Phi in his usual Friday slot.
As usual, a few less familiar words and slightly stretched definitions, but with clear wordplay; I vaguely remembered 19d, and 21d was guessable. I liked the images of the silly bishop, the outwardly calm and collected nurse, and the impatient military police officer.
If there’s a theme today I can’t find it. Did any other choral singers see SHEPHERDS + FAREWELL and immediately think of Christmas music by Berlioz, or is that just me? It’s probably a coincidence because there doesn’t seem to be anything else related. Thanks Phi as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SHEPHERDS |
That chap going to pub in dress bewildered country workers (9)
|
| HE (that chap) + PH (pub = abbreviation for public house), in an anagram (bewildered) of DRESS. | ||
| 6 | DRIER |
Increasingly precise printer program? Not very (5)
|
| DRI[v]ER (computer software that operates a printer or other external device), without the V (abbreviation for very).
According to Chambers, “dry” can mean “frigid, precise, formal”. |
||
| 9 | APSES |
Article suggests removing old parts of churches (5)
|
| A (the indefinite article) + P[o]SES (suggests a question for discussion), without the O (abbreviation for old).
Apse = a semicircular recess at the east end of a church. |
||
| 10 | ASSAULTED |
Idiot jumped, striking head, being attacked (9)
|
| ASS (idiot), then [v]AULTED (jumped) without (striking off) the first letter (head). | ||
| 11 | DARN |
Wretched area involved in most of Bond film (4)
|
| A (abbreviation for area), in DR N[o] (1962 Bond film) without the last letter (most of).
Darn = a minced oath, for damned = wretched = a term of disparagement. |
||
| 12 | UNCENSORED |
Translation of second rune available to read (10)
|
| Anagram (translation) of SECOND RUNE. | ||
| 14 | RASHNESS |
Right remains in control of Nationalist Society, leading to impulsive behaviour (8)
|
| R (abbreviation for right), then ASHES (cremated remains) containing (in control of) N (abbreviation for Nationalist), then S (abbreviation for Society). | ||
| 15 | BONSAI |
A pretentious type returned one sort of tree (6)
|
| A + SNOB (pretentious type), all reversed (returned), then I (one in Roman numerals).
A tree grown as a miniature specimen in a shallow container. |
||
| 18 | SICKLE |
Farm tool out of condition, left half unused (6)
|
| SICK (out of condition = unwell) + LE[ft] with half of the letters unused. | ||
| 20 | FAREWELL |
We’re off, taking trip around – arrivederci! (8)
|
| Anagram (off) of WE’RE, with FALL (trip = stumble and fall over) around it.
Arrivederci = Italian for goodbye (literally “until I see you again”). |
||
| 23 | ALIGNMENTS |
Associations? Man tingles excitedly (10)
|
| Anagram (excitedly) of MAN TINGLES. | ||
| 24 | RUNG |
Regretting not taking one step (4)
|
| RU[i]NG (regretting), without the I (one in Roman numerals).
A step on a ladder. |
||
| 26 | ENSCONCES |
Installs first of cameras one time, in mysterious Ness (9)
|
| First letter of C[ameras] + ONCE (one time), in an anagram (mysterious) of NESS.
Probably more common in the passive form “ensconced” = installed = firmly established. |
||
| 27 | SIBYL |
Silly bishop returning to embrace witch (5)
|
| Hidden answer (. . . to embrace), reversed (returning), in [sil]LY BIS[hop].
An oracle or prophetess in Greek mythology: later a generic term for a fortune-teller or witch. |
||
| 28 | TANKS |
Cheers seeing off first of heavily armoured vehicles (5)
|
| T[h]ANKS (cheers!), without the H which is the first letter of H[eavily]. | ||
| 29 | PLANETARY |
Smooth attempt to go round one of orbiting bodies (9)
|
| PLANE (as a verb = to smooth the surface of wood using a plane) + TRY (attempt), around A (one). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | STANDARDS |
Expectations from booths surrounding a road (9)
|
| STANDS (booths, at an exhibition or a market), around A + RD (abbreviation for road). | ||
| 2 | ENSURES |
Guarantees criticisms will see leader ousted (7)
|
| [c]ENSURES (criticisms), without the leading letter. | ||
| 3 | HUSH |
Quiet American seen between rugby posts (4)
|
| US (abbreviation for United States = American) between H H (H = the shape of rugby goalposts). | ||
| 4 | REALNESS |
Reduce amount of study after daughter leaves, adopting new state of existence (8)
|
| REA[d] LESS (reduce amount of study), without the D (abbreviation for daughter), around N (abbreviation for new). | ||
| 5 | SISTER |
Nurse is mostly tough on the outside (6)
|
| IS, with STER[n] (tough) on the outside, without the last letter (mostly).
