We always look forward to a Tuesday Knut puzzle to find out which topical issue he is highlighting….
… but we have to say that we were surprised by the overtly political theme in today’s puzzle. We sincerely hope that Knut is using the government’s attitude to 20/21s for the theme, not his own. The clue for 20/21 certainly doesn’t reflect our attitude, nor, we believe, that of The Independent. The inclusion of 2d / 8d surely can’t be a coincidence, especially when we have the 15d target of 7d / 18, when crossing the 9ac. We’re not too sure whether 28ac should be included as a thematic entry, but there is a definite connection.
Knut has included a lot of proper nouns in the clues today – which would normally throw us as we’re not into celebrities. However, fortunately for us, we had heard of all the personalities referred to, so thanks Knut for that!!
Thanks flashing for revealing the theme of the puzzle which we completely missed. Clandestine Channel Threat Commander is the full title of the new government position so all 4 words are included in the grid. One has to worry about the use of the first word in the title. The rest of the thematic clues now fall into place.
Thanks and sincere apologies to Knut.
CLAN (Cameron is a Scottish clan) DESTINEd (fated) without or ‘spilling’ ‘d’ (daughter)
BoAT (dinghy, for one) without or ‘dropping’ ‘o’ (old)
CHAN (fictional detective Charlie Chan) LEN (Len McLuskey – General Secretary of the Unite the Union) reversed or ‘retiring’
A homophone (‘singing’) of COARSE (bawdy) AIR (sea shanty)
COMMANDEeR (requisition) with one of the ‘e’s (base) omitted or ‘leaving’
SCH (school) W (with) A (American)
An anagram of NEIL GOT – anagrind is ‘ugly’
S (first or ‘prime’ letter of steak) EAT (swallow)
A stagecoach heading for London could be described as the UP-STAGE. It seems to be traditional to refer to travelling towards London as going ‘up’. Joyce’s mother for one. We find this rather worrying as it tends to reinforce the attitude (seemingly held by many governments) that London is superior to the rest of the country, particularly the north. We and Joyce’s mother who is 97 next month, live north of London and we travel ‘down’ to London.
Sean Connery is known for his tendency to pronounce an ‘s’ as ‘sh’ – he would therefore probably pronounce the writer Will Self’s surname as SHELF
LIGHTS (sparks up) HIP (joint)
An anagram of BAKE (anagrind is ‘produce’) with LED (light) outside or as a ‘crust’
This doesn’t seem to be a very cryptic clue, unless we’re missing something – an EYESPOT on a butterfly’s wing is given that name because it looks like an eye, which could be described as an ‘optical’ illusion
A homophone (‘articulate’) of MARR – Andrew Marr, the BBC politics presenter
An anagram of SECRET COUP I – anagrind is ‘organised’
CA (circa – ‘about’) in or ‘probing’ COCO (Coco Chanel, the fashion designer) + LA (French for ‘the’)
An anagram of MARGINAL – anagrind is ‘difference’
DO (party) ANN (Ann Summers, the retail company specialising in sex toys and lingerie) reversed or ‘set up’ – a reference to Donna Summer, the American singer-songwriter
SO OLD (very aged) with LID (cover) G (good) inside or as a ‘lining’
Hidden in or ‘a bit of’ paIN CURrently
E (English) TRUSt (charitable foundation) without the last letter or ‘endlessly’ CANS (preserves)
D (last letter of Richard) after BEACH (‘sandy shore’ – a homophone or ‘on the radio’ of Sandie Shaw) and an anagram of YEAH – anagrind is ‘weird’
TREAT (nurse) round H (hospital)
Alternate or ‘regular’ letters of fIaNcEe + F (first letter or ‘introduction’ of fairy) FABLE (tale)
UGG (trade name for a brand of sheepskin boots) in S, M and L (small, medium and large – ‘all sizes’) ERS (queens – Elizabeths I and II)
CT (court) round or ‘impounding’ an anagram of CHEAPO – anagrind is ‘plastic’ – a new word for us
D (democrat) IC (in charge) round or ‘detaining’ an anagram of POETS – anagrind is ‘tortured’
An anagram of UK RELEASES MY – anagrind is ‘work’ – we’re not at all happy with the definition, even though it reflects the Home Office attitude
LAD (boy) ER (king, as in Edward Rex)
THE MEd (Mediterranean Sea) without the last letter or ‘bottomless’
I think that 1ac – 9ac – 11ac is thematic as the post has just been created by the government. Thanks Knut and B&J for the moorning fun
Thanks flashling. We had completely forgotten that was the title of the person appointed by the government back in August.
