Today's setter is Falcon.
A straightforward puzzle with good clean surfaces. A little geneeral knowledge is required (IOLANTHE, ARLES, RYE etc), but nothing terribly obscure.
Thanks, Falcon.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | USE |
Exercise advantageous? Not half! (3)
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USE(ful) ("advantageous", not half) |
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| 10 | TRENDSETTER |
Time dog round third of bends, one leading the way (11)
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T (time) + RED SETTER ("dog") round [third of] (be)N(ds) |
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| 11 | EQUAL |
Peer in uniform (5)
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Double definition |
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| 12 | EVOCATIVE |
Reminiscent of Morse’s last case (9)
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(mors)E ['s last] + VOCATIVE ("case", in grammar) |
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| 13 | SPANNER |
Tool found in box containing number I lost (7)
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SPAR ("box") containing N(i)NE ("number" with I lost) |
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| 14 | TWIN-TUB |
Couple, however, returned washing machine (4-3)
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TWIN ("couple") + <=BUT ("however", returned) |
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| 16 | NOTWITHSTANDING |
Lacking status nevertheless? (15)
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NOT WITH ("lacking") + STANDING ("status") |
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| 20 | CHARLES |
De Gaulle, for one, in hospital in cold French city (7)
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H (hospital) in C (cold) + ARLES ("French city") |
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| 23 | OFFICER |
Perhaps policeman’s proposal involving one caught (7)
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OFFER ("proposal") involving I (one) + C (caught, in cricket) |
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| 25 | VALENTINO |
Screen idol’s brief card written with love (9)
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[brief] VALENTIN(e) ("card written" on Feb 14) with O (love, in tennis) |
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| 26 | REMIT |
Forward terms of reference (5)
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Double definition |
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| 27 | TOUCH JUDGES |
Linesmen, in passing, say something about tries (5,6)
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TOUCH ("in passing, say something about") + JUDGES ("tries") Touch judges are rugby's equivalent of linesmen in football. |
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| 28 | RYE |
Medieval town in Merry England (3)
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Hidden [in] "merRY Engalnd" The town of Rye in East Sussex still has many medieval buildings standing today. |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SUPERSONIC |
Playing percussion tremendously fast (10)
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*(percussion) [anag:playing] |
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| 2 | PETULANT |
Childishly sulky power worker holding instrument up? (8)
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P (power) + ANT ("worker") holding <=LUTE ("instrument", up) |
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| 3 | STOLEN |
Taken from Bristol environmentalist (6)
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Hidden in [from] "briSTOL ENvironmentalist" |
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| 4 | RESEARCH |
Collect information regarding hunt (8)
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RE ("regarding") + SEARCH ("hunt") |
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| 5 | ADROIT |
Notice trio working, showing skill (6)
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AD ("notice") + *(trio) [anag:working] |
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| 6 | LEGATION |
Large group of soldiers gathering at mission (8)
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LEGION ("large group of soldiers") gathering AT |
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| 7 | STRICT |
No-nonsense DI leaving area (6)
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DI leaving (di)STRICT ("area") |
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| 8 | FREE |
Not bound to deliver (4)
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Double definition |
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| 15 | BIG BROTHER |
Important monk’s authoritarian leader (3,7)
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BIG ("important") + BROTHER ("monk") |
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| 17 | IOLANTHE |
Comic opera — I look up two articles (8)
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I + <=LO ("look", up) + AN + THE ("two articles") Iolanthe – written by Gilbert & Sullivan, and first performed in 1882 |
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| 18 | THOROUGH |
Full round in between (8)
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O (round) in THROUGH ("between") |
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| 19 | IN CAMERA |
American treated secretly (2,6)
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*(american) [anag:treated] |
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| 21 | ALL-OUT |
Argue, blowing top in comprehensive (3-3)
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(f) ALL OUT ("argue", blowing top) |
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| 22 | SLIP UP |
Make a mistake giving rise to students (4,2)
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[giving rise to] <=PUPILS ("students") |
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| 24 | FOREST |
Woodland bar everyone overlooked (6)
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FOREST(all) ("bar" with ALL ("everyone") overlooked |
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| 25 | VETO |
Refuse to allow former GI oxygen (4)
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VET (veteran, so "fomer GI") + O (oxygen, on the periodic table) |
Seems I haven’t done a Falcon puzzle in a long time. As always, I enjoyed the exercise though I remember having to work harder on some than perhaps I expected – it took me a while, for instance, to spot the neat simplicity of 1d which then became a favourite.
