Independent on Sunday 1081 by Quixote – 31st October 2010

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Another very approachable puzzle this week, which we finished in good time and without having to reach for any books, with the exception of ‘Bargee’, which was new to us (at least in its non-onion incarnation). Good stuff.

Owing to a preposterous lack of time, which has meant that we haven’t been able to fit in the Azed puzzle as often as we’d like, we’re taking a break from blogging for now, so from next week a rotation of solvers will take over.

We’ve been entertained by Quixote’s gentle wit through many a rail-replacement bus service and many a pub trip, but now, as the grumpy barman of time clears away the overcooked Sunday lunch of destiny, and the beermats of fate soften under the spilt pint of eternity, I see it’s the end of the show. Many thanks to Quixote.

ACROSS

1. TA (CK) LE ‘totally heartless crook’ = ‘ck’. ‘Totally heartless’ because otherwise it’d be ‘crok’

4. S  TO  WED

8. CAPITALISATION (a politicians at)* entirely plausible surface here, MPs being the way they are

10. LEG  A.C.  Y ‘leg’ means ‘left’ in cricket

11. LOSE IT dd information technology in one of them

13. ANTE< ‘Etna’ backwards

14. HAMMER  HEAD

15. COM(PLAIN)ED(y)

17. AB(o)UT

18. RAT-T(h)AT

19. HOOT  C.H.

21. LONDONDERRY AIR (Ron drearily nod)*

22. BAR  GEE hadn’t heard this, but logically enough it means the person in charge of a barge. Or should it logically mean a person a barge is in charge of? At any rate, ‘boatman’ is a perfectly fair definition

23. ADVERT ‘a diver’ missing its ‘i’, then ‘t’ for time

DOWN

1. TRADE UNION (detour in)* then ‘N’ for North

2. CLIMATE ‘cl’ from ‘class’ (‘no fool’ meaning that you should remove ‘ass’), then ‘I mate’ for one friend

3. LE(A  F)Y

5. TRANSCEND ‘trend’ with ‘cans’ anagramised inside

6. W(HIT)ISH

7. DINE< ‘Enid’ reversed

9/12 ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT cryptic definition

14. HEARTSORE (others are)* H messed up the anagram fodder here, so when L had her turn at it ‘heartarse?’ was helpfully written beside the clue

16. PL  ANNE  R ‘r’ can mean ‘established as’ in the ‘registered trademark symbol’, unless anyone can suggest another parsing?

17. ANODYNE (annoyed)*

19. HERO  D

20. CLUB dd

2 comments on “Independent on Sunday 1081 by Quixote – 31st October 2010”

  1. Thanks Handel, and hope you enjoy your break. Thanks Quixote too for an enjoyable puzzle.

    If I may, I’m suggesting different parsings for:

    10A: LEGACY Definitions is “What’s left” with LEG = “on” side of the cricket field and also happens to be the “leg” side.

    16D: PLANNER The R is from ANNE R(egina), as referenced by the “late Queen”.

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