A very gentle offering for this Monday morning – I found it pretty much a write-in, with only a couple of clues needing more than a few seconds’ thought. Thanks to Vulcan.
| Across | ||||||||
| 1 | OKLAHOMA | Just a quarter of this state would be fine (8) A quarter of OKlahoma is OK, or “fine” |
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| 5 | CHAINS | Ranges of jewellery items (6) Double definition |
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| 9 | STRAUSS | He provided waltzes as Truss danced (7) (AS TRUSS)* |
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| 10 | CHIPPER | Briskly cheerful person preparing potatoes? (7) Double definition |
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| 11 | TWICE | So shy after being bitten? (5) A reference to the proverb “once bitten, twice shy” |
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| 12 | CENTURION | Roman soldier expecting congratulatory telegram? (9) A reference to the telegram (now a card) sent from the monarch to a person on their hundredth birthday. A centurion can be “a person who has scored or achieved a hundred in anyway”, as well as the Roman soldier |
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| 13 | COLLARED DOVE | Arrested advocate for peace getting the bird (8,4) COLLARED (arrested) + DOVE (advocate for peace) |
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| 17 | ROUND THE BEND | What you don’t see when driving is crazy (5,3,4) Double definition |
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| 20 | PRIMARIES | Prudish stars get together for elections (9) PRIM + ARIES (constellation) |
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| 22 | AROMA | A traveller’s distinctive fragrance (5) A + ROMA |
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| 23 | HEINOUS | Outrageously wicked criminal in house (7) (IN HOUSE)* |
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| 24 | OCTOPUS | After a few weeks, work for an army type? (7) OCT (October, a few weeks) + OPUS (work) and an octopus is arm-y |
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| 25 | TENDER | Youthful follower of steam engines (6) Double definition |
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| 26 | INCREASE | In credit, comfort is to grow (8) IN + CR + EASE |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 1 | ON-SITE | Note is circulated at the workplace (2-4) NOTE IS |
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| 2 | LARKIN | One high-flying fashionable poet (6) LARK (high-flying bird) + IN (fashionable) |
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| 3 | HOUSEHOLD | Family should hope to move without pressure (9) Anagram of SHOULD HOPE less P[ressure] |
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| 4 | MUSICAL CHAIRS | Party game for conservatoire professors? (7,6) A chair is a professorship, so those at a conservatoire would be of the musical variety |
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| 6 | HAIKU | Japanese work hard, assiduous in keeping up with the leaders (5) First letters of Hard Assiduous In Keeping Up |
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| 7 | IMPRISON | Lock away troublemaker, absolutely not set up (8) IMP (troublemaker) + reverse of NO SIR (absolutely not) |
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| 8 | SPRINTER | Fast mover, first in shop to collect computer equipment (8) S[hop] + PRINTER |
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| 10 | CONTRABASSOON | Soon abort scan, having broken instrument (13) (SOON ABORT SCAN)* |
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| 14 | DONCASTER | Not scared to relocate here? (9) (NOT SCARED)* |
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| 15 | DROP SHOT | One dies in court, making a point (4,4) Cryptic definition of this tennis term |
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| 16 | AUDITION | Hearing test (8) Double definition |
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| 18 | HOOPLA | Band, note, played at funfair (6) HOOP (band) + LA (sixth note of the scale) |
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| 19 | LASSIE | Scots girl has energy after cold drink (6) LASSI (Indian cold drink) + E[nergy] |
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| 21 | ALONE | A mortgage said to be unique (5) Sounds like “a loan” |
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Not difficult but so enjoyable and smooth. I thought DROP SHOT was a super clue and also liked CENTURION, COLLARED DOVE, DONCASTER for the surface, OCTOPUS (there is an OCTOPUS Army clothing brand) and IMPRISON.
Ta Vulcan & Andrew.
Thinking that I’d seen it recently, Vulcan as Imogen clued OKLAHOMA in Sept 2025 as ‘State that is briefly satisfactory’. I’m guessing that OK is also the abbreviation for the state.
I think this was Vulcan at his best – with lots of playful clues. I particularly liked AROMA, OKLAHOMA, DROP SHOT and OCTOPUS (where I for a moment mulled over why US = “army” – current events are taking their toll I guess). NHO LASSI = drink or CENTURION = telegram. Thanks Vulcan and Andrew!
Thanks to Vulcan and Andrew, especially for the wonderful ( now that it’s been explained) arm-y definition
Got the answer but could not parse it
Layman@3
Centurion does not refer to the telegram itself but rather the 100 year old expecting the royal telegram on her birthday
Good on you Alan C@1 for getting DROP SHOT. I do know tennis but it took me a while to parse it.
I liked the arm-y OCTOPUS. I think I’ve seen something similar before. And IMPRISON.
HAIKU was a good example of a haiku. 17 syllables
ROUND THE BEND is very topical here. We’ve had so many accidents and road closures due to people not driving to the ongoing wet conditions on our bendy road, a ”major” highway. Numerous FB posts about ”crazy” drivers.
OCTOPUS = arm-y type made me groan.
