We found this a really enjoyable, and not too difficult, Tuesday puzzle, with a ‘hidden’ theme that really only revealed itself as we followed up the connection between 20A/18A and 2D/7A.
Whilst we had heard of the theme (2D/7A), we didn’t know the details of how it was exposed as a hoax (as recently as 1953!) – a bit of research soon revealed how many of the answers were thematically connected – 9A, 15A, 20A/18A, 23A, 24A, 27A, 4D and 22D are all relevant – follow this hyperlink for further details.
Thanks Radian for an intriguing puzzle with, as usual, some excellent surfaces.
| Across | ||
| 1 | E.g. calamari and cod help OAPs in need of treatment | |
| CEPHALOPODS | Anagram of COD HELP OAPS (anagrind is ‘in need of treatment’) = a squid (calamari) is an example of a cephalopod | |
| 7 | See 2D | |
| See 2D | ||
| 9 | It helps to munch onion, leeks and radishes for starters | |
| MOLAR | First letters or ‘starters’ of Munch Onion Leeks And Radishes = as a grinding tooth, a molar helps to eat anything! ….and is linked to the theme of the puzzle | |
| 10 | About end of 90s Versace’s displayed plunging cleavages | |
| CREVASSES | Anagram of VERSACES (anagrind is ‘displayed’) around S (end of 90s) = plunging cleavages – a crafty definition! | |
| 11 | Perhaps ‘Morning Star’ holds record for a fruit | |
| RED PEPPER | RED P(a)PER (‘Morning Star’ – a left wing newspaper) with the ‘a’ replaced by EP (record) = fruit – botanically peppers are fruits, although we tend to refer to them as vegetables | |
| 12 | Awesome ring given by king to his mistress | |
| KNELL | K (king) + NELL (Gwyn, famously the mistress of Charles II) = ‘awesome’ ring (of a bell) | |
| 13 | Carpenters’ output was withdrawn and Springfield’s cut | |
| SAWDUST | WAS reversed or ‘withdrawn’ + DUST(y) (Springfield with the last letter missing, or ‘cut’) = carpenters’ output | |
| 15 | Height of oak said to be deceptive | |
| HOAX | H (height) + OAX (homonym (‘said’) of ‘oak’s’) = something deceptive, and another link to the theme of the puzzle | |
| 18 | See 20A | |
| See 20A | ||
| 20/18 | M&S stock one, only one, limited colour in so-called 2/7A | |
| MISSING LINK | M and S around or ‘stocking’ I (one) + SINGL(e) (‘only one’ with the last letter missing or ‘limited’ + INK (colour) = ‘Piltdown Man’ (2/7A) was presented as the ‘Missing Link’ between apes and humans | |
| 23 | It erupts as warning to Herculaneum at first | |
| TOOTH | TOOT (warning) + H (first letter of Herculaneum) = a tooth erupts when teething – another link to the theme | |
| 24 | Primate, old, called union before Brown | |
| ORANG UTAN | O (old) + RANG (called) + U (union) + TAN (brown) = primate – linked to the theme | |
| 26 | Ring round theatres backing school broadcast | |
| DISPERSAL | DIAL (ring) around REPS (theatres) reversed or ‘backing’ + S (school) = broadcast | |
| 27 | Thiamine’s for doctor | |
| BONES | ‘Thiamine is’ vitamin B1, or B ONE’S = slang term for doctor, and another thematic connection | |
| 28 | Headless chicken’s relative | |
| OWL | (f)OWL (chicken without the first letter or ‘headless’) = a relative in as much as they are both birds | |
| 29 | In supplements, comic strips cost about a penny | |
| POSTSCRIPTS | Anagram of STRIPS COST (anagrind is ‘comic’) around P (penny) = supplements | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Priest comes round on Sunday to concentrate | |
| COMPRESS | PR (priest) with COMES around + S (Sunday) = concentrate | |
| 2/7A | Diplomat cleverly engages opponents in game number 15 | |
| PILTDOWN MAN | Anagram of DIPLOMAT (anagrind is ‘cleverly’) around W N (‘opponents in game’ – west and north, as in bridge) + N (number) = 15 (across) – ‘Piltdown Man’ was proved to be a hoax | |
| 3 | Match takes place over in beer garden | |
| AGREE | Hidden backwards or ‘over’ in (b)EER GA(rden) = match | |
| 4 | Old Amazonians Cricket Club retire and head back | |
| OCCIPUT | O (old) + TUPI (people from the Amazon area of Brazil) CC (cricket club) reversed or ‘retired’ = head back, as in the back of the head – another connection to the theme | |
| 5 | There’s another supply where you are | |
| ON EARTH | Anagram of ANOTHER (anagrind is ‘supply’ – in a supple manner) = where you are (even if some of us seem to be on another planet!) | |
| 6 | Pick up tins (except in Kansas) in food outlets | |
