This is the first Silvanus puzzle I have blogged and I enjoyed the puzzle overall.
‘The clue I most enjoyed today was the one for FRIENDSHIP at 26 across where I was misled for by the words ‘without a’ and ‘winds up’ which had me looking for a long time at an anagram (winds up) of STIR AFRICAN excluding (without) one the As.
As ever I also liked the clues with many constituent parts such as those for AMANUENSIS, VENGEANCE and OMELETTE rather than the cryptic definition for INSURANCE POLICY and the rather odd one for MIDDLE
As I was writing the blog I was conscious that there were a lot of clues that reference individual letters, outer letters, strings of consecutive central letters or strings of alternative letters of words in the clues. That’s simply an observation, not a comment.
STEERAGE as a definition for government was a new meaning to me. While AMANUENSIS is not a word I use regularly, I did know the meaning of it.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Finish off Kent town’s wine (6)
|
GRAVESEND (town in Kent) excluding (off) END (finish) GRAVES |
GRAVES (white [or red] table wine from the GRAVES district in the Gironde department of France)
|
|
5
|
99 perhaps emerging from church in America mostly bewildered (3,5)
|
CE (Church [of England]) contained in (in) an anagram of (bewildered) AMERICA excluding the final letter (mostly) A I (CE) CREAM* |
ICE CREAM (a 99 is an ICE-CREAM with a milk flake)
|
|
9
|
Secretary of a football club being Swiss is oddly overlooked (10)
|
A + MAN U (Manchester United; Football Club) + ENSIS (letters 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 [oddly overlooked] of BEING SWISS) A MAN U ENSIS |
AMANUENSIS (literary assistant, esp one who writes to dictation or copies from manuscript; secretary)
|
|
10
|
Knock leg against edge of rock (4)
|
PIN (leg) + K (last letter of, an ‘edge’ letter of ROCK) PIN K |
PINK (a characteristic metallic knocking noise caused by detonation in an engine)
|
|
11
|
Son for second new father is an angel (8)
|
INVENTOR (father of) with S (son) replacing (for) the second occurrence of [second] N (new) INVESTOR |
INVESTOR (a person who INVESTs in theatrical productions is termed an angel)
|
|
12
|
Where to find hotel in Cleethorpes? (6)
|
H (hotel) is found as the MIDDLE letter of CLEET H ORPES MIDDLE |
MIDDLE see wordplay
|
|
13
|
Babies want to hold a pen for instance (4)
|
SWAN (hidden word in [to hold] BABIES WANT) SWAN |
SWAN (a PEN is a female swan)
|
|
15
|
Live around extensive outskirts of Exeter? Not any more (2,6)
|
ON (ON air; live) reversed (around) + LONG (extensive) + ER (first and last letters of [outskirts] EXETER) NO< LONG ER |
NO LONGER (not any more)
|
|
18
|
See great changes in government (8)
|
Anagram of (changes) SEE GREAT STEERAGE* |
STEERAGE (government)
|
|
19
|
Pardon announced for engineer (4)
|
WATT (sounds like [announced] WHAT [pardon]) WATT |
WATT (reference James WATT [1736 – 1819], Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer)
|
|
21
|
Quick pint following concert (6)
|
PROM (promenade concert) + PT (pint) PROM PT |
PROMPT (quick)
|
|
23
|
Dish of duck, made without stuffing, left by setter essentially (8)
|
O (zero; duck score in cricket) + ME (outside letters of [without stuffing] MADE) + L (left) + ETTE (central letters of [essentially] SETTER) O ME L ETTE |
OMELETTE (example of a food dish)
|
|
25
|
Trick central characters in show with source of audience vote (4)
|
HO (middle letters of [central characters in] SHOW) + A (first letter of [source of] AUDIENCE) + X (the symbol used when casting a vote in an election) HO A X |
HOAX (trick)
|
|
26
|
Without a stir, African winds up joint company (10)
|
AFRICAN excluding (without) A and CAN) + ENDS (winds up) + HIP (joint) FRI ENDS HIP |
FRIENDSHIP (companionship; company)
|
|
27
|
Repartee‘s rank over lady confused about parking (8)
|
