Serpent’s latest puzzle awaited us this morning, set on a grid made up of short- and medium-length entries.
I found this to be a medium-to-hard puzzle in terms of difficulty. When I had finally completed it, I was still left with an unsatisfactory parsing of 8, but after considerable head-scratching, the penny finally dropped.
I didn’t spot any kind of theme as I solved. My favourite clues today were 2, for the double reference to “bridge”; 4, for concision; and 25, for smoothness of surface, despite its length.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 07 | DORMANT | Inactive person’s walked around outside
MAN (=person) in DORT (TROD=walked); “around” indicates reversal |
| 08 | REUNITE | Train, with money and uniform returned, to join forces again?
RETINUE (=train, suite); “with money (=tin) + uniform (=U, in radio telecommunications) returned” means letters “tinu” are reversed within the word |
| 10 | MIMIC | Copy host content to limit charges
<l>IMI<t> (“content” means middle letters only) in MC (=host, i.e. Master of Ceremonies) |
| 11 | FAITHLESS | Atheist has left and is upset
*(HAS LEFT + IS); “upset” is anagram indicator |
| 12 | SORCERESS | She can spell “nineteenth shallow dish” out loud apparently
Homophone (“out loud”) of “saucer S (=nineteenth shallow dish, i.e. where first would be “saucer A”, second “saucer B”)” |
| 13 | LASER | Surgical equipment in casualty department of US city
LA (=US city)’s ER (=casualty department, i.e. Emergency Room) |
| 15 | TITTER | Social media platform wanting wife to have a laugh
T<w>ITTER (=social media platform); “wanting wife (=W)” means letter “w” is dropped |
| 17 | DOODAH | Gadget rotating plug in bonnet of Cadillac
AD (=plug, i.e. advert) in HOOD (=bonnet of Cadillac); “rotating” indicates reversal |
| 21 | RELIC | Roman Catholic priest wears holy artefact
ELI (=priest, in the OT) in RC (=Roman Catholic) |
| 23 | MESSENGER | Person who delivers dog’s dinner meets English Queen
MESS (=dog’s dinner) + ENG (=English) + ER (=Queen, i.e. Elizabeth Regina) |
| 25 | FACSIMILE | Reproduction in dysfunctional families stopped by introduction of contraception
C<ontraception> (“introduction of” means first letter only) in *(FAMILIES); “dysfunctional” is anagram indicator |
| 27 | SORES | Call for help about cuts and other wounds
RE- (=about, regarding) in SOS (=call for help) |
| 28 | LATRINE | Camp gents queue to hold a teenager’s coat
[A + T<eenage>R (“coat” means first and last letter only)] in LINE (=queue); a latrine is a rudimentary toilet at e.g. barracks, hence “camp gents” |
| 29 | TENANCY | Period of occupation gutted Toulouse and another French town
T<oulous>E (“gutted” means all but first and last letters are dropped) + NANCY (=French town) |
| Down | ||
| 01 | PRIMORDIAL | Existing from the beginning, or mid-April possibly
*(OR MID APRIL); “possibly” is anagram indicator |
| 02 | WAR CHEST | Money to pay for running bridge welcomed by bridge player
ARCH (=bridge, in architecture) in WEST (=bridge player); the “running” of the definition refers to running, i.e. standing as a candidate |
| 03 | STIFLE | Steps used in country’s border to contain force and reduce air traffic?
F (=force, in physics) in STILE (=steps used in country’s borders, i.e. to cross fences between fields); “reduce air traffic” is a cryptic definition for smother, suffocate |
| 04 | TRAIPSED | Did tramp spread it out?
