A welcome return for Dalibor today.
We found this a bit tougher than we had expected, with a few unusual words or unknown (to us) proper names. Some knowledge of physics is helpful too. As expected, some neat clueing (although 21d took a bit of explaining!).
Good to see you back, Dalibor!
HAND (worker) in or ‘overwhelmed by’ MERCI (thank-you) S E (last letters or ‘conclusions’ of letters’ positive)
Hidden (‘some’) in entHUSiastic – we had never heard of this Czech theologian
TIC (‘movement that can’t be controlled’) after OP (operation) + D (date) IS C (first or ‘initial’ letter of cancelled)
RAN (was a manager) in EG (‘say’) with BOOM (a period of growth) in front or ‘earlier’
NASTy (very unpleasant) missing the last letter or ‘mostly’ AS (like) E (first or ‘initial’ letter of Edberg)
RUn-IN (confrontation) missing the middle letter or ‘heartless’
CROCkery (plates, dishes etc) with the second half ‘demolished’
CALl (visit) missing the last letter or ‘short’ with ONCE (previously) inside or ‘being drunk’
C (first letter or ‘leader’ of Canada) ET AL (and others) ‘taking part’ in PEAKS (summits)
STUART (Royal family) round or ‘treasuring’ a reversal (‘over’) of G (good) TT (times)
D (director) ESPERAntO (invented language) with ‘nt’ (new testament – ‘books’) changed to D (Dutch)
LOL (laugh out loud – ‘very funny’) + ROSS (Diana Ross of Motown fame) in or ‘cuddled by’ LOO (ladies perhaps)
A homophone (‘articulated’) of SICK (poorly)
Cryptic definition – we were not very convinced by this, but a storm would blow things away, so it does work after a fashion as it can also mean “to captivate totally and instantly’
RIB (bone) in MOUND (burial place possibly)
An anagram (‘silly’) of PERSON + S E (last or ‘final’ letters of gives incomprehensible)
HOOKEr (prostitute) missing the ‘r’ (right) – we had never heard of this English 17th century physicist
It took us a while to figure this one out – NEON (element with the atomic number 10 – ‘in a certain context’) ATE (worried)
A reversal (‘back’) of GET in or ‘central to’ IN (popular) ER (US TV series)
EX (former) CON (Conservative – Tory) round or ‘securing’ M (millions) in A BIg missing the last letter or ‘mostly’ – a new word for us
HAIR (musical) DO (act)
S (first letter or ‘head’ of state) + an anagram (‘broadcast’) of MADE A POLITICAL + FOR (in favour of) M (first letter or ‘introduction’ of Musk’s)
GREET (welcome) round or ‘inspiring’ MEN (fellows) after or ‘following’ A
E (energy) R (last letter of provider) ‘involved’ in a reversal (‘rising’) of OIL GAS (fuels)
COS (cosine – ‘function’) SACK (dry white wine)
COLUMBO (TV detective) with the U and second O separately moved forward or ‘promoted’
‘In SPADES’ can mean ’emphatically’. If you are ‘wearing’ something you are ‘in’ it – so ‘not wearing’ suggests omitting ‘in’
PARSE (break down) C (‘first’ letter of clues)
Pleased to get all of this, fully parsed. A few unknowns but the wordplay led directly to the answer: HUS, LOLLO ROSSO and OPTIC DISC.
Hooke’s law was a staple of O’level Physics, so no problem there. SPADES & SERAGLIO took a bit of teasing out. The clue for SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM is absolutely wonderful.
COTD:
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
Other top faves:
NASTASE (He was called Nasty due to his tantrums. Stefan Edberg was a model of good behaviour tho’), TAKE BY STORM (somehow it appealed to me. Works in both senses mentioned in the blog), NEONATE and SPADES.
SIC
Initially thought there was a part of speech mismatch between sick and poorly.
Then realised that poorly can act as an adjective.
Thanks, Dalibor and B&J.
I am less familiar with this setter but very much enjoyed the puzzle. Sadly, I was undone right at the end with the interlinking RUIN which I did not equate with ‘havoc’ and nho EXCAMBION. I think I might have been able to parse the latter, had I got the crosser from the former but there you go. LOLLO ROSSO is very funny, indeed and I liked PEACE TALKS, DESPERADO, MORIBUND, RESPONSE and COSSACK but I’d agree with KVa that SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM is COTD. NEONATE was unparsed – the def for NEON is very tricky indeed and went right over my head.
Thanks Dalibor and B&J
An interesting mix of clues I BIFD before eventually parsing, and ones I only got by building them up piece by piece. Agreed that SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM was great, closely followed by PEACE TALKS. RUIN/EXCAMBION were the last to hold out for me, as both seemed pretty tough without all the crossers. Pleased to have parsed NEONATE, but only after a while reading “worried” as a possible anagrind.
Thanks Dalibor and B&J
Took ages, not a good one to be doing while listening to Jim and Aggers at Lords. Quite a few unknowns — Hus, the disc bit of optic, Lollo Rosso, and excambion — plus failure to twig known bits like Columbo and the royal Stuart, made for a treacly solve. Thanks both for the workout.
Thanks Bertandjoyce and Dalibor.
Phew! Soundly defeated by this.
Could get only parts of wordplay for the three multi-word answers 🙁
Great clues, all around. Liked SERAGLIO, MERCHANDISE.
Would be nice to see Dalibor more often.
“A bit tougher than expected” is exactly what I thought. I didn’t parse 21d but otherwise got there in the end.
Great to see another puzzle by Dalibor.
Well defeated by this one. However, HUS was my first one in. The Hussites are always turning up in Czech music, although not in Smetana’s opera Dalibor.