Bluth’s not quite the new kid on the blog any more, but he is a comparatively recent addition to the Indy stable. I’ve enjoyed all his crosswords to date, and I liked this one particularly because of the concision of its cluing and the excellent surface readings. I could handle some more like this.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 University dissertation’s about down-and-out
PAUPER
An insertion of U in PAPER. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.
4 One tries to cause upset and turmoil – occasionally crossing line
TROLL
An insertion of L in TROL for the odd letters of ‘turmoil’. The insertion indicator is ‘crossing’.
9 Optical illusion partly inverted colour
LILAC
Hidden reversed in optiCAL ILlusion.
10 One opens either end of Chubb-lock with small band
CORKSCREW
A charade of C OR K (the two options for the ends of ‘Chubb-Lock’), S and CREW.
12 Craft group catch heartless bully out?
YACHT CLUB
(CATCH BU[L]LY)* ‘Heartless’ is setter-speak for ‘take the middle letter out of’. The anagrind is ‘out’.
13 Bond’s boss and assistant returned for films, TV etc
MEDIA
A charade of M, the character from Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, and AIDE reversed.
14 Declined journalist on record – men become focus of smear
RECEDED
‘Focus of’ is setter-speak for ‘the middle letter of’. So ‘journalist on record’ would lead you to RECORD ED; Bluth is inviting you to exchange the OR for Other Ranks or ‘men’ with E for the central letter of ‘smear’. Alles klar? It was for me, after a prolonged period of pencil chewing.
17 Mass conflict fractures defence
BULWARK
An insertion of WAR in BULK. The insertion indicator is ‘fractures’.
19 Heard every instrument
AWL
A homophone (‘heard’) of ALL. The solution is the source of the cockney rhyming expression ‘it’s a load of cobblers’.
20 Lazy model, cast
WORKSHY
A charade of WORK and SHY. ‘The potter modelled/worked the clay.’
21 Approve funny red nose
ENDORSE
(RED NOSE)*
23 Furious, old Rover’s losing power
IRATE
[P]IRATE
25 Perhaps Tommy Cooper’s floundering with idea for trick, ultimately
ROCK OPERA
(COOPER ARK)* The final three particles of the anagrist are the last letters of ‘idea’, ‘for’ and ‘trick’. Great surface (for those old enough to remember Tommy Cooper, of course). The solution is a reference to Tommy, the double album by The Who which was later staged and turned into a film. ‘That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.’
28 Random parking in ditch first and road after – this vehicle is South African
HAPHAZARD
An insertion of P in HA-HA (the ‘ditch’) followed by ZA and RD. ZA is the vehicle registration for South Africa (Zuid-Afrika), hence the reference in the clue.
29 Order tabbouleh twice – in retrospect, somewhat steep
BATHE
When in doubt follow the instructions. If you ‘order’ ‘tabbouleh’ twice, you end up with tabbouleh tabbouleh. Hidden reversed (‘in retrospect, somewhat’) is BATHE.
30 Gentle hit, initially, Billy Liar‘s out of print
BLOOP
The initial letters of the last five words of the clue. Not a definition that I had come across before, but our US friends will have been in familiar territory. Collins has:
bloop (esp N Am) vt to hit (a baseball) so that it only just clears the infield
31 No leads on the water boiler?
HEATER
Another clue I especially liked, for its brevity and meaningful surface. [T]HE [W]ATER.
Down
1 Force vehicle to speed up after Petty Officer left in charge
POLICE CAR
A charade of PO, L, IC and RACE reversed. ‘Up’ as the reversal indicator works because it’s a down clue.
2 Copper replaces one, making patrol complete
UNCUT
Another replacement clue: here Bluth is inviting you to replace the I in UNIT for ‘patrol’ with CU.
3 Best phone company accepts ninety pounds
EXCEL
A charade of XC for the Roman numerals for ‘ninety’ in EE for the mobile phone company and L. ‘Best’ as a verb (which we need here) is for me more ‘outwit’ or ‘outdo’; I’m not sure it’s the same thing as EXCEL.
