An artfully constructed Sunday puzzle from Filbert
Smooth and intriguing surfaces, tight cluing and economy of words are key to Filbert’s style, and this puzzle is no exception. All excellent, so it feels somewhat churlish to pick favourites, but I’m going for RIESLING as my top choice this time out. Thanks to Filbert, as ever.
Moh’s capricious hardness scale rating: Calcite
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | AGONISED |
San Diego quakes were really worrying (8)
|
| Anagram (quakes) of SAN DIEGO | ||
| 6 | REGIFT |
Pass on concerning file with images left in taxi (6)
|
| RE (concerning) + GIF (file with images) + T[axi] (left – ie first letter – in taxi) | ||
| 9 | FAST |
Fixed ahead of time (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 10 | OVERGROUND |
Maybe too powdery on the surface (10)
|
| If something is over-ground it may well be too powdery | ||
| 11 | PROCRASTINATE |
Poorly, so partier can’t make it later (13)
|
| Anagram (poorly) of SO PARTIER CANT | ||
| 13 | LEAN ON |
Middle Eastern country spending billions to intimidate (4,2)
|
| LE[b]ANON without B (spending billions) | ||
| 15 | PUT FIRST |
Make key golf shot around trees (3,5)
|
| PUTT around FIRS | ||
| 16 | WINNIPEG |
Overcome feeling of cold, say, in Canadian city (8)
|
| WIN (overcome) + NIP (feeling of cold. There’s certainly been a nip in the air here of late) + EG (say, for example) | ||
| 19 | EVEN SO |
Flat and incredibly still (4,2)
|
| EVEN (flat) + SO (incredibly) | ||
| 21 | MIXED METAPHOR |
Is one white elephant in the room? (5,8)
|
| Cryptic definition, being a mixture of the metaphors “white elephant” and “elephant in the room” | ||
| 23 | DRAMATISED |
Shot by wayward side put in play, perhaps (10)
|
| DRAM (shot) + AT (by) + anagram (wayward) of SIDE | ||
| 25 | TACK |
Stitch silk lining for hats back to front (4)
|
| Reversal (back to front) of KC (king’s counsel, known informally as silks) and [h]AT[s] (lining for hats) | ||
| 26 | LENTEN |
Allowed to use Elton’s clothing during 9? (6)
|
| LENT (allowed to use) + E[lto]N | ||
| 27 | RIESLING |
Sir Nigel turned white (8)
|
| Anagram (turned) of SIR NIGEL | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | GRAPPLE |
Wrestle gross eater? (7)
|
| GR (gross, ie unit of measurement equal to 144) + APPLE (eater rather than, say, a cooker or a cider apple) | ||
| 3 | NITRO |
Stuff that explodes can upset returning troops (5)
|
| Reversal (upset) of TIN + reversal (returning) of OR (other ranks, troops) | ||
| 4 | SCOURING PAD |
Aggressive cleaner ransacking home (8,3)
|
| SCOURING + PAD. Scouring for ransacking? Yes, since both can suggest searching for something or someone, though to my mind, scouring suggests a much more careful and meticulous search than ransacking does | ||
| 5 | DRESS UP |
Prepare for party with various reds to drink (5,2)
|
| Anagram (various) of REDS + SUP | ||
| 6 | RIG |
Doctor half justified claims (3)
|
| RIG[hts] | ||
| 7 | GLOBALISE |
Damaging middle of smelly bag, soil spread everywhere (9)
|
| Anagram (damaging) of [sm]EL[ly] BAG SOIL | ||
| 8 | FINGERS |
Loud sopranos perhaps wanting top piano players? (7)
|
| F (loud) + [s]INGERS (sopranos perhaps wanting top) | ||
| 12 | IN THE SADDLE |
500 diamonds to pack among discounted items, mounted (2,3,6)
|
| D (500) + D (diamonds) in (among) IN THE SALE (discounted items) | ||
| 14 | NON-EXEMPT |
Gas rising and depleted, almost bound to be taxed (3-6)
|
| Reversal (rising, in a down clue) of XENON (one of the noble gases) + EMPT[y] (almost depleted) | ||
| 17 | IMMERSE |
Swimmer seen grabbing duck (7)
|
| Hidden (grabbing) in swIMMER SEen | ||
| 18 | GREASER |
Gang member John Travolta plays as Romeo, after cast agrees (7)
|
| R (romeo in the Nato alphabet) after anagram (cast) of AGREES. Def referring to the film Grease, in which John Travolta played Danny Zuko, leader of the T-Birds gang. He’s the one that you want | ||
| 20 | SARACEN |
Old Arab hospital admitting certain type of people? (7)
|
| Insertion (admitting) of RACE into SAN (sanatorium) | ||
| 22 | HOTEL |
This sending up a little tipple to honeymooners? (5)
|
| Hidden reversal (sending up a little) in tippLE TO Honeymooners, clue as definition | ||
| 24 | TIN |
Reduced very small part of bronze (3)
|
| TIN[y], for one of the metals that is used to make bronze |
Summed up perfectly by moh.
Silky surfaces, interesting definitions, and nothing nasty.
The reversal of XENON in 14(d) is superb – ‘though with my dusty accountant’s hat on, NON-EXEMPT is “liable to tax”, not “bound to be taxed”, because of loss reliefs. Who said accountants are boring?
Top notch stuff, Fil & Moh