I came here curious to see how SPANNER worked, knowing it would be obvious and so it proved.
More careful parsing did, at least, land my one unknown, IOLANTHE.
Definitely a case of slow and steady wins the race today.
Thanks to Falcon and Loonapick.
Very enjoyable. I parsed 24 down differently, with REST for everyone and FO (ban/get lost) not standing for foreign office! Apologies.
Quite enjoyable; nothing contentious. Haven’t been to Rye on any of my UK visits, but vaguely remembered it from a previous puzzle.
Liked SPANNER, TOUCH JUDGES (Lovely Rugby surface) and FOREST a lot!
Thanks Falcon and Loonapick! A nice puzzle and a neat blog!
SUPERSONIC (reading the surface or call it a superficial work)
Alexander, better known as Supersonic, and formerly Drummer Boy, is a supporting character in Season 3 of the Amazon series The Boys.
EVOCATIVE
Def: Is it ‘reminiscent’ or ‘reminiscent of’?
Good puzzle and quite straightforward with the top half easier than the bottom half.
Favourite was IOLANTHE
Thanks Falcon and loonapick
Enjoyed this and applaud the anagram in 1d.
In 27ac “in passing” seems superfluous? “Say something about” is enough for touch?
Many thanks to Falcon and Loonapick.
SM@6,
I felt the ‘in passing’ was necessary, that is, ‘to say something in passing’ is to ‘touch’ on a subject lightly.
Diane@7
You may be right. Perhaps a matter of emphasis ?
SM@8
I agree with Diane@7.
Not a matter of emphasis. When you touch on/upon a subject, it’s just done in passing (by definition).
Diane@7 and KVa@9
I concede!
This was enjoyably straightforward after yesterday‘s tribulations. My highlight was the astonishing percussion/supersonic anagram.
Thanks
foi 16a NOTWITHSTANDING – seen it before, but it’s always new for someone.
Ditto 1d SUPERSONIC, eg – https://www.fifteensquared.net/2018/03/13/guardian-27455-arachne/ – “Playing percussion very fast (10)” … or the other way …
PERCUSSION, eg – https://www.fifteensquared.net/2023/08/27/everyman-4009-20-august/ – “Section of band performing Supersonic (10)”
[Oasis’s debut single in 1994 – celebrating a 30th (Pearl) anniversary]
Single-word anagrams are favoured by The Observer‘s Everyman and Jay@38 has compiled a list here:
https://www.fifteensquared.net/2024/01/07/everyman-4028/#comment-611561
[SUPERSONIC/PERCUSSION appears twice]
Thanks Frankie G
Marvellous research.
A drum roll for you!
I recall encountering In Camera / American previously
Moly@14 – Yes, I was about to say the same…
IN CAMERA, eg – https://www.fifteensquared.net/2014/11/17/guardian-26419-rufus/ – “Secret American organisation (2,6)”… or the other way …
AMERICAN, eg – https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/23989#18-down – “Maybe Donald Rumsfeld would allow one to torture in camera? (8)”
[Arachne being much more devious, 17 years ago]
Couldn’t resist solving the Arachne above – loi 1d – it’s very good.
[FrankieG @15: ref the Arachne clue – and, no, I am NOT comparing myself – but I am smiling at the joys of coincidence. I provide a monthly quiptic to a local magazine; it’s deliberately aimed at newer solvers. My Donald Trump’s one raging in camera (8) was published just after the ex-President’s criminal mugshot appeared – which was delightful timing! 😀 ]
Nothing too difficult or obscure, but sufficiently challenging to be satisfying. A couple of parsings escaped me – SPANNER and ALL-OUT, allthough they were the obvios answers. I liked IOLANTHE and, for its misdirection, EVOCATIVE.
Thanks, Falcon and loonapick.
[PostMark@17 – Nice one! – 😀 ]
I enjoyed this one a lot, possibly because it was a bit easier than usual? In any case, thank you Falcon and Loonapick
12a — Falcon: “Reminiscent of Morse’s last case (9)” — Picaroon(2016): “Morse’s last case stirring up memories (9)” — Great minds…
Very EVOCATIVE for me recently. Thanks F&L