The puzzle can be found here.
Hi all. Thanks to Poins for another enjoyable puzzle to distract us awhile from another impending Monday. My favourite clue was HAIRDO at 25a, with all those chaps turning out not to be chaps at all. Henry, Rob and Bob, along with gridmates Bill and Heather, reminded me of recent musings about capitalisation conventions in cryptic crosswords.
Deceptive capitalisation is accepted in crossword clues because Words Can Be Capitalised for emphasis without changing their meaning. Decapitalisation is not, because it is held that rob, for example, only means to steal (oh, on checking Chambers, apparently it can also be a fruit syrup) whereas Robert’s three-letter nickname name would always be “Rob” (unless it’s “Bob”). Now, though, capital letters are increasingly dispensed with in many cases in informal communication and you can find many a “rob” or “bob” online. In another place recently, I wondered whether for this reason we might before long see deceptive decapitalisation in crosswords. I’d be interested to hear your views about this. As well as the puzzle of course, which brings me back to today’s main event …
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER.
Across
1a Award most of money before rift (6)
BREACH
CH (award, Companion of Honour), with most of BREAd (money) before
5a Fond of an upset occasionally (2,3,3)
ON AND OFF
FOND OF AN anagrammed (upset)
9a Inept sot struggling to go faster (4,2,2)
STEP ON IT
INEPT SOT anagrammed (struggling)
10a Type of film showing end of panic after months in space (6)
ROMCOM
The last letter of (end of) paniC following (after) M (months), all in ROOM (space)
11a Left-leaning plot against Republican is in ruins (6)
DEBRIS
The reversal of (left-leaning, in an across entry) BED (plot) next to (against) R (Republican) and IS (from the clue)
12a Somewhat powerless to embrace retreat in an enthusiastic manner (8)
ARDENTLY
[p]ARTLY (somewhat) without P (powerless) around (to embrace) DEN (retreat)
14a Detect hint of micronutrient (5,7)
TRACE ELEMENT
TRACE (detect) + ELEMENT (hint)
18a Starts with places producing protective coverings (7,5)
PLASTER CASTS
STARTS with PLACES anagrammed together producing the answer
22a Vital energy associated with girl band for instance (8)
MARIACHI
CHI (vital energy) next to (associated with) MARIA (girl)
25a Henry to broadcast with Rob and Bob possibly (6)
HAIRDO
H (henry, unit of inductance) + AIR (to broadcast) next to (with) DO (rob)
26a Tomorrow‘s article filled with spiritual nourishment? Just the opposite (6)
MANANA
MANNA (spiritual nourishment) inside (filled with … just the opposite) A (article)
27a Roomy and deceptively attractive with area for a bit of exercise (8)
SPACIOUS
SP[e]CIOUS (deceptively attractive) with A (area) in place of (for) E (a bit of Exercise)
28a Affected by onset of nerves after hoax in the London area (8)
STRICKEN
The first letter of (onset of) Nerves is placed after TRICK (hoax) inside SE (the London area)
29a Item of clothing hard to obtain close to Christmas (6)
TIGHTS
TIGHT (hard) + the last letter of (close to) ChristmaS
Down
2d Treacherous revolutionary initially escaping capture in retreat (6)
ROTTEN
tROT (revolutionary) without the first letter (initially escaping) + NET (capture) reversed (in retreat)
3d Soldier quick to learn about unserviceable gear (9)
APPARATUS
PARA (soldier) with APT (quick to learn) around (about), then US (u/s, unserviceable)
4d Greeting round of applause with a wave (9)
HANDSHAKE
HAND (round of applause) with SHAKE (a wave)
5d Not in time to protect king from violent injury (7)
OUTRAGE
OUT (not in) + AGE (time) around (to protect) R (king). I really liked the wordplay here
6d Biting Bill to get free (5)
ACRID
AC (bill) + RID (to get free)
7d Doctor involved in study of genius (5)
DEMON
MO (doctor, Medical Officer) inside (involved in) DEN (study)
8d Silly to pay Heather (8)
FOOTLING
FOOT (to pay) + LING (heather)
13d Old English flower (3)
EXE
EX (old) + E (English), where flower = something which flows, hence a river
15d Become discouraged as Larwood would if wicketless (4,5)
LOSE HEART
W (wicket) is the central letter (heart) of Larwood so if made wicketless it would, cryptically, LOSE HEART
16d Largely avoid imparting a feeling of doubt (9)
MISGIVING
All but the last letter of (largely) MISs (avoid) + GIVING (imparting)
17d Changed planes at Nice (8)
PLEASANT
An anagram of (changed) PLANES AT
19d Essential to list each kind of shrub (3)
TEA
The answer is inside (essential to) lisT EAch
20d Last of victims well hidden by murderer in watertight chamber (7)
CAISSON
The final letter of (last of) victimS and SO (well) inside (hidden by) CAIN (murderer). My last in, if I recall correctly. A new word for me so I had to trust the wordplay
21d Slightly alter poster before fair (6)
ADJUST
AD (poster) before JUST (fair)
23d Form of Arabic art originally covered by Irish TV show (5)
IRAQI
The first letter of (… originally) Art inside (covered by) IR (Irish) and QI (TV show). I was relieved to find I didn’t need any knowledge of Arabic art or Irish TV!
24d Caught with order for crystal-meth (5)
CRANK
C (caught) with RANK (order). More drugs slang to remember for crossword purposes. I never did get around to watching Breaking Bad; maybe I should now
Sadly a DNF for me as failed on crossing 11A/2D. I did think of Rotten but dismissed it, though see it now. ‘Outrage’ for ‘violent injury’ at 5D seems a bit of a stretch. Otherwise a satisfactory challenge over a Sunday breakfast, so thanks Poins and Kitty for the entertaining blog as always.
Last two to fall here were the ones that Tatrasman had problems with but I did manage to find them in time. 20d was new to me so needed to confirm my answer for that one and – again like Tatrasman – I thought 5d seemed somewhat OTT. Shame that the random girl was necessary for 22a.
Quite liked our blogger’s choice of HAIRDO (can’t help thinking that the young lady’s scalp would have been very itchy by the end of the evening!) but my favourite was TRACE ELEMENT – very neatly contrived.
Thanks to Poins and also to Miss Kitty for another very enjoyable review, your felines always make me smile. I do hope that deceptive capitalisation doesn’t become accepted – we solvers have enough to contend with as it is!
Only two comments? Where is everybody?
We too took a while to get 11ac/2dn – our last ones in. One or two others were a bit tricky but it was all very sound and satisfying. No outstanding clue but we liked TRACE ELEMENT, MAÑANA and PLEASANT.
Thanks, Poins and Kitty.
PS: Jane @2: Did you mean “deceptive capitalisation” or “deceptive DEcapitalisation”?
Sorry Allan, the thought’s obviously too much for me!