A fine puzzle from Julius this morning!
The special instruction tells us to be on the lookout for five undefined and related definitions. There are some further, less directly related words in the grid.
I really like Julius’ style of including some more literal clues in the mix. (For example the latter part of 7d, or 26a).
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable solve, and I look forward to more from this setter! Thanks to Julius.
[noxiou]S PONG E[scaping] (trousers)
*one of the thematic clues
CUR[mud]GEONS* (*miserable, dishing MUD (the dirt))
*one of the thematic clues
A (article) + (E (base, mathematical); GOLD plated)
I (island) + SOL (sun) + [f]ATED (destined, to go topless)
Cryptic definition
DE-TACH[e] (remove facial hair, almost all)
DOWN (broken) + POUR (for, French)
For ‘down’, think ‘the system is down’
R (run) away from B[r]UM (Birmingham)
*one of the thematic clues
F (fellow) + A MOUS[e] (Cryptic)
Jerry is a mouse (from Tom & Jerry), and in the solution here missing his tail. In the nursery rhyme ‘Three blind mice’, the farmer’s wife chases the mice and cuts off their tails.
BL[o]GGER (online writer) given A (article) for O (nothing)
EMIN (Young British Artist, i.e. Tracey); G.I. (Joe) hedges
CO (firm) + N[otice] (beginning to)
[b]ALD + [g]ERMAN (starts off)
(C-GRADE)* (*failure)
Referring to the theme of the crossword
FREE (release) + (LAD (boy) with O (nothing) found in his possession)
*one of the thematic clues
[con]STANCE (Lady Chatterley for one, not CON (against))
Constance Chatterley is the protagonist in D.H. Lawrence’s novel, ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’
E (Spain) + S (succeeded) + TEEMED (had a downpour, from 12a)
J[anuary] (1st of) + KITES* (*flying)
N (new) + DO (party); STAFF (employees) posed outside
Referring to the rugby position for the player wearing the ’10’ jersey, also known as the fly-half
I’M (Julius is) + [her]E (finally) supporting OVERT (public)
Cryptic definition
A play on the words ‘swinger’ (golf player or wife swapper) and the term ‘mixed foursomes’
“CUSS” (swear at, “loudly”) + TOM (the cat)
O (old) + B (book) + LONG (having many pages, in the context of ‘a book’)
NAT (singer of ‘Unforgettable’, i.e. King Cole) + (NO 1)< (<uplifting)
END (last) + [men]U [fo]R [on]E (last of all)
DUNG (muck) + ONE* (*spread)
YSL (French couturier, getting his head down)
Referring to Yves Saint Laurent; ‘his head’ refers to the first letter
BE (live) + G (golf, from NATO alphabet)
*one of the thematic clues
RE (concerning) + PA (dad) + R (Republican) + TEE (supporter of course, golf course)
[ra]DIO GENE S[immons] (featured in)
(I (one) + (LID (hat) covering EARS (lugholes)))< (<turned up)
Double definition
The first in the sense of talking a lot
AD (commercial) + VENT (opening)
GRIL[l]S (barbecues, after leaving L (lake)) + E (English)
CAFE (small restaurant) collects R[etsin]A (empty)
I agree with Oriel; fun puzzle with something a little unusual for a mid-week cryptic. Julius often takes the Saturday slot so a pleasant surprised to see him on a Wednesday. Thanks Julius and great job by Oriel.
So Birmingham is Brum? Who’d’ve thunk it?
Super puzzle, super blog – many thanks to setter and blogger.
GDU @2 – Brum comes from the old name for Birmingham:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brummagem
hence Brummie, the pseudonym of Eddie James, the Guardian setter, who lives in Birmingham.
Thank you for the enlightenment, Eileen.
I agree with Eileen’s first sentence
Thanks to Julius and Oriel
Fun puzzle and great blog.
Thanks Julius and Oriel.
Liked DETACH (liked it very mush), DOWNPOUR (not a dry surface-not at all), STANCE (The ‘this’ seems redundant in the cryptic reading. More pro still), GOLF CLUB (a play on ‘bar’ as well) and last of all ENDURE.
Tougher to parse than to solve, and not so easy to solve, for that matter. Typical Julius, IMHO. I missed the rugby reference, having learned and forgotten and relearned and reforgotten the jargon from puzzle to puzzle. I thought “No 10” was a reference to 10A ISOLATED, which also kind of works.
I thought this was a wee gem
Having got BUM BEG SPONGEand SCROUNGE I slowed down and reached CADGER but realised it only related to theme
so the climax of all thiswas the SW corner when I saw FREELOAD
I should play Freddie Freeloader as a nightcap track.
Thanks Oriel and RJ
Thanks for the blog , the usual excellent set of clues , FAMOUS is very neat , GOLF CLUB very nice double allusion . I must say I preferred the old innocent meaning of swinging etc . I could tell my students I had a swinging weekend without lots of smirking , I have to say groovy instead these days .
Thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks for explaining “stand-off”, which I definitely definitely definitely should’ve been able to parse.
Great blog.
Tracey Emin is 61 and so not that young imho. Otherwise a great puzzle. LOI was freeload as I fell for the trap of the extra thematic clue.
Emin and others were known as the YBAs .
Thanks for the blog, dear Oriel, and thanks to those who have left a comment.
Regarding Tracey Emin, I imagine that – like Joan Baez – she’ll be forever young, as long as the right bit of the wordplay is capitalised.
Best wishes to all, Rob/Julius
I could really see Julius’s skill with words shine through. I had so many ticks today
Like Cineraria@7 I found several clues easy to solve, yet tricky to parse. I did not parse the clever FAMOUS and I have heard of the now old Tracy Emin, but she is only famous in UK and crossword land I am afraid and did not come to mind, so the parsing of GEMINI eluded me too. I was able to find Lady Chatterley’s first name on the internet, and, as an ex Rugby player, I am still trying to decide whether I have come across the term STAND OFF (which is in the dictionary).
Anyway, great puzzle to the highest Julius standard. Thanks Julius and Oriel
Thank you Julius, that was fun and the little extra twist added to the entertainment. I didn’t know that about the Number 10, so I also was looking for a connection to 10 Across! Special likes for DETACH, GEMINI (Nicely Misleading Capitals), and (last of the 5 for me, as for Copster) FREELOAD – I wondered if there was a topical edge to that word, having heard it come up in the news recently, but I guess it’s just coincidence.
Thanks Oriel for the blog.
Like Moly I was a very long way from parsing “stand-off” so thanks to Oriel for showing us the light! And thanks to Julius for an enjoyable puzzle!
Very enjoyable, I got all of them except 3 which is pretty good for me.
Thanks
This was fun. I didn’t see the note, but spotted what was going on. Thanks for clearing up the No.10 stand off thing.
Thanks, J & O for the fun puzzle and blo/ag.
And thanks also to copster@8 for the unforgettable Kind of Blue tearoom. Late night classic indeed.