Independent 12,013 / Deri

by

Deri has provided the Thursday crossword this week. I think that this is the first time that I have encountered this compiler.

I found this to be an ingenious and entertaining medium-difficulty puzzle, which revealed itself gradually to me. I think that I have solved and parsed everything to my satisfaction, but feel free to point out any slips that I may have made.

I didn’t know either the sandwich at 17 or the model of car at 19D, but I was easily able to confirm both on Google. My favourite clues today, almost too many to mention, are 18 and 19D, both for smoothness of surface; 20, for its well-hidden definition and humour around “seat”; 21, for the clever splitting of Lark // Ascending between definition and wordplay; and 22, for sheer concision.

I look forward to tackling more of this setter’s work in the future.

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues

Across  
   
01 FATHER-IN-LAW Brahms and Liszt with real fan, as Liszt was of Wagner

*(WITH REAL FAN); “Brahms and Liszt”, i.e. Cockney rhyming slang for pissed, is anagram indicator; Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was the father-in-law of German composer Richard Wagner (1813-83)
   
07 FEN Iron Man finally in Slough

FE (=iron, i.e. chemical slough) + <ma>N (“finally” means last letter only); a fen is marshy land, hence a slough
   
09 POURBOIRE Tip: with rain ahead, one must wear anorak

POUR (=(to) rain (heavily)) + [I (=one) in BORE (=anorak, i.e. dull person)]; a pourboire is a gratuity paid to a waiter, hence a “tip”
   
10 RERUN Note “Romeo” on cue regularly, back in play again

RE (=note, in music) + R (=Romeo, in NATO alphabet) + UN (<o>N <c>U<e>; “regularly” means alternate letters are used; “back” indicates reversal)
   
11/25 CHELSEA PENSIONER Veteran Ernie Els can hope to play with son

*(ERNIE ELS CAN HOPE + S (=son)); “to play” is anagram indicator
   
12 HEADSET Online gamer’s accessory controls alien

HEADS (=controls, runs) + E.T. (=alien, i.e. extraterrestrial)
   
13 RUDDY Flipping university theologian’s opening lines

[U (=university, as in OUP) + DD (=theologian, i.e. Doctor of Divinity)] in RY (=line, i.e. railway); “ruddy” and “flipping” are both euphemistic expletives
   
15 ILL AT EASE Embarrassed setter intends to apologise initially to guy

I’LL (=setter intends to, i.e. Deri will!) + A<pologise> (“initially” means first letter only) + TEASE (=(to) guy, kid)
   
17 SUPERHERO Maybe Robin and American withdrawing a sub for The New Yorker

SU (US=American; “withdrawing” indicates reversal) + PER (=a, as in £2 a kilo) + HERO (=sub for the New Yorker, i.e. an American variant on the Italian sub sandwich)
   
19 PULSE Retracted part of wife’s lupin – it’s seed for example

Reversed (“retracted”) and hidden (“part of”) in “wifE’S LUPin”
   
20 ARSENIC As Seat is seen with scratch, no end of flak

ARSE (=seat, backside, i.e. the part of the body on which we sit!) + NIC<k> (=scratch, dent; “no end (“last letter”) of flak” means letter “k” is dropped); As is the chemical symbol for arsenic!!
   
22 EXPRESS Clear // air

Double definition: express is clear, explicit as in to give one’s express consent AND to express is to air e.g. one’s views
   
24 PATIO Stroke ball around big, uncovered part of garden

<b>I<g> (“uncovered” means surrounding letters are dropped) in [PAT (=stroke, tap) + O (=ball, i.e. pictorially)]
   
27 RID Deliver River Island’s clothing

R (=river, on map) + I<slan>D (“clothing” means outside letters only; to deliver someone of something is to rid them of it
   
28 FIRE STATION Launch on Channel that accommodates emergency service personnel

FIRE (=launch, e.g. a rocket) + STATION (=channel, on TV)
   
Down  
   
01 FOP Wheel clamped, parking fine upset man about town

O (=wheel, i.e. pictorially) in [P (=parking, on signpost) + F (=fine, of lead pencils)]; “upset” indicates vertical reversal
   
02 TRUCE Springsteen possibly has time for British break

<b>RUCE (=Springsteen possibly, i.e. the US musician; “has time (=T) for British (=B)” means letter “b” is replaced by “t”; a truce is a break in hostilities
   
03 EMBASSY Bothered by a mess in consulate

*(BY A MESS); “bothered”, i.e. disturbed, is anagram indicator
   
04 IMITATIVE Musical sent up by current college copycat

I (=current, in physics) + MIT (=Massachusetts Institute of Technology) + ATIVE (EVITA=musical, by Lloyd Webber and Rice; “sent up” indicates vertical reversal)
   
05 LEECH Parasite found in juvenile echidna

Hidden (“found”) in “juveniLE ECHidna”
   
06 WARRANT Top of wardrobe rank, getting Pledge

W<ardrobe> (“top of’ means first letter only) + ARRANT (=rank, downright, out-and-out); a warrant is a pledge, guarantee
   
07 FORESTALL Prevent Spooner’s shop trip

Spoonerism of “store (=shop) + fall (=trip, stumble)”
   
08 NONETHELESS See hotel’s new number is wrong still

*(SEE HOTELS + N (=new, as in NT) + N (=number))
   
11 CARDSHARPER Character I’m thinking about keen to reveal cheat

SHARP (=keen, pungent, of taste) in [CARD (=character, i.e. comical or eccentric person) + ER (=I’m thinking, i.e. mark of hesitation)]
   
