Vintage Hoskins, I would say. Pitched just right for a Sunday, with some trademark Hoskins irreverent moments and even a theme, of which more later.
Apart from the North-West corner, which put up a bit of a fight, I seemed to race through this. The solver was was rewarded, though, for taking time to appreciate some of the wonderful surface readings and indeed a handful of rather colourful mental images conjured up in places.
As for the theme…I’m not sure I’ve seen one from Hoskins before, so I’m wondering how many I’ve missed, having blogged his puzzles numerous times recently. Today we have quite a few examples of 4 down, or indeed 25 down. They’ll be household names, so I won’t list them all here. I wonder if the puzzle being published at Easter is mere coincidence.
As for favourites, I might pick out the nice long charade at 6 down or perhaps the racy 3 down. You wouldn’t see that in the Times I reckon, even though the gentleman in question is no longer with us.
Good stuff then, so many thanks to Hoskins once again.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SOCIAL CLASS | A once perhaps outgoing girl snorting Charlie (6,5) |
| C in SOCIAL LASS. The “A” in the definition is an example (“perhaps”) of what I have just learned are called NRS social grades. As to why it’s “once” I’m not sure, since they seem still to be in use. | ||
| 7 | SET | Hoskins is one to get half-cut with plonk (3) |
| SET[ter]. As in “plonk/set it down over there”. | ||
| 9 | NURSE | Tend to swear if leader turns nationalist (5) |
| From [c]URSE, with the first letter turning into N. | ||
| 10 | OTHER HALF | Short rest then 45 mins of footie, mate? (5,4) |
| OTHER[s] + HALF. | ||
| 11 | MARATHON | Hit back at husband performing arduous task (8) |
| RAM< + AT + H + ON. I’ll be marshalling at the London Marathon in a couple of weeks, so keep a look out for me on telly. I should be easy to spot: I’ll be the one in high-vis. | ||
| 12 | YORKIE | You’re not posh around Kelvin and I, dog (6) |
| YO[u]RE around (K + I). | ||
| 14 | NUDE | Ecstasy and horse knocked back out of habit? (4) |
| (E + DUN)<. | ||
| 15 | MANAGERESS | Chap greases up for woman who’s the boss (10) |
| MAN + GREASES*. Ooh-err, steady on Hoskins old chap. | ||
| 18 | PREDECEASE | Go before red escapee goes to pieces (10) |
| Anagram of (RED ESCAPEE). | ||
| 19 | MARS | God may absolve really stupid leaders (4) |
| Acrostic of M[ay] A[bsolve] R[eally] S[tupid]. | ||
| 22 | NO FEAR | Approach grasping old fellow? Definitely not! (2,4) |
| NEAR grasping (O + F). | ||
| 24 | MUNCHIES | Hen parties with music and light bites (8) |
| Anagram of (HEN + MUSIC). | ||
| 26 | UNDERPART | A French character squeezing flipping red cow’s udder? (9) |
| (UN + PART) squeezing RED<. | ||
| 27 | FLAKE | Perhaps Trump and his kind of news baffles Liberal (5) |
| L in FAKE). | ||
| 28 | NEE | Born Miss, but getting the chop finally (3) |
| NEE[d]. | ||
| 29 | DISTRUSTERS | We’re suspicious of cleaners seen around one half of street (11) |
| DUSTERS seen around (I + STR[eet]). | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SANDMAN | S&M article, one that’ll knock you out! (7) |
| S AND M + AN. Knock you out as in send you to sleep. | ||
| 2 | CARTRIDGE | One holding a slug caught by game bird without crest (9) |
| C + [p]ARTRIDGE. | ||
| 3 | AGENTS | A cottage for George Michael and those who might sell it? (6) |
| A + GENT‘S. | ||
| 4 | CHOCOLATES | A cool chest to be redesigned in brown colours (10) |
| Anagram of (A COOL CHEST). | ||
| 5 | ACHE | A red pine (4) |
| A + CHE Guevara. | ||
| 6 | SCROOGES | Small cape, jumper and golf tops in extra small? They’re tight! (8) |
| S + C + ROO + G + E[xtra] S[mall]. | ||
| 7 | SNACK | Fire encircling north Sandwich? (5) |
| SACK encircling N. | ||
| 8 | TOFFEES | Aristocrats bearing drugs? They’re sweeties! (7) |
| TOFFS bearing (E + E). | ||
| 13 | PASS MUSTER | Measure up Spurs teams for a complete makeover (4,6) |
| Anagram of (SPURS TEAMS). | ||
| 16 | ERADICATE | Weed out of car and I teed head of AA off (9) |
| Anagram (CAR + I TEED + A[a]). | ||
| 17 | REPAIRED | Fixed up couple with grass for an overcoat (8) |
| PAIR with REED surrounding it. | ||
| 18 | PENGUIN | Writer with spirit taking on university publisher (7) |
| PEN + (U in GIN). | ||
| 20 | SISTERS | Teachers screening Aliens upset relatives (7) |
| ETS< in SIRS. | ||
| 21 | SCOFFS | Necks special caffeine drinks, being energy-sapped (6) |
| S + COFF[ee]S. | ||
| 23 | FUDGE | Damn fine magistrate that’s released Juliet (5) |
| F + [j]UDGES, with damn/fudge as mild expressions of annoyance. | ||
| 25 | BARS | Save the foremost of Serengeti watering-holes (4) |
| BAR + S[erengeti]. | ||
* = anagram; < = reversed; [] = removed; underlined = definition; Hover to expand abbreviations; BOLD = letters forming part of entries.