I could not parse 1ac but assumed a connection to OK=fine 12ac; 25ac (have heard of these telegrams but did not think of them today), HOT = ‘in court’ bit of 15d, having assumed that dies = drops – okay I get it now.
paddymelon @6: back at you for HAIKU, great spot.
AlanC@2
OKLAHOMA
I think the clue could act as a CAD in a way
(in addition to the fine=OK play).
OCTOPUS
def: Déjà vu
Liked COLLARED DOVE and DROP SHOT.
michelle@7
DROP SHOT
I also tried to parse it the way you did first before realising it was a CD.
Thanks Vulcan and Andrew.
Comment #10
And agree with Drop Bear (gotta be an Aussie) @5 about CENTURION. There is a question mark at the end. Not sure if LAYMAN @ 3 is part of the ‘Commonwealth’ or would know about the tradition of the monarch sending telegrams to those who’ve reached their century. It’s a loss I’m prepared to live with if we all end up being part of a republic.
paddymelon@6
HAIKU
Wow!
I have found Vulcan a bit chewier on his last few outings but this went back to usual Monday difficulty.
I only knew one of the definitions of TENDER and didn’t fully understand DROP SHOT not being a tennis fan but otherwise few problems.
PRIMARIES my favourite clue today
Thanks Vulcan and Andrew
Once again the arm-y thing fooled me for a while when I was wondering where the definition of OCTOPUS lay within the clue. Though I suppose this creature has tentacles rather than arms. And had to look up that a Lassi was indeed a cool drink once LASSIE was last one in. The usual smooth Vulcan solve to start the week off with…
…watched the film My Octopus Teacher a short while ago, showing what an extraordinary, intelligent creature the OCTOPUS in fact is. Recommended…
DropBear@5, paddymelon@11 – thanks; I wasn’t very attentive when reading the blog, obviously 🙁 No I’m not in the Commonwealth and where I’m from there’s no such tradition, or a monarch
HAIKU is super!
I spotted the syllables
and felt so clever!
Ah, so that’s why an octopus is an army type. Cute.
Despite having solved it instantly, I have mixed feelings about the clue for OKLAHOMA. I feel sorry for the other six letters that weren’t clued at all, entirely overlooked. I hope their feelings weren’t hurt.
I know a few doves, but hadn’t heard of this one.
All in all, most enjoyable.
Am I missing something with DONCASTER? The anagram is straightforward, but “here” seems a bit weak as a definition.
thanks V and A! I too was bemused by OCTPUS and then delighted by the ARM-Y explanation in the blog!!
Defeated by the army OCTOPUS, a pun worthy of a Christmas cracker, but everything else was smooth.
All went in very swiftly until the last four or so.
LOI was DROP SHOT – I’m not a follower of tennis, so the term isn’t one I know, and I was for too long trying to fit “RIP” into it somehow.
OCTOPUS (another one of the last few) is my CotD: even when I’d puzzled out OCT for the “few weeks”, then OPUS for work, I was still looking at it from various angles for the military reference (some kind of tactical formation?) until the penny dropped… Clang!
Much else to like, but particular ticks for MUSICAL CHAIRS (I can visualise the Profs now, in full academic dress, fighting over the last remaining seat) and CONTRABASSOON for its nice surface.
OKLAHOMA has “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” as maybe its most (only?) memorable song – well, it’s a pretty good morning here, but as for a bright golden haze mostly what I can see through the window looking down to the local meadow is a considerable expanse of water.
Thanks Vulcan and Andrew!
[me@22: Reading the wikipedia article, I find I was a more than bit unfair on the other songs in “Oklahoma”: many of the others came immediately, hummingly, to mind as soon as I saw the titles; not least the title song. Also I find it’s very definitely “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ “, without the final “g”. Maybe I should watch the film – I’m not sure if I ever have.]
That my clue for HAIKU was seventeen syllables long was a complete coincidence! I was just looking for a good surface for the wordplay. My unconscious must have been having a good day. (By the way, I didn’t put anything in to mark it, but this puzzle was Vulcan no. 200)
I know what a Drop Shot is, but don’t get how the ‘one dies’ bit fits. I had thought like others that this explained the ‘drops’ but the that left ‘hot’ unparsed. How is it a CD? ‘Dies’ meaning ‘wins point’ doesn’t work, so what is it?
Very smooth solve, just right for the start to the week. Congratulations Vulcan @24 for your bicentenary; I didn’t realise you were that old! My LOI was TWICE, where I spent ages looking for the non-existent wordplay. I liked the quarter of OKLAHOMA, the TENDER nerd, the good anagrams for HOUSEHOLD and CONTRABASSOON, and the great cd for DROP SHOT. Like Petert @19 I was a bit underwhelmed by ‘here’ as the definition for DONCASTER.
Thanks Vulcan and Andrew.
Arpee@25: a DROP SHOT is a shot that is hit in such a way that it “dies” after it crosses the net, leaving the opponent trying to rush at the net to get it back over – if they fail, you make the point.
Arpee @25; in a DROP SHOT the ball ‘dies’ after it hits the ground because of the backspin.
A groan for the army octopus and a laugh for being not scared of Doncaster. A good start to the week.