Hippogryph has compiled today’s puzzle to mark an important date in the sporting calendar.
I found this to be a stimulating, medium-difficulty puzzle which was satisfying to solve and blog in that I was able to parse all the clues in full.
Given the time of year, I was immediately alerted to the possibility of a mini-theme when I solved 9/12, and this was later confirmed by 24A.We have a partial Nina here across the top and bottom rows of the grid, spelling out MASTERS and MCILROY. The reference is to the US Masters major golf tournament, which starts this very day in Augusta, and where the defending champion is the North Irish golfer Rory McIlroy. Of course, one could solve this puzzle and be completely oblivious to the theme and the occasion it marks.
As for my favourite clues today, I would single out 6 and 21, both for smoothness of surface; 19, for making me laugh; and above all 18, for overall construction and for the use of “novel” in this particular clue as an anagram indicator.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS
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||
| 8 | DORMOUSE |
One often sleeping unleashed extremely masculine odours (8)
|
| *(M<asculin>E + ODOURS); “extremely” means first and last letters only are used in anagram, indicated by “unleashed” | ||
| 9/12 | GREEN JACKET |
Young Nicklaus earned this in leading positions (5,6)
|
| GREEN (=young, inexperienced) + JACK (=Nicklaus, i.e. US golfer) + E<arned> T<his> (“in leading positions” means first letters only); Jack Nicklaus won the US Masters in Augusta, and thus the green jacket awarded to its winner, on six occasions; semi- & lit., since he was only 23 when he won it for the first time. | ||
| 10 | NEON |
One cycling with new type of light (4)
|
| NEO (O-NE; “cycling” indicates first letter moves to end) + N (=new, as in NT) | ||
| 11 | SCRIMMAGED |
Thousands in disgrace abroad took part in untidy melee (10)
|
| MM (=thousands, i.e. 2000 in Roman numerals) in *(DISGRACE); “abroad” is anagram indicator | ||
| 12 |
See 9
|
|
| 14 | RENUMBER |
Reassign Spooner’s part of leg dance? (8)
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| Spoonerism of “knee (=part of leg) + rumba (=dance)”; to renumber is to assign a new number to, hence “reassign” | ||
| 15 | REVOLTS |
Lots upset after vicar renounces allegiance (7)
|
| REV (=vicar, i.e. reverend) + *(LOTS); “upset” is anagram indicator | ||
| 17 | PATRONS |
Father knocked back a quick drink with the regulars (7)
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| PA (=father) + TRONS (SNORT=quick drink; “knocked back” indicates reversal); the regulars in a pub are its patrons | ||
| 20 | PATIENCE |
Knock about with niece playing card game (8)
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| PAT (TAP=knock, rap; “about” indicates reversal) + *(NIECE); “playing” is anagram indicator | ||
| 22 | CELEBS |
Judge ejected from parties with A-listers (6)
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| CELEB<rate>S (=parties, raves); “judge (=rate, assess) ejected from” means letters “rate” are dropped | ||
| 23 | HELICOPTER |
Short expletive heard on EastEnders – he caught her with a chopper! (10)
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| HEL<l> (=expletive; “short” means last letter is dropped) + homophone of “(h)e copped (h)er (=he caught her; “heard on Eastenders” means initial aitches are dropped, i.e. in Cockney) | ||
| 24 | GOLF |
Turn left regularly in this game? (4)
|
| GO (=turn, as in It’s my turn now) + L<e>F<t> (“regularly” means alternate letters only are used) | ||
| 25 | SKIER |
Initially statesmanlike, it’s said Starmer is one on the slide (5)
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| S<tatesmanlike> (“initially” means first letter only) + homophone (“it’s said”) of “Keir (=Starmer)” | ||
| 26 | EXECRATE |
Denounce senior manager’s pay (8)
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| EXEC (=senior manager, i.e. executive) + RATE (=pay, i.e. amount paid); to execrate is to denounce, deplore | ||
| DOWN
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||
| 1 | MODERATE |
Second downgrade is reasonable (8)
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| MO (=second, moment, jiffy) + DE-RATE (=downgrade, relegate) | ||
| 2 | AMEN |
Stone mason turns up checking the last word (4)
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| Hidden (“checking”) and reversed (“turns up”) in “stoNE MAson” | ||
| 3 | SUNSET |
Fat reserves not specified at the end of the day (6)
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| NS (=not specified) in SUET (=fat, from around kidneys) | ||
| 4 | TERRORS |
In Yorkshire The Clangers causes nightmares (7)
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| T’ (=in Yorkshire the, i.e. in Yorkshire dialect) + ERRORS (=clangers, gaffes) | ||
| 5 | EGOMANIA |
Say nothing! Husband is always primarily going on about himself (8)
|
| E.G. (=say, for example) + O (=nothing, i.e. zero) + MAN (=husband) + I<s> A<lways> (“primarily” means first letters only) | ||
| 6 | RED ADMIRAL |
Cracking lad married flighty type (3,7)
|
| *(LAD MARRIED); “cracking” is anagram indicator; as a butterfly, a red admiral could be described as a “flighty type”! | ||
| 7 | SNEEZE |
Blessings received following this violent outburst? (6)
|
| Cryptic definition: “bless you” is the usual response to someone sneezing, hence “blessing received following” | ||
| 13 | KAOLINITIC |
Lifted cloak covering item with 50% off in Institute of Clay (10)
|
| [IT<em> (“with 50% off” means two of four letters are dropped) + IN + I (=Institute, as in RNLI)] in CLOAK; “lifted” indicates vertical reversal; kaolinite is a clay mineral | ||
| 16 | TANDOORI |
Letters written in to Independent about Oregon’s food cooked in a clay oven (8)
|
| OR (=Oregon, i.e. US state) in [T AND O (=letters written in (the word) t/o) + I (=independent)] | ||
| 18 | NOBILITY |
Third character in Enid Blyton novel about international aristocracy (8)
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| I (=international) in *(<en>I<d> + BLYTON); “third character in ” means third letter only is used in anagram, indicated by “novel” | ||
| 19 | GENTEEL |
Well-mannered partner of Lady Moray? (7)
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| Cryptically, “Gent Eel” could be the “partner of Lady Moray”, since the moray is a type of eel! | ||
| 21 | AGEISM |
Farage is manifestly displaying prejudice against senior citizens (6)
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| Hidden (“displaying”) in “farAGE IS Manifestly” | ||
| 22 | CORNER |
Heartless official in a tight spot (6)
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| COR<o>NER (=official; “heartless” means middle letter is dropped) | ||
| 24 | GIRO |
Italian race‘s banking arrangement (4)
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| Double definition: the Giro d’Italia is a major Italian cycling race AND a means of bank transfer |
I thought this was a superb puzzle. It was a lot of fun with clever cluing, smooth surfaces and a nice theme/Nina.
Many thanks to Hippogryph and to RR.
Add Amen Corner (the 11th, 12th and 13th holes which can make or break a player’s challenge) to the thematic entries. They were the ones that alreted me to the theme.
Also those spectating at the Masters are known as PATRONS.
There was a reference in the blog to yesterday’s Qaos in the Guardian to setters ‘painting themselves into a corner’ with themes and I think KAOLINITIC proves the point. Great puzzle nonetheless so thanks to Hippogryph and RatkojaRiku
Lots of CELEBS arriving by HELECOPTER too. Agree with all the above
Thanks both