Independent 11561 / Atrica

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Atrica provides the Tuesday challenge in the Independent this week.

 

 

 

Tuesday is theme day and Atrica usually has a theme, but it took me a long time to find this one, as depicted in the grid graphic below.  If I had thought more about today’s date, I might have found the theme earlier.  Happy Halloween everyone!  I wondered whether to highlight the OR of ORE to get TRICK OR TREAT near the top, but I couldn’t do anything with the symmetrically placed HUE, so I didn’t highlight OR

Prophyra and porphyry are similar words and I got a bit confused when solving the puzzle and writing the blog. When solving, I found Porphyra in the dictionary defined as a type of seaweed and one meaning of ORE at 9 across is also a type of seaweed.  When I wrote the blog I hit on porphyry first and found that to mean rock, which ORE also does as well.

I note the crossword world’s favourite screen makes an appearance at 29 across.

Thanks to Atrica for excellent surfaces in the clue.  I liked the surfaces for ITCHINESS, RIGHTED, TWEETED, TOADIED and THIN AIR

No Detail
Across  
1

Class getting place to organise letters (7) 

TYPESET (organise letters for printing on a press)

TYPE (class) + SET (place in position)

TYPE SET
5

Sikh car’s replacement’s a human-powered vehicle (7) 

RICKSHA (small two-wheeled, hooded carriage drawn by a human)

Anagram of (replacement) SIKH CAR

RICKSHA*
9

Mine Korea for porphyry? (3) 

ORE (solid, naturally-occurring mineral aggregate)

ORE (porphyry is a very hard, variegated rock of a purple and white colour, used in sculpture)  double definition – see also the seaweed reference in the blog introduction above.

ORE
10

Soccer – it really grips the country (7) 

ERITREA (country in East Africa)

ERITREA (hidden word in [grips] SOCCER IT REALLY)

ERITREA
11

After mix-up in pit man at last removed drums (7) 

TIMPANI (orchestral kettledrums)

Anagram of (after mix-up) IN PIT MAN excluding (removed) the final letter (at last) N

TIMPANI*
12

Cast terminated reportedly (5) 

THREW (cast)

THREW (sounds like [reportedly] THROUGH [complete; over; terminated])

THREW
13

Discomfort from the use of computers popular in chess (9) 

ITCHINESS (discomfort caused by an irritating sensation in one’s skin)

IT (information technology; computers) + (IN [popular] contained in [in] CHESS)

IT CH (IN) ESS
14

Yes, maybe criticise before break up (7) 

DISBAND (break up)

DIS (treat with disrespect or contempt; criticise) + BAND (Yes is an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 that has gone through many changes of line up [break ups?] but still exists today)

DIS BAND
16

Bad look or bad in what does the looking? (4,3)

EVIL EYE (supposed power to cause harm by a look)

EVIL (bad) + EYE (organ of sight; organ that does the looking)

EVIL EYE
18

Quickly construct shed? (4,3)

TOSS OFF (perform or produce quickly or cursorily; quickly construct)

TOSS OFF (remove; shed)

TOSS OFF
20

Embarrassed to admit weight we lost is restored to its normal position (7) 

RIGHTED (restored to its normal position)

RED (embarrassed) containing (to admit) WEIGHT excluding (lost) WE

R (IGHT) ED
22

Feeling ill-used, impoverished earl becomes naturally annoyed at first (9) 

INDIGNANT (feeling or showing justifiable anger; feeling ill-used)

INDIGENT (impoverished) with E (earl) replaced by (becomes) NA (initial letters of [at first] each of NATURALLY and ANNOYED)

INDIG (NA) NT
24

I’m thinking right or making a mistake (5) 

ERROR (mistake)

ER (expression indicating that the speaker is thinking) + R (right) + OR

ER R OR
25

Very fond of a mastiff? Wanting good collar possibly (7) 

ADORING (very fond of)

A + DOG (a mastiff is a breed of dog) excluding (wanting) G (good) + RING (collar)

A DO RING
26

After removing wrappers, ovenready casseroles greedily consumed (7) 

RAVENED (devoured hungrily or greedily)

Anagram of (casseroles) OVENREADY excluding the outer letters (after removing wrappers) O and Y

RAVENED*
27

Then essentially anyone can see that boring colour (3) 

HUE (colour)

U (film classification indicating that people of all ages can view) contained in (boring) HE (central letters of [essentially] THEN)

H (U) E
28

Observe detail (7) 

RESPECT (refrain from violating; observe rules)

RESPECT (particular; detail)  double definition – maybe also an &Lit

RESPECT
29

Once again remodel saint in screen behind the altar (7) 

REREDOS (screen or panelling behind an altar or seat)

RE– (again) + REDO (remodel) + S (saint)

RE REDO S
Down  
1

Did what a tit does, and posted a comment online (7) 

TWEETED (posted a comment online using X [formally known as Twitter])

TWEETED (what a tit [bird] did when it sang a song)  double definition

TWEETED
2

Proper attachments for watering flowers (9) 

PRIMROSES (flowers)

PRIM (proper) + ROSES (perforated nozzles used as attachments to watering cans)

PRIM ROSES
3

Raised lumps in bedding (5) 

STRAW (a form of bedding)

