Rodriguez has set today’s puzzle for our entertainment.
I think that I have managed to solve and parse all the clues successfully.
My favourite clues today were 17/21, for the clever use of Rolling Stones; 8D, for originality; and 20 and 22D, both for smoothness of surface.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 07 | GIOTTO | Man serving extravagant old artist
GI (man serving, in US army) + OTT (=extravagant, i.e. over the top) + O (=old, as in OT); the reference is to the medieval Italian painter Giotto (Di Bondone) |
| 08 | WASHABLE | As much clothing used to be smart, husband’s seen inside it
H (=husband) in [WAS (=used to be) + ABLE (=smart, clever)] |
| 09 | IRIS | Teacher this person backed, one controlling a pupil
SIR (=teacher) + I (=this person, i.e. Rodriguez); “backed” indicates a reversal; the reference is to the anatomy of the eye
|
| 10 | PENOLOGIST | Top sloe gin mixed for expert in the jug
*(TOP SLOE GIN); “mixed” is anagram indicator; penology is the study of punishment in its relation to crime, with “jug” being a slang word for “prison”
|
| 11 | MISDIALS | Covering face, girl blunders on the phone
DIAL (=face, of clock) in MISS (=girl)
|
| 13 | TIPCAT | Game of Diplomacy about to incorporate a little cash
1P (=a little cash) in TCAT (TACT=diplomacy; “about” indicates reversal); tipcat is a game in which the cat is struck with a cat-stick and made to flip up!
|
| 14 | ZEBRA CROSSING | Zombie’s outside? Fetch guards over one’s seen in street
Z<ombi>E (“outside” means first and last letters only) + [ACROSS (=over) in BRING (=fetch)]
|
| 17/21 | ALANIS MORISSETTE | Rolling Stones material is for a younger singer
*(STONES MATERIAL IS); “rolling” is anagram indicator; the reference is to Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette (1974-)
|
| 19 | ALCATRAZ | Dated cooler Spanish tennis player over time
T (=time) in ALCATRAZ (=Spanish tennis player, Carlos); Alcatraz is an old prison, hence “dated cooler” |
| 22 | BIRO | Writer’s life filled with reading, say
R (=reading, say, i.e. one of the three Rs) in BIO (=life, i.e. biography) |
| 23 | WELL DONE | A steak may be so // good for you
Double definition |
| 24/02 | SUCH AS IT IS | One feeding wild eats sushi which could be better
I (=one) in *(EATS SUSHI); “wild” is anagram indicator |
| DOWN | ||
| 01 | BIARRITZ | Watering hole around international hotel in seaside resort
[I (=international) in BAR (=watering hole)] + RITZ (=hotel) |
| 03 | HOOPLA | Climbing mountain, I’m surprised to create excitement
ALP (=mountain) + OOH (=I’m surprised); “climbing” indicates vertical reversal; hoopla is excitement, fuss, to-do, in US slang |
| 04 | ISOLATES | Loners I help to entertain recently
I + [LATE (=recently) in SOS (=help, i.e. distress call)]; a social isolate is a loner |
| 05 | LARGE PRINT | Fancy lager and beer bottles right for bulky characters
*(LAGER) + [R (=right) in PINT (=beer)]; “fancy” is anagram indicator |
| 06 | PLASMA | Part of blood line going through grandmother
L (=line) in PA’S MA (=grandmother, cryptically) |
| 08 | WINDSOR CASTLE | People called Barbara in swanky residence
WINDSOR (=Barbara, i.e. late English actress) + CASTLE (=Barbara, i.e. late English politician) |
| 12 | DEBONAIRLY | Youth attending parties; broadcasting covers of LadBaby with style
DEB (=youth attending parties, i.e. débutante) + ON AIR (=broadcasting) + L<adbab>Y (“covers of” means first and last letter only) |
| 15 | ASSESSOR | One examining Jenny? Also Oscar and Rex
ASSESS (=Jenny?, i.e. a female ass, cryptically) + O (=Oscar, in radio telecommunications) + R (=Rex, i.e. king) |
| 16 | GO ABROAD | Travel in minor thoroughfare south of Indian region
GOA (=Indian region) + B ROAD (=minor thoroughfare) |
| 18 | LOOKER | Dish in oven, initially halved
COOKER (=oven); “initially halved” means that initial letter “C” (=100 in Roman numerals) becomes “L” (=50 in Roman numerals); a dish is a good-looking person, hence “looker” |
| 20 | CLEESE | Python shelters in church
LEES (=shelters) in CE (=church, i.e. Church of England); the reference is to English actor John Cleese (1939-), known for starring in the Monty Python films |
| 22 | BUCK | Money in Madison County, but not all of it
BUCK<s> (=county, i.e. Buckinghamshire; “but not all of it” means last letter is dropped); Madison is the state capital of Wisconsin |
My goodness this was tough but really enjoyable with a lot of very clever clues.
I’ve never heard of that meaning of HOOPLA before, but I wouldn’t mind betting it’s an American term.
PLASMA was my favourite, winning a special prize for deviousness. The ASSESS part of 15d made me laugh, and I also ticked ALANIS MORISSETTE, WINDSOR CASTLE and CLEESE.
