Rodriguez has set this week’s Thursday puzzle.
It would be a shame if solvers were too busy getting ready for Christmas to find time to solve what, in my humble opinion, is a brilliant puzzle.
The puzzle has a double theme around “pieces of eight”, meaning treasure, coins AND “pieces of music”, where “music” is the entry at 8. This made for a lot of (ambiguous) cross references in the clues, which might not be to everybody’s taste, but personally speaking, I enjoyed this extra layer of complexity and enjoyment. Rodriguez then cleverly extends the theme to cover references to Treasure Island and jazz musicians!
3 was a new word for me, as was the Welsh town at 7. My favourite clues are 25, for surface reading; and, above all, 19, for incorporating both interpretations of pieces of eight/8. However, this is definitely a puzzle that is greater than the sum of its parts in terms of entertainment value.
My thanks go to Rodriguez for this early Christmas present, and my best wishes for Christmas to the whole of the 15² community.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | HAWKINS | Seeker of 9 in story briefly flogging son
HAWKIN<g> (‘=flogging, i.e. selling wares; “briefly” means last letter is dropped) + S (=son); Jim Hawkins is one of the treasure-hunters (=seeks of pieces of eight, entry at 9) in the Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island |
| 05 | TANDEM | Pair sunbathe by sea, rolling over
TAN (=sunbathe) + DEM (MED=sea, i.e. the Mediterranean; “rolling over” indicates reversal) |
| 10 | JAZZ | A boring judge axes 9 from 1 and 27, say
A in [J (=judge) + Z Z (=axes, on a graph)]; Coleman Hawkins (=entry at 1) and Horace Silver (=entry at 27) are jazz musicians, with 9 meaning “music”, i.e. “pieces of (entry at) 8” |
| 11 | SPIRITLESS | Meek, as one should be after an exorcism?
One should be “spirit-less (=free)” after an exorcism |
| 12 | AMMONIAC | Along with e.g. bullets, I can supply tree resin
AMMO (=bullet) + *(I CAN); “supply (=flexibly)” is anagram indicator; gum ammoniac is a tree resin |
| 13 | SKETCH | Depiction of vessel after heading for sea
S<ea> (“heading for” means first letter only) + KETCH (=vessel) |
| 14 | ANTHEMS | Soldiers perhaps guarding border getting 9
HEM (=border) in ANTS (=soldiers); anthems are “pieces of (entry at) 8”, i.e. music |
| 16 | VALETS | Men serving ball regularly caught by old stagers
<b>A<l>L (“regularly” means alternate letters only) in VETS (=old stagers, i.e. veterans) |
| 18 | GLOATS | Boasts some old 27 26 must change hands
GROATS (=some old silver cash, i.e. entries at 27 26); “change hands” means that R=right becomes L=left |
| 19 | FORTUNE | A lot of 9 favouring 9 mostly
FOR (=favouring) + TUNE<s> (=music, i.e. pieces of (entry at) 8; “mostly” means last letter is dropped); a fortune is a lot of money, i.e. pieces of eight |
| 20 | OPUSES | 9 or 21 spread around for all to see
U (=for all to see, of film) in *(PESOS (=entry at 21); opuses are music, i.e. pieces of (entry at) 8 |
| 23 | INUNDATE | Overwhelm lady with faith during one assignation
NUN (=lady with faith) in [I (=one) + DATE (=assignation)] |
| 25 | ASTONISHES | Staggers in part of Brum and wants whiskey to go
ASTON (=part of Brum, i.e. district of Birmingham) + <w>ISHES (=wants; “whiskey (=W, in radio telecommunications) to go” means letter “w” is dropped) |
| 26 | CASH | Country 8 star’s // 9, say
Double definition: Johnny Cash is a country music (entry at 8) star AND cash is pieces of eight (=entry at 9), say |
| 27 | SILVER | 9, or // a seeker of 9 in story
Silver is cash (=pieces of eight) AND Long John Silver (=seeker of pieces of eight in story, i.e. in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island) |
| 28 | ECSTASY | A high city thoroughfare, say, winding around
EC (=city, of London) + ST (=thoroughfare, i.e. street) + *(SAY); “winding around” is anagram indicator |
| Down | ||
| 02 | ALARM CALL | Matutinal signal recalling troops caught by everyone
A LA (=recalling, reminiscent of) + RM (=Royal Marines) + C (=caught, on cricket score card) + ALL (=everyone) |
| 03 | KAZOO | One’s blown a thousand going around park
