Phi has given us a puzzle today with lots of the types of clue I enjoy solving.
There are a lot of clues where the wordplay has many parts. That is the type of clue I like. I was slightly surprised though to see ‘seizing’ or ‘seized’ used three times as a containment indicator.
I have a feeling there is something linking a few grid entries as words like JERICHO, EVENTUATE, HOKUSAI, CANTABILE and OVERTHINK are not used frequently in any conversations that I have. However, I can’t see an obvious link between any entries.
I also wondered if the grid was going to be a pangram but I can’t find a P, a Q or a Y. I thought too that 11 occurrences of consecutive vowels was quite high, but then I looked at the Azed I am blogging at the moment and counted 17 occurrences there, so I don’t think there is mileage in that idea.
I think this was a puzzle with an arts bent although I recognise that OZONE is on the scientific side.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Footballer seizing attention is tiresome (7)
|
WING (forward position played by a footballer) containing (seizing) EAR (attention) W (EAR) ING |
WEARING (tiresome)
|
|
5
|
First person in France to get to opulent old Biblical city (7)
|
JE (I, first person, in French) + RICH (opulent) + O (old) JE RICH O |
JERICHO (Biblical city)
|
|
9
|
Public argument about start of his deposition (9)
|
(OVERT [open; public] + ROW [argument]) containing (about) H (first letter of [start of] HIS) OVERT (H) ROW |
OVERTHROW (the act of deposing; deposition)
|
|
10
|
Fellow with sound fruit tree (5)
|
MAN (fellow) + GO (to sound) MAN GO |
MANGO (example of a fruit tree)
|
|
11
|
Place an absolute mess, we hear (4)
|
SITE (sounds like [we hear] SIGHT [monstrosity; eyesore; mess]) SITE |
SITE (place)
|
|
12
|
A lot of odd material arranged according to specification (6-4)
|
Anagram of (arranged) (ODD excluding the final letter [a lot of] D and MATERIAL) TAILOR-MADE* |
TAILOR-MADE (made to measure; according to specification)
|
|
14
|
Blokes taken aback in tucking into cooked food without dissent (2,3,4)
|
(MEN reversed [taken aback] + IN) contained in (tucked into) an anagram of (cooked) FOOD OF O (NE M< IN) D* |
OF ONE MIND (agreed; without dissent)
|
|
17
|
Happen to go round Sweden (5)
|
EXIT (go) containing (round) S (International Vehicle Registration for Sweden) EXI (S) T |
EXIST take place; happen)
|
|
19
|
Manipulate King and Knight and study sacrificing Rook (5)
|
K (king, in chess) + N (knight, in chess) + READ (study) excluding (sacrificing) R (rook, in chess) K N EAD |
KNEAD (manipulate)
|
|
20
|
Copper limited by regulation coming in explosive and aggressive (9)
|
(CU [chemical symbol for copper] contained in [limited by] RULE [regulation]) all contained in (coming in) TNT (trinitrotoluene; explosive) T (RU (CU) LE) NT |
TRUCULENT (aggressive and discourteous))
|
|
21
|
Great with cooking meat, ultimately admitting no liquid (10)
|
Anagram of (cooking) GREAT WITH + T (last letter of [ultimately] MEAT) WATERTIGH* T |
WATERTIGHT (admitting no liquid)
|
|
23
|
Just like me, overlooking millions in the continent (4)
|
AS I AM (just like me) excluding (overlooking) M (millions) ASIA |
ASIA (one of the continents)
|
|
26
|
Rumour recalled injury (head cut) (5)
|
LESION (injury) excluding the first letter (head cut) L and reversed (recalled) NOISE< |
NOISE (rumour)
|
|
27
|
Work out international group’s worried about passage (9)
|
(EU [European Union; international group] + ATE [worried]) containing (about) VENT (passage) E (VENT) U ATE |
EVENTUATE (turn out; work out)
|
|
28
|
Japanese artist depicting fish around America (7)
|
HOKI (food-fish with white flesh found in the waters of the southern hemisphere especially near the Falklands and New Zealand) containing (around) USA (United States of America) HOK (USA) I |
HOKUSAI (reference Katsushika HOKUSAI [1760 – 1849], Japanese artist)
|
|
29
|
What has half of sermon applied to sin?
