Brunel has provided a lot of Sunday puzzles lately, but is now back in a weekday slot.
A few of the constructions here needed a bit of thought, and there are one or two weaker clues (such as 5d), but plenty of good ones. I liked the misdirection of “no-go area” in 5a and “alternative realities” in 10a, and the surface images of 22a and 16d. And I think crossword setters (especially those who don’t like the Tories) have had a lot of fun lately with clues such as 21a . . . Thanks Brunel for an enjoyable challenge.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ALCOPOP |
Sweet, intoxicating drink? Try fizzy cola first (7)
|
| POP (as in “have a pop at it” = try, as a noun = an attempt), with an anagram (fizzy) of COLA first.
A mixed alcoholic drink with fruit juice, sugar, flavourings and/or colourings: it looks like “fizzy pop” but may well be stronger than beer. |
||
| 5 | SWANSEA |
Small cars no-go area encompassing eastern city (7)
|
| S (abbreviation for small) + WA[go]NS (without GO) + A (abbreviation for area), around E (abbreviation for eastern).
City in south Wales. |
||
| 9/27 | CIVIL SERVICE |
Faceless ones traditionally invoked by polite ceremony (5,7)
|
| CIVIL (polite) + SERVICE (a religious ceremony).
Government employees, especially those who don’t deal directly with the public and are traditionally viewed as “faceless bureaucrats”. I’m not sure that “invoked” adds anything to either the wordplay or the definition. |
||
| 10 | ISRAELITE |
Old tribesman‘s alternative realities (9)
|
| Anagram (alternative) of REALITIES. | ||
| 11 | OUTSTRETCH |
Extend reorganisation of the Court’s time (10)
|
| Anagram (reorganisation) of THE COURT’S + T (abbreviation for time). | ||
| 12 | PART |
Split bit (4)
|
| Double definition. To leave, or (of two people or entities) to go in different directions; or a small section of a larger whole. | ||
| 14 | CHRISTOPHER |
Companion attending king is peerless – the woman’s a saint (11)
|
| CH (abbreviation for Companion of Honour) + R (abbreviation for Latin Rex = King) + IS + TOP (peerless = excellent) + HER (the woman’s = belonging to a specific woman).
St Christopher, traditionally the patron saint of travellers. |
||
| 18 | GRASSHOPPER |
Initially guys rather like, perhaps, girl in M&S jumper (11)
|
| Initial letters of G[uys] R[ather] + AS (rather like = similar to) + SHOPPER (for example a girl buying something in Marks and Spencer, often abbreviated to M&S).
An insect that jumps. |
||
| 21 | TEMP |
Terrible gutless politician – her stay in office will be brief (4)
|
| T[erribl]E without the inner letters (gutless) + MP (abbreviation for Member of Parliament = politician).
Short for “temporary worker”, and often applied to office staff employed on a short-term contract. |
||
| 22 | TORPEDOING |
Maybe sinking ship off port at start of enemy action (10)
|
| Anagram (off) of PORT, then the starting letter of E[nemy] + DOING (action, as in “it was your doing” = you did it). | ||
| 25 | TO THE HILT |
Parties essentially bother child: it’s rejecting all outsiders, fully (2,3,4)
|
| Middle letter (essentially) of [par]T[ies], then [b]OTHE[r] [c]HIL[d] [i]T[s] with all the outside letters dropped.
As in “I’ll back you to the hilt” = I’ll support you fully. |
||
| 26 | CAIRN |
It may commemorate dog (5)
|
| Double definition. A pile of stones, which may be a marker for a burial site (or simply a place marker, for example on the summit of a hill); or short for “Cairn Terrier”, a breed of dog. | ||
| 27 |
See 9
|
|
| 28 | NURSING |
Dash back, Carol – it’s a sister’s job (7)
|
| RUN (dash = move quickly) reversed (back), then SING (carol, as a verb).
Sister = old title now usually replaced by “charge nurse” = the senior nurse who manages others on a shift. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | ANCHOR |
One task left unfinished by new presenter (6)
|
| A (one), then CHOR[e] (a dull uninteresting task) without the last letter (left unfinished) after N (abbreviation for new).