KA (A + K (=thousand); “going around” indicates reversal) + ZOO (=(animal) park); a kazoo is a musical instrument consisting of a tube with a string of e.g. catgut that makes a buzzing sound when hummed into |
| 04 | NASTINESS | New, sparkling white cape displaying filth
N (=new) + ASTI (=sparkling white (wine)) + NESS (=cape, headland) |
| 06 | ARIAS | King invested in capital for instance 9
R (=king, i.e. Rex) in [A1 (=capital, top-quality) + AS (=for instance)]; arias are music, i.e. pieces of (entry at) 8 |
| 07 | DOLGELLAU | Incredibly old cricket side about to get a lot of praise in Welsh town
*(OLD) + GEL (LEG=cricket side; “about” indicates reversal) + LAU<d> (=praise; “a lot of” means last letter is dropped); “incredibly” is anagram indicator; Dolgellau is a small town in Gwynedd, NW Wales |
| 08 | MUSIC | Maybe air current problem about leader of Conservatives
MUSI (I=current, in physics + SUM (=problem); “about” indicates reversal) + C<onservatives> (“leader of” means first letter only) |
| 09 | PIECES OF EIGHT | Guns old earl’s taken into battle for treasure
PIECES (=guns, revolvers) + O (=old) + [E (=earl) in FIGHT (=battle)] |
| 15 | TOADSTOOL | Toxic growth of vile people with 26 turning up
TOADS (=vile people) + TOOL (LOOT=cash, entry at 26; “turning up” indicates vertical reversal) |
| 16 | VIRTUOSIC | Endless faith, say, and love thus for expert in music
VIRTU<e> (=faith, say; “endless” means last letter is dropped) + O (=love, i.e. zero score) + SIC (=thus) |
| 17 | TREATISES | Agreements to receive Sunday papers
S (=Sunday) in TREATIES (=agreement); a treatise is a formal composition tackling a subject, an academic paper |
| 21 | PESOS | Outline of prelude, needing help to make 9
P<relud>E (“outline of” means first and last letters only) + SOS (=(call for) help); pesos are pieces of eight (=entry at 9) |
| 22 | SUITE | Spades perhaps beginning to excavate set of 9
SUIT (=spades perhaps, in pack of cards) + E<xcavate> (“beginning to” means first letter only); a suite is a set of “pieces of (entry at) 8” |
| 24 | DUCAT | Bit of 27 26 in area in Channel
A (=area) in DUCT (=channel); a ducat is a bit of silver cash (=entries at 27 26) |
a chef d’oeuvre!
This puzzle was a very clever creation but for me was one to be admired not enjoyed. I dislike too many cross-referenced clues at the best of times, and this one goes overboard in that respect. One knock-on effect is that it creates a lot of nonsensical surfaces and, for me, smooth surface readings are one of the essential attributes for a good puzzle.
Sheer bloody mindedness carried me over the finishing line although I didn’t manage to parse my answer to 6d. Thanks to RR for explaining that one.
I can’t tell you what I wrote in the margin after I solved and parsed 7d. It’s not printable in polite company.
I am sure some solvers will have loved this one, and respect is due to Rodriguez, whose puzzles I usually greatly enjoy.
Cor tough to break even if I did get 9 almost straight away but the pieces of music eluded me for ages. Thanks RR. Agree with RD about all the links, ok it’s Thursday and we expect a tough test. Thanks I think Rodriguez, might have a lie down now.
Caught between admiration for the puzzle, frustration at how much I struggled with it, and wishing I could have devoted more time before giving up and using aids. Thanks, both.
Well, RR, I can’t imagine how busy I would have to be (and I am) to forfeit a Rodriguez puzzle – and what a super early Christmas present it was! I shared your delight in the extra layers as they revealed themselves.
I had a KAZOO as a child and I remember I called it a bazooka. Looking it up now in Chambers, I think I must have misheard ‘gazooka’, apparently an alternative name – but I was only little. I was reacquainted with it, under its correct name, when I became a devotee of ‘I’m sorry I haven’t a clue’.
Two blips for me today: My first entry – DISPIRITED at 11ac – raised an eyebrow at the definition. I should have known better, of course. Then I spent a few minutes with a flawlessly parsable VIRTUOSO at 16dn, wondering why it wouldn’t fit – until the penny dropped.
I hope more Rodriguez fans will have taken time off from the mince pies and present-wrapping to enjoy this Christmas treat. Huge thanks to Rodriguez for the fun and to RR for wrapping it up so expertly.
