Independent 10,650 by Bluth

by

[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here

A very challenging puzzle with some great surface definitions.

As I'm currently on antibiotics for a severely infected left thumb, I could have done without 1 across, but it was an interesting clue containing a device you don't often see. For surface definitions, 21D was brilliantly topical (starting packing yet, Donald?) 12A and 13A were also excellent.

ACROSS
1 RULE OF THUMB You finally sign paper protected by one of 32 points giving rough guidance (4,2,5)
 

[Yo]u + Leo(=sign of the Zodiac) + FT(=Financial Times) in Rhumb. A rhumb is one of 32 lines on a compass.
7 GAS Housing association bottles fuel (3)
 

Hidden in housing association
9 SAGES Drops round last of frankincense for wise men (5)
 

Sags(=drops) around [frankincens]e
10 LAUNCH PAD Secretary meets director after a filling meal – it’s a good start to a career (6,3)
 

PA(=personal assistant) + d{irector) after a in lunch
11 MILKSHAKE Model takes in QC after the first quiet drink (9)
 

Make around ([s]ilk (=slang for QC, letters after the first one) + sh(=quiet))
12 SQUAT Most of the players – and the essential ingredient of Peter Crouch (5)
 

Squa[d] + [Pe]t[er]
13 RESPITE Break the limits of time after the Royal Institution embraces psychic powers (7)
 

R{oyal} I{nstitution} around ESP(=Extra Sensory Perception) + t[im]e
15 EXIT Leave old computer equipment (4)
 

Ex + IT(=Information Technology). Slightly dubious about IT for computer equipment, as the phrase normally encompasses more than just hardware.
18 LAIR Regularly visit sleazier den (4)
 

Even letters of sleazier
20 BAZOOKA Charge around Arizona with atomic weapon (7)
 

Book around Az(=Arizona abbrev) + a{tomic}
23 DITTO Love song cut short opening in the same manner (5)
 

O(=love) with ditt[y] in front of it.
24 JOSS STICK DJ catching embarrassing complaint on ship – it smells (4,5)
 

Jock around (STI(=sexually transmitted infection, something that might be embarrassing) on SS)
26 BRIGADIER Officer reviewed air bridge (9)
 

(Air bridge)*
27 SPASM Sergeant Major joining health resort to get fit (5)
 

Spa + S{ergeant} M{ajor}
28 EWE A film star appears when this creature visits Massachusetts Street (3)
 

Inserting Ewe into Ma{ssachusetts} St{reet} gives Mae West
29 OVERWRITTEN Shy introvert we replaced on a drive (11)
 

(Introvert we)* with shy in the throw sense as an indicator. This would refer to a computer drive which could be overwritten by some other data.
DOWN
1 ROSEMARY Maybe, leaves space in the middle of a string of beads (8)
 

Em(=space in printing) in rosary
2 LEGALIST Member on a register is a stickler for the rules (8)
 

Leg + a list
3 OASIS Band unaltered after disc (5)
 

As is(=unaltered) after O.
4 TILLAGE 2 floundering without spades for farming (7)
 

(Legali[s]t)*
5 UKULELE The United Kingdom united over two French articles – on which strings are attached (7)
 

UK + u{nited} + le + le
6 BUCKS FIZZ Young men and topless entertainers after half five cocktail (5,4)
 

Bucks(=young men) + Fi[ve] + ZZ[top](an American band losing the word top rather than the first letter).
7 GYPSUM Cycle courier entering health club to deliver plastering material (6)
 

UPS(=United Parcel Service, a US company) with the U cycling to the end in gym(=health club)
8 SEDATE Oddly, speedy anthem’s dull (6)
 

Odd letters of speedy anthem
14 INAMORATO Find fame for naked artist along with lover (9)
 

[f]in[d] [f]am[e] [f]o[r](all words "naked" = losing the covering letters) + RA(=artist) + to(=along in some contexts)
16 DOMINANT Central American new in polo, perhaps to finish first (8)
 

