This week’s Wednesday slot has been filled by Raich. It is a while since it has fallen to me to blog a puzzle by this compiler.
I found this to be an enjoyable, medium-difficulty puzzle on a grid containing a large number of short entries. I think that I have solved and parsed all the clues to my satisfaction, perhaps with the exception of 10, where I am not confident that my parsing is correct.
This kind of grid lends itself to a Nina, and starting in the top left-hand corner and moving clockwise around the perimeter of grid, one reads: JOCK STEIN LISBON LIONS. The reference is to the manager and nickname of the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon on 25 May 1967. Celtic also get a mention in 25.
My favourite clues today were 8D and 23, both for surface reading; and 22, for making me laugh out loud when I realised what the definition was!
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 06 | SEARCHER | Person trying to find Home Counties house
SE (=Home Counties, of England) + ARCHER (=house, of Zodiac, i.e. Sagittarius) |
| 08 | LOIRET | One’s destiny to be full of anger in French department
IRE (=anger) in LOT (=one’s destiny, in life); Loiret is a département in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France |
| 09 | NEATEN | Tidy number originally put away
N<umber> (“originally” means first letter only) + EATEN (=put away, consumed) |
| 10 | THEODORE | Fellow’s article upfront on Dunfermline’s No 1 source of riches maybe
THE (=article) + O<n> (“upfront” means first letter only) + D<unfermline> (“No 1” means first letter only) + ORE (=source of riches maybe) |
| 11 | TORTOISESHELL | Title loss? Hero needs to change pattern
*(TITLE LOSS HERO); “needs to change” is anagram indicator |
| 14 | OR SO | Trunk initially dropped roughly
<t>ORSO (=trunk, of body); “initially dropped” means first letter is dropped; “six or so” means “roughly six” |
| 15 | TONIC | Key // boost
Double definition: a tonic is a key or chord based on the keynote, in music AND also a boost, a pick-me-up |
| 17 | SARI | Garment artist’s returned reaching India
SAR (RA’s=artist’s; “returned” indicates reversal) + I (=India, in radio telecommunications) |
| 18 | BACCALAUREATE | Unusually able and accurate, welcoming a test of knowledge
A in *(ABLE + ACCURATE); “unusually” is anagram indicator |
| 21 | IMPLYING | With suggestion one politician not telling the truth?
I (=one) + MP (=politician, i.e. Member of Parliament) + LYING (=not telling the truth) |
| 24 | IBADAN | African city aid ban out of order
*(AID BAN); “out of order” is anagram indicator; Ibadan is the 3rd largest city in Nigeria |
| 26 | LOUCHE | Dubious article from Paris that hurt inwardly
OUCH (=that hurt!) in LE (=article from Paris, i.e. a French word for the) |
| 27 | UNFILIAL | Newly influential, shunning hospital department – it’s not becoming relatively?
“shunning hospital department (=ENT, i.e. ear, nose and throat” means letters “ent” are dropped from anagram, indicated by “newly”; “unfilial” conduct would be unbecoming of a family member (“relative-ly”) |
| Down | ||
| 01 | JETÉ | Step judge’s taken over leftie oddly overlooked
J (=judge) + <l>E<f>T<i>E (“oddly overlooked” means that odd letters are not used); a jeté is a leap from one step to the other in ballet, hence “step” |
| 02 | ORATORIO | Piece from speaker I love
ORATOR (=speaker) + I + O (=love, i.e. zero score in tennis) |
| 03 | CRIT | Court accommodating Rhode Island in review
RI (=Rhode Island) in CT (court, in addresses); a crit is a critique, a review of e.g. a film |
| 04 | KINDLE | Arouse interest in // reading device
Double definition: to kindle is to arouse or inspire interest in AND a Kindle is an e-reader |
| 05 | SEAR | Brand – first in Scotland listener supports
S<cotland> (“first in” means first letter only) + EAR (=listener, i.e. hearing organ); to sear is to burn a mark on, to brand |
| 07 | HANDOUT | Leaflet perhaps, debut for Hibs, also published
H<ibs> (“debut for” means first letter only) + AND (=also) + OUT (=published, in circulation) |
| 08 | LEEDS | City guides – audio version
Homophone (“audio version”) of “leads (=guides, steers)” |
| 11 | THROB | Time, hour, with former pupil – feel emotion
T (=time) + HR (=hour) + OB (=former pupil, i.e. old boy) |
| 12 | SENNA | Formula One champion’s girl’s from South
ANNE’s (=girl’s); “from South” indicates vertical reversal; the reference is to Brazilian F1 driver Ayrton Senna (1960-94) |
| 13 | LARGE | Somewhat popular, genial, generous
Hidden (“somewhat”) in “popuLAR, GEnial”; e.g. a generous portion is a large one |
| 16 | CARDIFF | Character providing introduction to further capital
CARD (=character, personality) + IF (=providing) + F<urther> (“introduction to” means first letter only) |
| 17 | SEA WALLS | Coastal features – aquatic mammals with a large inside
[W (=with) + A + L (=large, of sizes)] in SEALS (=aquatic mammals) |
| 19 | CALICO | Leading couples in casual, light, cotton fabric
CA<sual> LI<ght> CO<tton>; “leading couples in” means first two letters of each word only are used |
| 20 | ABIDE | Accept a woman on her wedding day has run off?
