Bertandjoyce are somewhere along Hadrian’s Wall at the moment so I have the opportunity to cover a Hoskins puzzle.
There was one of his trademarks, ‘Her Maj’, as part of the wordplay in 1dn, but the others seemed to be missing, no sex, no drugs and only a couple of alcoholic beverages that could contribute to a 18dn.
However, that did not detract from an enjoyable solve (in fact some will have preferred it, but I’m not one of them) so thanks to Hoskins for a pleasant start to the summer solstice (and before anyone asks, yes it is a pangram).
Across
1 Change grip on the camera? I might (15)
CINEMATOGRAPHER – an anagram (change) of GRIP ON THE CAMERA with an extended def.
9 Charge men protecting a flasher (9)
INDICATOR – INDICT (charge) OR (men) around (protecting) A
10 Bigwig bossing around Africans (5)
IGBOS – contained in (… around) ‘bigwIG BOSsing’
11 Abstract, but accurate without end (6)
PRECIS – PRECIS[e] (accurate without end)
12 Sibling nurses at home on the left (8)
SINISTER – SISTER (sibling) around (nurses) IN (at home)
13 Badly organised queen with a grand name (6)
RAGTAG – R (queen) A G (grand) TAG (name)
15 Novel storage unit in Spooner’s kitchen? (8)
BOOKCASE – the Spoonerism being ‘cook base’ (kitchen)
18 Doctor turning water into Spar wine (8)
BORDEAUX – DR (doctor) reversed (turning) EAU (water) in (into) BOX (spar)
19 Not smiling, perhaps having chewed up lemons (6)
SOLMN – an anagram (having chewed up) of LEMONS
21 Excluding love, university can start to grate (8)
OMITTING – O (love) MIT (university) TIN (can) G[rate] (start to grate)
23 Enquires after empty fuel bottles (6)
FLASKS – ASKS (enquires) after F[ue]L (empty fuel)
26 Skirt promotion held by Adam’s missus (5)
EVADE – AD (promotion) in (held by) EVE (Adam’s missus)
27 Hire yard out by river for a Barnet setter? (9)
HAIRDRYER – an anagram (out) of HIRE YARD followed by R (river)
28 Request right to visit royal for fun? (8-7)
PLEASURE-SEEKING – PLEA (request) SURE (right) SEE (to visit) KING (royal)
Down
1 Fried potato Her Maj’s put below top of pan full of beans (7)
CHIPPER – CHIP (fried potato) plus ER (Her Maj) after (put below) P[an] (top of pan)
2 Dig uncovered housing close to Barking (5)
NUDGE – NUDE (uncovered) around (housing) [barkin]G (close to Barking)
3 Friend bringing friend around plot (9)
MACHINATE – CHINA (friend) in (bringing … around) MATE (friend)
4 Carry books into Travelodge on vacation (4)
TOTE – OT (books) in (into) T[ravelodg]E (Travelodge on vacation)
5 Group of troops army leave in unstable Saigon (8)
GARRISON – RR (army leave {rest & recreation}) in an anagram (unstable) of SAIGON
6 Liberal involved in first-class defence (5)
ALIBI – LIB (Liberal) in A1 (first-class)
7 Condition rather posh boards dislike (9)
HABITUATE – A BIT (rather) U (posh) in (boards) HATE (dislike)
8 Book about vacuous vicar up in Ely? (7)
RESERVE – RE (about) plus V[ica]R (vacuous vicar) reversed (up) in SEE (Ely?)