5 Looked like Greeks regularly exploited space up top
RESEMBLED
A charade of RES for the even letters of ‘Greeks’, EM for the printers’ ‘space’ and BLED. ‘Up top’, because it’s a down clue, tells you the order of the particles.
6 Oddly Lou Reed’s drug free, touring India – it’s brilliant
LURID
A charade of LU for the odd letters of ‘Lou’ and I inserted into RD, which is what you get when you clear the two Ecstasy tablets out of R[E][E]D.
7 Quiet film actor
PLAYER
A charade of P and LAYER.
8 Likely for highly attractive sort to pick up student
PROBABLE
A charade of PRO and L for ‘student’ (from learner driver plates) inserted into BABE. Had this clue appeared in Another Place, there would, I fancy, have been a flurry of indignation about the use of BABE in this sense. We’re about to find out whether Indy solvers are quite so sensitive. It’s in Chambers …
11 Share with journalist
WHACK
A charade of W and HACK. ‘She got a fair whack/share of the money left in her parents’ will.’
15 Outlaw speed bumps on bendy road
DESPERADO
A charade of (SPEED)* and (ROAD)* The two anagrinds are ‘bumps’ and ‘bendy’. Another excellent surface.
16 Broadcast dramedy describing a fantasy
DAYDREAM
(DRAMEDY)* with A inserted.
18 Publish landlord’s overseas correspondence
AIR LETTER
A charade of AIR and LETTER.
20 Consider speaker’s approach
WEIGH
A homophone of WAY. The homophone indicator is ‘speaker’s’.
22 On choppy seas, English surfer finally wipes out
ERASES
A charade of E, R for the final letter of ‘surfer’ and (SEAS)*
24 Disgust American by rolling tongue
APPAL
A charade of A and LAPP reversed (‘rolling’). The world is divided into those that can roll their tongue and those that can’t, and for many years the thinking was that this was a genetically determined trait that was straightforwardly inherited. Turns out it’s not quite that simple. I can, since you ask, and I don’t find it in the least disgusting. It’s quite my party trick with four-year-olds.
26 Daughter in prison, revealing bum
CADGE
An insertion of D in CAGE.
27 Gold coin and compass
ORBIT
A charade of OR for ‘gold’ in its heraldic sense (it’s also the French word for the metal) and BIT.
Many thanks to Bluth for the Bank Holiday entertainment.
Very enjoyable, as always. BLOOP was a new word for me. Favourites include ROCK OPERA & HEATER. I have seen the Tommy Cooper idea before. Looking into fifteensquared history, the most recent I found was a Morph (independent no. 9965) with the clue (e.g. Tommy Cooper, funny artist, masking trick’s finale).
Up until the end I could fill the grid steadily enough, but couldn’t parse RECEDED or BATHE and didn’t know the baseball sense of BLOOP. The real sting in the tail though was my last in HAPHAZARD, which I found very difficult to work out, even with the crossers.
Reminders of things past; I wonder how many AIR LETTER(s) are sent now in comparison to say 30 years ago?
Thanks to Pierre and to Bluth
Electronic communication has certainly reduced the quantity or air letters, WordPlodder, but there was a certain excitement about sending them to faraway places and imagining them winging their way across the seas. I still have a little pack of the blue ‘Air Mail/Par Avion’ stickers in my office desk which I do occasionally use when sending letters or cards to friends in the US.
Another great puzzle from Bluth, who quickly became one of my favourite setters.
Favourites today were TROLL, YACHT CLUB, ROCK OPERA, POLICE CAR and DESPERADO.
Many thanks to Bluth and Pierre.
Yes, I still have a few of those ‘Par Avion’ stickers myself, Pierre, though haven’t used one for years. You’re right, imaging where air letters (particularly the “Aerogramme” variety, which is what Bluth may be referring to) would eventually be sent and how eagerly they would be read, was one of their attractions to me as well.
