Independent 10,896 / Knut

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Independent 10,896 / Knut

This week’s Tuesday puzzle has been compiled by Knut.

It is Tuesday today, so we know to expect a theme and/or a Nina. This time we appear to have the former, but not the latter, with many of the clues and/or entries having a distinctly canine feel: 1, 8/10, 9, 11, 15, 17/23, 19.

I enjoyed the puzzle very much, and found myself wondering how many more references to dogs I might unearth as I went along – in fact, having realised what the theme was, I was able to come up with a plausible entry at 1 and only later confirm it via the wordplay!

I have not been able to parse 18, although I think that I have arrived at the right answer from the wordplay. I look forward to being enlightened later.

My favourite clues today were 5, 9 and 19, all for surface reading; 22, for its well-hidden definition and overall construction; and the related entries at 15 and 17/23, which made me laugh out loud when the penny dropped. It was interesting to see a trademark used as an entry at 15. Finally, 21 and 24 in this sense were both unknown to me.

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues

Across    
     
07 BOUNCE Head taking over university in spring

U (=university) in BONCE (=head)
     
08/10 DOG FOOD Chow-chow chow?

Cryptic definition: chow is a type of food and a chow-chow is a breed of dog!
     
11 BEST IN SHOW Top dog playing with bones son buried

S (=son) in *(WITH BONES); the best in show is the best dog at e.g. Crufts, hence “top dog”
     
12 RUFF Contrary mastiff urgently fitted with collar

Reversed (“contrary”) and hidden (“fitted with”) in “mastiFF URgently”
     
13 EMBARRASSINGLY Arsenal’s “Mr Big” ruined year in a shameful way

*(ARSENAL’S MR BIG) + Y (=year); “ruined” is anagram indicator
     
15 WINALOT As the 11’s owner might, as an alternative to 17 23?

Cryptically, the top dog’s owner might “win a lot” of shows; Winalot dog food is an alternative to Pedigree Chum (=entry at 17 23) dog food
     
16 SPOILER Tbsp. oil eradicates/seals unwanted leak

Hidden (“seals”) in “tbSP. OIL ERadicates”; a spoiler is an unwanted leak, of a plot in a TV series
     
19 HARD-BOILED EGGS Her bad doggies – after going walkies – devouring large breakfast?

L (=large, in sizes) in *(HER BAD DOGGIES); “after going walkies” is anagram indicator
     
21 CESS The luck of the Irish cueists every now and again

C<u>E<i>S<t>S; “every now and again” means alternate letters only are used; cf. bad cess to = bad luck to, in Anglo-Irish
     
22 SPONGE CAKE Sulphur smell beginning to escape 100 litres removed from Lake Victoria?

S (=sulphur, i.e. chemical formula) + PONG (=smell) + E<scape> (“beginning to” means first letter only) + C (=100, in Roman numerals) <l>AKE (“litres (=L) removed from” means letter “l” is dropped)
     
25 GOYA Spanish master’s year in Indian state

Y (=year) in GOA (=Indian state); the reference is to Spanish artist Francisco Goya (1746-1828)
     
26 TIE Neckwear occasionally striped

<s>T<r>I<p>E<d>; “occasionally” means alternate letters are used
     
27 EQUITY Shareholders’ funds left in custody of the heads of Ernst & Young

QUIT (=left) in [E<rnst> + Y<oung> (“the heads of” means first letters only)]
     
Down    
     
01 BONE Napoléon casting aside stirrup?

BON<apart>E (=Napoléon); “casting aside (=apart)” means letters “apart” are dropped; the stirrup is a bone in the middle ear
     
02 GNAT Good old King Cole – such a pest!

G (=good) + NAT (=old King Cole, i.e. the American singer and pianist)
     
03 LEONARDO Renaissance polymath upsetting old doctor with article on Xmas

O (=old) + DR (=doctor) + A (=article, in grammar) + NOËL (=Xmas); “upsetting” indicates vertical reversal; the reference is to the Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
     
