As Phi appeared yesterday, Serpent is occupying this week’s Friday slot.
I enjoyed this puzzle and found it to be of medium difficulty by Indy standards. I am happy with my parsing except for “do” as an anagram indicator in 25: is this just something that I haven’t knowingly come across before?
My favourite clues today were 16, for smoothness of surface; and 23 and 28, both for overall construction.
The grid lends itself to a Nina, and reading clockwise around the grid from 5, one finds the names of four of Serpent’s fellow Indy setters: NIMROD, TYRUS, KLINGSOR and HOSKINS.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 08 | SIGNPOST | Job function reportedly introduces guidance
Homophone (“reportedly”) of “sine (=function, in mathematics) + post (=job) |
| 09 | ENDEAR | Cause to be valued by objective listener
END (=objective, aim) + EAR (= “listener”) |
| 10 | OSTENSIBLE | Claimed elite snobs must be beaten up
*(ELITE SNOBS); “must be beaten up” is anagram indicator; according to Chambers, ostensible is pretended, professed, hence “ostensible” |
| 11 | ALTO | Singer taking part in recital tomorrow
Hidden (“taking part”) in “recitAL TOmorrow” |
| 12 | HASTEN | Be quick to punish taking cocaine
<c>HASTEN (=to punish); “taking cocaine (=C)” means letter “c” is dropped |
| 14 | ENTAILED | Required English books’ assistance to grasp French article
E (=English) + NT (=books, i.e. New Testament) + [LE (=French (definite) article, in grammar) in AID (=assistance)] |
| 15 | STOREY | Part of building resembling a shop?
Cryptically, “store-y” could mean “resembling a shop (=store)” |
| 17 | HOLMES | Person who investigated difficult situations involving money
M (=money) in HOLES (=difficult situations, scrapes); the reference is to the literary detective Sherlock Holmes |
| 20 | RATIONAL | Restrict distribution of case of alcohol with good reason
RATION (=restrict distribution of, in wartime) + A<lcoho>L (“case of” means first and last letters only are used) |
| 22 | TYPIST | Auditor’s restraint irritated American manual worker
Homophone (“auditor’s”) of “tie (=restraint) + pissed (=irritated American, i.e. an US slang word for irritated) |
| 24 | ONUS | What could be seen as our responsibility?
Cryptically, something that is “on us” could be described as “our responsibility” |
| 25 | CONCRETELY | Do not recycle using material objects?
*(NOT RECYCLE); “do” appears to be the anagram indicator |
| 27 | SNOOZE | Drop off tin with leak
SN (=tin, i.e. chemical formula) + OOZE (=leak, seep) |
| 28 | EXAMINER | Scrutineer condemned Remain after European vote
E (=European) + X (=vote, on ballot paper) + *(REMAIN); “condemned” is anagram indicator |
| Down | ||
| 01 | KISS | Rock band // come into contact with // smack
Triple definition: Kiss is an American rock bank, formed in 1973 AND to kiss is to come into contact with, e.g. balls on a snooker table AND a kiss is a smack on the lips! |
| 02 | INTENT | Checkpoint entirely controlling import
Hidden (“controlling”, limiting) in “checkpoINT ENTirely”; the “import” of the definition refers to implication, meaning, hence intent(ion) |
| 03 | NONSENSE | Reiterated three points about recycling rubbish
ESN + ESN (=three points, i.e. East, South and North; “reiterated” means x2) + ON (=about, concerning); “recycling” here seems to suggest a full reversal |
| 04 | STUBBED | Blunt objections raised over qualification
STUB (BUTS=objections; “raised” indicates vertical reversal) + BEd (=qualification, i.e. Bachelor of Education); something that is “stubbed” is not blunt, stunted, sharp |
| 05 | NEWEST | Most young sheep protected by conservation organisation
EWES (=sheep) in NT (=conservation organisation, i.e. National Trust) |
| 06 | IDEALISM | Sort of ladies captivated by author’s belief in perfection
*(LADIES) in I’M (=author’s, i.e. Serpent’s); “sort of” is anagram indicator |
| 07 | MATTRESSES | Lock in colleague’s support for retired people
TRESS (=lock, of hair) in MATE’S (=colleague’s); “retired people” explains why “mattresses” is in plural |
| 13 | ABSTAINING | Sailors upset at popular elected government refusing to vote
ABS (=sailors, i.e. able-bodied seamen) +TA (AT; “upset” indicates vertical reversal) + IN (=popular) + IN (=elected) + G (=government) |
| 16 | OMISSION | NATO finally getting embassy to provide oversight
<nat>O (“finally” means last letter only) + MISSION (=embassy) |
| 18 | OUTBREAK | Holiday abroad precedes epidemic
OUT (=abroad) + BREAK (=holiday) |
| 19 | FLANNEL | Wash cloth with soft soap
Double definition: a flannel is a toilet bag staple AND flannel is flattery, soft soap |
| 21 | NUCLEI | Central elements in clue’s anagram fodder
*(IN CLUE); “is anagram fodder” tells us what needs scrambling here |
| 23 | PATOIS | Language used by French philosopher is out of line
P<l>ATO (=philosopher; “out of line (=L)” means letter “l” is dropped) + IS |
| 26 | LIEU | Place where people should go on the radio
Homophone (“on the radio”) of “loo (=place where people should go, i.e. to the toilet)” |
Thanks Serpent and RR
Serpent has posted on twitter that this is his 100th Indy puzzle, so congratulations are in order.
