Methuselah is occupying the mid-week slot this time. I think that this is my first attempt at blogging a crossword by this setter.
I actually found this to be quite a tricky puzzle, first to solve and especially to parse in places, e.g. at 18. I think that I have solved everything correctly, but I would appreciate others’ input on my parsing at 10 (“old royal”), 16 (how to split this into two or three definitions); and 25 (“for”). I’ll drop by later to see what fellow solvers have made of these clues.
My favourite clues today are almost too many to mention: 8, for surface and originality; 6 and 9A, for surface; and 5 and 7, both for overall construction, originality and humour. However, my absolute favourite today was 9D, for all its misleading cruciverbal references.
I for one will not “find fault with your setter” today and am looking forward to my next outing with him already!
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | SESAME | Sort of seed that might follow Open for a spell
Open Sesame is the magic formula (=spell) for opening something, from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves |
| 08 | FINGER | Off bingo, we’re all doing strip poker
<o>F<f> <b>ING<o> <w>E’R<e>; “all doing strip” means that the first and last letters of each are dropped; cryptically, a finger could be used to poke someone, hence “poker” |
| 09 | DRAMATIC | Sensational Republican fiddle covered up by Washington
[R (=Republican) + AMATI (=fiddle, i.e. violin)] in DC (=Washington, in US) |
| 10 | DIVALI | Old royal fighting legendary boxer? Then there’ll be fireworks
DI (=old royal, i.e. Princess Diana) + V (=fighting, i.e. versus) + ALI (=legendary boxer, i.e. Muhammad Ali); fireworks are let off at this Hindu or Sikh festival of light |
| 11 | GRUNGIER | Fan urging Queen to be more like Nirvana?
*(URGING) + ER (=Queen, i.e. Elizabeth Regina); “fan” is anagram indicator; Nirvana was a 1980s US grunge band, hence “grungier” would be “more like Nirvana” |
| 12 | STRONGER | Better witness finally recalling reg number right
<witnes>S (“finally” means last letter only) + TRONGER (REG + No (=number) + RT (=right); “recalling” indicates reversal) |
| 15/13 | TIME TRAVELLER | Little raver dances round Methuselah, a person of some advanced age
ME (=Methuselah) in *(LITTLE RAVER); “dances” is anagram indicator; the “advanced age” of the definition must refer to a technologically advanced era |
| 17 | CAIN | Biblical son getting some stick, we hear
Homophone (“we hear”) of “cane (=some stick)”; the reference is to Cain, son of Adam, in the OT |
| 18 | INTENTLY | Long year on International Space Station essentially very hard
INT (=international) + EN (=space, in printing) + <sta>T<ion> (“essentially” means middle letter only) + L (=long) + Y (=year) |
| 20 | REPRIEVE | Spare piano brought in for Part 3 of Get Back
RETRIEVE (=get back, recover); “piano (=P, in music) brought in for Part 3” means 3rd letter changes to “p”; to reprieve is to spare from punishment |
| 21 | NATIVE | Original new musical heading to West End
N (=new) + ATIVE (EVITA=musical; “heading to West End” indicates reversal) |
| 24 | OLD HANDS | Veterans make relationship public, but not at first
<h>OLD HANDS (=make relationship public); “not at first” means first letter is dropped |
| 25 | FOREGO | Do without – resisting id, then?
In Freudian psychology, the ego resists the instincts of the id, hence “for ego” to do |
| 26 | REPORT | Soldier heartlessly sent back makes news
TRO<o>PER (=soldier); “heartlessly” means middle letter is dropped; “sent back” indicates reversal |
| 27/04 | TRUMAN CAPOTE | Old President Trump gets books by English author
TRUMAN (=old President, of US) + CAP (=trump, outdo) + OT (=books, i.e. Old Testament) + E (=English); the reference is to US novelist Truman Capote (1924-84) |
| Down | ||
| 01 | SCI-FI | Speculative work discussed a couple of hypothetical variants; …
Homophone (“discussed”) of “psi and phi (=a couple of hypothetical variant, in maths)” |
| 02 | SIGMA | … another is turning up with gamma, oddly
SI (IS; “turning up” indicates vertical reversal) + G<a>M<m>A (“oddly” means odd letters only are used) |
| 03 | MARKINGS | Symbols in gospel linked with one or two older books
MARK (=gospel in NT) + KINGS (=one or two older books, in OT); “linked with” refers to the overlapping letter “k” |
| 05 | ABACUS | One’s used to Count Dracula ripping layers off and biting through bits of muscle
<dr>ACU<la> (“ripping layers off” means two letters are dropped from beginning and end of word) in ABS (=bits of muscle) |
| 06 | ORANGUTAN | Old aunt and gran upset a relative of ours
O (=old) + (AUNT + GRAN); “upset” is anagram indicator; the orang-utan is closely related to homo sapiens, hence “a relative of ours” |
| 07 | EPIDERMAL | Perhaps skinny superhero’s clothing falls off in the middle of deli
<s>PIDERMA<n> (=superhero; “clothing falls off” means first and last letters are dropped) in <d>EL<i> (“the middle of” means middle two letters only) |
| 09 | DOG TRAINERS | Might they find fault with your setter, potentially giving grid one star?