A{merican} n{ew} in mint (i.e. polo mint) after do(=finish)
17 MARKSMAN Celebrates fifth of November – and without a hint of drinking shot (8)
 

Marks(=celebrates, as in marking on occasion) + m(=5th letter of November) + an[d](removing the first letter of drinking). Someone described as a good shot would be a marksman.
19 REJOICE Regarding outspoken Irish writer’s triumph (7)
 

Re + hom(=out spoken) of Joyce
20 BESTREW European is getting into tea and pepper (7)
 

Est(=is in French) in brew
21 EDIBLE In retrospect, genteel Biden’s palatable (6)
 

Hidden, rev in genteel biden
22 STRIFE Awkward first drug dispute (6)
 

First* + E{cstasy}
25 SUSHI Food from special American welcome (5)
 

S{pecial} US + hi

24 comments on “Independent 10,650 by Bluth”

  1. Another excellent crossword from Bluth – too many clues I liked to pick just one or two.

    Thanks to him and to NealH – I hope the antibiotics do the trick

  2. Another great outing from Bluth. Loved lots of clues, such as LAUNCH PAD, ROSEMARY and the nice clueing of ZZ in 6d. Didn’t know RHUMB nor that a compass has 32 points.

    Think this may be Bluth’s first pangram. Apologies if that’s wrong.

    Thanks to Bluth and Neal.

  3. I was cruising along in customary Monday fashion, enjoying the pleasant view along the way, until I came up against the SE corner and immediately hit the proverbial brick wall. An hour later and I had my next answer in, BESTREW, which slowly opened up the rest, though with some such as JOSS STICK remaining unparsed.

    Very satisfying to eventually have all the squares filled (and the pangram spotted), even if I needed the blog to explain everything. Spoiled for choice, but I’ll go for EWE as my pick.

    Thanks to Bluth and thanks and best wishes for a speedy recovery to NealH

  4. Very welcome in a Monday. Thought EWE was brilliant

    Had to change last letter of 14  to finish(force of habit)

    Thanks Bluth and Neal

  5. Very good indeed, and a pangram to boot.  I couldn’t fully parse 1a but the answer was obvious.   Thanks to Neal for the explanation.

    Picking a favoruite from such a good selection is a hard task but I’ll settle for a head-to-head between SQUAT and SPASM.

    Many thanks to Bluth and to Neal.

  6. Yes, I thought it was Bluth’s first Pangram too.  Has he had a go at themes and ninas yet?  I solved everything but failed to parse seven, so thanks Neal for the explanations and I hope your thumb heals soon.  And thanks also to Bluth of course.

  7. Excellent. I particularly liked the topless band.
    I think Bluth’s last outing was a themed Tuesday offering.
    Thanks all.

  8. Still recovering from Saturdays grid (!) so this was delightful to do. I agree that EWE was a favourite. As was MILKSHAKE
    Thanks to Bluth and Neal

  9. Too many favourites to list.  I was done in by JOSS STICK, having convinced myself the ship was a junk and that the second word was stink.  I’ve never heard jock for DJ, but at least I recognised the two pop music names even though I couldn’t pick either out of an identity parade.

    Shouldn’t polo be capitalised in 16?

    Thanks, NealH and Bluth — you’re going from strength to strength.

  10. We’re always chuffed to see Bluth’s name at the top and even better for Hannah with St Andrews day off work!

    Mostly straightforward and mystery-free for us , although couldn’t parse MILKSHAKE without knowing QC = silk. EWE was rather fiendish but once the two outside letters were in there was only one animal possible and we managed to reverse parse after that with a big ‘Ohhh’ moment.

    Thanks for another thoroughly enjoyable puzzle Bluth and congrats on your first published pangram! Thanks also to NealH for the blog.

  12. I will gracefully admit that I didn’t know the nautical term in 1a and had a fight on my hands to parse 28a.

    Top two for me were LAUNCH PAD and SPASM.

