Independent no. 7742 by Radian

by

When I started to blog here I never thought I’d be reporting from a war zone. So a warm, ok fiery welcome from SE London

Gosh I found this hard, the theme is passing me by a bit – it’s probably the sirens from the emergency services putting me off, seems a vaguely scientific/green issues theme.

Across: 

1 TARGETS GET in TARS
5 TROPICS IC (101 roman) in SPORT all reversed
10/20/21 HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL [English ranter Pope’s]*
11 GULF STREAM [F(ellow) + ULSTER]* in GAM for school of whales
12 FAUNAL UN for T in FATAL
13 MALDIVES DIVE(an awful pub) in MAL’S
14 CONJUGATE JUG + AT in ONCE*
16 FLUSH Cryptic double definition I guess
17 BIOTA Hidden. New word for me
19 ECOSYSTEM [C(it)Y SEEMS TO]*
23 NORTH SEA Weather shipping areas DD
24 RUPEES R + PEE in US – Indian money
26 COPENHAGEN OPEN in CHANGE* – site of conference on 9d
27/25 WIND POWER P(ressure) in  WINDOW* + ER The W getting double duty.
28 MERMAID [woMan + I DREAM]*
29 AS A RULE Cryptic DD
Down:  
2 AVOCADO 3 (green) A + VOCA(tion) +DO
3 GREEN ENERG(y)*
4 TAGALOG Ok had to cheat for this – seems to be  A GAL in GOT rev never heard of this before
6 RESULT SURE* + Lieutenant
7 PARTICLES P(iano) + RECITAL’S*
8 CRATERS R(ecipe) in CATERS
9 CLIMATE CHANGE [MEGA TECHNICAL]*
15 JET STREAM 27 is WIND so J(udge) + TEST* + REAM
18 ISOTOPE 7 is particle bit of a stretch methinks. IS + 0 + TO + P(eopl)E People vacated….
20 See 10
21 See 10
22 ISTHMI THIS* + M1 motorway
25 See 27

 

 

21 comments on “Independent no. 7742 by Radian”

  1. Good job, flashling, and keep yourself safe. The reports I see from your area are frightful.

    As one of those who yearned for a crossword with more lights arising from science, this was right up my alley. There were many clues I really enjoyed, including 12a, the ‘waste water’ of 24a, and 4d (I was more familiar with that word as referring to the language rather than a person). And especially 16a which I took solely as a cd but having seen what you’ve written I think you’re right that it’s a cryptic dd. Does anyone still have toilets that flush by pulling a chain?

    So thanks, Radian, for a more science-themed puzzle. Next time, dare I hope, mathematics?

  2. Thanks flashling and Radian, I loved this one.

    Favourite was 9, CLIMATE CHANGE, for the double anagram of chemical agent AND mega-technical. PARTICLES also amused. Wonderful working of the theme.

    I read 13 as MA{n}+L+DIVES, since the bars are plural.

  3. Many thanks flashling.

    I saw 13ac (MALDIVES) as MAL[e] (‘chap’ without the last letter to go) + DIVES (low bars), but I do not understand (yet) the ‘similar’ bit.
    As I also do not understand FLUSH (16ac).

    23ac (NORTH SEA) is also an anagram of “another’s”.
    9d (CLIMATE CHANGE) is not only an anagram of ‘mega-technical’ but also of ‘chemical agent’.
    Ah, those anagrams!

  5. OK, thanks to caretman @1 I get 16ac now.
    And Wanderer’s explanation re MALDIVES is probably better than mine – still don’t know what to do with ‘similar’.

    Found this a hard puzzle, but very satisfying!
    Thank you, Radian, for this clever piece of art.

  7. 🙂 🙂 – discussions like @4 & 5 can go on and on and on ….
    Wanderer, I have seen L for ‘low’ in Collins.

  8. Is the ‘similar’ in 13 ac a reference to the fact that the Maldives are a series of low (average about 5 feet abive sea level) sand bars? Just a thought: I didn’t really notice the word ‘similar’ when filling in the answer. An enjoyable puzzle generally with 9d being particular good, in my view.

  9. Hi flashling, I think the theme is a combination of 9d and the long answer – which certainly would make it optimistic 🙂

  11. Thanks Flashling.

    Just to clear up any confusion in 13A: MAL(E)DIVES with low referring to the pubs as well as the drastically low height of those islands – among the first to disappear, we’re told, unless Pope’s optimism is well founded.

    Thanks Sil, but it’s hardly art; maybe craft or, more to the point, graft. Nice for once to clear the Dutch high hurdle unbruised! Will I escape tomorrow (wee plug)?

    Caretman: sorry, numbers are simply not my bag.

  13. Thanks Radian and Flashling.

    A couple of new words to me in TAGALOG and BIOTA. I still don’t really get ISOTOPE as I don’t see how an isotope of an element can be described as a particle in itself, albeit having a different number of particles to the original element; there again, it was a long time since I was at school…….

    I liked RUPEES, which would’ve raised a snigger at school (in my days, anyway), primarily because it was my biggest head-smacker when I finally twigged it. “Settler” as money – something you use to settle a debt. Of course! Duh – completely missed that. Ah well, onwards and upwards.

  15. OK Radian will look for you, seems odd with a name like Radian you don’t do numbers. You’d have all angles covered…

  16. This was a difficult, but really thoughtful puzzle which I enjoyed a lot. I think if I hadn’t been engaged by the theme, I would have probably thrown in the towel, but when I got CLIMATE CHANGE I toughed it out and finished eventually. I thought FLUSH was funny, and liked BIOTA, FAUNAL and ECOSYSTEM from the themed clues. Strangely, TAGALOG was about my second or third in, but like caretman, I knew it from the language rather than the nationality.

    The planet’s going to fry, stock markets are in freefall, and England’s turned anarchic. Good job we’ve got cryptics to keep us sane.

    Thanks to Radian and keep safe, flashling.

  17. Tho Radian says he does not do numbers, I think I remember at least one Indy puzzle of his themed on putting numbers (in words) in the grid entries as part of a theme and it was very good.

  19. As a mathematician the idea of Radian not knowing his pi from his e is enough to tear up my degree(s)

  20. nmsindy: I didn’t think anyone would remember. If you wait long enough (pace Eimi) there might just be another one.

  21. Many thanks for a most enjoyable puzzle, Radian – I’m not a scientist, but enjoyed the theme nevertheless (in fact, it was an indispensible aid to me in finishing the solve).

    New words today were BIOTA and TAGALOG, and I had to read the blog to learn what a GAM is, and so understand the parsing of 11a.

    I thought that there were plenty of great clues, and favorites included AVOCADO/GREEN, FLUSH and RUPEES (nothing wrong with a bit of good clean toilet humour from time to time).

    Many thanks too, flashling for your blog – here in France we’re keeping everything crossed for a peaceful night in Blighty, and hoping that the “troubles” don’t make it across the Channel!

Comments are closed.