Not sure if I’ve blogged on Wanderer before – but anyway, time is short, so I’ll simply say that I enjoyed this puzzle: nothing knock-your-socks-off great or tear-your-hair-out difficult, but plenty of variety, some very nice surfaces and a fairytale theme to boot. Thank-you, Wanderer.
ACROSS
9. ANDANTINO And [joiner] + ant [social worker] + in + o [love, zero]
10. RURAL R [river] + Ural [river]
11. PREEMIE Anagram of E [European] Empire (‘Preemie’ is a US term for a premature baby [early arrival])
12. EDGINGS D [dead] + GI [soldier] within Eng’s [England’s]
13, 6, 7. THE FROG PRINCE Anagram of Chef reporting
14, 22, 18. THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA The princess [royal] + and the pea [sounds like the letter P, the ‘top’ of Princess]
17. SET TO Reversal of otter’s [swimmer’s] minusr [right]
18. See 14ac.
19. RESIT Re [about] + s [second] + it [sex]
21. REASSURANCE Anagram of a nurse cares
23, 4. EBB TIDE Anagram of debt ie [id est, that is] B [Britain]
25. CADENCE A den [a study] within C [Catholic] + CE [Church (of England)]
27. OLYMPIA Double definition
28. ETHER (N)ether [bottom]; ‘number’ is used in the sense ‘thing that numbs’
29. CLOSE-KNIT Anagram of link Scot (stereotyp)e
DOWN
1. CARPET Double definition: a nodding dog toy might be a ‘car pet’
2. ADHERENT Hidden in sweetbreAD HER ENTrails
3. ANIMATIONS I’m [setter’s] within a nation’s [a country’s]
4. See 23ac.
5. FOREORDAIN Anagram of roof rained
6. See 13ac.
7. See 13aa.
8. CLOSE-SET S(creened) e(xclusively) within closet [small private room]
15. EXPERIENCE Double definition: Hendrix’s band were known as The Jimi Hendrix Experience
16. NURSERYMEN N [North] + anagram of Surrey + men [people]
17. STRICKEN Rick [man’s name, male] within Sten [gun, arm]
20, 24. SLEEPING BEAUTY Cryptic definition, alluding to the heroine awakening [revival] after a hundred years’ sleep [centenary]
22. See 14ac.
26. NORM Norm(a) [opera]
27. OBOL O [Fanny Adams, nothing, zero] + reversal of lob [toss]
Thanks for the blog, Ringo.
An enjoyable romp in Fairyland today. In the real world, I liked the Number at the bottom,
the Old coin and the Nodding dog.
Wanderer may be a new FT setter. I wonder if he/she is the same Wanderer who has contributed comments on Fifteensquared in the past?
Curate’s egg, this one. Easy as anything except for 11, 28. “Preemie” – is that actually a word in English? And “number” as the clear for ether is a bit weak, in my opinion.
Yes, mike04, I had the same thoughts about Wanderer’s identity.
I found this debut puzzle pleasant enough, but also one with a few clues of which I thought “there’s still some work to do for Wanderer” [hope I am not too pedantic :)].
I am nearly always on the setter’s side as he or she wants to entertain us and/or share his or her ideas with us.
So, a warm welcome to Wanderer.
As I said, a pleasant and thoughtful puzzle.
I particularly liked the nice anagram in 13,6,7 (THE FROG PRINCE), the idea behind 14,22,18 (THE OTHER LONG ONE), the nodding dog in 1d and OBOL (27d).
That said, some things I found a bit iffy.
In 9ac (ANDANTINO) we have AND for ‘joiner’ (which is OK) but immediately after that the clue gives us ‘and’. Strictly speaking, nothing wrong with that, but I would have tried to avoid it.
In 19ac (RESIT), I do not like ‘The’. Perhaps it is there for the surface, but for me it is a kind of padding that annoys me.
While – again – it can be justified, that little word ‘it’ stands right in the middle of a construction while only being there for a better surface reading.
Both 8d and 29ac contain “CLOSE-“. Once more, something that I would have tried to avoid.
On the other hand, 12ac and 17d wrongfooted me.
In 12ac (EDGINGS) I went for ED for “England’s borders”, trying to fit in a soldier, then ending up with “dead” as the definition. Wrong. So well done, Wanderer!
In STRICKEN (17d) I was fixated on M for ‘male’ inside a weapon – wrong again.
I already mentioned my favourites, but I have to add one more.
2d is very well crafted. Good surface. And ADHERENT is precisely in the middle of “sweetbread her entrails etc” – Wanderer must have thought about that.
When this would have been Wanderer’s 25th crossword, I would have said – like Neb – a mixed bag.
But I do not.
Thanks Wanderer, and Ringo for the blog.
ps, 23,4 is (DEBT + IE)* around B (Britain), not a full anagram.
“While – again – it can be justified, that little word ‘it’ stands right in the middle of a construction while only being there for a better surface reading”
I am talking here about 5d (FOREORDAIN).