Independent 11431 / Rodriguez

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Rodriguez is becoming a fairly regular setter in the Independent weekday series.  The puzzles are carefully constructed with clues that make you think quite hard

 

 

 

The clues have well disguised definitions which are only rarely lifted direct from dictionaries.  Also the wordplay is sometimes well hidden such that the clue has to be read two or three times to understand fully how the construction works.

Having said that I am not entirely sure how the definition of COMPROMISE at 1 across relates to the dictionaries.. I can see what Rodriguez is trying to say but I haven’t explained it properly.  There may be an allusion to intermediaries (mediums?) or arbitration as the route to a COMPROMISE. 

DAME EDNA EVERAGE and CAULDRONS have appeared in recent Independent grids but I can understand that there will always be duplication.

I was impressed by Rodriguez’ use of appropriate anagram indicators in many clues.  Words such as cooking (wordplay in part of CAULDRONS), playing (for SEMI in part of MISERY) and performing (ANNIE [musical] in part of MILLENNIA)

No Detail
Across  
1

Firm with guarantee to pocket millions via media (10) 

COMPROMISE (the settlement of a dispute by compromise on both or all sides, via middle courses [mediums; media]

(CO [company; firm] + PROMISE [guarantee]) containing (to pocket) M (millions)

CO (M) PROMISE
6

Fish I see behind ebbing river (4)

OPAH (the kingfish, a large sea-fish with laterally flattened body)

PO (river in Italy) reversed (ebbing) + AH (expression of understanding; I see)

OP< AH
10

You read out article about R&B style of music (5)

URBAN (musical genre of the 1980s and ’90s defined by recordings by rhythm-and-blues or soul artists with broad crossover)

(U [sounds like {read out}] + AN [indefinite article)]) containing (about) ( R and B)

U (RB) AN
11

Way to get in side blocking crosses from the right (5,4) 

SWING DOOR (a means of entry; way to get in)

WING (side [of a building for example]) contained in (blocking) ROODS (crosses) reversed (from the right)

S (WING) DOOR<
12

Abused turning round in part of theatre, perform well (7,3,5)

DELIVER THE GOODS (carry out what is required or promised; perform well)

REVILED (abused) reversed (turning) + (O [round-shaped character] contained in [in] THE GODS [upper gallery in a theatre])

DELIVER< THE GO (O)  DS – either O could be the one contained
13

Significant number frequently not finishing drinks (2,4)

OF NOTE (significant)

OFTEN (frequently) excluding the final letter (not finishing) N containing (drinks) NO (number)

OF (NO) TE
15

Family including dutch guy hugged by Spice Girl roughly (8) 

GERMANIC (family of languages which includes German and Dutch)

MAN (guy) contained in (hugged by) GERI C – (a misnamed [roughly] Spice Girl based on a mix of GERI Halliwell and Mel C)

GER (MAN) I C
19

Don’t say anything more left-wing? This could prevent secrets getting out (8) 

SHREDDER (a device to render hard-copy documents unreadable by cutting them automatically into strips or into confetti)

SH (be quiet; don’t say anything) + REDDER (more left wing in political terms)

S REDDER
20

Stuffier Conservative, one destined for failure (6) 

CLOSER (more oppressive, heavy or airless; stuffier)

C (Conservative) + LOSER (one destined for failure)

C LOSER
22

Amended broadcast mean about English comic figure (4,4,7) 

DAME EDNA EVERAGE (comic figure portrayed by Barry Humphries [1934 – 2023])

Anagram of (broadcast) AMENDED + (AVERAGE [mean] containing [about] E [English])

DAME EDN* A (E) VERAGE
25

Out of time in advanced test that overwhelms worker (9)

ATEMPORAL (without consideration of time)

(A [advanced] + ORAL [examination; test]) containing (overwhelms) TEMP (TEMPorary worker)

A (TEMP) ORAL
26

Lean back, welcoming good time for a rest (5)

NIGHT (time for sleep or rest)

