The last IoS offering of 2019 brings us a themed crossword – unusual for this slot, but an entertaining puzzle from Kairos, which required a bit of headscratching in a couple of places.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
6 Knight left money heading off for 27
SIRLOIN
A charade of SIR, L and [C]OIN for the first of our steaks.
7 Agent‘s hit hard drinking beer, we hear
BAILIFF
An insertion of AIL, a homophone of ALE or ‘beer’, in BIFF.
9 Temper describes bishop’s 27
T-BONE
An insertion of B in TONE. The insertion indicator is ‘describes’.
10 Alert to where eight may be in pool
ON THE BALL
A cd cum dd: in the game of pool, the numbers are painted on the balls.
11 Pass oxygenated chlorine
COL
A bit of chemistry required: Kairos is inviting you to insert O for oxygen in CL for ‘chlorine’.
12 Mark’s swapping sides for 27
FLANK
You need to swap R for L in FRANK for ‘mark’. Poor man’s steak.
14 Four notes about a private meeting
TÊTE-À-TÊTE
Four lots of the seventh note of the sol-fa surround A.
16 Wine maker’s marque includes one 27
CHATEAUBRIAND
A charade of CHATEAU and I inserted into BRAND. Dead posh steak.
21 Orders Ultravox singer to leave popular compositions
INSTRUCTS
IN STRUCT[URE]S Midge URE is the referenced, and removed, ‘Ultravox singer’.
23 Bypass 27
SKIRT
A dd. Don’t forget to remove the membrane before cooking.
24 Form of 27 in a mixed state
PIE
Arguably the most tempting of the 27s on offer from Kairos this morning, especially with lashings of onion gravy and crinkle-cut chips. A dd, the second of which was new learning for me. Chambers has:
pie, pye or pi n type confusedly mixed (printing); a mixed state; confusion
25 Catholic books included in introduction for 27
ENTRECÔTE
Stuff always tastes better when you give it a posh French name (it just means ‘between the ribs’). An insertion of C and OT for Old Testament or ‘books’ in ENTREE
27 Cut small tree
STEAK
The gateway clue: a simple charade of S and TEAK. But not so simple that it was my first one in.
29 Inigo originally leaves premises rebuilt for ruler
EMPRESS
(PREM[I]SES)*
30 Essential oil bottled in plastic amphora
CAMPHOR
Hidden in plastiC AMPHORa.
Down
1 Group regularly excluded star pilot
TRIO
The even letters of sTaR pIlOt.
2 Oil producers invested in Kronor to make money
KOPECK
An insertion of OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) in two Ks for ‘Kronor’. The Kronor is the currency of Sweden; the Kopeck is a division of the Russian rouble.
3 Open a foreign roll of cloth
UNBOLT
A charade of UN for one of the French words for ‘a’ and BOLT. The second definition is listed fifth in Chambers.
4 Technical types like Times newspaper
DIGERATI
No, it wasn’t LITERATI, was it? It’s not a term I’ve heard before, but it’s in Chambers, and is a formation based on LITERATI. It’s a charade of DIG, ERA for ‘time’, T for ‘time’ and I for the i newspaper, which was originally spawned by the Independent but has since been sold on, most recently to the Daily Heil group. Which as a daily reader I find potentially scary. We’ll see.
5 Briefly bed leading lady
DIVA
DIVA[N]
6 Leave Home Counties with well-heeled man
SET OFF
A charade of SE for South East or ‘Home Counties’ and TOFF.
7 Objection raised after hotel bill returned for Jacuzzi?
BATHTUB
A reversal of H and TAB followed by a reversal of BUT. The two reversal indicators are ‘raised’ and ‘returned’. If Kairos thinks a jacuzzi and a bathtub are the same thing, he obviously doesn’t do posh. In his defence, he has put a question mark at the end.
8 Motel life holds up 27
FILLET
Hidden reversed in moTEL LIFe. Dead expensive steak. Whatever you do, don’t overcook it.
13 Ancient hero free from evil pains
ACHES
ACH[ILL]ES
15 Boredom of Northern Greek character in East Indies
ENNUI
An insertion of N and NU for the Greek letter in EI.
17 Directed seaman to obtain education
TARGETED
A charade of TAR, GET and ED.
18 TV presenters‘ flukes may be seen on them?
ANCHORS
A dd. ‘Flukes’ are the sticky-out things on ANCHORS that help grip the seabed.
19 Make fun of detective’s 27
RIBEYE
A charade of RIB and [Private] EYE. Look out for good marbling, for flavour and ease of grilling.
20 Coup sees resistance dropping for author
STOKER
The setter is asking you to move downwards (‘dropping’) the R in STROKE: this gives you the Irish author best known for Dracula.
22 Go into school for talk
SPEECH
An insertion of PEE in SCH. Let’s not get upset about PEE. We’re all consenting adults. And it’s a great surface.
23 Society of Engineers corresponding with oil producer
SESAME
A charade of SE and SAME.
26 Record of the Northern orang-utan?
TAPE
Trouble at t’mill? ‘Appen there would be if tha couldn’t get t’ape ter leave.
28 A memory evoked by City on promontory reportedly
ECHO
A charade of EC (the postcode for the City of London and a crossword staple) and HO, a homophone (‘reportedly’) of HOE. Chambers has:
hoe² n a promontory or projecting ridge (now only in place names)
… but not, as far as my research shows, in Westward Ho!
Many thanks to Kairos for this Sunday’s puzzle.
This was not too taxing and great fun – less so perhaps if you are a vegetarian.
Cluing three letter words must present quite a challenge and my favourite today is the splendid 11a.
Many thanks to Kairos and to Pierre.
Very enjoyable, as for once the theme’s key-word was easily solved. I couldn’t parse Entrecote as I got fixated on NT for books – silly me! Thanks Kairos and Pierre.
28D as in Plymouth Hoe.
Excellent puzzle for a Sunday, with some meaty clues one could get one’s teeth into.
Thanks to Kairos and Pierre.
I knew it was wrong but still put in ‘literati’ at 4d, being unable to dig up the correct three letter word for ‘like’. I parsed PIE as a cryptic def, but agree that having ‘in a mixed state’ as the wordplay is what was intended. Good to see that an obvious The Donald related clue wasn’t part of the thematic fare on offer.
A pleasant confidence builder after yesterday’s struggle.
Thanks to Kairos and to Pierre
Thanks for the Hoe example, gwep. I guessed there’d be one out there somewhere.
A pleasant enough Sunday stroll. We thought 4 couldn’t be ‘literati’ but had to leave it at that because the wordfinder we used hasn’t got DIGERATI in its vocabulary. Apart from that, all correct. Now to cook our dinner of 27 and chips (nothing as posh as 16, though).
Thanks, Kairos and Pierre.
Thanks to all for the comments and to Pierre for the review.
A very happy New Year to all the bloggers and readers.
Thanks to Pierre and Kairos
All very good but I don’t see 24a
Isn’t 27 a form of 24 rather than the other way around?
Unless the whole clue is a cryptic def.
Completely forgot to pop in yesterday but I did enjoy this one as indeed I do the theme elements, particularly 16a & 8d.
Interesting to read about the second definition of 24a, definitely a new one for me.
Many thanks to Kairos for the puzzle and to Pierre for the blog.