Today’s puzzle has been set for us by Radian.
I found this to be a medium-to-hard puzzle, and I made slower progress through it than at first I expected that I would. I often have this experience with Radian crosswords, as it happens.
Today is Tuesday, so one would expect a theme. I take it that today’s theme is around medical conditions and/or virology, which is so topical at the moment: we have 7 and 14, but also blood in 10, fever in 15, 19, 23, etc.
My favourite clues today are 1, for its surprising definition; and 3, 6 and 20, all for smoothness of surface. When the penny dropped at 6, it left a huge smile on my face.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | SITCOM | Porridge maybe? Visit company stocking it
Hidden (“stocking it”) in “viSIT COMpany”; the reference is to the BBC programme set in a prison and starring Ronnie Barker |
| 04 | PHYLUM | Extremely happy taking part in best classes
H<app>Y (“extremely” means first and last letters only) in PLUM (=best); a phylum is a main grouping of the animal kingdom, hence “classes” |
| 09 | SNUB | Ignore number in boat
N (=number) in SUB (=boat, i.e. submarine) |
| 10 | BLOODSTOCK | Horses stood nervously in group
*(STOOD) in BLOCK (=group, e.g. of countries); “nervously” is anagram indicator |
| 11 | BREAST | Animal circles farmer’s last source of milk
<farme>R (“last” means last letter only) in BEAST (=animal) |
| 12 | GANGLION | A bundle of nerves band meets hero
GANG (=band, crew) + LION (=hero); in anatomy, a ganglion is a nerve centre, a collection of nerve cells |
| 13 | EYEBALLED | I cried during speech, being stared at
Homophone (“during speech”) of “I + bawled (=cried)” |
| 15 | STYE | At least one drop should help this fashion lacking length
STY<l>E (=fashion); “lacking length (=L)” means letter “l” is dropped; the “drop” of the definition is an eye-drop |
| 16 | TICK | Mark correct // disease vector
Double definition: to tick is to mark an answer as being correct AND a tick, i.e. insect, is a disease vector |
| 17 | ANALGESIC | Cultivated angelicas offering relief
*(ANGELICAS); “cultivated” is anagram indicator |
| 21 | FEVERISH | Wild swimmer always dives in
EVER (=always) in FISH (=swimmer) |
| 22 | UPPISH | Cocky parish priest is seen in posh hotel
[PP (=parish priest) + IS] + [U (=posh) + H (=hotel)]; uppish is pretentious, snobbish, hence “cocky” |
| 24 | HEMISPHERE | Border is quiet at this place, one of two in the world
HEM (=border) + IS + P (=quiet, i.e. piano in music) + HERE (=at this place) |
| 25 | LULL | Pacify Liberals mobbing leader of Unionists
U<nionists> (“leader of” means first letter only) in L L L (=3 x L=Liberal) |
| 26 | ARMLET | Band play, heading off across river
R (=river) in <h>AMLET (=play, by Shakespeare; “heading off” means first letter is dropped) |
| 27 | SPLEEN | Organ spotted outside public library
PL (=public library) in SEEN (=spotted) |
| Down | ||
| 01 | SYNERGY | Benefit from merger, say, releasing a bit of work in city
S<a>Y (“releasing a” means letter “a” is dropped) + [ERG (=bit of work) in NY (=city, i.e. New York)] |
| 02 | TIBIA | Rather upset, having swallowed one bone
I (=one) in A BIT (=rather, somewhat); “upset” indicates vertical reversal |
| 03 | ORBITAL | Like ring road section during test
BIT (=section, part) in ORAL (=test) |
| 05 | HIDING | Defeat current racket appearing in The Mercury
[I (=current, in electricity) + DIN (=racket, noise)] in HG (=mercury, i.e. chemical formula); a hiding, a thrashing is a defeat |
| 06 | LITTLE TOE | Corn grows here – not much to eat at first
LITTLE (=not much) + TO + E<at> (“at first” means first letter only) |
| 07 | MICROBE | Mike bore nasty 14