*(SPREAD IT); “out” is anagram indicator |
| 05 | BUSHEL | Measure case to support British University without a single student
B (=British) + U (=University) + SHEL<l> (=case; “without a single student (=L)” means one letter “l” is dropped) |
| 06 | MINE | Rich source // belonging to the author
Double definition: a mine (=rich source) of useful information AND belonging to the author, i.e. Serpent’s |
| 07 | DAMASK | Material question introduced by lawyer close to victim
DA (=lawyer, i.e. district attorney) + <victi>M (“close to” means last letter only) + ASK (=question) |
| 09 | ENSURE | Guarantee clubs being exempt from criticism
<c>ENSURE (=criticism); “clubs (=C, in cards) being exempt” means letter “c” is dropped |
| 14 | STAGGERING | Astonishing cast’s left to be replaced by graffiti artist
SLING (=cast, for broken limb); “left (=L) to be replaced by graffiti artist (=TAGGER)” mean letter “l” is replaced by “tagger” |
| 16 | REMAINED | Communist-controlled state was left behind
MAINE (=state, of US) in RED (=Communist) |
| 18 | OBEISANT | Honour soldier protecting lives and showing respect
IS (=lives, exists) in [OBE (=honour) + ANT (=soldier)] |
| 19 | ARTFUL | Masterly and concise description of gallery?
Cryptically, a gallery could be described concisely as “art-ful”, i.e. full of art! |
| 20 | FRISKY | Lively female broadcaster bored by religious programme
F (=female) + R.I. (=religious programme, i.e. Religious Instruction, in school) + SKY (=broadcaster) |
| 22 | CHIP IN | Contribute feature in which Internet Protocol is encapsulated
IP (=Internet Protocol) in CHIN (=feature) |
| 24 | SHEATH | Contraceptive curbs passion in silence
HEAT (=passion) in SH (=silence, keep quiet) |
| 26 | CUTE | Smart way to reduce energy
CUT (=reduce) + E (=energy) |
REUNITE, SORCERESS and STAGGERING are my picks.
Thanks to Serpent and RR!
Thanks both. My brain evidently functioned better for this challenge compared to yesterday, although it would have been staggering had i parsed REUNITE, or STAGGERING, for that matter
Another fine test of the cryptic grey matter from Serpent. My favourite was 12a. I’ve looked and looked but can’t spot anything hidden in the grid, so I’m hoping he’ll turn up later and tell us what we missed
Thanks to Serpent and RR
As tricky as Serpent normally is with some challenging instructions to get my head around but it all worked out in the end. PRIMORDIAL my favourite for both the lovely surface and the splendidly worked-in anagram. RELIC, MESSENGER, LATRINE and DAMASK the other ones to get big ticks.
Thanks Serpent and RR
Lots of fun clues as expected from Serpent. I couldn’t parse REUNITE but was v. happy to work out the tricky STAGGERING. My other picks were the “saucer S” and the two family planning related clues, especially the surface for 25a as noted by our blogger. I couldn’t see a theme or Nina either and like others, wonder if I’ve missed something.
Thanks to Serpent and RR
Many thanks for the excellent blog RatkojaRiku.
Your wish is my command, crypticsue: there’s something noteworthy about the across entries …
Serpent@6-Thanks Jason. I’ll be able to sleep now.
Maybe My Favourite Things by Trane as a nightcap.
Btw super puzzle as per usual
Thanks, Serpent. Enjoyable as always. Struggling to see the “noteworthy” feature of the acrosses…all I’ve been able to find is one item in row 12.
Serpent @6 – ‘note’ worthy indeed
If you haven’t spotted it yet, geeker @8, look at the initial two letters of the across entries.
An excellent puzzle, with an unobtrusive musical mini-theme.
I found 12 Across ridiculous to be honest , but that was the only thing.
Hovis@10: Thank you. After the fairly recent “Miles runs the voodoo down” Nina, I got sidetracked by the MILES in row 12. Customary good work by Serpent.
It takes a solver with a German accent to get the theme. I didn’t help myself by putting SIBILANTS for SORCERESS and COOL for CUTE.
For once I was able to complete a Serpent crossword in one sitting without assistance albeit with a few gaps in my parsing. I looked for a nina but not hard enough because now it’s plain as day. Another masterful work with SORES, BUSHEL, OBEISANCE, SHEATH, and FACSIMILE being my top picks, the latter for its surface — thanks to both.