Many thanks to Rodriguez and to RR.
A very enjoyable puzzle employing a variety of imaginative techniques and some nicely misleading definitions (‘dated cooler’ and ‘Python’). PLASMA made me smile, but COTD has to be 17, 21 – superb.
An entertaining puzzle. At least I spotted ALANIS MORISSETTE early on but I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know the ‘Spanish tennis player’ (ranked no. 2 in the world I now see) and ALCATRAZ was therefore my last in.
I liked the ‘People called Barbara’ def – very 1960’s – and the ‘initially halved’ device for LOOKER.
Thanks to Rodriguez and RR
Another splendid crossword from Rodriguez, on the tricky side but great fun. Lots to enjoy, I particularly liked 8d and 18d
Many thanks to Rodriguez and RR
Quite hard work for me and a few things I had to check on along the way, such as the ‘jug expert, Spanish tennis player and the particular meaning of HOOPLA.
Biggest ticks went to MISDIALS, WELL DONE, PLASMA, WINDSOR CASTLE & CLEESE.
Thanks to Rodriguez and to RR for the review.
I felt I couldn’t really do this fine puzzle justice, as I ended up needing a word finder for a few. I had the same favourites as others. Another crossword coincidence today for those who do both the Guardian and the Independent.
Thanks both. ZEBRA CROSSING and WINDSOR CASTLE lightened the burden somewhat, and ended up only needing to reveal one letter in ALCATRAZ to complete, as had become preoccupied with ac (air con) being the cooler, plus had no recollection of the tennis player. GIOTTO came in late, and I wonder if Demi Moore as GI Jane would prefer it had been clued as ‘someone serving’ rather than ‘man’
Just as we’ve come to expect from this setter… excellence throughout. I actually didn’t find it as tough as he can be but hardly raced through it either.
In a strong field Ive chosen to highlight IRIS, ALANIS MORISSETTE, WELL DONE, PLASMA and LOOKER.
“Well done” and thanks to Rodriguez and to RR for a top blog.
Never heard of ALANIS MORISSETTE – we needed a reveal to get that answer. And, surprisingly, we didn’t know the Spanish tennis player although we must have heard the name. So something of a struggle today, but there was quite a bit to savour, such as BIARRITZ (a write-in after getting ZEBRA CROSSING) and our favourite, GIOTTO.
Thanks, Rodriguez and RR.
Bit late to mention it but the blog for 19 still has the T in the tennis player’s name.
Enjoyed this immensely – even more so when the blog helped me to parse the couple I hadn’t already.
Many thanks to Rodriguez and RR
Great crossword. The 13-letter 2-word clue starting with ‘z’ didn’t have too many options. Then ZE. And in a street. A ‘young singer’ in the long 2-word anagram was more of an obstacle but with a couple of crossers it was there. A change from Cher. Enjoyed CLEESE and HOOPLA very much. ‘Climbing mountain’ remembered from Filbert last Sunday. Outright favourite was PLASMA. Still smiling. Thanks.
Thanks Rodriguez for a challenge that took me awhile to solve. I had to use a word finder to get the clever LOOKER, I needed to check my guess of TIPCAT, and I revealed a letter to get ALCATRAZ so this counts as a DNF. Mostly, however, it was enjoyable with ALANIS MORISSETTE, PLASMA, and CLEESE my top picks. Thanks RR for blog.
Well, I got a lot more answers than I thought I would when I came back to this half an hour ago, but couldn’t finish. Didn’t help that I misspelt ALANIS MORISSETTE.
RatkojaRiku: Hi there. Just a little suggestion – feel free to ignore it if you like:
In your blogs definitions are italicised, whereas most other bloggers underline them. I think underlining is clearer, especially when a definition spans multiple words. And you would have been in a shedload of trouble had you been asked to blog the Grecian puzzle from just two days before this, which featured lots of songs by David Bowie, some italicised, most not – we never found out why – complicated by the fact that the Independent online app didn’t even show the italics! 🙂
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2023/03/14/independent-11363-by-grecian/
I know you’ve been doing this a long time – since December 1 2010 – 43 screensful – 636 blogs by my count. Your first two were FT but after that exclusively Indy?
I had a look at your first, from way back when the clues weren’t even included in the blog. When did that innovation occur? These days many include the filled grid, some with themes highlighted in colour!
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2010/12/01/financial-times-13557-cinephile-so-tricky/
‘Welcome RatkojaRiku (no relation to Phssthpok by any chance?). A new FT setter and blogger on consecutive days! … a blogtastic baptism of fire with this one. I found it one of the toughest FT in living memory.’
You said ‘… it was a daunting prospect for a virgin blogger …”
You learnt that SO stood for Savoy (not Sullivan) Operas – a TILT for me now, too. Thank you.
Other TILTs today: TIPCAT, ALCARAZ {typo}. Thanks for those two, too. We appreciate all your hard work. 🙂
And does your name mean Solver/seam ripper Rick?
“Are you Finished?” “No, I’m Irish.” Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
shalom, heroic blog on greasy loss. equivalent helped.