MIC (=mike, i.e. microphone) + *(BORE); “nasty” is anagram indicator; a microbe is a bacterium (=entry at 14) |
| 08 | TONGUE IN CHEEK | Order huge necktie to keep performing or for fun
ON (=performing, on stage) in *(HUGE NECKTIE); “order” is anagram indicator |
| 14 | BACTERIUM | Bug etc turns up in contents of meal prior to X-ray
CTE (ETC; “turns up” indicates vertical reversal) in BARIUM (=contents of meal prior to X-ray) |
| 16 | THERESA | Name first words of Somewhere
There’s a (place for us) (=first words of Somewhere, in West Side Story) |
| 18 | LOUSE UP | Spoil left overs then finish
L (=left) + O (=overs, in cricket) + USE UP (=finish); to louse up is to make a mess of, mess up |
| 19 | INSULIN | Slight cut in hormone
INSUL<t> (=to slight, badmouth; “cut” means last letter is dropped) + IN |
| 20 | PIMPLE | Spot empty mousetrap in big house
M<ousetra>P (“empty” means all but first and last letters are dropped) in PILE (=big house, as in ancestral pile) |
| 23 | PULSE | Vegan food // that’s often taken by medical staff
Double definition: vegans eat a lot of pulses AND doctors often take a patient’s pulse |
We guessed the theme quite quickly and the grid is almost bursting with medical, anatomica and related terms, particularly when you include those thjat are part of a longer answer, as with TONGUE IN CHEEK. All good fun and impossible to pick a favourite.
Thanks, Radian and RatkojaRiku.
Thanks for the blog RatkojaRiku . I agree it was a bit hard in places (I started off quite well then slowed up considerably) but all good fun nevertheless. I concur with your favourites and also liked 8 down (though it took me much longer than it should have).
As allan_c, says, lots of fun.
Great clues, with some lovely constructions and surfaces. My favourites were PHYLUM, ARMLET, SYNERGY, HDING, TONGUE IN CHEEK, BACTERIUM and THERESA – it’s a lovely song, too.
Many thanks to Radian and RatkojaRiku.
8d also took me longer than it should have – I was trying to get ‘to’ into the anagram fodder. Those hidden / inclusion things are my blind spot. Took me a while to latch onto ‘stocking’ in 1a, as well. Ah well, lifelong learning is a wonderful thing. Thanks to Radian and RatkojaRiku. It was pleasure.
My favourite was sitcom. Even though I’m a big fan, it was my second last one in. Some other great ones (like Theresa – stuck in my head now). Thanks to Radian and RatkojaRiku.
good theme for those in the know… the contrasts were the tricky ones for me, 16dn in particular made no sense..
thanks Radian n RatkojaRiku
As so often, I share Eileen’s ticks and, since she’s listed half a dozen or so, I can add a couple more! BLOODSTOCK and FEVERISH have lovely smooth surfaces and HEMISPHERE was intriguingly defined. Of the short ones, I liked SPLEEN for the surface and LULL for the lovely use of 3 Liberals. SITCOM was beautifully hidden. It’s not a quibble, and they are listed as synonyms, but I’m not sure I can see myself using cocky and uppish in the same situations. The one, I associate with over-confidence and the other with snobbery.
Thanks Radian and RR
Well done Radian for squeezing in so many answers within, I reckon, three connected themes, i.e body parts, medical conditions and things that cause them. Great fun. Thanks Radian and RatkojaRiku.
Came here to see how people were defining the theme. Tatrasman’s description of three connected themes seems perfect.
We didn’t know the song referenced in 16d, so that was one of our last ones in. As well as the other excellent clues mentioned by others, I’d like to mention GANGLION and EYEBALLED, which both seem good examples of Radian making setting look easy, when it isn’t!
Thanks to Radian and RatkojaRiku.