Welcome to my first blog of the Independent’s Saturday prize crossword. A very enjoyable puzzle from Nestor – not too taxing, but not without some head scratching (most notably explaining 4dn). A bit of a cycling theme to boot. Also, a blessed relief, for my first blog of this puzzle, in so much as the clues were n’t too complex.
As to my favourites among the clues – 8dn was very elegant in its cryptic complexity, whilst 7dn and 15ac were at the other end of the cryptic spectrum, but equally satisfying in their simplicity.
All in all a pleasure to solve and blog.
Key:
Bold = answer
* Anagram
Rev (reversed)
DD – Double Definition
ACROSS
| No. | Derivation of answer | Definition in clue |
| 1 | (planets near suns – r {source of religious})* = UNPLEASANTNESS | Discord |
| 10 | N (new) + Rev{semi (house)} = NIMES | French city |
| 11 | Train – n (reduced rail service) + like around b (bus initially) = TRAIL BIKE | Transport in scramble i.e. bike scrambling |
| 12 | D (bird’s tail) + in (popular) + in (covered) + groom (curry) = DINING ROOM | Where to eat |
| 13 | Lido (public pool) with opening (l) delayed = IDOL | One admired |
| 15 | Mull (deliberate) + ET (flick i.e. film) = MULLET | Hairstyle |
| 17 | (one is had)* = ADHESION | Sticking with |
| 19 | Nelly (fool) detaining duke – u (upper class) = NED KELLY | Victorian rebel |
| 20 | DD Disconnect problem (telephone) and Emotional source | Hang-up |
| 22 | Hidden sol[ID EA]rth | Formed in the head? |
| 23 | (winslet not)* = TINSELTOWN | (Kate) Winslet not out of place here? |
| 26 | N (name) + Umberto (Umberto Eco – author) around h (first helper) = NUMBER TWO | Wife/ Whole clue |
| 27 | Textile – tt (no time at all) = EXILE | To send away |
| 28 | Lance Arm Strong (Cryptic for Jousting practice!) = LANCE ARMSTRONG | Champion rider (Multi Tour de France winner |
DOWN
| No. | Derivation of answer | Definition in clue |
| 2 | Nan (grandma) hugs Rev(my (fancy) ) = NYMAN (Michael) | English Composer |
| 3 | Loess – s (fine soil mostly) around sang (grassed) and el (US railway) = LOS ANGELES |
23’s city (ie Tinseltown – Hollywood) |
| 4 | ARTERY (Cryptic indication of Art – ery as a place for creative endeavour?) | Major route |
| 5 | An (one article) + and (with) + a (another) around co (firm) = ANACONDA | Snake |
| 6 | T (temperature) + old (from an earlier period) = TOLD | Revealed |
| 7 | (God live in)* = EVIL DOING – Delightful clue in my opinion | Sin |
| 8 | (isles ten hand)* around Rev(op – work) = SHETLAND PONIES | Isle’s ten hand (as in horse size) Whole clue |
| 9 | (onlinemediason)* = ONE DIMENSIONAL | Superficial |
| 14 | D (daughter) + era(age) + ill (badly) + Rev (rue – regret) = DERAILLEUR | Device for 28 (cyclist) |
| 16 | Lama (priest) cages dies (languishes) and n (knight) = LADIES MAN | Wolf (proverbial sense) |
| 18 | C (cold) + loiter (loaf) around s (shop initially) | Shut up |
| 21 | Fs (female) + tops (superb) = F-STOPS | Settings for snapper (photographer) |
| 24 | On (working) around Rio (South American port) = ORION | Stars |
| 25 | T (time) splits fee (payment) = FETE | Gala |
.
Great blog, twencelas, great puzzle, maybe a shade easier than some Indys from Nestor. As you say, 7D was excellent and 16D was another I liked a lot.
A pleasant solve. Thaks for the blog twenceslas. There is a slight mistake in 26, the definition is ‘first helper’, the ‘w’ in two is wife.
I did preview that, honest.
Thanks twencelas.
Thanks twencelas for the blog, and Nestor, for an easier than usual puzzle (ie. a Nestor I could complete in a relatively good time).
Favourites were 28A TINSELTOWN, a nice &lit, 8D SHETLAND PONIES, another &lit with “strains” cleverly standing for the anagrind as well as part of the definition (as in “animal breeds”), and 16D LADIES MAN, with a less common equivalence for “priest”.
Thanks for the blog Twencelas. Agree with other comments that this was a very good puzzle. Re 4 down, though, I feel that your explanation seems slightly whimsical for Nestor. I can’t explain it but felt that it had possibly something to do with “arty” for “creative endeavour”.
Jmac – I agree with you doubts on my explanation of 4dn. Any suggestions welcome?
Sidley – Thanks for pointing out my error in 26ac.
Welcome, twencelas, and congratulations on your first blog.
I couldn’t parse 4dn properly either. Thought ‘endeavour’ might have something to do with E as in E Morse (Colin Dexter’s crossword-solving detective) and/or ‘ry’ might represent ‘railway’ as a major(?) route but couldn’t reconcile either of those ideas with the construction of the clue. So I think your idea is the best.
Hi twencelas. Your #6, re 4D ARTERY. My interpretation is same as yours: “place set aside for creative endeavour (ie. art)” with the question mark (indicating a somewhat loose origin) = ART + ERY, as in words like “eatery”, “creamery”, “cattery”, “colliery” which are all places for ie. “eats”, “cream”, “cats”, “coal”.
I thought three down was the trickiest – does sang really equate to grassed ?
And need some USA knowledge to know about ” L ” in Chicago.
My take on 4d was a blood vessel (route) from the heart – with heart often a source of inspiration. Still otherwise a nice solvable puzzle on a saturday for a change. Hope the S&B attendees had fun.
Welcome to the fold, twencelas, and thank you for the blog. My parsing of 26 across differs a little from #2: ‘name – Eco’s first’ = N UMBERTO, containing W(ife), to fit the definition ‘helper’.