Independent 11052 / Tees

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My fourth Tees blog in five weeks, but I’m quite happy.  Tees varies his subject matter so every puzzle is a slightly different challenge.

 

 

 

There are often classical references to ancient civilizations or literary allusions in Tees puzzles.  Here today we had an EGYPTIANS reference with Memphis and a literature entry with IBSEN.  ACHILLES got a look in as well, but in an anatomical way for way with an entry for his TENDON.

 Politics too is often alluded to by Tees.  The European Research Group may not be well known to overseas solvers when faced with 11 across, but BEER GUT was guessable from the definition and the crossing letters.

I liked the clue for INNER, once I realised how KEEP was being handled.

I took a while to work out what the definition was in the clue for AFTERDECK at 8 down.

Thanks to Tees for the cruciverbal workout. 

No Detail
Across  
1

Attempt to shoot down Shakespeare? (4,2,4) 

FIRE AT WILL (shoot when ready and try to hit something)

FIRE AT WILL (shoot specifically at WILLiam Shakespeare)  This just looks like a cryptic definition

FIRE AT WILL
6

Long account from bores again (4) 

SAGA (informal term for a long detailed story)

SAGA (hidden word in [from] BORES AGAIN)

SAGA
10

Render coarse gallows humour for starters in French city (7)

ROUGHEN (make coarse)

GH (first letters [for starters] of each of GALLOWS and HUMOUR) contained in (in) ROUEN (city in Normandy, France)

ROU (G H) EN
11

English Brexiters in but showing obvious hangover? (4,3) 

BEER GUT (protuberant belly; obvious hangover [of fat])

(E [English] + ERG [European Research Group – a research support group of Eurosceptic Conservative Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom who favoured withdrawal from the European Union [Brexit] and now continue to seek withdrawal from other European organisations; Brexiters) contained in (in) BUT

B (E ER G) UT
12

Spooner’s diver could have second job (9) 

MOONLIGHT (work outside one’s normal working hours, especially when the income from this is not declared for tax assessment; have second job)

Reverend Spooner would pronounce MOONLIGHT as LOON [any of an order of northern diving birds] + MIGHT [could]

MOONLIGHT
13

Secret — keep away from publican (5) 

INNER (secret)_

INNKEEPER (publican) excluding (away from) KEEP

INNER
14

Former potentate at last getting stick (5) 

PASTE (glue; stick)

PAST (former) + E (final letter of [last] POTENTATE)

PAST E
15

Signs system recomposed anew with Papa dropped (5,4) 

MORSE CODE (signalling [signs] system using dots and dashes to represent letters)

Anagram of (anew) RECOMPOSED excluding (dropped) P (Papa is the International Radio Communication codeword for the letter P)

MORSE CODE*
17

Pet saying abused the population at Memphis? (9) 

EGYPTIANS (MEMPHIS was the ancient capital of Lower Egypt.  Its ruins lie near the modern town of Mit Rahina, south of Cairo)

Anagram of (abused) PET SAYING

EGYPTIANS*
20

Jumper may have this very small winning margin (1,4) 

V NECK (many jumpers are knitted with a V NECK)

V (very) + NECK (descriptive a small winning margin in horse races)

V NECK
21

Author Edith briefly backed Norwegian one (5) 

IBSEN (reference Henrik IBSEN [1828 – 1906], Norwegian playwright)

NESBIT (reference Edith NESBIT [1858 – 1924], English poet and children’s author) excluding the final letter (briefly) T and then reversed (backed)

IBSEN<
23

Johnson taken in by cunning southern tree experts (9) 

ARBORISTS (people who study trees; tree experts)

BORIS (reference BORIS Johnson, United Kingdom Prime Minister) contained in (taken in by) (ART [craft; cunning] + S [southern])

AR (BORIS) T S
25

Rich source of malevolent spirits causing collapse? (7) 

IMPLODE (collapse inwards suddenly)

IMP (malevolent spirit) + LODE (a source of valuable minerals, or in the case of this clue a source of IMPs)

IMP LODE
26

Sinister look from Levi troubled detective (4,3) 

EVIL EYE (look or glance, superstitiously thought to cause harm)

Anagram of (troubled) LEVI + EYE (reference Private EYE [detective])

EVIL* EYE
27

Leading lady welcoming a Liberal peer (4) 

EARL (rank of the nobility; peer)

(ER [Elizabeth Regina; Queen Elizabeth [leading lady] containing [welcoming] A) + L (Liberal)

E (A) R L
28

Crucible girl can sink ball with gravitational effect (7,3) 

MELTING POT (a CRUCIBLE is an earthen POT for MELTING ores, metals, etc)

MEL (MELanie [girl’s name]) + TIN (can) + (G [acceleration due to gravity] + [having an effect on] POT [sink a ball in pool, billiards, snooker etc])

MEL TIN G POT
Down  
1

Discussion venue that supports hesitation? (5) 

FORUM (meeting place to discuss topics of public concern; discussion venue)

FOR (supports) + UM (expression of hesitation)

FOR UM
2

With harsh loudness Ursula & Co bashed Yankee (9) 

RAUCOUSLY (with harsh loudness)

Anagram of (bashed) URSULA and CO + Y (Yankee is the International Radio Communication codeword for the letter Y)

RAUCOUSL* Y
3

Adult with cold, terrible snot: need strong tissue? (8,6) 

ACHILLES TENDON (the attachment of the muscles of the calf of the leg to the heel-bone; strong tissue)

A (adult) + CHILL (cold) + an anagram of (terrible) SNOT NEED

A CHILL ES TENDON*
4

Sweet victory over Spain with cup lifted (4,3) 

WINE GUM (type of gelatinous fruit-flavoured sweet)

