Independent 10,326 by Hob

by

As the nights draw in and dawn comes after getting-up time, I have for my second blog in a row a puzzle by Hob

Particularly liked 19ac, but the bands may not be so familiar to younger solvers. Some top-notch clue surfaces too. Also nice to see a reference to one of the best television series ever made – The Avengers, which did unearth a new word for me (certainly required youth and experience in one clue).

Anything hidden, well yes, in the first column HORSES and the last column SHORES (anagrams of each other). But nothing else I could spot.

Many thanks Hob – an enjoyable solve

Key: * anagram; DD double definition; Rev. reversed; Underline – clue definition

ACROSS

1 Moving engine part, replaced points (6)

(points)* = PISTON

4 After retiring, a Scotsman drinks a little Spanish port (5)

Rev. (A + Rev. Rab (Scotsman) + s (little Spanish)) = BASRA

7 Feminist of stature, it’s said (4)

Homonym of height (stature) = HITE

8 Discover dog setter would go head over heels for (3,2)

Rev. Pug (dog) + I’d (setter would) = DIG UP

10 Where cricketers practise catches (4)

DD NETS

11 Go beyond detailing our true nature, for a start (6)

our-r+ true-e + n (nature for a start) = OUTRUN

12 Have great success getting a lift out of it? (4,4)

ride (a lift) + high (out of it?) = RIDE HIGH

13 Run against those moving slowly, ones that are straggling perhaps (8)

R (run) + amblers (those moving slowly) = RAMBLERS

15 City into playing S American in the US (6)

LA (city) + (into)* = LATINO

16 Second-to-none leader wanted? Yes, by … (6)

s (second) + nought(none) – n (leader) = SOUGHT

19 … member of 60s group, one of the Seekers (8)

DD SEARCHER

22 Airy-fairy online article by team from Spain (8)

E (online) + the (article) + Real (team from Spain) = ETHEREAL

23 Canter around in a state of abstraction (6)

(Canter)* = TRANCE

25 Made notes from article in Saturday’s Guardian, initially

An (article) in sg (Saturday’s Guardian, initially) = SANG

26 Broadcasting our nation’s decree (5)

Homonym of UK’s = UKASE

27 Very discourteous, extremely obnoxious people (4)

So (very) + ds (discourteous, extremely) = SODS

28 Informal info on Return of the Avenger (5)

Rev. Steed (Avenger – one of the real ones 1960’s/ 70’s) = DEETS

29 Thinks there’s something irrational about 11? On the contrary (6)

Ones (11) around pi (irrational) = OPINES

Down

1 Two Greek characters left note about “right bloomer” (7)

Pi + mu (2 Greek characters) around r (right) + l (left) + a (note) = PRIMULA

2 Slander  REM as “pants” (5)

(REM as)* = SMEAR

3 Discovered word I need for a priest? (7)

Hidden wORD I NEEd = ORDINEE

4 Like this setter, confused its lead with lead (Pb) (7)

(I (it’s lead) + lead + pb)* = BIPEDAL

5 Mock excruciatingly tiny chest (9)

(tiny chest)* = SYNTHETIC

6 Against info that might provide immunity (7)

Anti (against) + gen (info) = ANTIGEN

9 Is a revolver carried by dodgy restaurateur? (5)

Hidden dodGY REStaurateur = GYRES

14 Former measure in support of Little Rock, when up in the top group of baseball teams (3,6)

Rev. Gib (lttle rock) + league (former measure) = BIG LEAGUE

17 Would rat have not lost, playing away from home? (7)

(would not – l (lost)* = OUTWARD

18 Nuts supply keeps this woman going repeatedly? Yes, loosely, with these (3,4)

(nuts)* around her (this woman) = THE RUNS

19 System for teaching music lecturer used in Chesterfield? (3-2)

L (lecturer) in sofa (Chesterfield?) = SOL-FA

20 Solution written on page? Time for second port (7)

Answer (solution) + p (page) swapping t(time) for s (second) = ANTWERP

21 English missile evacuated overseas capital once (7)

E (english) + scud (missile) + os (evacuated overseas) = ESCUDOS

24 Jockey once caught out for crime (5)

Carson (Jockey once) – c (caught) = ARSON

13 comments on “Independent 10,326 by Hob”

  1. Finished this and a little quicker than normal for a Hob.

    Wondered about the plural in 9d. Decided it was more likely the verb?

    Had to look up the feminist in 7a but, given the nina, it was a straightforward guess.

    The word “former” isn’t really needed in 14d since the nautical measure is still in use. The old roman league isn’t so the clue is fine.

    Thanks to Hob and twencelas.

  2. The ninas were easily spotted but I don’t understand their connection with (Shere) Hite, even after reading her Wikipedia entry. Am I missing something obvious? But enjoyed the puzzle anyway so thanks to Hob and Twencelas.

  3. There is something else to spot, connected to the nina and spread right around the grid. Definitely not obvious, but there to be spotted. I’ll say no more, at least for the moment.

    Thanks to twencelas meanwhile for the blog, and to others for your comments.

  4. Tatrasman @2. Don’t think there is any link. Hope my above comment wasn’t misleading. I only meant that the nina gave HI?E from which HITE was the obvious homonym. Without the H, I would not have even attempted a solution.

  5. Thanks to twencelas and Hob

    I think Cape Verde still uses the Escudo.

    Very nice crossword, I count 9, possibly 10 theme items.

  6. Several words that were new to us: ukase, deets, sol fa; and as usual US sporting terms (big league) are an alien mystery. But all gettable, so thanks for puzzle and blog. But will someone please explain the Nina so I don’t have to keep on coming back, especially now that the online Independent has wiped our completed grid!

  10. Very clever. The only ones not mentioned by Phi @7 that I have spotted so far are: STEED, NAGS, FOALS, ROANS and MARES.

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