What Eileen said
thanks to all
I eventually realised the excellent Tommy misdirection mid-dog walk and the verbal “Aha!!” to myself confused fellow walkers!
I do like a puzzle where I recognise all the words (even if I don’t get them!) and a lack of poets, obscure actors and composers all helps!
Making ROCK OPERA my favourite, also LURID has a great surface and YACHT CLUB for the “Craft” play on words
Needed a bit of help as ever at the end and help with the parsing (BATHE for example I didn’t even consider as steep)
Excellent entertainment as ever thanks Bluth and thanks to Pierre for the explanations
Top notch… favourite was LURID amongst many.. was blazing through then stumbled over 25ac.. reading it as 5,4.. produced a very creditable but meaningless ROCKO PERA… I had to laugh… ?.. then in freefall was searching through my boyhood Rider Haggard books for a suitable SA vehicle … visions of something covered-wagonish drawn by oxen… more laughter.. ?.. good to have something to smile about on a Monday..
Thanks Bluth n Pierre
Well this former North American assumed BLOOP was some sort of cricket jargon, never having heard it used in baseball. (Mind you, I had to give up trying to follow baseball many years ago, as trying to follow a even one team through its 162-game season was too taxing as an adult.)
None the less, that and the rest were flawlessly clued, and the puzzle was a delight. Thanks, Bluth and Pierre.
Are we the first then to notice 4 children’s programmes in the perimeter?
Really pleased to see that Bluth was today’s setter – consistently good. Thanks Bluth.
Thanks Pierre too.
You are the first, Bertandjoyce, and I hereby send you a Gold Badge. It’s one I made earlier.
This, along with Brendan and Pasquale in the Graun gave this Monday a welcome lift!
Thanks all!
Bertandjoyce @10. That’s wonderful. Well done Bluth.
@B&J great spot! Paw Patrol indeed. 🙂
Well spotted! I must remember to read out loud more often.
I was pretty impressed with the puzzle when I came here to check out the bits I couldn’t parse. Then seeing Bertandjoyce’s post @10 pointing to the NINA was the icing on the cake. Bluth seems to be getting better month by month with his surfaces and cluing.
BLOOP is quite common in US baseball talk, so indeed easy for me. On the other hand, the perimeter nina was completely inaccessible: PAW PATROL is known here, but it’s not a homophone if PAUPER TROLL, and I have no idea what the others could be.
Well done B&J! (I’ve been out, so have only just seen your comment).
I’ve never heard of Paw Patrol – too late even for grandchildren, it seems – but the others are outrageously brilliant (or brilliantly outrageous).
Iroqois @17 – not exactly homophones, either, but hilarious. Clockwise, they’re Wacky Races Blue Peter (which explains Pierre’s reference to the Gold Badge and ‘one I made earlier’ – from sticky-back plastic, of course) and Playaway
Many thanks again, Bluth – for the icing and the cherry on top.
Thanks for the blog, Pierre and for the lovely comments so far.
I’ve been travelling most of today so have only just caught up with what’s been said… I’m very glad that Bert & Joyce spotted the folly on the perimeter.
Bertandjoyce @10 – fantastic, I would have never seen this in a month of Bank Holiday Mondays thankyou
Homophones Ninas!!! Whatever will they think of next… had to reload the puzzle to have another look… still laughing at BLOOP HEATER… chapeau Bluth… n Bertandjoyce for spotting
Nice work, Bluth – a lovely conceit – and thanks to the Frenchman and Cap’n Hunnicutt.
I’m late to this one, but I loved it. Such inventive clueing. How on Earth did Bluth think of tabbouleh-tabbouleh for BATHE? That word must have been clued hundreds if not thousands of times before, but I would bet that no one’s done it that way.
I also liked HEATER (consectutive decapitation/de-tailing seems to be a Bluth trademark, cf. “wiping the bottoms of” in another recent puzzle), the unusual logic in UNCUT, and the amusing “this vehicle is South African” where usually ZA would be indicated by a more straightforward reference to the country.