Nice to get a Punk puzzle for my first blog of 2010. I found this on the easier side as Thursdays go, though none the less enjoyable for it. A very good spread of clues, 18A and 13D being my faves.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GRAND SLAM – GRAND (fine) + SLAM (criticise) | |
| 6 | BOOST – BOOTS with T and S turned | |
| 9 | ON PAPER – Anagram of OPERA + P[-agliacci] + N[-abucco] | |
| 10/16 | SIX FEET UNDER – Cryptic def. | |
| 11 | MALAWI – A W in MALI | |
| 12 | GERM CELL – GERM[-an] + “Sell” | |
| 14 | DIPHTHONG – DIP + H(ard) + THONG | |
| 17 | AARGH – Initial letters of Appear Anguished Really Getting Humiliated | |
| 18 | GORE VIDAL – DIVER rev. in GOAL | |
| 20 | THUMPING – Double def. | |
| 22 | ASKING – AS KING | |
| 25 | ART DECO – DEC in khARTOum | |
| 26 | WATTEAU – WATT + EAU | |
| 27 | THEFT – My last entry. I think is THE FT (Financial Times) | |
| 28 | ANECDOTAL – (LAD AT ONCE)* | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | GROOMED – DEMO or [Au]G[ust] rev. | |
| 2 | APPAL – “A Paul” | |
| 3 | DIP SWITCH – DIPS WITCH | |
| 4 | LARD – Hidden in spectacuLAR Dimensions | |
| 5 | MESSENGERS – MESS + (GREENS)* | |
| 6 | BUXOM – OX rev. in BUM. | |
| 7 | OPEN-ENDED – Cryptic def., ref. the golf tourney | |
| 8 | TITULAR – TIT + U + LAR[-k] | |
| 13 | GORGONZOLA – GORGON + ZOLA | |
| 15 | PIROUETTE – ROUE in PITT + E[-mbarrassed] | |
| 16 | UNVISITED – (NUDIST I’VE)*. | |
| 17 | ATTRACT – Not sure on this one – ‘Numbers four and six in penalty area, seeking draw’ | |
| 19 | LEG-PULL – Cryptic def. | |
| 21 | PLEAT – [-soi]L in PEAT | |
| 23 | INERT – IN + ER + T[-ire] | |
| 23 | TWEE – T(ime0 + WEE | |
Hi Ali
17d [pen]A[l]T[y] TRACT (area)
Thanks for the blog Ali, and for explaining 3 down – I thought there must be a misspelling of ‘which’ as ‘which’ or something, but that is actually a breathtaking clue! Worth pointing out in case anyone is unfamiliar with the history (or the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail) the reference is to the use of trial by drowning to identify witches. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_by_drowning
Good fun puzzle from Punk, which I also found was on the easy side – thanks tho for comments 1 and 2 because these were the two items I did not understand but I do now.
Thank you, Ali. Got MESSENGERS straight away and then the rest of the clues were a bit like a car with its wheels spinning on the ice – lots of revving but not much movement. However, managed it eventually with 24d my last to go in and 3d my favourite clue once it was explained to me in the blog.
This is the first Punk I have ever managed to finish so am feeling proud and slightly humbled.
And 10/16ac was also very clever.
Thanks for explaining a couple I didn’t get. I got misled by putting WHOPPING for 20A.
I enjoyed 6D, with an “of course” moment when I got it.
Good puzzle, but I didn’t like 20ac: there are other possible answers. I started with WHACKING, then changed it to WHOPPING (which may not mean ‘beating’), then rather unhappily to WHUPPING (which may not mean ‘massive’). So this made 17dn a problem.
Re #4, Kathryn’s dad, this was also my first Punk.
Rather astonishing because I am a great admirer of this setter.
Fun to see that Mr Halpern also in this “disguise” showed his obsession for bums (6d) ….
I agree with everyone that this wasn’t a very difficult crossword, but – as Ali said – the types of clues were very nicely spread.
Only 27ac (THEFT) – also my last one – is not so clear to me (apart from the fact that it cán be ‘The FT’).
My favourites were both football-related clues: 18ac (GORE VIDAL) and the hugely inventive 17d (ATTRACT) with a splendid surface reading on top of that.
Ali, thank you for the blog.
Only in 14ac it should read, of course, H(urt) and not H(ard).