ROW (rank) reversed (over) + an anagram of (confused) LADY containing (about) P (parking) WOR< D (P) LAY* |
WORDPLAY (repartee)
|
|
28
|
Element evenly distributed throughout Kosovo? (6)
|
The letter O (chemical symbol for OXYGEN) is found as letters 2, 4 and 6 (evenly distributed) of KOSOVO OXYGEN |
OXYGEN (element)
|
| Down | |||
|
2
|
Upright type of horse that covers miles (5)
|
ROAN (a ROAN coloured horse) containing (that covers) M (miles) RO (M) AN |
ROMAN (a typeface of the ordinary upright kind as opposed to italics)
|
|
3
|
Retaliation against English heading from Europe supported by two thirds of France (9)
|
V (versus; against) + ENG (English) + E (first letter of [heading from] EUROPE) + ANCE (letters 3 to 6, 4 of 6 letters [two thirds] of FRANCE) V ENG E ANCE |
VENGEANCE (retribution; retaliation)
|
|
4
|
Some Aussies take a rest when it’s hot (6)
|
SIESTA (hidden word in [some] AUSSIES TAKE) SIESTA |
SIESTA (midday or afternoon nap, usually associated with much warmer countries than the United Kingdom)
|
|
5
|
Cover used for a leaking roof? (9,6)
|
COVER is a term used to describe the protection provided by an INSURANCE POLICY. Buildings INSURANCE will most likely cover the damage caused by a leaking roof,[subject to terms and conditions ….]) INSURANCE POLICY |
INSURANCE POLICY – cryptic definition, see wordplay
|
| 6 | Group seen excitedly describing new mobile regularly ignored (8) |
Anagram of (excitedly) SEEN containing (describing) EMBL (letters 2, 4, 6 and 8 [odd letters regularly ignored] of NEW MOBILE) ENS (EMBL) E* |
ENSEMBLE (group) |
|
7
|
Swift attack captures leader of pirates (5)
|
RAID (attack) contains (captures) P (first letter of [leader of] PIRATES) RA (P) ID |
RAPID (swift)
|
|
8
|
Abolition of bishops possibly defended by woman during last month (9)
|
MEN (bishops are examples of chess men) contained in (defended by) (ANN [woman’s name] + ULT [ultimo; in the last month; during the last month) ANN UL (MEN) T |
ANNULMENT (abolition)
|
|
14
|
Sport involving power a lot (5,4)
|
Anagram of (involving) POWER A LOT WATER POLO* |
WATER POLO (sport)
|
|
16
|
State of recently born calf (3,6)
|
NEW (recently born) + JERSEY (a breed of cow that will give birth to a calf) NEW JERSEY |
NEW JERSEY (American State)
|
|
17
|
Discrimination acceptable within Florida? Charming! (8)
|
TASTE (discrimination) + (U [acceptable] contained in [within] FL [abbreviation for the State of Florida]) TASTE F (U) L |
TASTEFUL (charming)
|
|
20
|
Wisteria at last slowly envelops shed (4-2)
|
LENTO (musical term signifying that the passage should be played slowly) containing (envelops) A (final letter of [at last] WISTERIA) LE (A) N TO |
LEAN-TO (shed)
|
|
22
|
Number historically entering medicine got together socially (5)
|
IX (Roman [historic] numeral; number historically) contained in (entering) MED (medicine) M (IX) ED |
MIXED (got together socially)
|
|
24
|
Clichéd term receives immense television exposure initially (5)
|
TRITE (first letters [initially] of each of TERM, RECEIVES, IMMENSE, TELEVISION and EXPOSURE) TRITE |
TRITE (clichéd)
|
Liked this. Although I thought 5d was barely cryptic, this didn’t detract from a great puzzle. MIDDLE and OXYGEN were unusual clues but I like that sort of thing. FRIENDSHIP was my favourite once I’d deciphered it. INVENTOR was also nice and LEAN-TO had a good surface. I get the impression setters have been looking over Monk’s shoulder from today’s FT. The Guardian had an almost identical clue and here we see another identical answer, with completely different clueing, and the use of ULT for last month. All very strange. Thanks to Silvanus for the workout and to Duncan for the blog. On a side note, I did wonder if there was a theme with answers such as STEERAGE, WATT, PINK, INVENTOR, OXYGEN (MIXED in combustion) and SWAN as in Sir Joseph Swan. Maybe 5d could be linked in?
