Another Wednesday, another Dac. Lovely surfaces, good clueing, what more can you say?
Well, actually there is something! We’re not happy about 17d – there seems to be a misplaced apostrophe!
| Across | ||
| 1 | Band’s singer initially rubbish | |
| STRIPE | S (initial letter of singer) + TRIPE (rubbish) | |
| 4 | Notice man’s cool about position of principal | |
| HEADSHIP | HE’S (man’s) + HIP (cool) about AD (notice) | |
| 9 | Secure first class upgrade to start in carriage | |
| LANDAU | LAND (secure) + A (first class) + U (initial letter or ‘start’ of upgrade) | |
| 10 | Cop runs in woman going after dope | |
| GENDARME | R (runs) inside DAME (woman) going after GEN (dope) | |
| 12 | A bit insane, rambling when not all there? | |
| IN ABSENTIA | An anagram of A BIT INSANE (anagrind is ‘rambling’) | |
| 13 | Son initially left unappetising treacle tart | |
| SLUT | S (son) + initial letters of Left Unappetising Treacle | |
| 15 | Hard man bags spoils at front of shop in this? | |
| SMASH AND GRAB | An anagram of HARD MAN BAGS + S (front of Shop). The anagrind is ‘spoils’ and the whole thing is a play on the fact in a ‘smash and grab’ raid a robber would presumably take goods from the front of the shop! | |
| 18 | Working in part of studio, movie pioneer makes spectacular show | |
| SON ET LUMIERE | ON (working) in SET (part of studio) + LUMIERE (movie pioneer – either Auguste or Louis) | |
| 21 | Kiss and cuddle after second drink | |
| SNOG | S (second) + NOG (drink) | |
| 22 | Parts of book about various Norse characters | |
| PERSONAGES | PAGES (parts of book) about an anagram of NORSE (anagrind is ‘various’) | |
| 24 | Stop killer getting angry | |
| ASPIRATE | ASP (killer) + IRATE (angry) | |
| 25 | Chemical left hidden in sand | |
| BLEACH | L (left) inside or ‘hidden in’ BEACH (sand) | |
| 26 | See poet welcomed in my part of Italy | |
| LOMBARDY | LO (see) + BARD (poet) inside or ‘welcomed in’ MY | |
| 27 | Award-winning author’s strange lament | |
| MANTEL | An anagram of LAMENT (anagrind is ‘strange’) | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | About to leave islands at start of tempest? Most unwise | |
| SILLIEST | S |
|
| 2 | Takes flight when called up in part of airport | |
| RUNS AWAY | AS (when) backwards or ‘called up’ inside RUNWAY (part of airport) | |
| 3 | Nursery puts children into group…. | |
| PLAYSCHOOL | LAYS (puts) + CH (children) inside POOL (group) | |
| 5 | … in which lessons can be learned, at the end of the day | |
| EVENING CLASSES | A play on the fact that these lessons only occur at the end of the day! | |
| 6 | The old bird parties | |
| DODO | DO (party) written twice hence the plural! | |
| 7 | Maybe Steptoe’s expression of surprise over rare antique | |
| HAROLD | HA (expression of surprise) + R (rare) + OLD (antique) | |
| 8 | A great deal loaned during extremes of poverty | |
| PLENTY | LENT (loaned) inside or ‘during’ PY (first and last letters in PovertY – hence ‘extremes’) | |
| 11 | Bored couple relaxed around mid-morning | |
| UNINTERESTED | UNITE (couple |
|
| 14 | Source of complaint from two girls about my French | |
| SALMONELLA | SAL + ELLA (two girls) around MON (my in French) | |
| 16 | Officer consigned to carry gear in manoeuvres | |
| SERGEANT | SENT (consigned) around or ‘carrying’ an anagram of GEAR (anagrind is ‘in manoeuvres’) | |
| 17 | Astronomer: he’s invited into girls’ class | |
| HERSCHEL | HE inside or ‘invited into’ HER’S (girl’s) + CL (class). Are we missing something here? Surely ‘girl’ should be in the singular! | |
| 19 | Charge a shilling to go by boat? | |
| ASSAIL | A + S (shilling) + SAIL (to go in a boat) | |
| 20 | Anti-aircraft weapon making hair stand on end repeatedly | |
| POMPOM | MOP (hair) repeated twice and written up or ‘standing on end’ | |
| 21 | Part of far eastern land | |
| AREA | Hidden within the clue fAR EAstern | |
11d I think is UNITE i.e. to couple
Not sure about 17, girl’s would just give HER, and the S has got to come from somewhere. Or maybe not
I agree that this was the usual pleasant Dac puzzle. I started slowly but once a few answers in the bottom half of the puzzle were in place it came together fairly quickly.
I confess I didn’t think twice about the placement of the apostrophe in the clue for HERSCHEL. I agree with Paul A@1’s comment about “unite” in 11dn. LANDAU was my LOI after SILLIEST.
I was also puzzled by 17D, and I don’t think it quite works. As Paul says, “girl’s” would lose the S, but as written “girls” is plural so it would be “THEIR” rather than “HER” (and still missing the S).
Re 17d – It could well be a misprinted apostrophe, but “her” can also be a noun (“Is the baby a him or a her?” Is Webster’s (Websters’?) example), which might justify it as it is.
Thanks for the comments and corrections – we have just returned from walking another leg of the North Norfolk coastal path so will make the necessary changes to the blog.
We still don’t think if it is girl’s that you would lose the ‘S’ – it is the girl’s = it is her’s. But, if it is the girls’ that would be the same as it is their’s.
Thanks B&J for the blog. All good stuff as usual, but being an apostrophe pedant myself, I must say that I think you’re right about the misplaced one in the clue for HERSCHEL. I’ve looked at it long enough and can’t make it work the way it is. But this is Dac …
Yippee, I have actually finished this one today with multi help from my “seiko” electronic friend. Well done DAC you can come again.