A rushed post as we head off on holiday, so I hope I haven’t missed too much! The puzzle was a very enjoyable test, with a couple of trickier clues in the South East corner…
… in particular, our last-ones-in were TITANESS and KNOT.
Across
8. Possible regret on waking housebound granny, initially? (8)
HANGOVER
G[ranny] = “Granny, initially” in HANOVER = “house” (as in “royal house”)
Definition: “Possible regret on waking”
9. Biblical character, writer briefly embracing a mystic syllable (5)
NAOMI
NI[b] = “writer briefly” around A + OM = “mystic syllable”
Definition: “Biblical character” – Naomi is from the Book of Ruth
11. As heavy traffic carries on backing up, trouble ensuing (4,2,4)
NOSE TO TAIL
TOTES = “carries” + ON, all reversed (“backing up”) followed by AIL = “trouble”
Definition: “As heavy traffic”
12, 24. Song stretching out for US singer-songwriter (6,4)
CAROLE KING
CAROL = “strong” + EKING = “stretching out”
Definition: “US singer-songwriter”
14, 13. Regular relief from daughter? (8,2,3,5)
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
A reverse clue: DAUGHTER might be clued cryptically by “changing of the guard”
Definition: “Regular relief”
15. Classical thinker attached to army unit (7)
PLATOON
PLATO = “Classical thinker” + ON = “attached to”
Definition: “army unit”
17, 3. ‘Safe place for a show’, girl claims — this way for entertainment! (7,6)
SEVENTH AVENUE
EVENT HAVEN = “Safe place for a show” inside SUE (“girl claims”)
Definition: “this way for entertainment” (“way” in crosswordese being a street, or avenue in this case)
20. Approach sign in race after diversion (4,4)
COME NEAR
OMEN = “sign” in (RACE)* (the anagram indicator is “after diversion”)
Definition: “Approach”
22, 22 down, 7. Looking good with this short-term concept? (6-6,6)
TWENTY-TWENTY VISION
The year 2020 is not far away, so I suppose a “2020 vision” would be a “short-term concept” (and there is a question mark :))
Definition: “Looking good with this” – I learned when researching this post that 20/20 vision isn’t actually “perfect” – if you can read lines further down the chart at the optician than the 20/20 line you might have higher visual acuity, e.g. 20/10 would be better.
23. Get better price after Queen holds a shade back (10)
RECUPERATE
RATE = “price” after ER = “Queen” around PUCE = “shade”, all reversed (“back”)
Definition: “Get better”
25, 10. Magician, say, reversing curse that’s beset player (5,4)
TAROT CARD
DRAT = “curse” around ACTOR = “player”, all reversed
Definition: “Magician, say” – The Magician is a Tarot card
26. Wet bum covered in thorns? Don’t 23! (3,5)
GET WORSE
(WET)* (“bum” is the anagram indicator) in GORSE = “thorns?”
Definition: “Don’t [recuperate]”
Down
1. In large space, a fish enjoyed itself (3,1,4)
HAD A BALL
A DAB = “a fish” in HALL = “large space”
Definition: “enjoyed itself”
2. Artist virtually climbing over the hill, some might say? (4)
AGED
DEGA[s] = “Artist virtually” reversed (“climbing”)
Definition: “over the hill, some might say?”
4. Cut in three, strict rule finally broken (7)
TRISECT
(STRICT E)* (the E is from [rul]E – “rule finally”)
Definition: “Cut in three”
5. Admit what I did in the restaurant I visited? (8)
INITIATE
Cryptic definition: “what I did in the restaurant I visited?” – IN IT, I ATE
Definition: “Admit” – I think this is from “to initiate / admit [someone] into a secret society”, say
6. European songwriter endlessly penning contrapuntal pieces, blowing top (10)
PORTUGUESE
PORTE[r] = “songwriter endlessly” (referring to Cole Porter) around [f]UGUES = “contrapuntal pieces, blowing top”
Definition: “European”
16. Food in old crusts of toast, scrap sandwiches (8)
OMELETTE
O = “old” + MELEE = “scrap” around (“sandwiches”) T[oas]T = “crusts of toast”
Definition: “Food”
18. Rhea, for example, bird ahead? (8)
TITANESS
Our last one in – tricky definition and parsing: TIT = “bird” + A NESS = “ahead?” (“a head”)
Definition: “Rhea, for example”
19. Attack a rule in speech (7)
ARRAIGN
A + RAIGN sounds like (“in speech”) “reign”
Definition: “Attack”
21. Godfather’s code in theatre mostly sent up (6)
OMERTA
Hidden, reversed in “[the]ATRE MO[stly]”
Definition: “Godfather’s code”
24. Bird gathering speed on water (4)
KNOT
Double Triple definition: “Bird” and “speed on water” (referring to one nautical mile per hour) and “gathering” – thanks to everyone who pointed out that “gathering” is a third definition rather than a link word
5 Down Initiate….. what a cracking clue!
Thanks mhl. Another good test I thought. My LOI was 22,22,7 for some reason I now find hard to explain except I had allowed the crossing letters to predispose my thinking that one of the words must be ‘pretty’. I liked 14,13; very clever. I didn’t help myself by entering DEGAS at 2d, for which I think I might still be forgiven, and I don’t understand om = mystic syllable.