14 DEPOSITED Stray dog not good, despite being saved

*(DO<g> + DESPITE); “not good (=G)” means letter “g” is dropped from anagram, indicated by “stray”; money that has been deposited in a bank has been saved, put by
   
16 LOOSE ENDS Saving energy, relax with extremely devious Radio 4 show

[E (=energy) in LOOSEN (=relax, of e.g. grip, hold)] + D<eviou>S (“extremely” means first and last letters only; Loose Ends in an entertainment programme broadcast on Saturday evening on BBC Radio 4
   
18 RING OFF End phone call, beginning to feel fine after groin strain

*(GROIN) + F<eel> (“beginning to” means first letter only) + F (=fine, of lead pencils); “strain” is anagram indicator
   
19 PAPRIKA Spice Girl’s content to get a lift in rubbish Ford

RI (<g>IR<l>; “content” means middle letters only are used; “to get a lift” indicates vertical reversal) in [PAP (=rubbish, trash) + KA (=Ford, i.e. a model of car]
   
21 CAPER Lark Ascending, touching and soft, endlessly wonderful

RE (=touching, concerning) + P (=soft, in music, i.e. piano) + AC<e> (=wonderful; “endlessly” means last letter is dropped; “ascending” indicates vertical reversal; a lark is a caper, antic, frolic
   
23 ENNUI Dissatisfaction as Lennon – Julia – is oddly ignored

<l>E<n>N<o>N <j>U<l>I<a>; “is oddly ignored” means all odd letters are dropped
   
26 RAN Charged off, ignoring police

RAN<cid> (=off, rotten; “ignoring police (=CID)” means letters “cid” are dropped); cf. The bull charged at me/ran at me
   
   

 

11 comments on “Independent 12,013 / Deri”

  1. RR, the whole blog’s currently on the front page. Stick the More tag in after the first paragraph, please!

  2. A new setter to me, and a lovely introduction.
    Lots to savour, in wordplays, devices, and definitions.
    Not sure about CARDSHARPER, (11d), I’ve only seen this as CARDSHARP.
    Ditto, I thought ENNUI was boredom, but I seem to recall it has a number of synonyms.
    The parsing of RERUN, (10ac) took me longer than the answer did, but…my fault, of course.

    POURBOIRE (9ac) was unfamiliar to me, but “pour boire” made sense…..” have a drink on me” ?
    My French is not my strong point.

    Best for me: ARSENIC (20ac) with the nice disguise of As.
    Good variety, enjoyable puzzle. Top stuff.

    Cheers, Deri & Riku

  3. I see we have had a few crosswords from Deri. I enjoyed solving this one with lots of clever clues

    Thanks to Deri and RR

  4. I shared Ian’s doubts about both CARDSHARPER and ENNUI, though with the latter, it’s specifically the world-weary flavor of boredom, where you’re bored with literally everything, so I guess “dissatisfaction” fits. Anyway, the word always makes me think of poor Neville from The Gashlycrumb Tinies (the whole book is reproduced on that page, so just scroll down to N).

    Re the hero in SUPERHERO: regional names for submarine sandwiches are an interesting feature here–hero, hoagie, grinder, po-boy, and sub are basically the same thing (allowing for mostly minor variations in ingredients and/or preparation that have more to do with the region than the name). Sub is the generic nationwide name, though.

  5. Like E.N.Boll, I was only familiar with CARD-SHARP, although the Chambers app has both (but hyphenated). Similarly, not sure about ‘dissatisfaction’ as a meaning for ENNUI. Strictly speaking a SUPERHERO has super powers which Robin doesn’t but I’m willing to let that one go.
    Overall, a very enjoyable experience. Couldn’t help but notice a Deri air appearing at 22a (I may be approaching 69 but I’m still pretty childish).

  6. Thanks both. I comfortably spent more time arriving at POURBOIRE than all the others – it’s only very vaguely familiar, and perhaps the superfluous ‘ahead’ offered too many options. I shall try to remember to acknowledge Robin as a SUPERHERO and not a mere sidekick. I see RID listed as a synonym for deliver, but feel it only works with an accompanying ‘from’ or ‘of’.

  7. Great fun. I particularly liked PAPRIKA and CARDSHARPER tickled me. I think we can safely call Robin a superhero. Batman doesn’t have any special powers either – just really, really good kit! Ta lots both.

  8. ENNUI, with its convenient alternate letters is one of those words that is often forced upon the setter as the only one that’ll fit the crossers. It’s not really a word anyone wants to clue and hiding the definition is the biggest problem. A 5 letter word defined as ‘boredom’ is a virtual write-in for the solver, regardless of any amount of cunning wordplay. I’m more than willing to cut the setter some slack and ‘dissatisfaction’ is only the third synonym under ENNUI in Chambers Thesaurus.

    I enjoyed the combination of clean setting and believable surfaces throughout this polished puzzle. Faves inc CHELSEA PENSIONER, ILL AT EASE, EXPRESS, FOP, DEPOSITED, PAPRIKA and CAPER. Didn’t know POURBOIRE but was able to piece it together from the WP; likewise HERO is a dnk but it did not prevent the solve.

    Thanks Deri and RR

  9. Thanks Deri for a good set of clues with FEN, ILL AT EASE, TRUCE, RING OFF, and RAN being my top picks. My only misstep was the nho POURBOIRE with anorak=bore also new to me. Thanks RR for the blog.

  10. Thank you to all commenters and solvers, and special thanks to RatkojaRiku for the comprehensive review.

  11. Hadn’t fully parsed 1a, missed the rhyming slang, though seen it used before. POURBOIRE a happy reveal, given I didn’t know the word or the slang needed, so would never have got there anyway. Otherwise fair and fun, thanks setter and blogger.

Comments are closed.