WARTS (small hard excrescences on the skin; lumps) reversed (raised; down entry)

STRAW<
4

Sucked up to a degree that is finally absurd (7) 

TOADIED (fawned and flattered; sucked up to)

TO + A + D (degree) + IE (id est; that is) + D (last letter of [finally] ABSURD)

TO A D IE D
5

Network‘s about to entertain without break, finally (7) 

RETICLE (attachment to an optical instrument consisting of a network of lines of reference)

RE (with reference to; about) + TICKLE (entertain) excluding (without) K (last letter of [finally] BREAK)

RE TICLE
6

Gathering politician’s enthralled by acting like a snake (9) 

COMPILING (collecting; gathering)

MP (Member of Parliament; politician) contained in (enthralled by) COILING (acting like a snake)

CO (MP) ILING
7

Provoke fear in small mind (5) 

SCARE (provoke fear in)

S (small) + CARE (look after; mind)

S CARE
8

A disposable handkerchief is under discussion (2,5) 

AT ISSUE (in dispute; under discussion)

A + TISSUE (disposable handkerchief)

A T ISSUE
15

Adjacent, so aligned somehow (9)

ALONGSIDE (adjacent to)

Anagram of (somehow) SO ALIGNED

ALONGSIDE*
17

Installed as archbishop perhaps unfortunately then droned endlessly (9) 

ENTHRONED (the installation of an Archbishop is referred to as an ENTHRONEment)

Anagram of (unfortunately) THEN DRONED excluding the final letter (endlessly) D

ENTHRONED*
18

What you might find on top of a mountain or under a rug in the East End? (4,3) 

THIN AIR (the AIR is THINner at the top of a high mountain)

THIN ‘AIR (An Eastender in London would drop the leading H from HAIR and would also refer to a wig as a rug.  A bald head or THIN ‘AIR would therefore be found under a rug) 

THIN AIR
19

Worried woman in Germany making a partial contribution to anything once (7) 

FRAUGHT (worried)

FRAU (German for ‘[married] woman’)  + AUGHT (anything) – I think the clue is indicating that the final two letters of FRAU are also contributing to the beginning of AUGHT

FR AUGHT
20

Frisky terrier or one that’s less active now? (7) 

RETIRER (one no longer working so less active.  Many RETIREes are just as, if not more active than they were when they were working)

Anagram of (frisky) TERRIER

RETIRER*
21

Ridicules top player returning to eat free (7) 

DERIDES (mocks; ridicules)

SEED (top player) reversed (returned) and containing (to eat) RID (free)

DE (RID) ES<
23

Waste could be dormouse’s occasionally (5)

DROSS (waste matter)

DROSS (letters 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 [occasionally] of DORMOUSE’S)

DROSS
24

Young swimmer left drops in bar (5)

ELVER (young eel; young swimmer)

LEVER (bar) with the L dropping one place in this down entry to form ELVER

ELVER

 

11 comments on “Independent 11561 / Atrica”

  1. Thanks, Atrica and duncanshiell!
    Liked ERROR, ADORING, RETICLE and FRAUGHT.

    ORE
    Mine Korea=Dig in kOREa to get ORE. This aspect is not explicitly brought out
    in the blog and so I am mentioning it.

    FRAUGHT
    anything once, I think, says that AUGHT is archaic.

  2. I struggled to interpret the instructions for FRAUGHT when solving; the overlap only struck me with hindsight. I wish the theme had done the same. I scoured the grid but, apart from a few lurking creatures, found no link. Given that we have had themes based around connections between horizontals quite frequently in recent weeks, I should have thought to look. Neatly done and timely too.

    Favourites include ITCHINESS, TOSS OFF, ADORING, PRIMROSES, SCARE, ALONGSIDE and THIN AIR which is COTD for the smile.

    Thanks Atrica and Duncan

  4. Thanks for outlining the theme even though I know Tuesday is a theme day.
    I enjoyed the puzzle anyhow and couldnt OR(E) be inmcluded in TRICK OR TREAT
    Thanks all.

  5. Great puzzle – surprised nobody else has mentioned 10a, which I thought was a brilliant surface, but there are lots of good clues here as others have pointed out. I wasn’t convinced by “casseroles” as an anagram indicator in 26a, but I assume Atrica would say that “stews” could be used with the same meanings.
    I read 16a as VILE (bad) inside EYE, which accounts for the “in” in the clue and makes it a little more cryptic.
    Thanks both.

  7. I liked THIN AIR. I think that’s the second time we have had alternative parsings with VILE and EVIL this week. Thanks, both.

  8. Thanks both. I was looking for a spooky theme, and usually check the sections used here, though it’s rarely fruitful, but didn’t do today, of course. TOSS OFF has other secondary meanings in my world, but I didn’t know the one regarding quick construction. Many of our friends no longer work, and I refer to them as retirees rather than RETIRER(s) which I’ll stick to as it sounds more permanent

  9. We knew it was Tuesday but forgot all about themes. Never mind, it was a great puzzle even so. 8dn was perhaps a bit of an old chestnut, but we liked TIMPANI, INDIGNANT and COMPILING. We couldn’t parse 14ac for ages till we remembered about the name of the band.
    Thanks, Atrica and Duncan.

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