zeus (4)
HERA : H(abbrev. for “hard”) + ERA(a long period of time).
19 Mystic thrown taking in island location (8)
CABALIST : CAST(thrown) containing(taking in) BALI(Indonesian island location).
Defn: One versed or skilled in esoteric doctrines or mysterious art.
21 Having nap in an old car shows advancing years (4,6)
ANNO DOMINI : NOD(to nap) contained in(Having … in) [AN + O(abbrev. for “old”) + MINI(short for the iconic British car) ].
Defn: … after the traditionally reckoned year of the birth of Jesus.
22 Law lord who ran to catch duke (4)
CODE : COE(Lord Sebastian, British politician and former middle-distance runner) containing(to catch) D(abbrev. for “duke”).
24 Unlovely in Tosca, C superfluous to melodic phrase (8)
OSTINATO : Anagram of(Unlovely) “in Tosca” minus(… superfluous) “C” + TO.
26 Primordial god inspires current Italian painter (6)
TITIAN : TITAN(in Greek mythology, any of the divine beings descended from the primordial gods) containing(inspires) I(symbol for electric current in physics).
27 Communicate the writer’s function (6)
IMPART : I’M(contraction “I am”, used self-referentially for “writer’s”, contraction of “writer is”) + PART(function;role, as in “what part is served by that machine”).
28 Fast track that’s obscure making comeback in rock (8)
SPEEDWAY : Reversal of(… making comeback) DEEP(obscure;difficult to understand) contained in(in) SWAY(to rock back and forth).
Down
2 Get knowledge from student and make money (5)
LEARN : L(the plate displayed by a student driver) plus(and) EARN(to make money).
3 Geographical mix-up leaving out capital in Philippines? (11)
ARCHIPELAGO : Anagram of(… mix-up) [ “Geographical” minus(leaving out) its 1st letter(capital)].
Defn: In geography, an example;? of which are the Philippine Islands.
A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.
4 Animosity injured family (3,5)
BAD BLOOD : BAD(injured;damaged, as in “a bad back”) + BLOOD(family, as in “blood is thicker than water”).
5 Capitalism out to fail Georges? (9,6)
AUTOMATIC PILOTS : Anagram of(… fail) CAPITALISM OUT TO.
Defn: Plural of the navigation system in an aircraft that automatically maintains a pre-set course, nicknamed “George”.
6 Play on words is hard to beat (6)
PUNISH : PUN(a play on words) + IS + H(abbrev. for “hard”).
7 Soldiers caught by fierce monster (3)
ORC : OR(abbrev. for “other ranks”;soldiers who are not commissioned officers) + C(abbrev. for “caught by …” followed by the name of the fielder who made the catch).
Defn: … created by J.R.R. Tolkein.
8 Usenet and web configured for Neo and his solvers? (7,2)
BETWEEN US : Anagram of(… configured) [USENET plus(and) WEB].
Answer: As in “between us to share” (for us to share), used self-referentially by Neo, the setter, to include his solvers as well.
13 Agreed about spiteful woman being involved (11)
COMPLICATED : COMPLIED(agreed with;conformed to) containing(about) CAT(a spiteful woman).
15 Dress that shows pins in mag chosen randomly (9)
CHEONGSAM : Anagram of(… randomly) MAG CHOSEN.
Defn: …, the latter as slang for one’s legs.
17 Sailor to err with the drink (8)
ABSINTHE : AB(abbrev. for “able-bodied seaman”;a sailor) + SIN(to err;to commit a wrong) plus(with) THE.
20 Film star comes from Slough works (6)
BOGART : BOG(slough;an area of soft muddy ground) + ART(works;compositions that are pieces of art).
Answer: Humphrey, American film star.
23 Whisky taken before a tragedy? (5)
DRAMA : DRAM(a small drink of whisky) placed above(taken before, in a down clue) A.
Defn: An example of which;? is a tragedy.
25 Operatic role thought to lack energy (3)
IDA : “idea”(a thought) minus(to lack) “E”(symbol for “energy” in physics).
Answer: Princess, in the comic opera of the same name by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Thanks for the blog. Just one minor correction- ostinato has to end in an o to agree with 5d.
Thanks Tenerife Miller. Blog corrected.
In Morocco, the toilets are renowned for a traditional form of graffiti which depicts camels with, not two, not one but with no humps at all. This is common from Fez to Marrakesh, but it is with Casablanca that hump-free bog art will always be particularly associated.
I thank you.
Btw, dramatic as the photo is, ‘speedway’ is specifically a motorbike sport.
Thanks to Neo, and thanks and apologies (he knows why) to scchua.
A good workout and I failed on PHOEBE which surprised me as I think of myself as a bit of an ornithologist but I’ve never heard of this group of birds. And I didn’t know bog = slough and then got hectored by Mrs W for never having read Pilgrim’s Progress where he apparently wanders through the “slough of despond”. So that’s my learning for today. Thanks Neo and scchua.
Thanks Neo and (Grant .. oops) scchua
I started posting this on the other blog and then got sidetracked !!
This might be one of the best puzzles that I have done by Neo. A few new terms for me in PHOEBE (the bird), LUMPSUCKER (the fish) and OSTINATO (the musical term). Hadn’t heard of the Jewish mystic movement, the CABALA, from which the CABALISTS were members, before either.
Thought that CHEONGSAM was the clue of the day – with the clever reference to the split showing the legs in it.
Finished in the SW corner with IMPART, BOGART and OSTINATO the last few in.
I’m late doing this puzzle, but anyway….
I think 3 down is an anagram of Geographical leaving out not the P (capital of Philippines), but the first G, being the capital of Geographical.
You’re right Richardb. Thanks. Blog corrected.