It seems to me that 24d is a triple definition; a knot of people can also be a gathering.
Sorry, it was DEGA that I had for 2d which I can now see makes no sense.
Thanks to Paul and mhl. After a struggle I got and parsed everything except for TWENTY-TWENTY VISION where I too kept trying somehow to work in “pretty.”
Agree Biggles A that knot is a triple, and a great clue. I wrote “expletive hard work” on my printout, with “slow!” next to changing daughter, event haven, short-term concept, magician, in it I ate (der!) and knot. So Saturday was a slow-brain day, addled by footy-watching. Great puzzle though, in retrospect. Thanks to Paul and Mhl.
I 1-down with this one.
I’m sure Biggles A@2 is right about the triple definition in 24d; there have been periodic instances of “bad” linking words in the G., and “gathering” would be a particularly egregious example of that trend. Maybe that’s what held up mhl.
I was a little doubtful about the correctness of 8a, to be honest. I don’t think a hangover is a possible regret at all. It’s a possible cause of it, to be sure.
Thanks.
[Roughly], Om or Aum is a Hindu thing, primordial sound that is chanted.
Thanks mhl. The neatly anagrammed daughter was FOI and TITANESS (as with you) last- had to look up Rhea for that one. Knocked over in the lunch hour with trouble mainly from the house-bound granny, the singer-songwriter and the Magician.
I’m not convinced that a vision of what might happen in 2020 is “short-term”. In today’s world of instant communication and instant gratification, 6 to 18 months ahead could be considered long-term. (Brexit or US presidential election anyone?).
Dr. WhatsOn at #6, I think the hangover is the regret – without the hangover I probably wouldn’t regret the previous night’s revelry.
My TILT was OMERTA, not having seen any of the Godfather movies. Favourites were INITIATE, PORTUGUESE, and CHANGING OF THE GUARD.
This was a challenging but fair and entertaining puzzle. Thanks to Paul and mhl – enjoy your holiday – for the pleasure and enlightenment.
I had trouble parsing a few of those, so thanks for helping me out with SEVENTH AVENUE and NOSE TO TAIL, mhl. And with KNOT – I’d not realised a knot was a bird (you live and learn) and I’d been trying to see ‘bird gathering’ as a knot, which would work brilliantly if ‘knot’ was a collective noun for some type of bird, but when I checked all I could find was a ‘knot of frogs’, so in the end I had to come here to have that explained as well. ‘Amphibian gathering speed on water’ would have worked they way I had in mind.
But that aside, all good fun. Thanks Paul.
Thanks Paul and mhl
I didn’t like 22etc. I don’t see the “short term concept”, and surely it should be “seeing” rather than “looking” (though the surface wouldn’t work then).
Never heard if carole king and didn’t know a fugue is contrapuntal (whatever that means.) Also can’t equate seventh avenue with this way for entertainment, but probably being dense.
Excellent puzzle with some very good wordplay. No real moans and lots of ticks.
Favourites were CHANGING OF THE GUARD, TWENTY-TWENTY VISION, GET WORSE.
I liked ‘bum’ as an anagram indicator; I also liked the use of ‘crusts of toast’ to indicate the first and last letters of the word; and I liked the use of ‘claim’ to indicate ‘around’.
Nice to see a couple more classical references too, though, as I recall, Plato only recorded the thoughts of Socrates. Though, as he was in Socrates’ gang, I suppose he was a thinker too.
Had to look up Carole King.
Thanks to Paul and to mhl.
Howard March@12: Seventh Avenue is the home of both Madison Square Gardens and Carnegie Hall, both of which are certainly well known entertainment venues but I had to look that up.
Enjoyable and satisfying grid. LOI was OMERTA: I was trying to find a Godfather (or God father – Oberon?) for a while and seeking a code to put into a reversed theatre! The answer occurred to me, as so often, much later in the day and when doing something completely different.
Thanks to both Paul and MHL
Re 22, 22d, 7. Having been brought up on Test cricket, I consider the 20-20 form of the game ‘short-term’.
Thanks to Paul and mhl. Yorkshire Lass I completed and parsed mostly, but didn’t see how NOSE TO TAIL worked. Amazed that some solvers hadn’t heard of Carole King – they must be very young. Everyone our age had Tapestry, and seeing Beautiful on 42nd St a year or two ago was a highlight. Thanks again.
Thanks to Paul and mhl
This was quite a struggle until I got 22,22,7. Not through parsing but because I have just had my cataracts operated on. For the first time after years of severe myopia I have 20/20 vision, and I recognised the term from the numbering. It felt like a personal message!
Snap mhl ! Also had TITANESS closely followed by KNOT as last in. Only getting the former through some ahem research-wanting to check out the scientific family of the large flightless bird and came across its etymological origin in the Greek last giants instead.