A + B<r>IDE (=woman on her wedding day; “has run (=R, on cricket scorecard)” means letter “r” is dropped) |
| 22 | MOON | Show behind a short time – now performing
MO (=a short time, i.e. moment) + ON (=now performing, i.e. on stage); to moon is to show one’s behind, i.e. buttocks, in public |
| 23 | GRUB | Good Polish food
G (=good) + RUB (=(to) polish) |
| 25 | ACAI | All Celtic and Inter starters getting Brazilian fruit
A<ll> C<eltic> A<nd> I<nter>; “starters” means first letters only are used; açaí berries come from a palm tree native to Brazil |
An anniversary puzzle as JOCK STEIN was born 100 years ago to the day. Spotted the Nina and had heard both of the manager and of Celtic winning the European Cup in the 1960’s but I needed Wikipedia to join all the dots. He also managed ‘Dunfermline’, ‘Scotland’ and LEEDS and died in CARDIFF.
Not too difficult with a few of the more obscure ones (eg IBADAN) helped by wordplay. Didn’t know the ‘French department’.
Thanks to Raich and RR
I saw the Nina and suspected there would be other related words but my football knowledge not up to spotting the above, so thank you for the above WordPlodder.
I enjoyed SENNA for the should-have-been-obvious definition – ‘oh, it actually is a ‘Formula One champion’ rather than an instruction!
I think your parsing of 10 is fine, RR.
Not brain-scramblingly difficult but I enjoyed this. Thanks to both Raich and RR.
I spotted the Nina but like Salad above, didn’t know much about the subject
Thanks to Raich for the enjoyable crossword and to RR for the blog
An enjoyable puzzle. I can still remember watching that marvellous game. A victory for attacking football against Inter’s defensive style.
Thanks both. I shall blame a lack of sleep, in that I was aware of a potential Scottish football link, but ridiculously read ‘jocks’ across the top, but saw ‘nobs’ across the bottom, so decided there was no coherent connection. Otherwise I scored quite highly on this one
Firstly what a superb Nina, didn’t see it until the very last, it would have certainly helped with 1d, though tbh the wordplay was sympathetic.
Very enjoyable puzzle, I particularly liked 9&14a plus 22d.
Many thanks Raich and blogger
A fairly straight-forward solve. I didn’t look for a Nina, and it wouldn’t have meant anything to me if I had seen it.
Am I the only person who literally cannot download this crossword? I get the message that I will get it after watching the obligatory advertisement, but that never arrives. Instead I get a rotating green circle for about 20 minutes. I have now given up.
Well, I could access it on my phone, not my laptop. Thanks, Raich (nice puzzle!) and RR. Missed the Nina but unfortunately I was irritated.
Thanks, RatkojaRiku,, for the excellent blog and thanks also to all those who commented. Your explanation for 10A is exactly what was intended. All thematic elements have been spotted, I think, apart from the reference to Hibs in 7D – Jock managed the Edinburgh club for a period. The win in Lisbon was a historic first for a British club in the competition. All previous winners, since its inception in 1955, had been from Spain (Real Madrid), Portugal (Benfica), or Italy ( the two Milan clubs).