14 A regiment prepared to shoot? (9)
GERMINATE – an anagram (prepared) of A REGIMENT
16 Erudition present in grand, abridged sort of book (9)
KNOWLEDGE – NOW (present) in K (grand) LEDGE[r] (abridged sort of book)
17 Drink rum drinks in northern church (8)
QUENCHER – QUEER (rum) around (drinks in) N (northern) CH (church)
18 Disapproving sounds heard in court session (5-2)
BOOZE-UP – a homophone (heard) of ‘boos’ (disapproving sounds) followed by UP (in court)
20 Conk cleaner on flipping head for showing awful rage (4,3)
NOSE RAG – ON reversed (flipping) S[howing] (head for showing) plus an anagram (awful) of RAGE
22 Very entertaining European elders? (5)
TREES – TRES (very) around (entertaining) E (European)
24 Short tailor one needles (5)
STYLI – STYL[e] (short tailor) I (one)
25 Heading to Japan, one’s to bring in black sails (4)
JIBS – J[apan] (heading to Japan) I’S (one’s) around (to bring in) B (black)
All completed, though we couldn’t parse GARRISON – the answer was obvious but RR for Rest and Recreation is not in Chambers or Collins (in both as ‘R and R’ but only Collins gives its military connotation). We spotted that it was heading for a pangram which helped us see BORDEAUX for 18ac.
An enjoyable solve made more so by the absence of sex, drugs, etc.
Thanks, Hoskins and Gaufrid.
“An enjoyable solve made more so by the absence of sex, drugs, etc.”?
A couple of days ago I started my Slormgorm (FT) comment with the words: When Harry’s hands are tied, he is not quite the Harry we know.
And today his hands were even more tied than on Tuesday.
It’s all very well clued, enjoyable etc etc. The only thing is that somehow Harry is missing.
And that is in my view not a good thing. Not for us, not for him.
That said, I am well aware of the fact that an overdose can kill you.
Thanks Gaufrid for stepping in & Hoskins for the puzzle.
Some lovely clues – 1a is a very nice &lit anagram, I thought 14d had classical elegance, and I liked 8d 21d and many more. First filled in RAGGED for 13a (ok, I know someone named GED), corrected at the end when I realised what machinate had to be. I recognised the pangram, though it did not help my solve. A clever extra twist. The puzzle took me a bit longer than usual, slightly trickier parsing maybe, but all very tight.
All very enjoyable, though it is hard to disagree with Sil.
Many thanks Harry and thank you gaufrid
Sorry meant &littish for 1a, gaufrid is of course more correct with extended definition, I was just struggling to steer spellcheck away from &slit
Thanks to Hoskins and Gaufrid. Another enjoyable puzzle.
Dutch, I plumped for ragged at first too.
Sil, I wonder quite who might be tying Harry’s hands…..I’m pretty sure it won’t be Eimi
I agree with allan_c on all counts!
Well I read Gaufrid’s introduction and agreed with it entirely. Then I read Sil’s comment and agreed with that even more entirely.
I like the fact that you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get with Harry – other than excellence, that is. There was lots here I really admired. That said, this did elicit fewer smiles from me than expected and I’m hoping to see Hoskins back in full colour soon.
Many thanks Harry and Gaufrid.
Many thanks to Gaufrid for stepping in while we stepped out!
Thankfully we arrived at Wallsend late this afternoon in sunshine. Ankles rather sore after 6 long days of walking. We are behind on all this week’s puzzles but decided we had to do Hoskin’s offering this evening.
We missed the sex, drugs and rock and roll but enjoyed the solve nevertheless. We noticed the pangram along the way although it didn’t help with the solve.
Thanks Harry – always enjoyable.
Very late in today but couldn’t leave a Harry puzzle without a comment.
Thank goodness the Africans were lurking – haven’t come across the chaps before! As usual, I couldn’t decide which way round to enter the Spoonerism – just as well there were checkers to be found.
A touch of ‘our’ Harry in 18&20d – can’t say that I’ve heard of the latter, I think it was referred to as a ‘snot rag’ in my neck of the woods.
Favourite by a mile was 14d.
Thanks to Harry and to Gaufrid for doing the honours.
Very late as I’ve only just done the crossword, which I almost universally enjoyed. But I couldn’t see why 25dn said ‘Heading to Japan …’, when that’s an expression I’ve never heard and ‘Heading for Japan …’ would seem to me to be far more natural, and doesn’t harm the surface at all, indeed improves it in my opinion.