*(GRID ONE STAR); “potentially giving” is anagram indicator |
| 14 | OWNERSHIP | Given this, heir’s now drunk on power
*(HEIR’S NOW) + P (=power, in physics); “drunk” is anagram indicator; semi- & lit. |
| 16 | STAND FOR | Mean or represent or merely mean to represent
Triple definition, I think! |
| 19 | TENNER | It’s Austen on one side, latterly, or the Queen if you turn it over
Cryptic definition, referring to the latest version of the UK £10 note |
| 22 | THRUM | Some uncouth rumours creating buzz
Hidden (“some”) in “uncouTH RUMours” |
| 23 | VEGAN | Fussy eater kicked off when given the wrong starter
BEGAN (=kicked off, started); “given wrong starter” means first letter has to change |
Another good outing from Methuselah but I didn’t think it was his best.
Failed to get TENNER. Wasn’t aware that Austen was on it. Had to check Diwali could be spelt with a V. Not sure about 16d. It seems to be essentially the same definition 3 times. Lots of sneaky constructions which I love.
Thanks for the blog, RatkojaRiku. TENNER is actually ausTEN (‘on one side’) + the final letters (‘latterly’) of oR thE queeN when reversed (‘if you turn it over’), with “it’s…” as an extended definition. With STAND FOR I intended “mean or represent” as essentially one definition and “merely mean to represent” as a second definition as in (e.g.) standing for election to a constituency with the intention of representing it in parliament.
Managed to complete this but far too many uncertain parsings for my liking. ‘Old royal’ for Princess Di seems strange, especially as she died young relatively recently: how long ago should someone have expired to qualify as ‘old’? STAND FOR at 16d was just weird but that’s what it had to be. Thanks Methuselah and RatkojaRiku.
Quite a tricky crossword – I had to put it down for a while and then return to finish it off
Thanks to Methuselah and RR
Super clues, DOG TRAINERS particularly as the grid is indeed a little bit shonky; so what’s going on? Had a little stare but to no avail.
Really enjoyed – impenetrable at first but got there with a little ‘help’. All pretty fair I thought and smiled at the construction of ‘Tenner’. Thanks both
Clever stuff. TENNER, especially. I admit I needed some help, too.
Cracking puzzle. I’ve got ticks for DOG TRAINERS, FINGER, TENNER (brilliant) and REPRIEVE.
Thanks to Methuselah and RatkojaRiku.
Most enjoyable if tricky in places, and we got a number of answers without fully parsing them. Favourite was DOG TRAINERS for the misdirection, particularly as the anagram fodder contained the letters of ‘editors’.
Thanks, Methuselah and RatkojaRiku.
Very late today but I did enjoy this so didn’t want to miss the opportunity to pass on my thanks. After oner and fiver yesterday, TENNER was doubly, trebly enjoyed. Although my COTD for a sublime spot by the setter is EPIDERMAL. I mean what sort of person looks at that word and notices sPIDERMAn?? And beautifully clued. Third on the podium would be OLD HANDS: another beautiful spot leading to a simple but delightful clue and image.
Thanks Methuselah and RR
Difficult and after the ‘unfair’ spelling of Diwali caused an error I was put off stride and made a few more. OLD HANDS superb and so amusing. Strangely enough some solutions like GRUNGIER and ABACUS were arrived at easily and quickly without understanding the parsing, while others were not. Methuselah is one of the more challenging Indy setters and I appreciate what I am learning but I’m still not noticing ‘is’ in clues and space and I should be. That’s on me and more focus is needed. After understanding the parsing courtesy of the blog I rate FINGER and FOREGO as brilliant. Merci.
When I first looked at this, it took me so long to find a clue I could answer I thought it might be one of those days where I couldn’t get an answer. In the end, I got over half of it done, but not good.