Guy is the setter this morning.
An excellent puzzle from Guy this morning, although halfway through the solve, I was looking at a very barren bottom half and wondered if I would be able to finish before getting up for work. Then LAY IT ON THE LINE came to me and gave me enough crossers to make a atart with ASSENT being my LOI. A minor quibble about CHARIOT(s) OF FIRE aside, this was flawless, and just the right level of difficulty for a working blogger.
Thanls Guy.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PLUMMET |
Professor on board joined dive (7)
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(Professor) PLUM ("on" a Cluedo "board") + MET ("joined") |
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| 5 | BAFFLED |
Clueless graduate ran after head of faculty (7)
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BA (Bachelor of Arts, so "graduate") + FLED ("ran") after [head of] F(aculty) |
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| 9 | PSEUD |
Fraud returned subscriptions following pressure (5)
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[returned] <=DUES ("subscriptions") following P (pressure) |
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| 10 | PERPIGNAN |
Place in France for every gourmand, and granny (9)
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PER ("for every") + PIG ("gourmand") + NAN ("granny") |
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| 11 | CARPENTRY |
Trade tote bags in prison (9)
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CARRY ("tote") bags PENT ("in prison") |
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| 12 | HOSTA |
What parasites live on a garden plant? (5)
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HOST ("what parasites live on") + A Hosta is also known as the plantain lily. |
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| 13 | CHARIOTS OF FIRE |
Picture of horse-drawn vehicles in Jerusalem? (8,2,4)
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CHARIOTS OF FIRE (almost) appear in the lyrics to William Blake's Jersualem (technically it's CHARIOT of fire") and was alao a 1981 movie ("picture") about the 1924 Olympics. |
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| 18 | LAY IT ON THE LINE |
Italy beaten then hung out to dry, to be frank (3,2,2,3,4)
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*(italy) [anag:beaten] then ON THE (washing) LINE ("hung out to dry") |
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| 20 | MISER |
Mr T has escaped from meanie (5)
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T has escaped from MIS(t)ER |
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| 22 | HOMEWARDS |
Doctor who dreams, back from work, perhaps (9)
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*(who dreams) [anag:doctor] |
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| 24 | TELL APART |
Separate friend leased back paintings (4,5)
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<= (PAL (Friend") + LET ("leased"), back) + ART ("paintings") |
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| 25 | GLUTE |
Jumping muscle, excess energy (5)
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GLUT ("excess") + E (energy) |
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| 26 | STRETCH |
Challenge boundaries in sexist gag (7)
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[boundaries in] S(exis)T + RETCH ("gag") |
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| 27 | CONCEIT |
Arrogance of Tory chair on the radio (7)
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Con, (Conservative, so "Tory") + homophone/pun/aural wordplay [on the radio] of SEAT ("chair") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PAPACY |
Term for Holy Father’s yearly fast (6)
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PA (per annum, so "yearly") + PACY ("fast") |
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| 2 | UNEARTHLY |
Weird alteration to the lunar year (9)
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*(the lunar) [anag:alteration to] + Y (year) |
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| 3 | MIDGE |
Fly upside-down, possibly stupid (5)
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[upside down] <=(e.g. ("possibly") + DIM ("stupid")) |
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| 4 | TIP IT DOWN |
Bucket Ted emptied behind tent, for personal use (3,2,4)
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T(e)D [emptied] after TIPI ("tent") + OWN ("for personal use") |
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| 5 | BARMY |
Eccentric saving crumbs (5)
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BAR ("saving") + MY ("crumbs!") |
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| 6 | FRIGHTFUL |
Distressing fine justly deserved (9)
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F (fine) + RIGHTFUL ("justly deserved") |
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| 7 | LINKS |
Course along the coast learner marks with a pen (5)
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L (learner) + INKS ("marks with a pen") The course in the clue refers to a links golf course. |
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| 8 | DUNGAREE |
Indian calico made by underage weaving (8)
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*(underage) [anag:weaving] |
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| 14 | RETARDANT |
Sailor nipped by insect gets something to lessen reaction (9)
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TAR ("sailor") nippled by RED ANT ("insect") |
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| 15 | SCHEMATIC |
Second team organised in style shown by diagram (9)
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S (second) + *(team) [anag:organised] in CHIC ("style") |
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| 16 | INNER TUBE |
Rubber lining hotel bath that’s broken before (5,4)
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INN ("hotel") + TUB ("bath") that's broken ERE ("before") |
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| 17 | CLEMATIS |
Fixing ropes are tied to is holding male climber (8)
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CLEAT ((a) "fixing" (that) "ropes are tied to") + IS holding M (male) |
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| 19 | ASSENT |
When did ship show the green light? (6)
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AS ("when") + SENT (shipped, or "did ship") |
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| 21 | SOLAR |
Fly across lake in the sun (5)
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SOAR ("fly") across L (lake) |
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| 22 | HEATH |
Male on visit to hospital becomes Erica (5)
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HE ("male") + AT ("on visit to") + H (hospital) |
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| 23 | WAGON |
Keep shaking from side to side in freight car (5)
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WAG ON ("keep shaking from side to side") |
Some goodies here (liked Perpignan)
Guy seems to have a unique style which makes for a challenge
Thanks.
Like Copster, PERPIGNAN was my overall favourite but I also liked PLUMMET (for the Cluedo reminder) and BARMY. ‘Underage’ cluing DUNGAREE was a great spot too.
My experience was not dissimilar to Loonapick’s in that my first pass yielded little. But the neat cluing did lead to a steady solve in the end.
Thanks to Guy and Loonapick
My first solve of a Guy puzzle was only two months ago and I see now that I missed the most recent one, having said that I was looking forward to it!
I’m very glad not to have missed this one, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Like Diane, I had a similar experience to loonapick but the excellent LAY IT ON THE LINE, together with CHARIOTS OF FIRE, certainly helped to open things up. I understand the minor quibble with the latter but I thought it was a great clue: I love the film and its theme music and remember first singing ‘Jerusalem’ in primary school for a music festival.
I thought the surfaces throughout were excellent – I particularly enjoyed the pictures painted in 5ac BAFFLED, 10ac PERPIGNAN, 4dn TIP IT DOWN and14dn RETARDANT. Other favourites were PLUMMET, CARPENTRY, PAPACY, BARMY, FRIGHTFUL and SCHEMATIC.
Many thanks to Guy and loonapick for a super start to the day.
Thanks Guy and loonapick. May I offer a piece of whimsical counter-pedantry to justify the plural from the second indication in 13ac? A large number of people have sung Jerusalem, often indeed many at the same time, and they are entitled to claim a chariot each.
I agree with Diane’s last remark.
Pelham Barton @4 – I like it!
I agree with all the praise for this and nice to be reminded of Martin (Chariots) Offiah.
We found this quite challenging but got there in the end, only having to confirm our guess at GLUTE. Several aha moments, such as when we got TIP IT DOWN and INNER TUBE.
Thanks, Guy and loonapick.