Some great clues in here, enjoyed INITIATE CHANGING THE GUARD SEVENTH HEAVEN inter alia. The wordplay for INITIATE has an antique ring about it – I can imagine Victorian / Edwardian forebears chortling over this. But I’ve not consciously seen it before.
Thanks Paul and mhl and all other learned contributors for the entertainment and elucidation.
Thanks to Paul and mhl. I found this generally slow going with quite a bit of solve and parse. Being one of my favourite singers Carole King was one of the first in and the SE corner held out the longest. I had ticks against Carole King, titaness and initiate, and thanks again to Paul and mhl.
I’m confused about 24 down? I’ve only seen gathering used as an insertion indicator??
Ah seen the comment about triple definition 🙂
I’ve updated the post to upgrade it from double to triple definition!
What with it being Paul and my own dirty mind, I thought 14,13 was a bit risqué.
Steady solve. FOI was platoon, LOI hangover, COD changing of the guard. Thanks to Paul and bloggers.
We had such fun with this, what a great entertainment, Paul on top form! (is there a use for US in the Carole King clue that I missed?)
Lots of fun with this one, esp. 14,13 and 5d.
17,3 and 22a,22d,7 were typical Paul in that the indisputable cleverness of the wordplay has to serve as an excuse for what others have, I think rightly, described as questionable definitions. To me 2020 can be short-, medium-, or long-term depending on the context and describing Seventh Avenue as a way to entertainment when it isn’t even the postal address of MSG and is only half of Carnegie Hall’s is stretching it too far.
Thanks to Paul and mhl.
Enjoyed this with 14,14 CHANGING OF THE GUARD my FOI and favourite. A bit dubioius about ‘admit’ = ‘initiate’, though.
@mhl, there’s a typo in the parsing of CAROLE KING: ‘strong’ for ‘song’
@Jane, Carole King is American, hence the helpful ‘US’ before ‘singer-songwriter’. If you’re the Jane I think you are, you are definitely too old not to have heard of her. As well as her own recordings as mentioned by Irishman, “She is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1955 and 1999. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1952 and 2005.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_King
When I was a student, Tapestry was the least controversial album that many people owned. Leonard Cohen’s first was loved by many, but (strangely) heartily disliked by some.
…I should have said “people I knew”.
Thanks both . I was also thinking of cricket for ’20-20′.
7th Avenue intersects Broadway, hence the ‘way TO entertainment’?
Excellent mix of clever clues and a fun solve. My FOI was CHANGING OF THE GUARD which somehow came to me almost with the letter counts. One of a few that tickled me.
Thanks mhl for the expert parsing which was definitely required for a couple of the trickier clues (e.g. SEVENTH HEAVEN) I’d have to say, therefore, that Paul came out on top again but I was close.
Paul seems to be back on form. Some of his relatively recent puzzles I’ve found very difficult but this was great.TITANESS was a bit of a struggle. I knew SEVENTH AVENUE and associated it with show biz but I’m not sure why.
Tapestry seemed to be owned by every girl friend and girlfriend I had back in the day so I never needed to own it.Surprisingly,it stands up rather well.
Thanks Paul.
Broadway and SEVENTH AVENUE are two of the streets that meet in Times Square…but that doesn’t turn 7th into Broadway, so I agree that that definition was suspect. 7th is associated with the fashion industry more than anything.
Gonzo@30. Ypu may be right, but if so it’s very obscure.
Peter Aspinwall @ 32. I suspect that Paul was like you in associating SEVENTH AVENUE with show business without knowing why. I associste MSG with boxing though Googling shows that it does host showbiz events. Carnegie Hall seems to be almost entirely used for classical music.
mrpenny @33 I read this clue as it states – a way that leads to entertainment. 7th Avenue leads to Times Square and Broadway so does exactly as the definition says. Many of us will have heard of it from Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” (“Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue…”) and it was neatly put together with the wordplay so I felt this was an excellent clue overall.
Tough going but it was a prize and a worthwhile one – thank you Paul for a very entertaining puzzle.
Another enjoyable Paul puzzle. I know nothing about 7th avenue, so simply accepted the definition without researching it. I think the Simon and Garfunkel reference may well explain the choice of definition.
Paul has a penchant for bizarre surfaces, but even then “Rhea, for example, bird ahead?” is overly weird. Switching the order to “Bird ahead! Rhea, for example?” seems much more natural to me.
Good inventive cluing in general. I liked HANGOVER, CHANGING OF THE GUARD, SEVENTH AVENUE and KNOT most of all, the latter being a particularly good triple.
Thanks, Paul and mhl. Enjoy your break!
Thank you mhl and Paul.
We struggled with this and in the end DNF, but really enjoyed it.
Like many others got stuck with 22,22,7 being PRETTY PRETTY something.
14, 13 our favourite.
As it’s now Sunday, I’m going to get a plug in for my new and still-developing Wordsmith blog at https://wordsmith.blog, which I hope will be of interest to cruciverbalists. I’d welcome suggestions for further content – gw@geoffwilkins.net