Old term for the role now called “charge nurse”, because men can be nurses too. |
||
| 6 | DRUGSTORES |
More than one American shop carpet’s ripped when detective comes around (10)
|
| RUG’S (small carpet is) + TORE (ripped), with DS (abbreviation for Detective Sergeant) around it. | ||
| 7 | INTERNS |
Junior employees playing tennis with director at last (7)
|
| Anagram (playing) of TENNIS + last letter of [directo]R. | ||
| 8 | REDID |
Communist papers further edited? (5)
|
| RED (slang for Communist) + ID (abbreviation for identity documents = papers).
Past tense of “redo” = do more work on, for example edit again. |
||
| 13 | INGLENOOKS |
Cosy places? No agreement to occupy one first to last (10)
|
| NO + OK (agreement, as in “waiting for your OK on this”), inserted into (to occupy) SINGLE (one) with the first letter moved to the end (first to last).
Inglenook = a recess around a fireplace, typically with seating. |
||
| 16 | ILLEGALLY |
I will say supporter is ignoring the law (9)
|
| I’LL (I will) + EG (e.g. = say = for example) + ALLY (supporter). | ||
| 17 | FANTASIA |
Disney film profitable around Northern part of the globe (8)
|
| FAT (profitable) around N (abbreviation for Northern), then ASIA (a continent = part of the globe).
1940 animated film. |
||
| 19 | CAISSON |
Is accordingly entering container, a watertight container (7)
|
| IS + SO (accordingly), entering CAN (container).
A watertight structure, typically used in engineering projects such as building bridge foundations within a body of water: it allows water to be pumped out, creating a dry area to work in. “Container” doesn’t seem quite right because the water is on the outside . . . |
||
| 21 | EXURBIA |
Remoter regions of old city swinging both ways in middle of Texas (7)
|
| UR (city in ancient Mesopotamia, now southern Iraq) + BI (short for bisexual = swinging both ways), inserted into the middle letters of [t]EXA[s].
Further out than suburbia: commuter areas around a large city. |
||
| 22 | REDCAP |
Military police officer departs during summary (6)
|
| D (abbreviation for departs, in train timetrables) inserted into RECAP (short for recapitulation = a summary at the end of a long discussion).
Slang for a member of the Royal Military Police in the British Army, named for their distinctive berets. |
||
| 23 | ALERT |
A grant to bring in river warning signal (5)
|
| A + LET (grant, as a verb = allow), containing R (abbreviation for river). | ||
| 25 | ISLE |
I fish, letting nothing escape, in area with a coast (4)
|
| I + S[o]LE (a flatfish), without the O (zero = nothing). |
Thanks Phi and Quirister.
CAISSON
Can we say that the structure contains/restrains the water?
I’m happy enough with watertight container: the base of the pier or whatever and the work happening to it is contained therein. Maybe a QM might have been a sensible addition at the end? EXURBIA is a new one on me and, presumably, contrasts with suburbia?
Thanks both. On the basis CAISSON was one of two unknowns alongside EXURBIA, its evidently liberal definition could not matter. As a continual campaigner for a reduction in Greek references, I register my disappointment that SIBYL did not become Sybil accompanying Basil in the dining room of a Torquay hotel.
TFO@3 The only Faw/ulty thing in the puzzle? I was half expecting MANUAL to go with her as Phi promised a follow up to the Carry On theme. Thanks, both.
Quite a quick solve for me, apart from entering DIRE for 11ac. Wasn’t sure if REALNESS was real.
There’s not much in this one, but you will need to look at it obliquely.
Phi @6: thanks for the hint!
Start at the D in the centre of the top row, and go down and right at 45 degrees.
Same from the D in the centre of the left column.
Obvious now you say it . . .