WIN (victory) + (over; down entry) E (International Vehicle Registration for Spain) + MUG (cup) reversed (lifted; down entry)

WIN E GUM<
5

Throw back tailless crustacean (7) 

LOBSTER (large strong-clawed edible crustacean)

LOB (throw) + STERN (rear; back) excluding the final letter (tailless) N

LOB STER
7

Element in technical speech Jack ignored (5) 

ARGON (colourless odourless inert gaseous element [symbol Ar; atomic number 18])

JARGON (terminology of a profession; technical speech) excluding (ignored) J (jack)

ARGON
8

Craft surface as a tribute to Garland? (9) 

AFTERDECK (the deck [surface] behind the bridge of a ship)

AFTER (in the style or manner of; as a tribute to) + DECK (adorn; garland)

AFTER DECK
9

Book such as gets one over sin, might we deduce? (7,7) 

REVISED VERSION (an English translation of the Bible issued 1881-5 (Apocrypha 1895), further revised 1946-52; book)

OVER SIN could be clued [gets one] in a cryptic crossword as REVISED VERSION where REVISED is the anagram indicator and VERSION is the anagram  fodder

REVISED VERSION
14

Price changed? Price not right? It’s very steep! (9) 

PRECIPICE (high vertical or nearly vertical cliff or rock face; it’s very steep)

Anagram of (changed) PRICE + PRICE excluding (not) R (right)

PRECI* PICE
16

Have at least forty-one winks? (9)

OVERSLEEP (SLEEP for more than 40 winks [a short nap])

OVERSLEEP – this is just a cryptic definition based on the term 40 winks for a short nap

OVERSLEEP
18

Answer arrived about Donne’s case in scholarly life (7) 

ACADEME (the world of scholars; academic life)

A (answer) + (CAME [arrived] containing [about] DE [outer letters of {case of} DONNE])

A CA (DE) ME
19

Overturned coach on green causing upset (7) 

SUBVERT (overthrow; overturn; upset)

BUS (coach) reversed (overturned) + VERT (green colour)

SUB< VERT
22

Excellent to dine with 27 occasionally (5) 

SUPER (excellent)

SUP (dine) + ER (letters 1 and 3 [occasionally] of EARL [entry at 27 across])

SUP ER
24

Away from wind in street in unpleasant weather (5)

SLEET (rain mingled with snow or hail; unpleasant weather)

LEE (sheltered side; away from the wind) contained in (in) ST (street)

S (LEE) T

 

11 comments on “Independent 11052 / Tees”

  1. I needed the blog to explain INNER, EARL, and MELTING POT. Thanks Mr Schiell. Failed to parse IBSEN correctly – despite having the connection to Nesbit – but like one or two other clues, it didn’t need a cryptic component to solve. BEER GUT, for example. Google assisted with ERG. Last in were V-NECK and then AFTERDECK, two of many I thought were superb. MOONLIGHT I remembered from last week. Also Tees? Mistake-free on the app so, very ‘appy.

  2. Good fun as usual from this setter, apart from the inclusion of one of my bugbears – the vague girl in 28a. V-NECK was my favourite.

    Many thanks to Tees for the entertainment, and to Duncan particularly for the parsing of 9d which eluded me.

  3. I couldn’t parse BEER GUT or AFTERDECK properly and entered REVISED VERSION mainly as a cryptic def without fully appreciating the reverse anagram. Otherwise not too demanding but some good clues, eg IBSEN, OVERSLEEP and particularly the yucky surface for ACHILLES TENDON.

    Thanks to Tees and Duncan

  4. We see a lot of Tees these days and I for one am very happy about that

    Lots to enjoy, but I particularly liked 16d

    Thanks to Tees and Duncan

  5. INNER, BEER GUT, AFTERDECK were all excellent. Held myself up by putting A NECK for V NECK. Should FIRE AT WILL ideally have had a definition for the non-cryptic sense of the expression? I suppose it didn’t stop us getting the answer.

  6. I enjoyed this a lot. Almost every cue led to a possibly audible click as it solved and a lot of penny-drops involved at second visitation. I would agree with Petert that FIRE AT WILL seems a bit incomplete but not an obstacle. Hard to pick favourites as the overall process was so toothsome but ARBORISTS was the one that gave the most return from the mental limbering. I hadn’t heard of the ERG (so thanks for that) (or Edith Nesbit for that matter) but it didn’t stop me.

    Thanks to Tees and duncanshiell

  7. Another neat puzzle from Tees.

    1 across seemed un-Teesian however, as technically the definition is AWOL, though as others have said it was more or less a write-in anyway. Taking pot-shots at The Bard, tut-tut.

  8. A straightforward enough solve, although one or two parsings escaped us – we’d forgotten the ERG, and the full name of the children’s author. We thought we’d seen a ‘Spooner’ clue for MOONLIGHT only recently but can’t track it down, although Tees used MOONLIGHT in the Indy only two weeks ago (clued very differently of course).
    OVERSLEEP raised a smile, but our favourite was PRECIPICE.
    Thanks, Tees and Duncan.

  9. Got into a bit of a pickle with the Brexiters but that was down to ignorance on my part. Shame about the random girl in 28a, spoiled an otherwise very good clue.
    Tops here were FIRE AT WILL which raised a laugh, along with V NECK and MOONLIGHT.

    Thanks to Tees and to Duncan for the review.

  11. Thanks Tees for a solid crossword and for producing so many of them. I liked ARGON, IMPLODE, and EVIL EYE among many others and loved the reverse anagram in 9d. I thought V-NECK should have been (1-4), not (1,4) but that only momentarily held me up. There were a few I couldn’t parse — AFTERDECK, EARL, and BEER GUT so thanks Duncan for explaining it all.

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