A puzzle in memory of a wonderful man, which can be found here.
When I solved 17a I was reminded of a recently departed friend. A little further in and it dawned that this was no coincidence. Nimrod, to whom many thanks, has created a lovely tribute to Professor Howard Thomas, known as Sid.
Sid was many things. A biologist, jazz musician, devoted husband of Helen, and all-round lovely person. Nimrod has filled the grid (and clues) with so much of Sid, his life and loves, that I’m sure there are more references than I know. In any case, to try to highlight everything or list it all here would feel a bit wrong, a bit “by numbers”. Instead, I hope that those who knew Sid will share memories below.
Sid was a regular member of the group of crossword and puzzle enthusiasts who meet on Saturdays in pubs around London and, since the pandemic, also over Zoom. It is through this group that I was lucky enough to know him a little. He contributed puzzles which instantly became renowned for their brilliance and fiendishness.
He was such a warm presence, one of those people who would make me smile just by being around. His death was a great shock, and he will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Sid.
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics, explicit [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
Across
1a I’ll exercise instinct with analysis of petals? (5,9)
PLANT SCIENTIST
We make an anagram of (exercise) INSTINCT entwined with an anagram (analysis) of PETALS
8a Ah, how lovely to be kept waiting! (2,3)
ON ICE
O (ah) + NICE (how lovely)
9a American base assigned message-carrier and writer ID (8)
USERNAME
US (American) + E (base) + RNA (message-carrier) + ME (writer)
10a Husband at hand, timeless chap (6)
HOWARD
H (husband) + [t]OWARD (at hand) without T (timeless)
11a Come to stretch of circular river (6)
ARRIVE
Part of (stretch of) circulAR RIVEr
14a Get to take Romeo north, this the setting for new match? (6,5)
GRETNA GREEN
GET with insertion of (to take) R (Romeo) + N (north) + AGREE (this)
Thanks to KVa@1: GET with the insertion of (to take) R (Romeo) + N (north); inside this goes (this the setting for) N (new) and AGREE (match)
16a It originates in Wales – yes, then heading for England (3)
WYE
The letter which begins (it originates in) Wales + Y (yes) +the first letter of (heading for) England
17a Man, doing U-turn, is back in band (3)
SID
The reversal of (doing U-turn) IS + the last letter of (back in) banD
18a You and I are about 16, allegedly mean to one old tramp (5,6)
WEARY WILLIE
WE (you and I) + ARE around (about) Y (16 – 16a “wye”), WILL (mean to) and I (one)
20a Set routine to enjoy, being a cat (6)
GROOVE
Two definitions, the cat being a jazz fan
21a Welshman of words granted degrees (6)
THOMAS
THO’ (granted) + MAS (degrees)
24a The ladies’ yen, having to go for one? (5,3)
LOVER BOY
LOO (the ladies’) and Y (yen) containing (having) VERB (to go, for one)
26a Singer-songwriter given to twitching? (5)
BIRDY
Birdy is a singer-songwriter, and a BIRDY is sought by – thanks to James@5 – whimsically, BIRDY could describe one given to twitching in the sense of bird-spotting
27a Swing, trad, bebop, etc etc (3,3,4,4)
AND ALL THAT JAZZ
A literal illustration of AND ALL THAT JAZZ to go with the straight definition
Down
1d Reason to support fine university type (4)
PROF
PRO (reason to support) + F (fine)
2d Do you wish me to leave my friend? (5)
AMIGO
AM I (do you wish me) + GO (to leave)
3d What about getting in a couple of old stars? (3,4)
THE WAIN
EH (what) reversed (about) inserted into (getting in) TWAIN (a couple of old)
4d Finishing touch: glass bowl adorned with raised diamonds (4,2,5)
COUP DE GRACE
COUPE (glass bowl) and GRACED (adorned), with D moved upwards (with raised diamonds)
5d Look on 16 with a different partner (3)
EYE
[w]YE (16 – 16a) with E replacing W (with different partner)
6d Who might it be jamming joint? Bud (7)
TENDRON
DR (Who might it be) inside (jamming) TENON (joint)
7d The beginning or the end of Welsh rugby? (9)
SEMIVOWEL
The first or the last letter (beginning or the end) of W-elsh rugb-Y gives W or Y, each a SEMIVOWEL
11d Town, by the way, with a detached arts complex (11)
ABERYSTWYTH