|
SER (3 of the 6 [half] letters in SERMON) + VICE (sin) SER VICE |
SERVICE (a religious SERVICE frequently includes a sermon that rails against sin of all kinds) The definition may be the whole clue rather than just what I have underlined
|
| Down | |||
|
1
|
Club taking on standard festival (9)
|
WOOD (type of golf club although they are mainly metal nowadays) + STOCK (standard) WOOD STOCK |
WOODSTOCK (one-off music festival in New York State in 1969 that attracted over 400,000 people)
|
|
2
|
Warn a swimmer finally coming into contact with net? (5)
|
A + (R [last letter of {finally} SWIMMER] contained in [coming into] LET [an umpire’s call in tennis to indicate that a serve has clipped the net]) A LE (R) T |
ALERT (warning)
|
|
3
|
Picked up nine letters in Roman alphabet, or one in Greek (4)
|
(A TO I [indicating nine consecutive letters of the Roman alphabet]) reversed (picked up; down clue) (I OT A)< |
IOTA (character in the Greek alphabet)
|
|
4
|
Freely mastering … a European language in my case (9)
|
Anagram of (freely) MASTERING GERMANIST* |
GERMANIST (expert in German philology or other matters relating to Germany, presumably including mastery of the GERMAN language)
|
|
5
|
Judge sheep’s wool ultimately the best example (5)
|
J (judge) + EWE (female sheep) + L (last letter of [ultimately] WOOL) J EWE L |
JEWEL (anything or anything highly valued; a best example)
|
|
6
|
Rules, for me, must be broken with a sense of guilt (10)
|
Anagram of (must be broken) RULES FOR ME REMORSEFUL* |
REMORSEFUL (penitent; with a sense of guilt)
|
|
7
|
Like a song? Stick around bass in the end (9)
|
CANE (stick) containing (around) (B [bass] contained in [in] TAIL [the end]) CAN (TA (B) IL) E |
CANTABILE (flowing and melodious, like singing)
|
|
8
|
Australia working with Spain to produce gas (5)
|
OZ (Australia) + ON (working) + E (International Vehicle Registration for Spain) OZ ON E |
OZONE (a form of oxygen [O3]; gas)
|
|
13
|
Minimum cut retains foreign articles in losing editorial contribution (10)
|
LEAST (minimum) excluding the final letter (cut) T containing (DER [German for ‘the’] + LES [French for ‘the’] – foreign definite articles) LEA (DER LES) S |
LEADERLESS (without a LEADER [article often written by the editor expressing the paper’s opinion])
|
|
15
|
Put too much effort into agreement with a lot of extremely meagre content (9)
|
OK (indication of agreement) containing (with … content) (VERY [extremely] excluding the final letter {a lot of} Y + THIN [meagre]) O (VER THIN) K |
OVERTHINK (put too much effort into)
|
| 16 | Certain girls hate drugs being distributed (9) |
Anagram of (being distributed) HATE DRUGS DAUGHTERS* |
DAUGHTERS ( a specific subset of women; certain girls) I realise that all girls are DAUGHTERS but the clue is distinguishing them from those who could also be classified as wives, mothers, grannies etc… |
|
18
|
Nipple seized by nippers almost last to appreciate a close encounter (4-1-4)
|
(TEAT [nipple] contained in [seized by] TEETH [nippers] excluding the final letter [almost] H) + E (final letter of [last to] APPRECIATE) TE (TE A T) ET E |
TÊTE-À-TÊTE (private confidential interview ; close encounter)
|
|
21
|
Woman brought up recently-born children (5)
|
NEW (recently-born) reversed (brought up; down clue) + CH (children) WEN< CH |
WENCH (girl or young woman)
|
|
22
|
A lot of money seized by two in rebellious tribe (5)
|
CENT (money) excluding the final letter (a lot of) T contained in (seized by) (I + I or II ( Roman numeral for two) I (CEN) I |
ICENI (ancient British tribe that, led by Queen Boudicca, rebelled against the Romans in 61AD)
|
|
24
|
Felt dizzy, supported by one religious advisor (5)
|