I did wonder about the Cornish town of Looe for 26D until the appearing Nina quickly stopped that idea
Many congratulations to Serpent on both reaching this impressive milestone and maintaining a very high standard of cluemanship and gridfilling.
I generally have a tussle with Serpent and this one took two sessions, with a good long break between to rest my poor baffled head. Coming back to it I spotted the Nina, which helped a lot. Thanks to Serpent and RatkojaRiku
Many thanks to RatkojaRiku for the excellent blog.
This is indeed my 100th puzzle for the Indy. The nina acknowledges my debt to four fellow setters who variously provided invaluable friendship, support, encouragement, opportunities and feedback when I was making my tentative first steps as a setter. Thanks to all of you.
And thanks to everyone who has commented on my puzzles over the years. I really appreciate the feedback.
Congratulations Serpent and thanks to RatkojaRiku!
We found this a nice medium one. The second definition of flannel is new to us and we thought ‘is anagram fodder’ almost too obvious so we discounted it as an anagrind for a while. We like the triple def, one of Hannah’s favourite bands. Alex’s cod was STOREY, because it’s cute.
Many thanks to Serpent for a lovely tribute and congratz to him on his landmark puzzle – here’s to the next 100! 🙂
Thanks and congratulations to Serpent and thanks to RatkojaRiku
Favourites here today were MATTRESSES (for the reference to the retired people) and PATOIS, where we spent too long trying to think of a French philosopher.
Congratulations Serpent on all 100 puzzles – we have completed every single one but we didn’t keep count of them!
Thanks to RatkojaRiku
Thanks to setter and blogger. I found lieu for loo dodgy: they aren’t even near homophones the way i say them.
Congratulations to Serpent on the milestone. Not just 100 crosswords, but 100 excellent crosswords.
Many thanks to him for this and all the puzzles and to RatkojaRiku for the great bloggage.
We found this very enjoyable, if a little challenging in places. The grid pattern suggested a nina, particularly knowing this setter’s penchant for ninas, and we soon worked out what it was, which certainly helped us with some of the answers. CONCRETELY was a new word for us (it was obviously related to ‘concrete’ in the sense of ‘not abstract’ but we had to check it in Chambers).
Favourites were OSTENSIBLE, ABSTAINING and FLANNEL.
Thanks and congratulations to Serpent, not forgetting thanks, too, to RatkojaRiku.
Another top class puzzle. Congratulations to Serpent on his achievement and thanks for the mention.
Congratulations from me too on what is a real achievement: 100 puzzles and not a bad one in sight!
As to mentioning Hoskins in the nina, I clearly remember you and Harry discussing crosswords at the Cambridge S&B (2015) while most of us were already one floor up and having a beer.
At the time I thought you were coaching Harry, but I later I learnt that it was the other way around.
Five and a half years on, you’re one of the very best!
Just got round to this one after the best part of 3 days. I did Elgar on Friday, Maskarade on Saturday, and Eclogue earlier today.
I can vaguely remember my first Serpent puzzle. I sent him an email with a photo of gummy sweets shaped like snakes to prove I’d solved it and spotted the theme.
Thanks to Serpent for the enjoyment you’ve given over the years.