I’m not sure why our esteemed blogger feels solvers are likely to be distracted by other activities. I had this solved by 7 this morning but couldn’t record my appreciation until somewhat later in the day 😉
A tough test indeed and I’m another who’s somewhat split. I did enjoy it and did get to the end with only JAZZ unparsed (having seen RR’s explanation, not a hope of explaining that one unaided). And it took until mid-puzzle for me to clock that ‘pieces of eight’ could also mean pieces of music!
At which point some of my confusion lifted. There were some very fine clues – but, yes, multiple cross-referencing a clue number does tend to detract from surfaces and, normally, Rodriguez produces good surfaces.
Favourites include TANDEM, ASTONISHES, VALETS, ECSTASY, NASTINESS and (sorry RD!) DOLGELLAU.
Thanks Rodriquez and RR
Bravo Rodriguez! I thought this was excellent, and today I really enjoyed the cross referenced clues. I sympathise with those that didn’t as I don’t always enjoy them.
Took me over an hour in two bites, with two errors that took me a while to realise and fix. Misremembering RLS I put DAWKINS for 1a from crossers and stared at it dumbly vainly trying to parse. An initial entry of UNSPIRITED for 11A took a while to sort out too especially as the crosser was correct for ARIAS. DOH!
Thanks both.
I’m with RD – a feat of setting but a joyless and frustrating solve for me. But a learning experience! Thanks to RR and Rodriguez for the workout!
Another masterpiece from Rodriguez. I really enjoyed this as it gradually unfolded and the hidden cleverness was revealed. Congratulations to RR for all the parsing, especially ARIAS which I bunged in without knowing why.
I’m very much in the RR/Eileen/Blah camp on this one – found it simply delightful. Love the way the theme was handled with the different layers adding to the misdirection – which ensured it wasn’t just a case of bunging in thematic answers once you’d cracked it. And that’s one of the reasons why the clue for JAZZ was so brilliant – just when you think he can’t find any more ways to exploit the theme, he brings in jazz musicians. That was my LOI by some distance but came with a very satisfying PDM. Superb!
Surfaces schmurfaces.
Eileen – have to confess I spent a moment or two wondering why VIRTUOSO didn’t fill all the spaces…
Forgot to say thanks for the blog, RR, and I agree this was more than the sum of its parts – especially the way 20a and 21d are linked.
I too am in the very much enjoyed the battle camp. A splendid diversion from the things I ought to have been doing
Thanks very much to Rodriguez and RR
I have to agree with crypticsue and all those who enjoyed this elegant tour de force by our piratic setter. And thanks to RR too!
Agree with both sides. This morning was misery and frustration. This afternoon (in the bath if you want to know, which you probably didn’t) all went well, a delight and a chuckle.
Thanks to all involved and seasonal wishes
Thanks RatkojaRiku and Rodriguez.
Brilliant piece of setting. After getting PIECES OF EIGHT, most went in smoothly. KAZIO is new; VIRTUOSIC couldn’t be completed until ECSTASY was parsed and entered.
Why 9d refers to both money (ok) and music (but why) was a mystery until the end….oh, EIGHT is 8d.
Wandering off with DISPIRITED was set right soon enough.
All parsed, so hugely satisfying.
KAZOO
favs: JAZZ, ARIAS, ECSTACY, GLOATS
Coleman Hawkins and Horace Silver??
Really??
I’m very much in the RD camp I’m afraid.
Thanks to S&B
I really enjoyed this, as I always do when I solve a puzzle by this setter. I especially enjoyed my trawl through the Wikipedia entry for Jay-Z which for some reason I got fixated on at 10 across…silly me.
Thanks to S&B
Couldn’t finish this. Totally failed to get the music part of the theme.
Curious fact about kazoos. Mike Hodges, who directed Get Carter, died recently. The film is set around Newcastle and at one point, there is a group of children in drum major uniforms marching down a street. This was a thing in the late sixties – the juvenile jazz band. Their instruments were drums and kazoos. Our house abutted a school playground and a local band practised there every Friday evening. The opening of Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra (used both in 2001 and in the BBC Apollo coverage) played on drums and kazoos has to be heard to be beleived.
Thanks Rodriguez for a gem. I went from a state of irritation at so many cross-referenced clues to my usual sense of awe for this setter. My top choices were ASTONISHES (wonderful surface), CASH, and NASTINESS but the real beauty was the whole, not the parts. Thanks RR for the blog.
[RabbitDave @2: Rosa Klebb in today’s FT is a master of smooth, readable surfaces.]
Seconded.
Tony @21. Thanks very much for the recommendation.
I’m a big of James’s work but I found this one a bit clunky. Some good clues but the overuse of cross referencing kinda spoiled it for me
*fan of