A good example of a national daily cryptic puzzle from Serpent today
I started quite strongly with the acrosses in the top half before slowing down. a bit. I found the downs trickier than the acrosses even though I had a few intersecting letters when I began the downs.
The last couple in were HEROICS across and CRANKS UP down
It wasn’t until I had just about finished the blog that I sussed out the parsing for TOMATO PUREE. Well, I think I have got it right.
I see no message or theme.
It took me a while to work out what ‘carpeting’ was doing in 19 across before I twigged the whole clue was a triple definition for ROCKET.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
9
|
Where one might see air aflutter with eagle’s wings (5)
|
Anagram of (aflutter) AIR and EE (first and last letter’s of [wings] EAGLE) AERIE* |
AERIE (alternative spelling of EYRIE [nest of a bird of prey, e.g. an EAGLE)
|
| 10 | Place to raise issue that no one cares for (9) |
‘Issue’ refers to children ORPHANAGE |
ORPHANAGE (a place where children with no parents [no one to care for] to look after them can be raised) cryptic definition |
|
11
|
Lend novel to transfix child that’s read e-book apparently (7)
|
KID (child) containing (to transfix) an anagram of (novel) LEND KI (NDLE*) D |
KINDLED (possibly a verb to imply that some has read a book on the KINDLE electronic reader)
|
|
12
|
Drink too much to do more than meet? (7)
|
OVER (too much) + LAP (drink) OVER LAP |
OVERLAP (to extend over and beyond the edge of; do more than meet)
|
| 13 | Appointed court accepting electronic evidence (9) |
DATE (woo; court) containing (E [electronic] + SIGN [evidence]) D (E SIGN) ATE |
DESIGNATE (nominated to but not yet in possession of an office; appointed) |
|
14
|
One assuming discretion is taken for granted (5)
|
I (Roman numeral for one) contained in (assuming) TACT (discretion) TAC (I) T |
TACIT (understood or implied without being expressed directly; taken for granted)
|
| 15 | Enlarged photo padded with most up-to-date packaging material (8,7) |
EXPANDED (enlarged) + PIC (photograph) containing (padded with) LAST (most up-to-date) EXPANDED P (LAST) IC |
EXPANDED PLASTIC (packaging material) |
| 18 | See 20 Down |
See wordplay at 20 down PUREE |
PUREE |
| 20 | Perhaps one keeping notes is tense about a certain record’s source (9) |
T (tense) + RE (with reference to, about) + A + SURE (certain) + R (first letter of [source of] RECORD) T RE A SURE R |
TREASURER (one who looks after money, e.g. cash notes) |
|
22
|
Come out with contents of next demand (7)
|
EX (middle letters of [contents of] NEXT) + CLAIM (demand) EX CLAIM |
EXCLAIM (cry out; come out with)
|
|
24
|
Bombast that woman regularly picked to pieces (7)
|
HER (that woman) + OICS( letters 2, 4, 6 and 8 [regularly] of TO PIECES) HER OICS |
HEROICS (bombast)
|
| 25 | Observer magazine’s leading article is pulled (9) |
THE SPECTATOR (reference THE SPECTATOR, a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs) excluding (is pulled) the first word (leading) THE (definite article) For non Brits, the Observer is a Sunday newspaper which includes a glossy magazine each week. SPECTATOR |
SPECTATOR (observer) |
| 26 | What may be seen as least appropriate? (5) |
Anagram of (what may be seen as) LEAST STEAL* |
STEAL (appropriate can be defined as STEAL) |
|
Down |
|||
|
1
|
Wanted 100K pumped into revolutionary business arrangement (6)
|
(C [Roman numeral for 100) + K) contained in (packed into) DEAL (business arrangement) reversed (revolutionary) LA (C K) ED< |
LACKED (needed; wanted)
|
|
2
|
Boosts standings during competition (6,2) |
RANKS (standings) contained in (during) CUP (competition) C (RANKS) UP |
CRANKS UP (increases intensity; boosts)
|
|
3
|
Attention Deficit Disorder leads to naughty child wearing skimpy outfit (10)
|
NC (first letters of [leads to] each of NAUGHTY and CHILD) contained in (wearing) NEGLIGEE (woman’s loose decorative dressing-gown of flimsy material; skimpy outfit) NEGLIGE (NC) E |
NEGLIGENCE (inattentiveness; cryptically defined as attention deficit disorder)
|
|
4
|
Run over Maxim without a trace of remorse for this reason (4,4)
|
R (run) + O (over) + (ADAGE [maxim; general principle, serving as a rule or guide;] containing [without; outside] R [first letter of [trace of] REMORSE) R O AD (R) AGE |
ROAD RAGE (uncontrolled anger or aggression between road users, often involving violence and injury. which could lead to someone running over another person)
|
|
5
|
Resist attitude on which work depends (6)
|
OP (opus; work) + POSE (attitude) OP POSE |
OPPOSE (resist)
|
| 6 | See 23 |
See wordplay at 23 down MATE |
