Dalibor, whose work I have seldom solved and blogged, has set today’s puzzle on what is theme day at the Indy.
I found this to be upper intermediate in terms of difficulty level and very enjoyable to solve.
There was no way of overlooking the theme today, since numerous clues cross-referenced 24, and the very doable clue at 8 strongly suggested earlier in the puzzle what the theme might revolve around, even if the clue at 24 could not immediately be solved. I needed Google to help with 3, since I did not know the Welsh name for Snowdon and for 15, which I just didn’t know.
As for my favourite clues today, I liked 3 and 18, for overall construction; the two semi- & lit clues at 12 and 26; and 22, for smoothness of surface, but there were numerous others that I could have chosen.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS
|
||
| 8 | JUNGFRAU |
Swiss psychiatrist meets German woman, 24 (8)
|
| JUNG (=Swiss psychiatrist, i.e. Carl Jung) + FRAU (=German woman); Jungfrau is a peak (=entry at 24) in Switzerland | ||
| 9 | HOOVER |
Prostitute on top of US president (6)
|
| HO (=prostitute, in US slang) + OVER (=on top of); the reference is to Herbert Hoover (1874-1964), the 31st President of the United States | ||
| 10 | DISNEYLAND |
Dutch territory in the sea’s holding back desire to create children’s paradise (10)
|
| NEY (YEN=desire; “back” indicates reversal) in [D (=Dutch) + ISLAND (=territory in the sea)] | ||
| 11 | SENT |
Delighted about leaving a nice smell (4)
|
| S<c>ENT (=a nice smell); “about (=C, for circa) leaving” means letter “c” is dropped | ||
| 12 | REFUND |
It might provide something pleasurable when in debt? (6)
|
| FUN (=something pleasurable) in RED (=debt, as in in the red); semi- & lit. | ||
| 14 | ADDITIVE |
Junkie taking cocaine given unlimited extra stuff (8)
|
| ADDI<c>T (=junkie; “taking (=removing) cocaine (=C)” means letter “c” is dropped) + <g>IVE<n> (“unlimited” means first and last letters are dropped) | ||
| 15 | SKIDDAW |
Old Scottish pirate was in retreat to surround 24 (7)
|
| KIDD (=old Scottish pirate, i.e. Captain William Kidd) in SAW (WAS; “in retreat” indicates reversal); Skiddaw is a peak (=entry at 24) in the Lake District | ||
| 17 | CARLESS |
Royal rejecting second son, which may be pedestrian (7)
|
| C<h>ARLES (=royal, i.e. the King; “rejecting second” means second letter is dropped) + S (=son); a pedestrian precinct is, by definition carless, car-free | ||
| 20 | MADRIGAL |
Big city finally wanting celebration to end before the last song (8)
|
| MADRI<d> (=big city, in Spain; “finally wanting” means last letter is dropped) + GAL<a> (=celebration; “to end before the last” means last letter is dropped) | ||
| 22 | OSPREY |
Raptor‘s huge catch (6)
|
| OS (=huge, i.e. outsize) + PREY (=catch, quarry) | ||
| 24 | PEAK |
Top dog, say (4)
|
| Homophone (“say”) of “peke (=dog, i.e. a Pekinese)”; to reach a peak is to get to the top level, hit the maximum; this is the gateway clue to today’s puzzle | ||
| 25 | MATTERHORN |
24 issue a choice of two gases (10)
|
| MATTER (=issue, affair) + H (=hydrogen) OR N (=nitrogen) (=a choice of two gases!); the Matterhorn is a peak (=entry at 24) straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy | ||
| 27 | PETREL |
Bird dog perhaps on lake (6)
|
| PET (=dog, perhaps) + RE- (=on, regarding) + L (=lake, on map) | ||
| 28 | EPIGRAPH |
Inscription e.g. RIP vandalised to the left of a pub (8)
|
| *(E.G. RIP) + A + PH (=pub, i.e. Public House); “vandalised” is anagram indicator | ||
| DOWN
|
||
| 1 | PUMICE |
Little creatures after climbing up volcanic rock (6)
|
| PU (UP; “climbing” indicates vertical reversal) + MICE (=little creatures) | ||
| 2 | AGIN |
Not in favour of a strong alcoholic drink (4)
|
| A + GIN (=strong alcoholic drink) | ||
| 3 | YR WYDDFA |
24 days with nothing after 12 months on low salary ultimately (2,6)
|
| YR (=12 months, i.e. year) + <lo>W <salar>Y (“ultimately” means last letters only) + D D (=days, i.e. 2 x d=day) + FA (=nothing, as in Sweet FA); Yr Wyddfa, which is Snowdon in English, is a peak (=entry at 24) in Wales | ||
| 4 | YUCATAN |
China’s ready to overpower initially Cambodia and Thai peninsula (7)
|