Thanks, Flashling. Knut said it celebrates a new job, but I hadn’t worked out what it was.
According to the government’s press release, the post’s title also has 8a in there: 1a 9a 8d 11a.
We have now amended the preamble and added our apologies to Knut.
Totally missed the theme – but then I missed the announcement of the post so never stood a chance. But greatly enjoyed the puzzle – particularly the delightfully relevant surface of CORSAIR, the lovely use of the homophone and overall surface in BEACHY HEAD, the misdirection and yet another smooth surface in LIGHTSHIP, the clever definition for DONNA and the witty one for LAKE BED . The Sean Connery device is outrageous – but why not? And I amazed myself by remembering the craze for Ug boots which helped resolve SMUGGLERS – what a clever use of sizes. Finally, I’m in the camp that has no issue at all with brand names coming into either clues or solutions – though everything in moderation: COCA COLA was very cleverly assembled and with the kind of misleading coherent surface that I love.
Thanks to Knut and to Bertandjoyce (I feel your pain and can easily see how the parts assembled a – mistaken – whole for you. At least, having found yourself in one(!), you stopped digging 😀 )
Although I completed the puzzle, the theme totally passed me by and I still don’t quite understand it, much less appreciate it. Despite which, I enjoyed it very much and really liked the clever clues for 3 and 7/18 down. Thanks Knut and B&J.
Knut does it again – I’ve always smiled at the 1/8/11 as there is nothing particularly 1a about the vast numbers of people crossing the Channel on a daily basis and landing on our beaches here in Kent
Thanks to Knut and B&J
Thanks for the blog, dear B&J, and thanks to those who have commented. When I first read of the appointment of Dan O’Mahoney as Clandestine Channel Threat Commander I assumed it was a satirical item from Private Eye or similar. Yet apparently not. I accept that a voluble sector of the UK electorate is anti-immigration, so they must be delighted to have Priti Patel in the Home Office, who embraces her task with a remarkable gusto.
warmest regards to all, Rob/Knut
Thanks Knut for great puzzle and post (i’m very distant here in far north QLD but not complaining)-so such puzzles keep me in touch
And thanks B&J for a great blog
A great crossword but a thoroughly depressing theme, reminding us of the depths to which our so-called government has dragged this country. Thanks, though, Knut and B&J.
Another brilliant crossword from Knut – so clever to get all the parts of the egregious post in, so close together in the grid, along with all the other references.
PostMark @5 sums up all my admiration for individual clues but it’s allan_c @10 who sums up my overall feeling about the puzzle. As an active supporter of the City of Sanctuary movement since its beginning, I winced at the definition for 20/21.
For the first time ever, I can’t say I enjoyed this Knut puzzle but I’m still full of admiration for it, so many thanks for it, Knut and to B and J for the great blog.
To quote copmus @9, a great puzzle and post. To quote allan_c @10 – well, all of it.
Thanks Knut and B&J.
nice overall – cleary need to focus more on the theme thing as it provoked a tumbleweed moment for me… cachepot was a surprise .. given I’ve always known it as something that hides a pot, not strictly a vase.. but the anagram didn’t lie, as always… lader was a new word use for me but the clue was clear… all good
thanks Knut and Bertandjoyce
An enjoyable puzzle so much appreciated, Knut, and thanks for the blog, Bertandjoyce, as you explained several things of which I was unsure. Favourites were 1a CLANDESTINE and 20/21d ASYLUM SEEKER for its topicality. However I didn’t know anything about the theme so I missed it entirely.