A challenging puzzle, as one tends to expect from a Bannsider, but I got there. It took almost the entire week, but I did manage to finish unaided, though one or two took a little longer to understand even once the answer was clear.
I didn’t spot any Nina-ish or thematic goings-on, though I’m sure more eagle-eyed readers will help me out if I’ve missed something.
| Across | ||
| 1 | HALE-BOPP | Oil company going about work on well, rapidly moving body of rock and ice (4-4) |
| HALE + (OP in British Petroleum) | ||
| 5 | BEEF UP | Complaint associated with flying buttress (4,2) |
| BEEF + UP | ||
| 10 | FAIR-WEATHER | Flying with one, the RAF are likely to take off in adverse conditions (4-7) |
| (With + I + THE RAF ARE)* | ||
| 11 | YES | Agreed viewers need no introduction (3) |
| [e]YES | ||
| 12 | DIRTY WEEKEND | Sat with Sun when away with Congress much of the time? (5,7) |
| cd. | ||
| 15 | NAIAD | Fabulous spring being in Paris and retaining every second! (5) |
| [i]N [p]A[r]I[s] A[n]D | ||
| 16 | REAR LIGHT | Whereby vehicle may be seen on land, crossing river (4,5) |
| RE + (River in ALIGHT) | ||
| 18 | LUFTWAFFE | Fines imposed on airline once raiding dodgy fuel serving foreign planes (9) |
| (Trans World Airlines + Fine + Fine) in FUEL* | ||
| 19 | EATEN | Sort of crop said to be used for food (5) |
| hom. of “Eton” | ||
| 20 | ROSETTA STONE | Prize for penning university’s key text (7,5) |
| ASTON in ROSETTE | ||
| 24 | MOB | Essential piece of information he passed on to press (3) |
| [infor]M[ation] + OBiit. Very challenging wordplay, I thought. | ||
| 25 | ORIGINAL SIN | Reason for fall in grain silo when working (8,3) |
| (IN GRAIN SILO)* | ||
| 26 | SEETHE | To boil pudding wife’s left out, light gas (6) |
| S[w]EETHelium | ||
| 27 | SKITTISH | Hard to lie back after takeoff, becoming nervous (8) |
| SKIT (Hard + SIT)< | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | HAFT | Leads on hi-fi are fiddly to handle (4) |
| H[i-fi] A[re] F[iddly] T[o] | ||
| 2 | LVIV | Where you’ll find Ukrainians mostly live long after fifty (4) |
| L + VIV[a] | ||
| 3 | BOW WINDOW | Architectural feature home had in Barking (3,6) |
| (IN + ‘D) in BOW WOW | ||
| 4 | PLASTER OF PARIS | Profile parts as unusual material for cast (7,2,5) |
| (PROFILE PARTS AS)* | ||
| 6 | EYRIE | High spot of year in Ireland heading north (5) |
| Year in EIRE< | ||
| 7 | FLYWEIGHTS | Boxers race with teams in boats (10) |
| FLY + With + EIGHTS | ||
| 8 | POSTDATING | Not using present to mark courtship by mail? (10) |
| dd. | ||
| 9 | THE WEAKEST LINK | Kate Winslet and he played card game on TV (3,7,4) |
| (KATE WINSLET + HE)* + King | ||
| 13 | UNCLE REMUS | Fictional storyteller’s article culled from Obscure Birds (5,5) |
| UNCLE[a]R + EMUS | ||
| 14 | DIFFUSIBLE | Uncertain if fluids be suitable for pouring (10) |
| (IF FLUIDS BE)* | ||
| 17 | LIE IN WAIT | Be ready to surprise with spoonerised reason for being home after hours (3,2,4) |
| Spoonerism of “why in late” | ||
| 21 | TOOTH | Maybe canine’s landmark birthday – extra stroke to head called for (5) |
| It took a while to see this, but it’s from writing “100th” and adding an extra stroke to the 1 to get a T | ||
| 22 | ASTI | Italian drunk and over the hill, released from physical training (4) |
| [p]AST I[t] | ||
| 23 | INCH | Nick that’s come away from top edge (4) |
| [p]INCH | ||
* = anagram; < = reversed; dd = double definition; cd = cryptic definition
Thanks for the blog, Simon. I agree that this was a challenging puzzle. I needed your help to parse 20, 27, 22 & 24.
I failed to solve 1a & 2d.
My favourites were 13d, 7d, 8d, 19 & 21.
This puzzle is a thing of great beauty. Thanks both.
I am going to whisper it very quietly but I do believe I am finally getting on Bannsider’s wavelength as unlike Simon I did manage to solve all this in one session (a thing that has never happened before – Bamnsider puzzles used to take me at least three days of on and off cogitation).
Lots to enjoy so thank you to both setter and blogger.
Rorschach‘s comment seconded enthusiastically: another masterclass in clue 15^2 orchestration from R^2, whose constantly superb (anonymous) puzzles I think I can spot when they appear in another place. The device at 21dn reminds me of a clue long ago in which EUROPE became FURORE (or perhaps it was vice versa) by the repositioning of “a stroke”.
The clue Monk’s thinking of is this one from the Times about 10 years ago:
Uproar caused by the shifting of one line in Europe’s capitals.
Many thanks for the blog. I couldn’t parse 21, 22 and 24 but that wasn’t a hindrance to arriving at the answers. Lots to admire and enjoy; my favourite for no reason other than it made me chuckle and groan a bit was 3d.
I’m sure it was Bannsider’s puzzles where I’ve experienced the same thing, but as yer average solver I found this puzzle was very daunting at first pass, then I gradually managed to chip away at sections. Very rewarding.
Thanks, Simon, for the blog.
Rorschach has summed it up beautifully but I just wanted to echo [very quietly] what crypticsue said @3. I can’t remember when I last finished a Bannsider in one go – and I really want to believe it was not because this one was easier!
My favourites were 15 and 20ac and 9 and 13dn. [And 22dn – for a refreshingly new take on one of the most popular crossword drinks.]
Many thanks, Bannsider. I look forward to the next one, with renewed confidence!