THIN (lean) reversed (back) containing (welcoming) G (good)

NI (G) HT<
27

This requires you to do a stretch in Tokyo gaol (4)

YOGA (system of exercises involving stretching)

YOGA (hidden word in [in] TOKYO GAOL)

YOGA
28

When doctorate’s done by mostly serious man of letters (10)

POSTMASTER (person involved with the handling of mail [letters])

POST (after) + MA (Master of Arts; a university degree taken before a postgraduate course) + STERN (serious) excluding the final letter (mostly) N – a doctorate is done POST MA

POST MA STER
Down  
1

Pots old Scots will break in scorn after cooking (9)

CAULDRONS (large pots for cooking)

AULD (Scottish word for ‘old’) contained in (will break in) an anagram of (after cooking) SCORN

C (AULD) RONS*
2

Mike has second child – it’s a girl! (5)

MABEL (girl’s name)

M (Mike is the international radio communication codeword for the letter M) + ABEL (second son of Adam and Eve – i.e the second child on Earth according to the Bible)

M ABEL
3

Gave a make-over to star back in short grass skirts (9)

RENOVATED (restored to good condition; gave a makeover to)

(REED (grass) containing (skirts) (NOVA [variable star] + T [last letter of {back in} SHORT])

RE (NOVA T) ED
4

Blues really gutted after playing semi (6)

MISERY (depression; the blues)

Anagram of (playing) SEMI + RY (letters remaining in REALLY after the central letters EALL have been removed [gutted])

MISE* RY
5

Insult head of state no longer of lesser importance (8)

SLIGHTER (of lesser importance)

SLIGHT (insult) + ER (Elizabeth Regina, former Queen of the United Kingdom; head of state no loner)

SLIGHT ER
7

Presents reasons for banking some cash (9)

PROPOUNDS (puts forward for consideration; presents)

PROS (reasons in favour; reasons for) containing (banking) POUND (£ sterling; some cash)

PRO (POUND) S
8

Damages from hydrogen bombs etc (5)

HARMS (damages)

H (chemical symbol for hydrogen) + ARMS (weapons)

H ARMS
9

Feeling much excitement, try silver rings (4)

AGOG (in excited eagerness; feeling much excitement)

AG (chemical symbol for silver) containing (rings) GO (attempt; try)

A (GO) G
14

Feeling less good about race, not content in site of rallies (9)

NUREMBERG (site of many Nazi party rallies from 1923 to 1939)

(NUMBER [with less feeling] + G [good]) containing (about) RE (letters remaining in RACE when the central letters AC are removed [no {not} content])

NU (RE) MBER G
16

Works on performing Annie for ages (9)

MILLENNIA (many periods of a thousand years; ages)

MILL (works for producing products from grain for example) + an anagram of (performing) ANNIE

MILL ENNIA*
17

Draft received by president who may put a cabinet together (9) 

CARPENTER (a craftsman who could build a cabinet)

PEN (write; draft) contained in (received by) CARTER (reference Jimmy CARTER [born 1924], former President of the United States)

CAR (PEN) TER
18

Take a holiday to the north with con artist (8)

LEONARDO (reference LEONARDO Da Vinci [1452 – 1519], Italian artist and very clever chap with skills in many fields of science and the arts)

(R [recipe;  take [Latin] + A + NOEL (Christmas holiday period) all reversed (to the north; down entry) + DO (swindle; con)

(LEON A R)< DO
21

Arrested by police, hands over wine (6)

MERLOT (type of wine)

(R and L [right and left hands] + O [over]) contained in (arrested by) MET (METropolitan police)

ME (R L O) T
22

Daily Record‘s rising support on line (5) 

DIARY (daily record)

AID (help; support) reversed (rising; down entry) + RY ([railway] line])

DIA< RY – this being a down entry the letter DIA are on [top of] RY
23

Public display from unclothed, attractive person (4) 

EXPO (exhibition or public showing)

SEXPOT (person of very great or obvious physical attraction.) excluding the outer letters (unclothed) S and T

EXPO
24

Worry covers ripped off rap music (5)

ANGST (anxiety; worry)

GANGSTA (style of rap music) excluding the outer letters (covers ripped off) G and A

ANGST

21 comments on “Independent 11431 / Rodriguez”

  1. Thanks, Rodriguez and duncanshiell!

    Liked D T GOODS, GERMANIC, POSTMASTER and LEONARDO.

