Independent 12,178 by Hubble

by

I thought I'd seen Hubble before but I can't find any previous puzzles on 225 which have appeared under that name, so maybe this is a new compiler.

The clues were all very sound and had a good variety. My favourite was 25D for the cunning use of Head – almost the last thing you'd expect is for it simply to be the person's name.

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1 APHID
Flipping secretary kept quiet about pest in bed (5)

PA<(=personal assistant i.e. secretary) + hid(=kept quiet about). Bed in the def refers to flower beds.
4 DEADLINES
Limits reasons why calls cannot be made (9)

CD/DD (dead lines = why call cannot be made)
9 ARISTOTLE
One teacher taken aback by child introducing the French philosopher (9)

A + sir<(=teacher) + tot(=child) + le(="the" in French)
10 ANTES
Bookie at last contributing to TV presenter’s bets (5)

[Booki]e in Ant's(=TV presenter's, one half on Ant & Dec)
11 TSUNAMI
Is setter nuts about first wave? (7)

(Am I)(=is setter) with nuts* in front of it(first)
12 GENERAL
Information age leaks at the outset not specific (7)

Gen(=information) + era(=age) + l[eaks]
13 ENTITLES
Grants a right to settle in Mobile (8)

(Settle in)* with mobile as the anagram indicator
15 ADULTS
Mature individuals saluted oddly after dropping ecstasy (6)

Salut[e]d*
18 DEAR ME
Goodness! Comic Jack’s packing weapon (4,2)

Dee(=Jack Dee, UK comic) around arm(=weapon)
20 ANEURYSM
Nurse Amy accidently produces swelling in vessel (8)

(Nurse Amy)*
23 VISITOR
Tourist‘s permit terminated prematurely before riot breaks out (7)

Vis[a] + riot*
24 AUGMENT
With half of month gone crew finally get increase (7)

Aug[ust] + men(=crew) + [ge]t
26 DROPS
Doctor heading procedures providing solution for viewers (5)

D{octo}r + Ops(=procedures). Def refers to eye drops.
27 SOCIALISM
Raison d’être of Labour Party this writer’s embracing, son (9)

Social(=party) + (I'm(=this writer's) around s{on})
28 ON THE ROAD
Dealing with tense champion getting publicity travelling (2,3,4)

On(=dealing with) + t{ense}(abbev used in grammar) + hero(=champion) + ad(=publicity)
29 ETHOS
Spirit supplied by Newmarket hostelry (5)

Hidden in "Newmarket hostelry"
DOWN
1 APARTHEID
Papers supporting articles covering equality and system suppressing it (9)

ID(=papers) after ((a + the)(=articles) around par(=equality))
2 HAIKU
Report of triumph at altitude in lines from the East (5)

Hom of "high coup"
3 DETRACT
Take away tips from Dante passage (7)

D[ant]e + tract(=passage)
4 DETAILED
Explained how follower is restricted by Act (8)

Tail(=follower, as in tailing someone) in deed(=act)
5 AVENGE
Exact retribution on German hiding uniform during course of action (6)

Avenue(=course of action) with G{erman} replacing(=hiding) u{niform} (abbrev from phonetic alphabet)
6 LEARNED
Discovered illegal run held periodically (7)

Even letters of "illegal run held"
7 NATURALLY
Beat around Russian river extremely lonely of course (9)

Tan<(=beat) + Ural(=Russian river) + l[onel]y
8 SISAL
One interupting girl climbing rope (5)

I in lass<
14 TRANSPORT
Move coaches out of Italy to Marseilles for example (9)

Tra[i]ns (I{taly} removed) + port(=Marseilles for example)
16 SOMETIMES
Note police turning over house at intervals (9)

So(=note) + MET(=police) + semi<(=house)
17 ENHANCED
Conclude he can, receiving treatment inside, be made better (8)

End(=conclude) around (he can)*
19 MATISSE
China welcoming International Space Station painter (7)

China(=mate in the "my old china" sense) around I{nternational} S{pace} S{tation}
21 UPGRADE
Daughter in Prague working to pay for nicer accommodation perhaps (7)

D{aughter} in Prague*
22 PRESTO
Break into Post Office quickly (6)

Rest(=break, as in taking a break) in P{ost} O{ffice}
23 VIDEO
Film capital banning card game (5)

[Monte]video. Monte is a gambling game in which the player bets that the next card drawn will match the suit of the previous two.
25 EDITH
Head of Hollywood costume department sailing north aboard yacht I’d equipped (5)

Hidden, rev in "yacht I'd equipped". The def refers to Edith Head, who won a record 8 Oscars for costume design.

7 comments on “Independent 12,178 by Hubble”

  1. The clue for 20 includes the alleged word “accidently”. To me this is a sign of illiteracy, but Fowler’s Modern English Usage generously (or perhaps sarcastically) comments, “it is very much a minority form”.

  2. You may have seen Hubble on Big Dave’s blog where he started, as many other setter’s who have become nationally published began

    Congratulations to him on making his national debut

  3. In the spirit of welcoming a debut, I’d be more inclined to suspect a typo that both setter and editor missed due to its similarity with the correct word; it seems an odd choice to consciously make when the alternative would have conveyed exactly the same clue. Illiteracy seems rather a harsh judgement.

    As our blogger notes, a solid set of clues – I did need to turn to Wiki for the nho costume designer. UPGRADE, AUGMENT and, COTD, TRANSPORT were my faves.

    Thanks Hubble and NealH

  4. An enjoyable puzzle to start the week.

    I had lots of ticks, including ARISTOTLE, ANEURYSM (typo assumed),
    VISITOR, SOCIALISM, APARTHEID, TRANSPORT and UPGRADE – lovely surfaces all round.

    Thanks to Hubble and NealH.

  5. Excellent clues, good level of difficulty for a Monday. I liked SOMETIMES and MATISSE.

    To quibble – why else are we here? – I don’t think AVENGE = “exact retribution on”. If I avenge somebody, I exact retribution on someone else on their behalf, right?

  7. Thanks both. Very gentle in comparison to recent challenges. EDITH was my only uncertainty, but absolutely fair now I’ve updated my GK. I was not awake enough to identify anything untoward with ‘accidently’ and AVENGE for me fits at least one definition.

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