SWAM (felt dizzy) + I (Roman numeral for one) As this is a down entry, the letters in SWAM are above and therefore supported by the letter I SWAM I |
SWAMI (Hindu religious instructor)
|
|
25
|
Most prestigious part of flight – after one disembarks (4)
|
STAIR (part of a flight [of STAIRS]) excluding (disembarks) I (Roman numeral for one) STAR |
STAR (most prestigious)
|
Thanks Duncan
For once I have spotted a Phi theme (a very rare occurrence!) – novels written by Colin Dexter (well, eight of them anyway, there are another five that I haven’t been able to find in the grid):
1ac Last seen WEARING
5ac The dead of JERICO
29ac SERVICE of all the dead
1dn Last bus to WOODSTOCK
5dn The JEWEL that was ours
6dn The REMORSEFUL day
16dn The DAUGHTERS of Cain
21dn The WENCH is dead
On a recent visit to London, this American took in the lovely (if crowded) Hokusai exhibit at the British Museum…those of you who live closer have a bit over two weeks to see it. Beautiful work – thanks to Phi for the reminder, and to Duncan for our blog.
I missed the theme of course (too much of the TV series and not enough of the books), but Phi was unusually generous today in providing us with a strong hint at 6d, whether the word is part of a book title or not. Quite challenging, and ended up missing the Japanese artist as well as the parsing of a few more. I like the word TRUCULENT, as in “and donned his most truculent sneer” from Abdul Abulbul Amir, and enjoyed the &littish SERVICE.
Thanks to Phi and Duncan
WordPlodder @3
A lot of the TV episodes had the same title as the book from which they were taken. The light dawned for me when I had JERICO and WOODSTOCK and this was confirmed when I entered REMORSEFUL. I will admit to resorting to Wikipedia for the rest of the titles because I didn’t remember them, despite having watched each episode at least twice.
We enjoyed this one and spotted the theme early on with JERICHO and REMORSEFUL, which then made WOODSTOCK a write-in. There could be an oblique reference in 9ac, OVERTHROW, to another TV episode, Deceived by Flight, which features a cricket match (an overthrow is when a fielder returns the ball but it goes too far and the batsmen may be able to snatch another run – not sure if there’s one in that episode).
And, of course, both Morse and his creator, Colin Dexter, were cryptic crossword addicts. Dexter in fact wrote Cracking Cryptic Crosswords: A Guide to Solving Cryptic Crosswords and I think he may have been a setter, too. I did wonder if the appearance of this puzzle marked a significant anniversary for Dexter or John Thaw (Morse) but all I can find is that the TV series first aired in 1987.
Thanks, Phi and Duncan
Failed to get HOKUSAI – didn’t know the artist or the fish. Also failed to get CANTABILE and EVENTUATE, both unknowns to me. So a learning experience for me. Had a little chuckle when I read in the blog for 17a ‘exit containing round sexist’ (going across columns).
Didn’t know the artist and having investigated further it isn’t the sort of work that would appeal to me – apologies, Oren!
Not overly keen on 4 or 16d but otherwise enjoyed solving this – Only the second Phi puzzle that I’ve tackled.
Thanks to Phi and to Duncan – can’t tell you how long it took for the penny to drop over the ‘lot of money’!
Enjoyable stuff, I thought. Whizzed through the majority until being beaten by four in the SW (26a, 28a, 13d & 15d). Didn’t stop the theme (not read or seen any Morse – well, save from when my folks had it on and I was in the room doing something else). My honours today go to the surfaces of which there were a lot of nice ‘uns so thanks to The Greek Character for the puzzle and to The Console for the enlightenment.
*’spot the theme’ rather than ‘stop’, obs.