Azed 2112

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The first thing that struck me about this puzzle was the unusually open grid, with wide open unbarred spaces, especially in the NE and SW corners. The two 13-letter across answers have only two unchecked letters each, instead of the more usual four. Just as remarkably, Azed has managed to fit in a generous helping of familiar (or a least reasonable-looking) words. Perhaps as a result of these two features, I found the puzzle very much at the easy end of the spectrum, almost finishing it without aids in about 40 minutes, and then needing just a little dictionary-hunting to finish off a few stragglers. The grid may be unusual, but the clueing is as sound and imganitive as ever.

 
 
 
Across
1 . Spicy chop cooked with a pinch of tarragon in mixed stew? (8) 
HOTCHPOT HOT + (CHOP T[arragon])*. A variant of the more familiar “hotchpotch”
13 . Temple-shaped monuments, old, protected by Greek goddess (5) 
HEROA O in HERA. Greek plural of “heroon”, which as the preamble notes is not given in Chambers, though the wordplay makes the answer easily gettable.
14 . Regiment given mug, therapeutic (8) 
REMEDIAL R.E.M.E. + DIAL (face, mug)
15 . Chippendale item, item that’s bust at left and right, cracked inside (13, 2 words) 
PIECRUST TABLE (BAST AT L R) in PIECE (item). “A Chippendale table with a carved raised edge” such as this
17 . One entering dressed in vestment that’s taken off (6) 
COPIED I in COPED (wearing a cope)
18 . Sticker at 18 Across? Right! (7) 
ADHERER AD + HERE (i.e. this clue) + R &lit.
19 . Apollyon, gee calling for a flutter in Bangkok? (6) 
SATANG SATAN + G. Apollyon is mentioned in Revelation 9:11: “And they [the inhabitants of Hell] had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” A Satang is a small monetary unit in Thailand, so I suppose the flutter is “a small speculation”
21 . Brood maybe, gold or yellow parrots (6) 
NESTOR NEST + OR (gold or yellow, in heraldry)
23 . Number excluded from friendly relationship, opinionated (6) 
ENTÈTÉ ENTENTE less its second N
25 . Reduced, having retired, at being kept in (6) 
ABATED AT in ABED
27 . Some NW Italians, those voting against wearing suit (7) 
GENOESE NOES in GEE (fifth heading in Chambers: to suit, in US dialect or slang)
29 . Calf muscle, without another unserviceable (6) 
SOLEUS SOLE + US
32 . Nepali tat, a ton transported – one of many in Assam? (13, 2 words) 
TEA PLANTATION (NEPALI TAT A TON)*
33 . Gold surplus receding in rand vale (8, 2 words) 
AU REVOIR AU (gold) + OVER< + I (in) R[and]
34 . Nothing’s backed up when wife follows operating system (5) 
LINUX NIL< + UX
35 . Green paradise? Adam’s description after arrival of Eve maybe (8) 
ECOSTATE Double definition – ECO-STATE, and meaning “ribless”, as Adam could be said to have been after Eve was made from his rib (Gen. 2:21-22). This clue was oddly familiar: in fact I had read it the day before (with the answer) in the Azed Slip for puzzle 2109
 
Down
2 . Small window that is round (seen from below), befouled badly (11) 
OEIL-DE-BOEUF (I.E. O)< + BEFOULED*
3 . Pedigree chestnut, say (4) 
TREE Double definition
4 . Ornamental pendant with doubled opener requiring customs certificate (6) 
COCKET LOCKET (ornamental pendant) with its opening L “doubled” to C (Roman numerals). Cocket is “a custom-house certificate”
5 . Husband roared wildly for e.g. caviar (7, 2 words) 
HARD ROE H + ROARED. Another one noted in the preamble – this is in Chambers under “roe”
6 . Silly old character, soft on top (5) 
PRUNE P + RUNE (old character). The definition is the noun sense (as in “you are a silly!””
7 . Producing hormones secreting what’s central to good blending (11) 
OESTROGENIC (SECRETING [g]OO[d])*
8 . Prohibition? It’s essential to deprive topers (4) 
VETO Hidden
9 . Computer girl’ put on exercises to get fit? (5) 
ADAPT ADA [Lovelace] + PT. Ada Lovelace worked in Charles Babbage’s early computers, and has a programming language named after her.
10 . Period instruments decorative band holds slantwise mostly (6) 
TIBIAE BIA[s] in TIE. The tibia is an “ancient flute or pipe” (as well as the shinbone)
11 . Self-denial time in shoddy acts rejected – it’s star quality I’m after (11, 2 words) 
TALENT SCOUT LENT IN ACTS* + OUT
12 . We’re promised Jock’s alleged tantrums (8) 
PLEDGEES PLED (Scots and US past tense of plead = allege) + GEES (gee5=”a fit of perversity”, also Scots)
16 . Convalescence is lost after constant card sets (8) 
CANASTAS C + ANASTAS[is]. A canasta is a particular set of cards in the game of Canasta
20 . Tempers breaking records with ultimate in impatience (7) 
ANNEALS [impatienc]E in ANNALS
22 . Pay is half put on what you might call a flutter? (6) 
SALARY I think this is [i]S + ALARY – relating to a wing, which could be “a-flutter” (and the second flutter in the puzzle)
24 . Little bird: short round maiden with oomph (6) 
TOMTIT M in TOT + IT
26 . Crow’s home? Fencing equipment after end of nest (5) 
TEPEE [nes]T + EPEE – the Crow is a member of the Native American tribe, not a bird
28. Ultimate for poet in grip of Eros, transported? (5) 
ESTRO [poe]T in EROS* &lit – the word means poetic enthusiasm or inspriation
30. What’s this seaweed for? Flavour when cooking (4) 
ULVA Composite anagram – FLAVOUR* = ULVA FOR
31. Good mimic that represents threat taking off Tory (4) 
MINA MINA[tory]

4 comments on “Azed 2112”

  1. Thanks for the blog. Everything was explained clearly, though I had hoped you’d seen a clearer link between ‘alary’ and ‘flutter’.

    I note (at 09.42) that http://www.guardian.co/uk/crossword/azed still gives LAST week’s puzzle — but clicking on ‘find a puzzle’ on that page and typing in ‘2113’ (no need to type in ‘Azed’) does give you THIS week’s puzzle.

  3. Thanks all
    I didn’t parse ‘cocket’ without your help.
    Last in was ‘heroa’.
    I would say this was averagely difficult.
    I never notice grid types (daily or Azed) so it always surprises me to read comments like the blog today. I also never notice unsignalled themes or pangrams; just unobservant, I guess.
    I always do a quick clue scan and latch onto something I can solve, then I am off and running without a backward glance!

  4. There are regularly very few posts on this MB.
    Is this a reflection of a lack of interest or is there an alternative MB which has more contributors?

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