04 IDAHOAN Discovering Midas Show Band from Boise, perhaps

<m>IDA<s> <s>HO<w> <b>AN<d>; “discovering” means first and last letters are dropped from each word; Boise is the state capital of Idaho
     
05 AFFRONTING Very loud, boring, ignorant drunk causing offence

FF (=very loud, i.e. fortissimo in music) in *(IGNORANT); “drunk” is anagram indicator
     
06 WOEFULNESS Sense foul play following wife’s misery

W (=wife) + *(SENSE FOUL); “play” is anagram indicator
     
09 GAWPS Gazes open-mouthed at dog’s tail and hairy paws

<do>G (“tail” means last letter only) + *(PAWS); “hairy (=risky, dangerous)” is anagram indicator
     
13 EVITA PERON ITV re-open a shocking part of Madonna’s past

*(ITV RE-OPEN A); “shocking” is anagram indicator; the reference is to the 1996 film Evita, starring Madonna in the title role (“part”)
     
14 BRANDY SNAP Biscuit to break the French spirit first?

BRANDY (=French spirit) + SNAP (=break, crack)
     
17 PEDIGREE Blood sport, “edgier, wild”

P.E. (=sport, i.e. physical education) + *(EDGIER); “wild” is anagram indicator; the “blood” of the definition refers to stock, descent, hence “pedigree”
     
18 FLYOVER E.g. dim stretch of road in Hammersmith?

???; the reference is to the Hammersmith Flyover, an elevated roadway in West London
     
20 ONSET Where to find some members of 27 in attack?

Cryptically, some members of Equity (=entry at 27, trade union for performing artists) might be found on (the) set of a film
     
29 CHUM Pal’s constant noise

C (=constant, in mathematics) + HUM (=noise)
     
24 KITE Christopher last to write dodgy cheque

KIT (=Christopher, informally) + <writ>E (“last to” means last letter only); a kite is a fraudulent cheque, bill or receipt, used in the dodgy practice known as “cheque kiting”
     

 

25 comments on “Independent 10,896 / Knut”

  3. Thanks Knut and RR

    To add to the themers, 2 BOUNCE is/was a canned dogfood, as was PAL in the clue for 23, BRANDY SNAP is the name of at least two pedigree dogs (one a racing greyhound), and I think you can add 12 RUFF as a version of WOOF.

  4. Good crossie for dog lovers. WINALOT might be difficult otherwise.

    I liked the anagrams for BEST IN SHOW and HARD-BOILED EGGS; SPONGE CAKE and AFFRONTING were also pleasing. Thanks to Ian @1 for the ‘passing’ of FLYOVER.

    Thanks Knut and RR.

  5. Another splendid crossword from one of my favourite setters. Too many good clues, themed and otherwise, to select just one or two for favouritism

    Many thanks to Knut and RR

  6. I was disappointed not to finish this – I didn’t know about the Hammersmith FLYOVER so wouldn’t have had a hope of deciphering the clue. It would have been one of my favourites if I had but I agree with crypticsue that there are too many to list.

    In 19ac, the bad doggies and going walkies seem to refer to Barbara Woodhouse.

    Many thanks to Knut and RR

  7. I liked the way DOG FOOD was split as a theme.
    Some dogs (like mine) will eat virtually anything but their preference would not normally be Sponge cake, Brandy snaps or hard boiled eggs
    And I loved the link between WINALOT and BEST IN SHOW
    For entertainment this hit the ball out of the ground.
    Woof Woof to Knut and RR

  8. For me the ? in 18 belongs after E.g. dim rather than at the end of the clue but that quibble aside I really enjoyed this.
    thanks to Knut and RR

  10. Although I’m a cat person, I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially the anagram at 13D.
    [I once bought a dalmatian, thinking the license would be cheaper for a black and white dog]

  11. Yes, fun.
    However, as Robi @4 said, WINALOT was a step too far for the cat lover in me – meaning: never heard of it (and so I failed on 15ac, impossible to guess).
    The other one that passed me by was 18dn.
    While just like 15ac there’s nothing wrong with the clueing (far from it, actually), I’d never heard of the Hammersmith Flyover. and why should I?
    Only a mile from where I live there are two impressive flyovers – ah well, for some life starts in London.
    But as I said, fun to solve!
    Many thanks to RR for the blog and, as ever, Knut.