| SNACK BARS | CANS (‘tins’) reversed or ‘picked up’ + BAR (except) in KS (Kansas) = food outlets | |
| 7 | 7A perhaps interrupts boss, as 15 did | |
| MISLED | ISLE (Man (7A), as in the Isle of Man) in MD (managing director – boss) = a hoax (15A) misleads | |
| 8 | They make 6 get cosy | |
| NESTLE | Double definition – (a) Nestlé (the food company) make 6D – bars eaten as snacks, and (b) to nestle is to get cosy | |
| 14 | Obsequious clerk in uniform locks up crate, say | |
| URIAH |
U (‘uniform’ in the phonetic alphabet) + HAIR (locks) reversed or ‘up’ + |
|
| 16 | Oyez! New ‘Itunes’ breaks record! | |
| LISTEN UP | Anagram of ITUNES (anagrind is ‘new’) in or ‘breaking’ LP (record) = Oyez – a call for attention | |
| 17 | Article goes over province’s struggle | |
| AGONISES | A GOES around or ‘over’ NI (province – Northern Ireland)‘S | |
| 19 | Mozart’s pieces help tourist attraction in Med | |
| KNOSSOS | K NOS (some of Mozart’s compositions were catalogued by Ludwig von Kochel using ‘K numbers’) + SOS (help!) = tourist attraction in Crete | |
| 20 | Spots almost seamless transformation | |
| MEASLES | Anagram of SEAMLES(s) (‘almost’ or with last letter missing) – anagrind is ‘transformation’ = spots | |
| 21 | He serves wino regularly in Elstree area | |
| STUDIO | STUD (a stud male animal ‘serves’ the female) + (w)I(n)O (alternate or ‘regular’ letters) = Elstree is known for its film studios | |
| 22 | Plant remains in fine soil dug over with spades | |
| FOSSIL | F (fine) + an anagram of SOIL with S (spades) –anagrind is ‘dug over’ = plant (or animal) remains – another connection with the theme | |
| 25 | He has a go at rock by Queen | |
| GIBER | GIB (rock, as in Gibraltar) + ER (queen) = a person who ‘has a go’ or gibes | |
Morning both, and thanks for the informative blog. I got the PILTDOWN MAN/MISSING LINK bit quite early, and was aware of some other related stuff, but well done for spotting it all.
I did enjoy Radian’s puzzle – an interesting choice of theme and some clever clueing. Two of the shorter clues were my favourites today – OWL and BONES.
You have a slight misparsing at 14dn, btw. It’s URIAH HEEP, and the ‘say’ in the clue is indicating a homophone of ‘heap’.
And browsing your link, it’s 100 years since the hoax was perpetrated, so perhaps that’s why Radian chose the theme.
Well spotted! Thanks for spotting the misparsing – will make the changes a bit later on when we have more time.
Thanks, both, for the blog, and Radian for an ingenious puzzle – great stuff, as ever!
Having got 20/18 [what a brilliant surface!] and 15 fairly early on, I thought we might be in for a theme of hoaxes but it turned out to be cleverer than that. There were several aha moments, as each link to the theme became clear.
Lots of great clues with lovely surfaces – 9, 10, 12, 23, ac and 1, 6, 19dn, for instance.
I wonder if Radian knows that this is International 8dn-free Week?
http://info.babymilkaction.org/nestlefreeweek
On a lighter note, I’ll take any opportunity to quote the late lamented Miles Kington:
Re 11ac: “Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.” – and the same would go for red peppers!
Eileen @4. You beat me to it on the knowledge/wisdom quote; I came across it in a similar context recently but didn’t know where/whom it came from – so many thanks for enlightening me!
And thanks, too, to Radian and B&J.
The blog is now correct!
Thanks for the link to the International 8dn-free Week Eileen. The number of comments on the blog just lately seems to be quite low but we do hope there are lots of ‘lurkers’ out there who follow the link.
Ahhh, after Tees with his ghost theme on ghosts now we have Radian with a missing link theme on the missing link, very nice.
Thanks all three of you.
Hi B and J – and allan_c
Since, as you say, it’s a bit quiet, here’s some more of Miles Kington’s wit and wisdom – not entirely off-topic for cntributors to this site!
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/miles-kington/how-much-of-a-clever-clogs-are-you-489063.html
Pleasantly so, though, and a smashing puzzle to enjoy from m’colleague (hope Don doesn’t mind me saying).
Hmm Paul B when did you become a blogger too?
@Eileen thanks for the Miles K link been gone too long alas.
Ahh, I wish, Flash. As but a setter, nonetheless I still wondered whether my associations should bar me. The author of that other great tome, the Swag-Manual, thinks so.