    COMPROMISE
    ‘via media’ as a noun means ‘a middle path/compromise’. The definition
    is ‘via media’ in this sense, I think.

  2. His aim, however, had been to find a via media between the old and new—-an example sentence picked from ‘sentence.yourdictionary.com’

  4. Yes, very good with some difficult parsing as has been so well explained by Duncan above. I wasn’t sure about COMPROMISE either but parsed it as you did. I didn’t know ‘via media’ as a noun, as pointed out by KVa @1. I agree with KVa @3 that the C in GERMANIC (sorry, but def needs underlining) comes from ‘roughly’ as only one ‘Spice Girl’ (to give GERI) is mentioned in the wordplay.

    Favourite was RENOVATED for the surface and multi-component wordplay. ATEMPORAL took a while to get at the end.

    Thanks to Rodriguez and Duncan

  5. Thanks Duncan. For 15a I had just the one Spice Girl and C as circa/roughly. Tough workout but enjoyable and informative. Liked ANGST and EXPO and GERMANIC with its Dutch guy. Thanks Rodriguez.

  9. KVa@3, WordPlodder@4, Sofamore@5

    C for circa, [roughly] is obviously correct – thanks. I was trying to be too clever breeding another Spice Girl.

    Also I’ve underlined the definition for GERMANIC now.

    Thanks for the corrections

  11. COMPROMISE is brilliant, for the ‘sneaky bit of Latin’!
    Other favourites were GERMANIC, SHREDDER, CAUKDRONS, MABEL, SLIGHTER and LEONARDO.

    Many thanks to Rodriguez and Duncan.

  12. For GERMANIC what happened to the capital D for Dutch?
    “via media” is very clever: separately in English
    via is a preposition – by way of
    and media is a neuter plural noun – we all know what a medium/the media is/are
    In Latin via media is a noun (feminine) followed by an adjective (feminine, singular) meaning middle way.
    So they’re all different parts of speech, different genders, and of course all pronounced differently. Typical crossword stuff. 🙂

  13. A good workout, with LEONARDO my loi. By the way, Duncan, you have mistyped “Independent” in the title.

  14. … and it’s also posted as ‘unclassified, which might account for the paucity of comments since mid-morning.

  17. Some clever clues though I’m not sure I get compromise even after you all explained it. Thanks for the help in parsing.

  18. Ericw @17
    Via media (literally, ‘middle way’) is a Latin phrase which has been in use, in various contexts, for centuries – see here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_media
    Rodriguez has ‘sneakily’ used the modern-day English use of these two words – via, ‘by way of’ and ‘media’ plural of ‘medium’ (mid-point between two extremes) Collins: ‘ the means of communication that reach large numbers of people, such as television, newspapers and radio’ in a masterly piece of misdirection.
    Via media = compromise – see here: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/via-media

  20. Had to pop in to applaud a parsing tour-de-force. I was left with 4 or 5 which i had to reveal (GERMANIC and LEONARDO among them) and even then was left baffled. In the meantime COMPROMISE and MABEL had me sucking the end of my pencil. Enjoyed a great deal but chapeau to duncanshiell (I thought I was improving – hmmm).

  21. I believe the setters get an email every time a post appears so I hope the brilliant Rodriguez, one of my very favourite setters, be it here or as Robyn in The Telegraph, sees this.
    I thought it was excellent, as ever from the master of misdirection, and for him relatively accessible.
    I particularly liked DELIVER THE GOODS, NIGHT, YOGA, MABEL &CARPENTER with top spot going to the masterly GERMANIC
    Many thanks to R and DS.

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