I wonder if anybody else thought of ‘claret’ for 1a. My initial thinking was CLAR for ‘finish off Kent’ as in Clark Kent – I then wondered if there was a town called Et. Fortunately, 3d soon put paid to that notion.
Silvanus always produces an enjoyable crossword so thank you to him and Duncan too
Seems to be an awful lot of ice cream ‘eating’ going on in Crosswordland today 🙂
Anyone else having trouble accessing the puzzle on the Indy site? When I click for Silvanus and today’s puzzle I am getting the concise crossword?!
Re Hovis @2, my first thought for 1a was the famous Chateau Margat. Never mind. Also got distracted by ‘stir-fri’ trying to parse 26a
A good standard for a wet Wednesday. Thanks to S&B.
Hoskins @4
You are not alone! I have just visited the site and found the same problem. All the links in the index to cryptic puzzles bring up the concise that appeared on the same day.
Thanks Gaufrid @6 – good to know it’s not just me. I know they occasionally have link issues in that the actual Indy link sometimes takes you back to January puzzles rather than the current ones, but this is new to me. Will keep trying and hope it sorts itself out soon.
A lovely crossword to brighten up the beginning of Autumn (measured by the appearance of smoke from the neighbours’ chimney and the biggest house spider I’ve ever seen in the bath). Thanks to Silvanus and Duncan.
Would love to have a go at this latest from Silvanus but, like Hovis and Gaufrid, I can’t access the puzzle from the Indy site. Anyone in a position to give the powers that be a quick nudge?
Thanks, both.
OXYGEN was creatively done, I thought. I put MIDWAY for 12ac, which kind of works. AMANUENSIS I knew from its use in education circles – it was, perhaps still is, used as the name of a person who writes down a student’s dictated answers in an exam because the student is incapable of writing (broken arm, for example).
Jane @9 and others who are yet to solve – looks like the site is working again now. 🙂
Was able to solve this after very kindly being forwarded the puzzle and found it pretty tough. Perhaps that’s because I was expecting an easy Wednesday ride or perhaps I was just having an off-day, but I see Hovis @1 mentioned a workout and I’d agree with that as it took the whole hour and still bested me by 5 or 6. Still enjoyed it though and fave clue was oxygen.
Thanks to Silvanus for the puzzle, to my kind-hearted puzzle donator for the means to do the puzzle, and to DS for the puzzle’s blog.
Many thanks silvanus!
I liked siesta.
Thanks also Duncan
Like Hovis, I was lucky enough to find a puzzle donator – many thanks to him.
Glad to note that others also found this one difficult, I most certainly did! Scrupulously fair cluing throughout – just took me a long time to work out all the 27a. The only exception was 5a – all I needed there was a quick glance at the number and the enumeration!
Apart from the afore-mentioned 5a, my joint favourites were 21a & 20d.
Many thanks, Silvanus, it was well worth the effort (yours and mine!) and thanks to Duncan for the blog.
Setter here, many thanks to Duncan for the blog and to all those who attempted the puzzle, especially those who took the trouble to leave comments.
I’m sorry that some of you had difficulties in accessing the crossword today, I do sympathise and appreciate your perseverance. In answer to Hovis, there wasn’t an intentional theme, but I’m more than happy for one to be concocted from certain of the solutions!
My dearest Jane @9 & 13, I must inform you that reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated despite your twice pronouncing me brown bread! Much as I don’t mind being confused with the lovely Hovis, I fancy Hovis might well, and quite rightly, be terribly embarrassed about being confused me. 🙂
A nice steady solve with no real problems, though we were doubtful about MIDDLE until confirmed by crossing letters, with INVESTOR and FRIENDSHIP being our last two in. (Btw, for non-UK solvers puzzled by ‘stir’ in the clue for the latter, ‘stir’ and ‘can’ are both slang terms for prison.)
CoD was OXYGEN – which my apprentice spotted before I did!
Thanks, Silvanus and Duncan.