Neo steps up to the plate this morning.
A steady solve for me, with only HAUNCH holding me up for any significant period of time because I was unsure if the answer was PAUNCH or HAUNCH until I worked out the wordplay properly.
There was a mini-theme to the puzzle with ancient Greek references such as CHIMERA, the HISTORICAL PRESENT of a TROJAN HORSE, THEBAN and CASSANDRA as well as ATRIA. CELTIC and SARACEN were also nods to the ancient world. Apart from the repeated use of the word IN in double definitions, and the repeated use of SOME for the hidden solutions for SUE and OWN, this was a fine puzzle that kept me entertained throughout.
Thanks, Neo.
| ACROSS | ||
| 7 | CHIMERA |
Hybrid creature to correspond with artist (7)
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CHIME ("to correspond") with RA (member of the Royal Academy, so "artist" |
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| 10 | SUE |
Some chartreuse brought back for woman (3)
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Hidden backwards [some… brought back] in "chartrEUSe" |
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| 11 | ESTATES |
Holdings in the Carolinas? (7)
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The Carolinas are states on the eastern coast of the USA, so are E (eastern) STATES |
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| 13 | ATRIA |
Bloody Chambers — an ordeal that’s endless! (5)
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A + TRIA(l) ("ordeal" that's endless) |
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| 14 | SARACEN |
Berber in rush admitted to hospital (7)
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RACE ("rush") admitted to San. (sanatorium, so "hospital") |
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| 15 | MALTA |
Country mum with body created for tennis? (5)
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MA ("mum") with LTA (Lawn Tennis Association, so "body created for tennis") |
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| 18 | CATERPILLAR |
Supply column tracked vehicle (11)
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CATER ("supply") + PILLAR ("column") |
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| 23 | IN TRAIN |
Making progress on the Eurostar? (2,5)
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IN ("on") + TRAIN ("the Europstar?") |
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| 25 | DOWEL |
Fixer to prosper having lost a pound (5)
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DO WEL(l) ("prosper", having lost L (a pound)) |
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| 27 | NARCO |
Close company shipping out E for smuggler (5)
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(N(e)AR ("close") + Co. (company)) shipping out E |
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| 29 | AXOLOTL |
Amphibian too lax to move across lake (7)
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*(too lax) [anag:to move] across L (lake) |
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| 30 | OWN |
Have some tomorrow night (3)
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Hidden in [some] "tomorroOW Night" |
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| 31 | HUNDRED |
Five score in old county division (7)
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Double definition |
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| 32 | TRAINED |
Shown how unruly adolescent carries bucket down (7)
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TED ("unruly adolescent") carries RAIN ("bucket down") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1/8 | HISTORICAL PRESENT |
24 12 perhaps making one tense? (10,7)
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The Trojan Horse ("24 "12") was a HISTORICAL PRESENT |
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| 2 | CELTIC |
Church officer in charge in Glaswegian club (6)
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CE ("Church" of England) + Lt. (lieutenant, so "officer") + IC (in charge) |
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| 3 | CASSANDRA |
In mansion, Polish king woman never believed (9)
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In CASA ("mansion"), SAND ("polish") + R (Rex, so "king") In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a Trojan priestess, who was fated to make true prophecies, but never to be believed. |
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| 4 | SPEAR |
Spiky blade in male side (5)
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Double definition |
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| 5 | BECHAMEL |
Busy worker eating cold meat left sauce (8)
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BEE ("busy worker") eating C (cold) + HAM ("meat") + L (left) |
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| 6 | BEAR |
Suffer in Paddington for example (4)
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Double definition |
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| 7 | CREASE |
Where batter stands about wearing box (6)
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RE ("about") wearing CASE ("box") |
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| 9 | THEBAN |
Boeotian sailor turning in for that reason (6)
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<=AB (able-bodied seaman, so "sailor", turning) in THEN ("for that reason") Thebes was a city in Boeotia in ancient Greece. |
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| 16 | LORNA DOONE |
Blackmore’s book on Leonardo reviewed (5,5)
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*(on leonardo) [anag:reviewed] Lorna Doone was a 19th century novel by RD Blackmore. |
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| 17 | VIGILANTE |
Huge bloke arresting student stops rival law enforcer (9)
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GIANT ("huge bloke") arresting L (learner, so "student") stops VIE ("rival") |
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| 19 | TANDOORI |
Baked over charcoal, fancy roti sent round with duck? (8)
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*(roti) [anag:fancy] sent round AND ("with") + O (zero, so "duck" in cricket) |
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| 20 | HAUNCH |
Fleshy bits in hot pot quietly extracted (6)
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H (hot) + (p)AUNCH ("pot" belly, with P (quietly, in music notation) extracted) |
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| 21 | UNCLAD |
Naked Conservative one French boy embraces (6)
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UN ("one" in "French") + LAD ("boy") embraces C (Conservative) |
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| 24/12 | TROJAN HORSE |
Old con criminal to John’s rear (6,5)
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*(to johns rear) [anag:criminal] |
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| 26/22 | WOODY ALLEN |
Director in club longing to entertain everybody (5,5)
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WOOD (golf "club") + YEN ("longing") to entertain ALL ("everybody") |
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| 28 | RANK |
Offensively strong-smelling soldiers in row (4)
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Double definition |
Good stuff all round but why is spear ‘male side’?
SPEAR (wiki)
The term spear is also used (in a somewhat archaic manner) to describe the male line of a family, as opposed to the distaff or female line.
I had the same problem with P/HAUNCH… needed the blog to explain… otherwise steady stuff..
Thanks Neo n loonapick
Enjoy this but missed Theban and had Paunch😔
Thanks Neo and loonapick
4dn: further to KVa@2, Collins 2023 p 1904 has “spear side n the male side or branch of a family. Compare distaff side” Brewer 2018 p 1302 has “Spear side, The The male line of descent, called by Anglo-Saxons sperehealf..” I have to say, this leaves me none the wiser (or better informed).
A bit on the tricky side for Neo, we thought, but it all came together in the end. Favourites were CATERPILLAR, CASSANDRA and TANDOORI.
Thanks, Neo and loonapick.
So, “Boeotian sailor turning in for that reason“ = Theban.
Do setters derive pleasure from setting these impossible clues?
Finlay @7: I am, by no means, an A-level solver but somehow I cracked that clue. Sailor = AB is well known as is ‘turning’ for a direction to reverse. Add a crosser or two & THEBAN emerges. Neo can be difficult but I thought this crossword was very user-friendly.
I am very friendly.
Thanks all.
20d HAUNCH might have been more naturally clued by changing “extracted” to “replaced”.
Thanks Neo and loonapick.