  13. Great fun with, as others have said, an extra bit of difficulty here and there for dog-free non-Londoners. All good, but especially loved the surface of 13a. Thanks to Knut and RatkojaRiku

  14. Good theme and to top it off I managed to correctly half guess WINALOT and FLYOVER, neither of which I was sure about. Also learnt how to ‘write dodgy cheque’ into the bargain.

    Thanks to Knut and RR

  15. Loved this puzzle even though I had failed on 15A. I knew about the flyover but couldn’t parse it. Thank you, IanSW3 and many thanks to RR and Knut.

  16. Cultural references are strange beasts.
    I knew WINALOT from the old joke about the guy who named his racehorse Winalot “because if it doesn’t it will be”.
    As for the Hammersmith Flyover I’m not sure why it’s known but I’ve certainly heard of it despite living in Leicester and being an infrequent visitor to the capital (and never to the flyover).

  17. Cycling over the Hammersmith flyover was the closest I ever got to adrenaline sport. Apart from the narrow lanes and high speed if it wasn’t rush hour, the expansion joints were large interlocking metal combs that one had to bunny-hop over.
    Funny puzzle, thanks K&R

  18. What a super puzzle. Loved the theme & really enjoyed it having initially feared I was not going to make any progress. Just fell short at 1d (forgot stirrup was a bone) & still don’t understand the wordplay explanation (sorry if I’m being dim). CESS was new to me also & needed confirmation & I too couldn’t parse FLYOVER. Too many great clues to single out a winner.
    Thanks all .

  19. Still class myself as a beginner, but found this very approachable and had the top half (bar 1D which I had incorrect) in pretty quickly

    Struggled more with the bottom half but got all but FLYOVER eventually.

    Probably even happier to have parsed every clue fully except for the two previously mentioned (and not having heard of the definitions for either CESS or KITE before)

    As ever, thanks for the blog. One day I’ll get one complete unaided!

  21. Thanks Knut and RatkojaRaku, this was an absolute delight from beginning to end. 13d made me laugh out loud (“shocking” is a sly but appropriate choice of anagram indicator). Haven’t heard that use of KITE for years – does anyone still use cheques?

    Unlike Eileen @6, FLYOVER is the first thing that comes to my mind when you say “Hammersmith” (closely followed by “Palais”), so I got the right answer easily enough, even though the wordplay completely passed me by. Clever! Thanks for clarifying, Ian SW3.

    reddevil @16 – it’s an elevated bypass, which should explain the name. James @17 is doing well to have cycled over it and lived to tell the tale.

    Is Knut a disgruntled Gooner? 13a is almost topical.

  22. Thanks for the blog dear RR and thanks to those who commented on the puzzle.
    @widdersbel
    Worse, I’m afraid. A Blade. However a gratuitous bit of Gooner-bashing always goes down well with the gaffer.
    Best wishes to all, Rob/Knut

  23. Thanks Ian@1 for explaining 18d which escaped me completely.
    Thanks Knut for a tough but great fun puzzle.
    I worry a bit about the diet of the woofers in your household (and the atmosphere around them!) , if as well as the other foods here they regularly get given HARD BOILED EGGS and SPONGE CAKE…

  24. widdersbel @ 21

    Re cheques, Emma Raducanu was given one for $2 500 000 on Saturday.

    Mind you as someone posted on twitter “She’s eighteen, she won’t know what a cheque is”.

  25. Thanks Knut for another fine crossword. I had no chance with with WINALOT or FLYOVER and I couldn’t parse SPONGE CAKE but all else fell into place. Liked the surfaces for EMBARRASSINGLY, EQUITY, and AFFRONTING in particular. Thanks RR for the blog.

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