An anagram of (… complex) BY THE WAY and, with A removed (detached), [a]RTS
12d One point against OAPs? (5)
AGIST
A (one) + GIST (point)
13d Only some of the lenders who countenanced innumerable new sailings? (5)
HELEN
Contained in (only some of) tHE LENders
15d Provision for retirement party, fancy red wine being passed round (9)
EIDERDOWN
DO (party) with an anagram of (fancy) RED WINE surrounding (being passed around)
18d One who’s barking having sex change wants a throwing stick (7)
WOOMERA
WOO[f]ER (one who’s barking) with F changed to M (having sex change) + A
19d A wee nip leaves me high? (2,5)
IN ORBIT
[m]INOR BIT[e] (a wee nip) omits (leaves) ME
22d Time invested in some music halls (5)
ATRIA
T (time) inside (invested in) ARIA (some music)
23d Public outcry about booze you will consume? (4)
OYEZ
In reverse (about) booZE YOu surrounds (will consume) the answer
25d “Origins of Biological Evolution” – lecturer is sound (3)
BEL
The first letters (origins) of Biological Evolution” – Lecturer
GRETNA GREEN:
I was thinking …
R in GET+N=GRET N
N new AGREE match=NAGREE
GRET….N setting for NAGREE=NAGREE in GRET N
‘this the new setting for new match’ can be the def.
Or the whole clue?
GROOVE:
Can we say there are three definitions?
Groove (as a noun) set routine
Groove (as a verb) is to enjoy.
Groove (as a verb) is being a cat (a part of speech mismatch?)
I agree with KVa for 14a, although I took it as a CAD. Didn’t know BIRDY so bunged in an unparsed (Chuck) BERRY. Annoyed with myself for missing the relatively easy HELEN but pleased to get and parse the rest. LOVER BOY & TENDRON being the last to fall. IN ORBIT took a bit of working out as well.
GRETNA GREEN – yes, that’s a much better parsing, thanks KVa.
Not sure about GROOVE. Two definitions works better for me, but you may well be right.
Thanks Nimrod, Kitty
Not so hard, though I didn’t get WILLIE, or SEMIVOWEL (never heard of it, thought the answer must be something Welsh)
A lovely wordy portrait, I’ve no idea which clues are particularly apt so just assumed they all are. I liked those for THOMAS, ABERYSTWYTH and AGIST particularly.
(I think BIRDY is probably meant as an adjective)
A fine tribute to a truly lovely and very interesting man, who was very much a part of our cruciverbal scene. He described himself as a “civilian bag-carrier” crossword-wise, but he was far more than that.
There’s more about Sid here:
For some reason, the link that I put in that message didn’t appear when I posted it. I will try again.
https://sidthomas.net/wp/
Thanks Kitty and Nimrod.
Didn’t get GRETNA GREEN. Nho of Prof Thomas, but all the clues were fantastic!
Thanks so much to Nimrod for a wonderful tribute to my beloved husband Sid. There were so many references – in clues as well as answers – to him and to our life together. And thanks also to Kitty for a lovely and moving write-up.
A fantastic tribute to my dad, thank you.
A lovely tribute to Sid, my brother in law, and uncle to my son Jonathan. Thank you.
Very sorry to hear about Sid – a lovely tribute (both the crossword and the blog)
Thanks to Nimrod and Kitty
A fine tribute to a very lovely man
RIP Sid – I hope there’s unlimited lemon drizzle cake in heaven
Thanks to Nimrod for brilliant crossword and to Kitty for this tribute blog. I really enjoyed solving it and all the references to Sid who was a very dear brother-in-law. For those who didn’t know, Gretna Green was where Helen and Sid got married.
Great stuff. many thanks all-great clue for Aberwystwyth(I seem to remembner a naughty limerick!)
Thank you Nimrod and Kitty for a wonderful crossword and tribute to Sid. I needed a little help in the form of this blog to finish but very much enjoyed the crossword.
So sorry to hear this news! I spent my first SandB in the company of this lovely, kind couple and remember them with fondness. Sincere condolences to Helen and family.
I didn’t understand the connections in the crossword until I came here but finished it anyway, as usual with a few pdms and groans at the twists and turns of the very convoluted brain that produces these puzzles. I am always assured that my brain must be in good fettle when I finish them and the day I don’t will be a sad one indeed!
Thanks to both blogger and JH!