The main presenter on a television programme, typically introducing guests and taking the lead in conversations. |
||
| 2 | COVETS |
Bloke Tess outwardly desires (6)
|
| COVE (bloke = slang for a man) + outer letters of T[es]S. | ||
| 3 | POLITICISE |
Brunel thus does about-turn in well-mannered debate about government, say (10)
|
| I (Brunel, our crossword setter), then SIC (Latin for “thus” = an editor’s mark indicating that an apparent error is to be read as printed) reversed (doing an about-turn); all contained in POLITE (well-mannered).
Politicise = to talk about something in political terms. |
||
| 4 | PRICE |
It has to be paid, Katie (5)
|
| Double definition. The cost that must be paid for something; or a reference to the TV personality Katie Price. | ||
| 5 | SPRUCES UP |
Makes neater by switching higher trees around (7,2)
|
| UP (higher, as in “fuel prices are up”) + SPRUCES (various species of tree), with a simple swap of the two words (switching around). It’s hard to think of a context in which the surface makes much sense, though. | ||
| 6 | AMEN |
The last word in Puma menswear (4)
|
| Hidden answer (in) from [pum]A MEN[swear].
Word expressing agreement, used at the end of a prayer. |
||
| 7 | SRIRACHA |
Old heartthrob Distel embraces one boarding swanky car – spicy stuff! (8)
|
| SACHA (French romantic singer Sacha Distel = old heartthrob), containing I (one in Roman numerals) inserted into RR (abbreviation for Rolls-Royce = swanky car).
Thai chilli sauce. |
||
| 8 | APERTURE |
Opening time to be put back across country, Tory leader admitted (8)
|
| ERA (time) reversed (put back), containing (across) PERU (a country), with the leading letter of T[ory] inserted (admitted). | ||
| 13 | CO-PRODUCER |
Manager in ‘Association’ shattered old Cup record (2-8)
|
| Anagram (shattered) of O (abbreviation for old) + CUP RECORD. The surface suggests a rather non-standard way of referring to “association football”, otherwise known as soccer or (in the UK) just football.
One of two or more people working together (in association) to manage the production of a film, theatre show or similar. |
||
| 15 | RHODOLITE |
Looter hid abandoned gemstone (9)
|
| Anagram (abandoned) of LOOTER HID.
A reddish-pink gemstone; the name comes from the Greek word for a rose. |
||
| 16 | AGITATES |
A Microsoft mogul overcomes computing worries (8)
|
| A + GATES (Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft), containing (overcoming) IT (abbreviation for information technology = computing).
Worries, as a verb = agitates = distresses. |
||
| 17 | GAS METER |
Better to lift second appliance inside cupboard, possibly (3,5)
|
| GAMESTER (someone who plays games, especially a gambler = better = someone who bets), with the S (abbreviation for second) moved a couple of places towards the start (towards the top, in a down clue = lifted).
Device for measuring gas usage, typically installed in a cupboard indoors or in a small cabinet on the outside of a building. |
||
| 19 | BIKINI |
I must replace last of cycling apparel (6)
|
| BIKIN[g] (cycling), with I replacing the last letter. For once “cycling” is being used literally and not as a “shuffle the letters round in a loop” indicator. | ||
| 20 | EGGNOG |
Having gone outside, Girl Guides knocked back drink (6)
|
| GG (abbreviation for Girl Guides) with GONE outside it, all reversed (knocked back).
A drink made with eggs, milk and sugar, usually with alcohol added. |
||
| 23 | PATEN |
Head north in flat-bottomed vessel (5)
|
| PATE (old word for the head) + N (abbreviation for north).
A plate or shallow bowl, especially a silver or gold one used during communion services. |
||
| 24 | PERI |
Fairy queen overwhelms Athenian character’s heart (4)
|
| ER (the late Queen Elizabeth II), replacing the middle letter (heart) of either P[h]I or P[s]I (Greek letters = Athenian characters).
Old word for a fairy (as in the G&S comic opera Iolanthe, or The Peer and the Peri). Perhaps an extended definition based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which features the King and Queen of the Fairies plus a company of assorted Athenians and some messing about with a love potion. |
I did not know that Girl Guides abbreviated to GG though EGGNOG was clearly signalled by crossers and nho PATEN, RHODOLITE or SRIRACHA. The latter, one might almost refer to as a “reverse-jorum”: a nho word that results from the wordplay which one simply does not believe could possibly be a word to the extent one does not actually go and look it up on the internet (I did go so far as to check Chambers, albeit in vain). Having never lived in a house with a GAS METER in a cupboard, I did not recognise that definition: it is a neatly constructed clue.
