Independent 11935 / Umpire

11 comments on “Independent 11935 / Umpire”

1. 

   Gnomad

   #1 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 07:40

   
   

   I had question marks for many of the definitions, all clued fairly I suppose, but personally I prefer to be sure I have the correct answer rather than have to have the definition confirmed elsewhere.

2. 

   grantinfreo

   #2 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 08:01

   
   

   Yes étagère has popped up recently, and my housemate has one in her bathroom. Like for duncan, Vine was a dnk. And straddle went in with a cqba shrug.. Nice puzzle, ta both.

3. 

   FrankieG

   #3 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 08:11

   
   

   [typo 2d: ‘…+ RAT [rodent])’] — Checked oed.com’s citations for 25a and found, among others: ”
   1894 The die is cast, the jig is up, the fat’s in the fire, the milk’s spilt. W. D. Howells in Harper’s Magazine February 380
   1961 You’re in the soup, Miss Briggs. The gaff has been blown, and the jig is up. P. G. Wodehouse, Service with Smile ix. 152
   1965 O.K., Frankie, the jig’s up! New Yorker 18 September 56″

4. 

   duncanshiell

   #4 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 08:23

   
   

   FrankieG @ 3

   Thanks – I must have blogged RAT as ‘to grass on’ fairly recently in another crossword and just typed it in again without thinking for this one. Corrected now.

5. 

   PostMark

   #5 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 08:44

   
   

   Nice straightforward puzzle with some deft touches as expected from this setter. I was my own worst enemy in parsing NARRATIVE – having identified the R RAT in the middle, I then spent far too long wondering why ‘native’ might mean ‘born yesterday’!!! I guessed at ANTBEAR from the def and opening A but did need to check my facts once the crossers confirmed the word. THE JIG IS UP was new to me but sounded Wodehousian (as confirmed by Frankie G). CHARCOAL, BEACON and, whilst I’m no gamer, SONIC were my podium today. LET’S was possibly least favourite – with the odd exception, such as apostrophes in names like O’Sullivan or King’s, I’m not a huge fan of words including them appearing as solutions but that’s an entirely personal stance.

   Thanks Umpire and duncan (who appears to have been very busy this year)

6. 

   TFO

   #6 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 14:51

   
   

   Thanks both. Grateful for the 2 optional parsings of STRADDLE as I had managed precisely zero, having not acknowledged ‘doubles’ can mean ‘doubles back’. Other things I learned included that there is a perhaps American perhaps obsolete English expression THE JIG IS UP which I resolve never to use, and there is a bear which eats ants with a wholly logical name.

7. 

   mrpenney

   #7 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 16:06

   
   

   For me, the bottom half took twice as long as the top, for no reason I can quite figure. Last one in was ANTBEAR.

   I feel like I’ve heard THE JIG IS UP in various Hollywood films noir (is that the right plural?) from the 30s and 40s. I doubt it’s in current use. Anyway, it’s worth remarking that “Shiite jug” is strikingly odd anagram fodder.

8. 

   Jayjay

   #8 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 17:12

   
   

   Thanks to setter and blogger both. Recognised the Woosterism. Totally missed nho VINE. Always good to see the word ELDRITCH. Good fun.

9. 

   Tony Santucci

   #9 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 18:08

   
   

   Thanks Umpire for a very good crossword. I failed to solve ANTBEAR and couldn’t parse BEACON but the rest was smooth sailing with my top picks being CHARCOAL, FERN, LOCKET, TRAVELATOR (new word for me), CLIMAXING, and EDICT. Thanks Duncan for the blog.

10. 

    AP

    #10 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 20:56

    
    

    I thought this was excellent and I was surprised to make progress pretty easily despite feeling that the setter’s way of thinking was often not quite what I’m used to.

    Favourites were SALAD CREAM, DISTRACT, STRADDLE, ENCLOSURE and TIGGER. I was less keen on LET’S, as per PostMark.

    Thanks both

11. 

    Umpire

    #11 - Thu 9th Jan 25, 22:14

    
    

    Thanks to duncan for the comprehensive blog and to the commenters for their kind words and thoughts. Wishing all a good 2025.

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