A dependably enjoyable puzzle from Monk this morning.
And a pangram to boot! Little bits of general knowledge required to complete this, but nothing obscure. Many thanks to Monk.
F (fine) slapped on OF (concerning) + BASE (counterfeit)
Double definition
[z]INC A[rrowhead] (fragment of)
(DREAM with SUE)* (*cavorting) + UP (at university)
MY (Monk’s); IOUS (financial promises) hiding STER[n] (severe, mostly)
D[iets] O[ften] S[eem] S[trict] (initially)
Z (unknown) + (DIGITAL MAN)* (*animated) introduced by WALT (Disney)
CAST (appointed as characters) + (ON AD ROLL UP*) (*drunk) with X (times)
Castor and Pollux are the stars that make up Gemini
D (duke) + IKE (general)
SOLD (surrendered for a price) occupied by THRONG* (*milling)
SECOND (flash) + SLIP (escape)
From cricket
(LAV (John) holding I (one))< (<back)
FLEE (speed) + C (Charlie) and E (Ecstasy) the D (died)
(SYNC GET)* (*swimming)
F (loud) + [b]UNNY (rabbit, not the first) to go over HA-HA (ditch)
BATT[y] (Nora) brings up her ultimate (i.e. the letter Y is raised)
Nora Batty is a fictional character from the UK sitcom Last of the Summer Wine; A. S. Byatt a world-renowned British novelist
RUM< (spirit, <upset); S[h]A[m]A[n]i[c] (odd characters among) crowds
P (pressure) on RUSSIA (superpower)
TREAD (step on) + MILL (box, once)
A ‘mill’ is an old term for a boxing match.
I wasn’t sure at first where to go with this – the old TV show ‘The Mill’? Old box mills? But I think I have it now.
SUE< (petition, <raised) surrounding QU (question)
More on the play here if you are interested
(JAM< (stuff, <coming up) on ORALS (exams)) about R (right) + GENE (unit of heredity)
(HE (male) and F (female)) after TOT (baby) + [c]O[u]R[t]E[d] (off and on)
DOUBT (are suspicious about) accepting L[arg]E (extremely) + AC (account)
RESI[gned] (gave up, half) + DUE (owed)
(N (new) + OP (work)) stifled by PLAY* (*foul)
IDEA (plan) + [unrave]L (the last to)
HAVE (bear) + N (northern)
I never expect to finish any of Monk’s, and don’t attempt unless I’m feeling brave, but I almost got there today. 3d was my Waterloo, revealed only after I came here. Neither Batty nor Byatt were known.
I managed DOSS, EQUUS, CASTOR AND POLLUX after a bit of web research. Mill/box didn’t ring any bells (never heard of out of UK?). And ha-ha/ditch was new to me.
So it was hard work, but I almost finished. Maybe next time …
I too find Monk a challenge but today went quite well, although I did use some help.
Liked CASTOR AND POLLUX (which went straight in – one of the few stars I know – and then parsed), MYSTERIOUS, WALTZING MATILDA, FUNNY HA-HA ( first heard of ha-ha in a previous crossword), EQUUS
Thanks Monk and Oriel
I enjoyed this although there were a few I couldn’t parse. I couldn’t wrap my head around 1A, 3D, 14A, 15D and 26A but I enjoyed plenty – Treadmill, Castor and Pollux and Major Generals to name but a few.
Thanks Monk and Oriel.
Held up for a few minutes because I always spell Dike with a Y, but then it clicked . . . There were several write-ins to get things going, especially in the NE. Thanks, Monk and Oriel.
Finished this ridiculously fast, with Byatt the only unknown. Mind you, I only knew MILL as a term for a snuff box, which seems to fit the clue better.
Yes some tricky ones, but eminently solvable. Liked Byatt. Thanks Monk and Oriel. l.
Hovis@5, yes MILL=snuffbox. Thanks for that. It can also mean, as a noun, a boxing match (as Oriel notes) or, as a verb, to box. Both of these pugilistic meanings are tagged in Chambers as old slang so “once” in the clue might indicate that Monk had the verb in mind. Not that it matters in the slightest …
Hector. I agree. The verb sense of ‘to box’, being archaic, does fit better than snuff box, so I stand corrected.
Thanks for the blog , good set of clues and the two long across answers very helpful . Perfect time now in the UK for viewing Gemini in the evening , C AND P are the heads of two stick figures .
I agree with Hector@8 for mill and the setter is being accurate using once .
Thanks Monk. I enjoyed clues like MEASURED UP, FLEECED, PANOPLY, and IDEAL. I failed with BYATT, not knowing Batty or BYATT so I really had no shot at that one. There bits in other clues I couldn’t parse but nothing that prevented the solutions from emerging. Thanks Oriel for the blog.
Really enjoyed this offering from Monk in which everything was solved and parsed with just the right level of effort.
Loved the reference to Nora Batty, 14, FLEECED, SAMURAI, DOUBLE ACT and VIAL.
Thanks to Monk and Oriel.
Useful blog, thanks. I missed out on OFF BASE (not a term I’ve ever heard) and so missed BYATT, who didn’t spring to mind as I haven’t read her books. “Mill” for “box” was a new meaning to me.
If following Roz’s advice (#10) then look for Jupiter too as it happens to be nearby at present, to the south of C and P.
And if you feel very adventurous try and spot Ganymede , the largest moon in the solar system . Just about possible with the naked-eye in perfect conditions . Friday evening this week there is a chance .
I had the treadmill as once drudgery but now something you pay £20 a month to the gym for, but clearly I was wrong. I liked BYATT after the penny dropped. Having seen Matilda and Gemini I looked for, but failed to find some more setters.
Not sure that base equates with counterfeit
1ac: Chambers 2016 p 126 has base² adj … worthless; debased; counterfeit; …
Collins 2023 p 168 has base² adj 3 debased, alloyed, counterfeit: base currency.
Mostly approachable, with a few clues to make me think
I liked Sue cavorting at University, RESIDUE, foul play in PANOPLY, swimming CYGNETS, and IDEAL
I had most of the GK for a change. So saying, could not parse BYATT, and needed to check Nora Batty exists after guessing the solution from the crossers. Ditto mill = box. I wonder whether Pelham Barton thinks flee = speed in 26.
Thanks Monk and Oriel
26ac: I was completely happy with flee = speed while solving unaided, but that is of no importance whatsoever, it is what is in the dictionaries that matters.
Collins 2023 p 747 has flee¹ vb 2 (intr) to run or move quickly; rush; speed: she fled to the door
I forgot to thank Monk and Oriel last time, so let me do so now.
Re: base=counterfeit and flee=speed: if there’s one setter who always has dictionary support for his clues it’s Monk. Something might appear odd but it’s always valid.
Thank you PB@19 and TS@20. I have only ever thought of flee in terms of escape. It is interesting to see this extension of that meaning.
And, while I have you Tony Santucci@20, I must thank you for something else. Quite some time ago I was moaning about how difficult Monk’s puzzles are, and musing about creating a GDU-like Do-Not-Attempt list. You persuaded me to stick with Monk and I have been forever grateful to you, as I now enjoy his puzzles immensely.
Martyn @21: Monk was a setter I avoided in my ‘early days’ of solving but eventually I was able to solve most of his crosswords. I always found the clueing to be impeccable and I like puzzles that have that ‘extra layer’.
Martyn and Tony , when I was a total beginner the Guardian had Bunthorne as a setter , far harder then Enigmatist/Io . Some weekends I would solve zero clues but I continued to attempt them and simply vowed to beat the b……. one day . You learn far more from harder setters .