ISRAELITE, GRASSHOPPER, TORPEDOING and BIKINI (COTD) my favourites today.
Thanks Brunel and Quirister
[18a: ‘… + R[ather] + …’]
I made heavy weather of this, though as with all cryptic clues, they look better after you’ve solved them, than whilst you’re struggling over them.
My WHY LIST words rather spoiled this puzzle for me, although of course that may be my lack of knowledge.
( PATEN/PERI/RHODOLITE/SRIRACHA).
Some very nice wordplays, but ( personal opinion), a few of the clues and/or definitions were a bit ropy.
For example, the placement of the “N” in 1(dn).
I decided on… AN CHOR[E], ( “one task”), and a typo of “news presenter”.
I liked GAS METER and BIKINI.
thank you, Mr. B & Mr.Q
Wordplay for ALCOPOP is messed up. Should say anagram of COLA + POP. Although PSI is a possibility in 24d, I think the intention was to replace H (heart).
I found this satisfying but quite tough, with PATEN and RHODOLITE taken on trust. I do, however, have some SRIRACHA in the fridge, not that it came to mind easily (that frustrating experience when you’re pretty sure you know the word but can’t quite bring it to mind – having no idea about Sacha Distel).
I took ‘invoked by’ in CIVIL SERVICE as a linkword, which seems fine. GASMETER and ISRAELITE were my favourites.
Thanks both.
Hovis @4: sorry, brain fade on COLA. Now fixed – thanks.
FrankieG @2: indeed, I obviously wasn’t fully awake when writing this up. Now fixed, thanks.
E.N.Boll& @3: not sure why you’re assuming Mr and Mr. Brunel may be a man as far as I know, but I’m not.
Agree with you that the placement of N in 1d is a bit clumsy, though.
A mixed bag for me which left me feeling slightly unsatisfied. I can put ditto to PM’s comment @1 regarding the awful SRIRACHA.
Thanks to B&Q.
As a lover of spicy food and old French music SRIRACHA came very quickly to mind. In the spirit of 3down I took ISRAELITES as a barbed comment.
The reverse of everyone else, I had never heard of Sacha Distel, but I love me some SRIRACHA! it’s very common in the US now, and not just in Vietnamese and Thai restaurants; you can even find it in diners, for gosh sakes. So I entered that one based on the definition, having no clue at all about the wordplay.
[The most common US brand, by far, looks like this, and there’s a bottle of it on seemingly every table at every Vietnamese restaurant in the land. I once saw a German guy send back some food that he’d slathered with sriracha, because he thought it was ketchup. (Hint: not ketchup.) But it is good on fries, if you’re judicious about how much you use.]
Quirister@6
A thousand apologies…..I don’t know many, if any, of the people in crypto-land.
I thought that Quirister referred to, specifically, a boy/male chorister. That’s probably why I am so poor at these puzzles.
I shall mend my ways.
Sorry, again, IB
(And if it’s Ms. Brunel, the same apology. I only hope that Rosa Klebb is a Ms., or I’ve messed up there, too!)
ENB @12: no worries, and I didn’t mean to sound annoyed. I think “quirister” is a word from when choirs were normally all-male, rather than specifically a male term. I’m a choral singer and I like interesting old-fashioned words!
Thanks both. I was never finishing this unaided, although I conquered the vast majority. OUTSTRETCH even defeated me in the parsing, as I had taken ‘court’s time’ to be ‘stretch’ as in sentence handed down. Soon be Friday.
E.N.Boll&, don’t worry, I AM a man! (And in fact, re a couple of the answers, my first name is CHRISTOPHER (and my last name is PRICE)).
Sriracha came easily as it’s very common now in Oz, I always have a bottle in my fridge and it’s served in most restaurants, even my work canteen, it’s as common as tomato ketchup now. Wish HP sauce was as readily available, but it’s normally BBQ sauce which is just not right for your snags.
I needed the blog for parsing of Swansea, very clever, bunged in Peri without thinking about it too much but agree it was meant to replace an H, no problem with the placement of N in anchor (by N/next to N).
My only quibble was in bikini being barely apparel 🙂