Hm. Household names if your house is in the UK perhaps. I only recognised two brand names – Mars and Flake – but now that I’ve looked into it, I see Fudge, Munchies, Penguin and Yorkie also qualify, if not others. All cunningly disguised as ordinary words, so no slowing the solver down.
AGENTS was my LOI. HH’s double-entendres usually raise a chuckle, but this one provoked a sharp intake of breath. Too soon for some, I wonder?
Great fun, as always from Hoskins. Particularly liked 14a, 15a and the well disguised anagrams at 24a and 13d. 1d also raised a chuckle. Of course, I saw the theme straight away. April Fool – missed it altogether. Amazing really, especially as I was thinking of the chocolate bar when I entered YORKIE.
Certainly colourful, and raising a smile as always with this setter. I personally thought the George Michael gag was very funny, but my tastelessness knows no boundaries.
Easter, eggs, chocolate – such an obvious theme. So obvious I missed it until coming here. So thanks to the blogger for pointing it out. Put a carnation in the buttonhole of your hi-vis jacket on the 22nd, Simon, then we’ll all know who you are.
Thanks to Harry as well for the April Fool’s Day entertainment.
I’m used to it only being me who hauls Harry over the coals for a particular clue but it seems I may have support today from Swatty. NO, Harry, the specific mention of George Michael was unnecessary to make the clue work and in very poor taste given that his death was only something over 12 months ago.
Rant over – I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet delights in the rest of this one and, like Hovis, it was the YORKIE that gave me the theme although the FLAKE would be my personal preference. I did need to check with the BRB that 24a could be used as a noun, I’ve only ever come across it used to describe feeling peckish as in – I’ve got the munchies.
Happy Easter to everyone and thanks to Harry for the sweeties.
At least I spotted the theme though some of the cultural references passed me by, including that for 3d until I looked it up.
The usual Hoskins humour on show. I liked the surface for SET and ‘cow’s udder’ as an UNDERPART brought a smile.
Didn’t know FUDGE for ‘damn’ and I’m probably being a bit slow, but FLAKE for ‘Perhaps Trump’, or is the whole clue the def?
Thanks to Simon and Hoskins
I think “fudge” is a euphemism for a slighter shorter, ruder, word also beginning with “f”.
Never a George Michael fan, though I guess I can understand some blanching at the this clue by aficionados. I imagine GM would have freely used the expression “cottaging” himself with all its connotations.
@4jane – munchies is a noun in the example sentence you have given (“I’ve got the munchies”).
Found this a bit more difficult than most Hoskins puzzles and finally held up by distractedly entering dune instead of nude at 14A, holding me up for ages on 1D, even though I kept telling myself it must be “sandbag”.
Thanks to Hoskins and Simon Harding.
@6gwep – point taken about ‘munchies’, I obviously got myself into a complete muddle there – no excuses!
I can assure you that I’m not a GM fan, my reaction would have been the same given the name of anyone of that persuasion who is so recently deceased.
Sorry, but this just didn’t work for us. We solved it with some difficulty, despite being used to this setter’s irreverence and liking for certain themes. A number of clues, e.g. 16dn, seemed over-contrived and their surfaces made little sense. The GM reference in 3dn went over our heads (fortunately?) otherwise we might have had more to say about that.
The sole redeeming feature was FLAKE once we’d found its American slang meaning.
I even managed to spot the theme early on. If occasionally Hoskins “cheekiness” is a touch on the broad side he wins with his surfaces. However the GM clue was a step too far. George Michael hardly lived a happy confident life. Using one aspect of his history to provide amusement/entertainment is somewhat shallow. I have never really taken much interest in his music making. My comment is made in the general context of being uncomfortable with mocking vulnerability.
Didn’t do this, just came to snigger at Hoskins’ risque clues. GM was poor taste, I think. Why not just “gays”? Btw, MUNCHIES used to be (still are?) a brand of chocolate sweet too, and (for the foreigners), Snickers used to be called MARATHON over here.
A lot of really good surfaces, as expected but I don’t understand “teed off” in 16d. Maybe the surface would make sense if I did?
Ah, ok, it’s slang for “irritate, annoy”, isn’t it? Not one I use or knew. Excellent clue!
Hoskins puzzles are worth savouring so it was unfortunate in a way that this was a joint solve, as the fun lasted a lot less time than it would have if I’d kept it to myself. Then again, great to share with friends.
Thanks Hoskins and Simon.