| [C<ambodia> A<nd> T<hai>] in YUAN (=China’s “ready”, i.e. currency); “initially” means first letters only; the Yucatan Peninsula is in SE Mexico | ||
| 5 | SHADED |
One’s daughter found in a simple place without much sunlight (6)
|
| [A (=one) + D (=daughter)] in SHED (=simple place, shack) | ||
| 6 | DORSET FLOP |
Skittles technique‘s failure sorted out beforehand (6,4)
|
| *(DORSET) + FLOP (=failure, of film, say); “out” is anagram indicator; the Dorset flop is a technique in which players launch themselves forward onto the alley, using their body to propel the ball towards the skittles | ||
| 7 | BEN NEVIS |
24: Hill perhaps unfinished by the King after losing pound (3,5)
|
| BENN<y> (=Hill perhaps, i.e. English comedian Benny Hill; “unfinished” means last letter is dropped) + E<l>VIS (=the King, i.e. Elvis Presley; “losing pound (=L, as in LSD)” means letter “l” is dropped); Ben Nevis is a peak (=entry at 24) in Scotland | ||
| 13 | UNDERSKIRT |
I must wear awful red trunks as protective clothing? (10)
|
| I in *(RED TRUNKS); “awful” is anagram indicator | ||
| 16 | KHAMENEI |
Middle East protected by city mayor, that is heaven-sent for former Asian leader (8)
|
| [ME (=Middle East) in KHAN (=city mayor, i.e. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London] + EI (=I.E.=that is; “heaven-sent” indicates vertical reversal); the reference is to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1939-2026), the assassinated former leader of Iran | ||
| 18 | ANOREXIA |
A vote against Brexit had to rule out every border disorder (8)
|
| A + NO (=vote against) + <b>REXI<t> <h>A<d> (“to rule out every border” means first and last letters of both words are dropped) | ||
| 19 | GLITTER |
In the end talking rubbish brings sparkle (7)
|
| <talkin>G (‘”in the end” means last letter only) + LITTER (=rubbish) | ||
| 21 | GAMBLE |
Chance school book leads to learning experience (6)
|
| GAM (=school, of whales) + B (=book) + L<earning> E<xperience> (“leads to” means first letters only) | ||
| 23 | ENRAPT |
Worried parent becomes fascinated (6)
|
| *(PARENT); “worried” is anagram indicator | ||
| 26 | HERO |
The subject of female love? (4)
|
| HER (=female) + O (=love, i.e. zero score, in tennis); semi- & lit. |
Quite a lot of gk ( geography knowledge ) and UK knowledge required, but personally, I enjoyed the puzzle throughout. Well-constructed clues, some of which, with novel plays and devices. Great stuff.
Medium difficulty, but (for once! ) it was all in my knowledge zone, including YR WYDDFA, very roughly speaking, “Er Withva”, ( from my schooldays in Wales ). The meaning is disputed, but possibly a stone burial cairn.
Two thumbs up, Dalibor & Riku
I’m sure that Welsh peak is in the late mrs ginf’s Edith Pargeter series, but years have passed … needed help with that, should have sussed Kidd in Saw but didn’t, and nho the skittles move but biffed it. So, bit of a scratchy effort but quite fun, thx D and RR.
Ay the outset, after constructing Jungfrau on the basis of knowing of Carl Jung and Frau being German for woman and googling to discover that a mountain by that name exists I thought I would find the theme annoying but it turned out to be an absolute delight.
Thanks all.
I was a bit piqued, as it were, to fail on the skittles technique, which I was expecting to be confectionery related.
Thanks both. Excellent overall, and strangely I felt the entry clue PEAK was the only one even slightly weak. Tough however, and delighted to finish unaided, including the forbidding looking Snowdon in national dress.
Not a chance. Or a gamble. Hard enough on us Yanks to do British (but I’m learning!). Once you move on to Welsh geography, well, I’m done.
big@6
That’s fair comment, and respect, for tackling English cryptics. Though to be fair, there’s a lot of Americana in them, these days.
If Welsh words get traction, we will all be in trouble…and I speak Welsh! But I struggle to spell them.
Next stop : LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH.
E.N.Boll&@7
Thanks for the encouragement. I just love this stuff. I’m constantly telling my Yank friends (I can’t say “Yankee,” since I’m from The South) that they really need to get into these puzzles. The NYT Sunday is nothing compared to a good Wednesday Grauniad!
Comment #9