MATE |
|
7
|
Plant pests almost overwhelming bottom half of garden (6)
|
GAR (first three letters of [half of] GARDEN) + LICE (pests) excluding the final letter (almost) E The LIC is placed at the bottom GAR LIC |
GARLIC (plant)
|
|
8
|
Tyrannical cops tied up (8)
|
Anagram of (up) COPS TIED DESPOTIC* |
DESPOTIC (tyrannical)
|
|
14
|
Go too far with Spooner’s old woman’s hairpiece? (10)
|
The phrase GRAN’S (old woman’s) TRESS (piece of hair) would be said by Reverend Spooner as TRANSGRESS TRANSGRESS |
TRANSGRESS (overstep the mark; go too far)
|
|
15
|
One’s prepared for drinking sprees getting messy like this(8)
|
Anagram of (getting messy) SPREES + SO (like this) ESPRES* SO |
ESPRESSO (coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans; one’s prepared for drinking)
|
|
16
|
Chapter 1 reviewed method of proportional representation (3,5)
|
Anagram of (reviewed) CHAPTER 1 PIE CHART* |
PIE CHART (circle divided into sections by radii so as to show relative numbers or quantities; method of proportional representation)
|
| 17 | Engines generated energy in short bursts (8) |
Anagram of (generated) (E [energy and IN and BURSTS excluding the last letter [short] S) TURBINES* |
TURBINES (rotary motors; engines) |
| 19 | Leaves carpeting spaceship (6) |
ROCKET (salad leaves) ROCKET severe reprimand; carpeting)( |
ROCKET (spaceship) triple definition |
|
20 / 18
|
A motto associated with this fruit concentrate (6,5)
|
TOMATO is an anagram of (PUREE) A MOTTO , so effectively TOMATO PUREE is a clue for (associated with) A MOTTO TOMATO PUREE
|
TOMATO [PUREE] (fruit concentrate)
|
|
21
|
Portion of tagliatelle served up to make use of eBay? (6)
|
RESELL (hidden word [portion of] reversed (up; down clue] in TAGLIATELLE SERVED) RESELL< |
RESELL (sell on, possibly by using an online auction site such as eBay)
|
| 23 / 6 | Sort out a team to exploit manufacturing technology (8) |
Anagram of (sort) OUT A TEAM AUTOMATE* |
AUTO [MATE] (exploit manufacturing technology by using machinery to do jobs that were previously undertaken manually) |
Loved the ADD. Another goodie from Serpent.
There’s a Nina.
Thanks to Serpent and duncanshiell for a fine puzzle and blog. And well done to Hovis for using his/her, er, loaf.
Never easy to spot those, especially when they’re not part of a thematic thingy, and I only saw it because I knew there was something there
I can only see TOOTS-no Maytalls
Another good Serpent crossword – I didn’t notice the Nina but what’s new there – I particularly liked the 19d triple definition
Thanks to Serpent and Duncan
No excuses. I was just a little bit thick, putting in ‘paste’ for PUREE. A pity because ROCKET was such a good clue.
Held up in the NW as I didn’t know the AERIE spelling, and I was thrown by ORPHANAGE which I thought was close to a non-cryptic clue. I look forward to making the acquaintance of EXPANDED PLASTIC.
Afflicted by Nina blindness today I’m afraid.
Thanks to Serpent and Duncan.
To put some out of their misery, look at the leading diagonal.
Thank you Hovis @7 – very clever
Purrs from me. I thought AERIE very clever, and SPECTATOR really neat too. Enjoyed the penny-drop at TOMATO PURRE, and also liked the method of proportional representation
Thanks Serpent and Duncan – and Hovis @2, for pointing out that I needed to look a bit harder for a nina.
Despite writing in 1d and 11a as I read the clues, the NW was the last to fall in this challenging puzzle. I eventually needed to look up AERIE, but otherwise solved everything although some of the parsing escaped me. For once the Spoonerism dropped straight into place. Thanks Serpent and Duncan. Cool Nina(which I would never have spotted)!
I too had entered tomato paste which I think works just as well, a pity. So I never got Rocket.
I liked auto/mate, and I thought HEROICS was very good. At least it got me away from looking at the e-tail hidden backwards in tagliatelle. I loved PIE CHART as well. Took me a while to read the parsing for ‘overwhelming bottom half’ correctly. Not keen on the whimsical definition for 11a, and whereas I think 10a is a brilliant cd, the ‘no-one cares for’ comes across as strongly emotive, because of two interpretations of cares as exploited in surface. Hope no orphans were offended. Similarly, hope no parents of add kids are offended by negligence. Just saying! It’s a great puzzle, I’m a big serpent fan.
So many thanks serpent, congrats on including a clever Nina, and thank you Duncan
Just done this as a group effort in the pub. Pretty tricky in places but quite entertaining. ROAD RAGE was last in but I liked that one. Missed the diagonal.
Thanks to Serpent and Duncan.