Velia has set a very enjoyable pangram this morning.
I always look forward to the puzzle when I see it is set by Velia. A good steady solve this morning. 3d, 19d and 22d are all new words to me, but none too obscure to solve and check. Solving 1d and 2d first made it clear it would most likely be a pangram. Some very enjoyable clues with great surfaces. Thanks Velia for the challenge!
1, 4. Word of honour made by frightfully brave learner with shrink (6,8)
VERBAL CONTRACT
(BRAVE)* (*frightfully) + L (learner) + CONTRACT (shrink)
9. Annoyed and poorly equipped, scrubbing gym (6)
PIQUED
(EQUIP[pe]D)* (*poorly, scrubbing gym (PE))
10. Champion’s objective beset by delay (8)
DEFENDER
END (objective) beset by DEFER (delay)
12, 13. Sporting odd nightie, the woman is washing up (5,3,6)
DOING THE DISHES
(ODD NIGHTIE)* (*sporting) + SHE’S (the woman is)
15. Season using herb that’s picked up (4)
TIME
“thyme” (herb, “picked up”)
16. Opposed sides separately infiltrating Dixie compound (7)
DIOXIDE
O[ppose]D (sides) separately infiltrating DIXIE
20. Velia’s upset, being grabbed by John Banks in this event (7)
JAVELIN
(VELIA)* (*upset) being grabbed by J[oh]N (banks)
21. See 6
25. Bush captured by Gaza leaders (6)
AZALEA
[g]AZA LEA[ders] (captured by)
26. Bizarre to see police on vacation with copper and perjurer (8)
PECULIAR
P[olic]E (in vacation) with CU (copper) and LIAR (perjurer)
28, 29. Sex affects hot, crazy being (3,5,2,4)
THE FACTS OF LIFE
(AFFECTS HOT)* (*crazy) + LIFE (being)
30. Be bandaging servant’s injury (5,3)
BLACK EYE
BE bandaging LACKEY (servant)
31. Skin of paradise fish brought back as a nibble? (6)
PEANUT
P[aradis]E (skin of) + TUNA< (fish, <brought back)
1. Tedium would turn to speed if Romeo takes the lead (8)
VAPIDITY
Would turn to speed if Romeo (R) takes the lead (i.e. RAPIDITY)
2. Animated queries about the first of Mozart’s compositions (8)
REQUIEMS
(QUERIES)* (*animated) about [M]ozart’s (the first of)
3. Up and gone, as they say (6)
AWEIGH
“away” (gone, “as they say”)
5, 27. Impose on host deliveries on river (8)
OVERSTAY
OVERS (deliveries, cricketing term) on TAY (river)
6, 7, 21. Hitchcock film with Rope finale in old city for 28, 29 (3,5,3,3,4)
THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
THE BIRDS (Hitchcock film) with [rop]E (finale) in THEBES (old city)
8. Wipe the floor with most of the impudent (6)
THRASH
TH[e] RASH (the impudent, most of)
11. Some pubic hair edible as directed (7)
CHAIRED
[pubi]C HAIR ED[ible] (some)
14. Breathed out no more (7)
EXPIRED
17. Café playing Motörhead? Request protection! (4,4)
FACE MASK
(CAFE)* (*playing) + M[otor] (head) + ASK (request)
18. Nice little number 1 playback request (8)
PETITION
PETIT (Nice little (i.e. French, from Nice) + (NO I)< (number one, <playback)
19. Opt out of pretentious production being voracious (8)
ESURIENT
([p]RE[t]ENTI[o]US)* (*production, OPT out)
22. Graduate worker getting into vehicle (6)
CANTAB
ANT (worker) getting into CAB (vehicle)
23. Shantytown preferred over city (6)
FAVELA
FAVE (preferred) over LA (city)
24. Tone down minimal amounts of make- up, foundation, face lotion etc… (6)
MUFFLE
M[ake] U[p] F[oundation] F[ace] L[otion] E[tc] (minimal amounts of)
27. See 5
The usual nice mix of easy and moderate difficulty. Wasn’t too keen on 24d with MU from make-up. If the hyphen wasn’t there then I wouldn’t have any issue though I’m sure some would object to the “minimal amounts” which is a bit vague.
In the blog for 6,7,21 it should specify that AND comes from “with”. Thanks to Velia and Teacow.
Yes, a very entertaining grid from Velia today. It was JAVELIN and DIOXIDE that triggered the pangram alarm.
Still, I took too long to find the ‘Z’ having hastily pencilled in HARD ROCK for 17d. The ‘bush’ did eventually jump out at me! 19d was new to me but fairly parsed.
I take the point made by Hovis @1 re 24d though I rather liked this clue. Favourites (and there were lots of goodies) included the long clues, particularly the Hitch reference.
A happy Monday thanks to Velia and Teacow’s blog.
A great Monday diversion. My LOI was 19d, partly because I didn’t take ‘production’ to signify an anagram (and am still dubious), and partly because I’d never heard of ‘esurient’. I loved 6,7,21 and its companion 28,29. Thanks Velia for a great Monday awakening, and Teacow for putting it all together.
Thanks Velia and Teacow
A non-trivial start to the week with this puzzle. Made no headway with the inter-related or multi-positioned answers to well into the solve until the light went on for DOING THE DISHES.
No new terms – have come across ESURIENT only in crosswords, but at least it stuck this time. Similarly with CANTAB. Did like the interlinked long clues and wondered if DOING THE DISHES was some sort of phrase to do with having sex at one stage. Saw BLACK EYE PEA along the bottom, but assume that it isn’t doing too much.
Finished down the bottom with THE FACTS OF LIFE, PETITION and then back up to the top to finally settle on AWEIGH.