    Thanks to Bluth and also to Neal for the review – wonder what you managed to get stuck in that thumb of yours, hope it’s soon much improved.

  13. in agreement with the general delight… 29ac has the added benefit of tautology (shy introvert)… which could be described as “overwritten”? – which is how I actually solved it – the accurate parsing is good also..

    thanks NealH n Bluth

  14. Ticks from me too for a real workout today.  I don’t normally manage devices like 28a but this time I worked out what to do and EWE fell into place.  And is probably my favourite though it’s a toss up with LAUNCH PAD with its beautiful and relevant surface.  Absolutely splendid.  RULE OF THUMB was decidedly unparsed so thanks for that NealH.  As was UNWRITTEN where I failed to spot the anagrind.

    No idea if this is general knowledge but a source of wry amusement amongst fans of ZZ Top is that the one who doesn’t have a beard is Frank Beard.  For those who don’t know what they look like, there’s a link to a page here.

    Thanks Bluth and NealH

  15. Just joining in the general appreciation of both crossword and blog. Loved launch pad, squad, bucks fizz and especially rejoice, once my locked down brain had remembered outspoken could mean spoken out (doh). Also for not referencing our ex glorious leader, who made much of the word. Thanks to Bluth and NealH

  16. I was caught on the hop today as I was under the impression this was due for next Monday. I opened the crossword on the app and, read 1across and thought, “blimey, that’s very like one of mine…” before the penny dropped.

    Anyway, glad it seems to have gone down well. Thanks for all the lovely comments.

    And thanks for the blog, Neal. I wish you and your thumb well.

  17. Very enjoyable – thank you Bluth (and NealH). 28A tripped me up, but otherwise I got there. I think I’m on the right wavelength for Bluth, I seem to get further with his puzzles than others…

  18. Another good crossword from Bluth. Too many great clues to single out any particular one.

    Very amused by Postmark’s comment about ZZ Top. We haven’t listened to anything by them for ages – something we should put right soon.

    Neal – Sorry to hear about the thumb – hope that things are improving.

    Thanks to Bluth and Neal.

  19. Bluth, hi. Very many congratulations on your being published. You’re doing a great job. Fine work with ukulele, a very tough word to clue. It’d be great to catch up sometime.

    All best,

    John Halpern aka Paul, Punk, Mudd.

  20. Bluth,

    Indeed and again, well done.  If I say, “Don’t give up your day job,” it’s only because I greatly enjoy that too.

  21. Thanks Neal and Bluth. A tale of two halfs for me top half in no time then brakes on full in places below. Spent far too long looking for another Irish writer misspelled in 19. Nice misdirection in 29 with replaced. Good stuff all round.

  22. Thanks everyone. I’d forgotten it was a pangram until I read Hovis’ comment (2) earlier. It was written some time ago but as I recall, I didn’t set out to create a pangram initially… but after the grid was filled I realised that it was very close to being one and it was a relatively easy task to change a couple of lights and make it so.

    Ian SW3 @20 – there’s no fear of me giving up my day job. I don’t think I’m breaking any kind of omerta when I say that the financial rewards for crossword setting are unlikely to persuade anyone to give up their day job. Why, they’d have to be as prolific as… oh, hi John @19… how lovely to hear from you! It’s been a very, very long time! Would love a catch up – have tried to be around for one of your live zooms but alas it’s hard to make the timings work around the domestic/childcare routine etc etc.

    Tatrasman @6 – I have had a couple of themed crosswords published. One more arcane than the other. September 29th and November 10th if you’re interested in digging them out.

  23. Good fun as ever.I particularly liked 28a, 10a, 11a and 24a. I was surprised by how long it took for the penny to drop on 22d and 29a. I hadn’t heard of Rhumbs either.

    Thanks to Bluth and Neal.

  24. As some of you will already know, Bluth fans can enjoy more when his debut Toughie (as Django) appears in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday.

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