This was one of those themed puzzles that can be difficult to start with if you don’t get the gateway clue quickly.
In this case, the gateway clue was gettable, although the slightly unusual definition may have thrown some people off the scent. There was an impressive range of interpretations for the clue – not just obvious things like names of characters, but “in character” and character in the sense of personality. There were some nice barbs included as well (27 in particular). The only one I didn’t much like was 12, which I felt did require knowledge of the opera to have much chance of getting it (page no for textual reference is not something you’re easily likely to think of). 17 was the only one I didn’t follow.
| Across | ||
| 1 | POCAHONTAS | Hat and cap soon remodelled by Disney 2 (10) |
| (Hat cap soon)* | ||
| 6 | GOLF | Beat back car (4) |
| Flog* | ||
| 10 | REAMS | Fishes don’t start papers (5) |
| [B]reams | ||
| 11 | NATURALLY | Turn out with a friend in 2 (9) |
| (Turn + a)* + ally | ||
| 12 | PAPAGENO | Old man gets textual reference to operatic 2 (8) |
| Pa + page no(=textual reference) – very tricky, I think, if you’d never heard of the character | ||
| 13 | WOTAN | Ring saga 2 came in first, accepting cheers (5) |
| Won around ta | ||
| 15 | OTTOMAN | Old brown cat found inside seat (7) |
| O(ld) + tom in tan | ||
| 17 | KINSHIP | Linker could be so, showing connection (7) |
| Don’t get this one, I’m afraid. | ||
| 19 | ACRYLIC | Almost lyrical about carbon fibre (7) |
| (Lyrica)* + C(arbon) | ||
| 21 | EPSILON | Greek 2 has Poles in turmoil (7) |
| (Poles in)* | ||
| 22 | FRODO | To begin with, furious Rhinemaidens only perform for Ring saga 2 (5) |
| Initial letters of “Furious Rhinemaidens only” + do – ref to Lord of the Rings rather than Wagner. | ||
| 24 | LATE NEWS | Breaking story: 10 in Wales massacred (4,4) |
| Ten in Wales* | ||
| 27 | BE A YES MAN | How to gain Trump’s favour? May’s been a disaster (2,1,3,3) |
| (May’s been a)* | ||
| 28 | PUTIN | Russian 2 cheerful about money (5) |
| Up< + tin | ||
| 29 | EAST | Observe as tanker maintains direction (4) |
| Hidden in “observE AS Tanker” | ||
| 30 | FORTINBRAS | Shakespearean 2 approving of uncomfortable underwear (10) |
| For tin bras | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PART | Normal temperature proportion (4) |
| Par + t(emperature) | ||
| 2 | CHARACTER | Eccentric performance by Queen follows daily (9) |
| Act + ER after char(=daily) | ||
| 3 | HOSTA | Many people trampling a plant (5) |
| Host + a | ||
| 4 | NANKEEN | Cloth News’s first article gets enthusiastic following (7) |
| N[ews] + an + keen | ||
| 5 | ARTWORK | 2 runs to board boat in picture? (7) |
| Two + r(uns) in ark | ||
| 7 | OWLET | It hurts to hire out bird (5) |
| Ow(=it hurts) + let(=hire out) | ||
| 8 | FRYING PANS | They cook Spooner’s inquisitive supporters (6,4) |
| Spoonerism of prying fans | ||
| 9 | DRAWINGS | Pictures doctor joining a band once (8) |
| Dr + a + Wings | ||
| 14 | MORAL FIBRE | Formidable (though crazy) Republican replacing Democratic 2 (5,5) |
| (Formidable)* with D replaced by R | ||
| 16 | MELLOWED | Former Bake Off presenter behaved like a cow and became less hostile (8) |
| Mel + lowed – ref to Mel Giedroyc | ||
| 18 | HOLD WATER | Withstand criticism of that woman touring ancient temple (4,5) |
| Her around old Wat (Wat is a Buddhist temple, the best known being Angkor Wat in Cambodia) | ||
| 20 | COLUMBO | Officer and boss of detective 2 (7) |
| Col + umbo | ||
| 21 | EXTINCT | In court after first part of message is lost – lost forever, apparently (7) |
| In c(our)t after [t]ext | ||
| 23 | OVALS | Ring up European figures (5) |
| O + Slav< | ||
| 25 | NIP IN | Jump the queue finally on one leg (3,2) |
| [O]n + i pin | ||
| 26 | ONES | Individuals not lying naked (4) |
| [H]ones[t] | ||
*anagram
Thanks NealH
17ac is a bit obscure, ‘linker’ is k in liner or K IN SHIP.
what a great clue 27 is; much to enjoy in a very broadbrush theme. The junction of KINSHIP and ARTWORK held me up for a bit; I like the former very much more than the latter.
Thanks to Alchemi and NealH
I thought 30 was great (as well as 27) but 12 was maybe a bridge too far.Good fun though.
Took quite a while, some remarkably inventive clueing. FORTINBRAS, PAPAGENO (managed to dredge it up from the recesses), DRAWINGS, outstanding. Agree with others about KINSHIP. Couldn’t parse it.
Thanks to Alchemi and NealH.
I liked the various senses of ‘character’, the ‘k’ in ‘liner’ clue, the misleading ‘2’ in 5d and the different ‘Ring saga(s)’ in 13a and 22a. I thought 12a was OK, and more familiar to me than the previously unknown 30a. If/when I ever hear of the character again, I’m afraid the wordplay for the clue will unavoidably spring to mind!
Thanks to Alchemi and NealH
Co-solver agrees – an excellent Puzzle for several reasons. We both enjoyed the solve.
Well, I got the gateway clue as my second one in – having spotted the anagram of POCAHONTAS at once, the starting letter it provided for 2dn and the wording of the clue to 1ac left little doubt about it. Not a great opera buff, but I did know both WOTAN and PAPAGENO, though it took me a while to parse the latter. got hung up a while on EPSILON – for some reason I was looking for an anagram of ‘has Poles’, even though that had too many letters.
A satisfying mental workout – thanks, Alchemi and NealH
Thanks to NealH and commenters.
Great stuff. I missed 12a, but that didn’t matter – loads of inventive and funny cluing and a very cleverly done theme. Faves were 27a, 30a and 16d so thanks to Alchemi for the super puzzle and to Neal for the blog.
Much enjoyed – thanks Alchemi. A couple of new bits of knowledge for me to forget but the wordplay got me there until, with three to go, I consulted Mr Kitty. That nearly did it but we both drew a blank at 12a. Didn’t note down favourites (and I solved this a couple of meals and some number of drinks ago so the memory has gone a little hazy now) but remember several smiles. I am in the camp who liked KINSHIP. Thought the theme very well done, with neat touches like the other ring saga. Thanks to NealH for the blog.