A typically clever Brendan puzzle where every clue contains (in fact ends with – thanks Colin) the word “note”, used in various senses. With almost no obscure words or references (I’d vaguely heard of “brevet”, but couldn’t remember what it meant) and sound clueing throughout it was fairly easy to solve, though none the less enjoyable for that.
Key:
dd = double definition
* = anagram
< = reverse
| Across | ||||||||
| 8. | ANSWER TO | (WARS NOTE)* | ||||||
| 9. | VALVE | dd – I presume “controlling device when issuing note” refers to valves on a trumpet etc | ||||||
| 10. | COIN | COME IN less ME | ||||||
| 11. | MEMORANDUM | AND in (MMM EURO)* | ||||||
| 12. | CASINO | Hidden in caraCAS I Note | ||||||
| 14. | NEONATES | (SANE NOTE)* | ||||||
| 15. | PEN PALS | PEN (enclose) + A L in PS | ||||||
| 17. | DELILAH | DELI + LAH | ||||||
| 20. | PHARISEE | HARP* I SEE | ||||||
| 22. | PINTER | PINT ER | ||||||
| 23. | TREASONOUS | (AS OURS NOTE)* | ||||||
| 24. | HOOT | (n)OT(e) in HO | ||||||
| 25. | ONCER | Hidden in cONCERto. Slang for a £1 note, so “historically” as they are no longer used. | ||||||
| 26. | BREVETED | BREVE + TED. To Brevet is to give someone a rank above what they’re paid for. “Breve” is an interesting word: although it means “short” (cf “brief”) it’s the name of the longest note in modern musical notation (once upon a time there were longs too). | ||||||
| Down | ||||||||
| 1. | ANNOTATE | AN NO TATE. Mr Tate of gallery fame was also Mr Lyle’s partner in the sugar business. | ||||||
| 2. | SWAN | Initial letters of Student Writing Awful Note, and a pen is a female swan. | ||||||
| 3. | A RUM DO | ARUM + DO | ||||||
| 4. | COMMENT | M + MEN in COT | ||||||
| 5. | OVERTONE | OVER + NOTE* | ||||||
| 6. | ELONGATION | (IN GAOL NOTE)* | ||||||
| 7. | REPUTE | PURE* + TE | ||||||
| 13. | IMPORTANCE | (PART + INCOME)*. “Note” is the definition here. | ||||||
| 16. | LASSOERS | SO in LASERS | ||||||
| 18. | ACETONES | NOTE< in ACES | ||||||
| 19. | REDOUBT | DOUBT under RE | ||||||
| 21. | HARROW | “Note” backward is “Eton”, which is often associated with Harrow. | ||||||
| 22. | POSTER | POST + ER (the Queen has her picture on banknotes) | ||||||
| 24. | HEED | Hidden in tHE EDitor | ||||||
Thanks, Andrew. Very clever clueing from Brendan, but new words for me (REDOUBT and BREVETED) meant I didn’t finish it. Got HARROW, but didn’t spot the Eton connection, even though I was looking for an ETON clue! Dunce’s cap for me.
We always know we’re in for a treat when we see Brendan’s name on a puzzle. I remember a similar one of his using ‘say’ in different senses.
The only clue where ‘note’ was, strictly, superfluous was PINTER, unless I’m missing something. [He didn’t write musicals, did he?]
BREVETED was a new word for me, too.
Eileen, I suppose “of note” was superfluous for PINTER, but getting the Nobel Prize is pretty notable.
I remembered the “say” puzzle when I was doing this one, but I thought it was by another setter. Time to start trawling the archives..
Sorry, you were right, it was indeed Brendan – see the blog here.
I was being rather picky, Andrew, I know, but really to emphasise how beautifully essential ‘note’ was to all the other clues.
The ‘say’ puzzle was Brendan, I find, [you made me doubt my memory] on 9th May last year.
Thanks for the great blog.
You beat me to it yet again!
Also worthy of note (ho ho) is that there are no clues where “note” just refers to one of the letters A-G.
While (as far as I know) Pinter didn’t write any musicals (interesting thought!), he did collaborate with the composer James Clarke in a play with music: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/speechanddrama/voices_pinter.shtml
Thanks for the post, Andrew. I found this really enjoyable, and I’m glad to learn where “redoubtable” is really from. 🙂
BREVETED was too difficult for me (I was trying to make it PREFE[R]RED somehow) but after yesterday’s Araucaria, which I found very hard work, I can hardly complain…
Actually, I see that Chambers has “redoubtable” under a different entry (redoubtvt (archaic) to fear) from the stronghold sense, so I take that back…
Andrew, I think your well-chosen comment on today’s enjoyable crossword (thanks, Brendan) answers yesterday’s query regarding Rufus: ” … sound clueing throughout it was fairly easy to solve, though none the less enjoyable for that”.
‘Elevated’ (for no reason I could fathom) held up the bottom right-hand corner.
Also, I kept looking for the wrong letters in the two anagrams for 23 across (‘bad as ours’ + ‘note’) and 13 down (‘income’ + ie + ‘note’) – there had to be an A-G somewhere!? ‘Pen pals’ sorted that out and the rest followed.
“Breveted” was also new to me, and “Redoubt” is not a word I have heard in a long time.
Is it just me that thinks “what’s spelt backwards in note” isn’t quite right for ETON? It’s the “in” that I don’t really like. For a long time I took this to be “TO”
I found this rather repressive because of the repetitive note that was struck by the setter. (Seriously)
I agree with Phil about the awkwardness of 21dn which I didn’t understand until I read the blog. I was looking for some connection between wheat (spelt) and a harrow which I couldn’t find. My brow was furrowed.
If you didn’t know about redoubts and brevet, you haven’t read enough G A Henty.
Further to #7 above, (commended non-use of A-G), further browny points for using all the notes of the sol-fa scale except fa(h), if you count the ambiguous ‘me’ in 10a.
19d, 11 above, familiarity of REDOUBT: I only knew it form the song:-
“If you wanted a man/ To encourage the van/ Or harass the foe from the rear,/ Storm fort or redoubt,/ You had only to shout/ For Abdul Abulbul Amir”.
I agree with Tom #12. I find the repetitive use of the same word jarring after about the fifth time (It was the same with “say”). I am not sure it is one of Brendan’s finest ploys; his (un)usual ones are so enjoyable.
It more that the word note appearing in each clue, the word ends each clue. This undoubtedly put more restrictions on the cluing.
Thanks, Andrew.
Add me to the ranks of those whose ear felt pummeled by the repetitions of “note,” though I admired the variety in its use. But whoever said crossword clues had to be euphonious?
I had trouble with 7d and 16d because I had only ever seen these notes spelled “ti” and “sol,” respectively.
Was Abdul Abulbul Amir the foe of Ivan Skavinisky Skavar, perchance?
Phaedrus, yes indeed.
“The heroes were plenty and well-known to fame In the troops that were led by the Tsar, But the bravest of these Was a man by the name Of Ivan Skavinsky Skavar”.
Re 16 above, Dagnabit, these note names are a minefield. See Chambers under ‘Aretinian’ for a measure of elucidation. For the record, the standard English version was developed here in Norwich by Sarah Ann Glover as follows: doh reh me fa so lah te do. For the other versions, a translation of “Ut queant laxis …” and the continental note names, there is a compendious article in Wikipedia under “Solfege”.
Thank you, Ralph! I’m glad there is a standard version, at least.
By the way, I am a great fan of the Frank Crumit recording of that song. 🙂
I’m not sure I understand Don’s comment. Is he comparing Rufus with Brendan? To me they come from the opposite ends of the compiling spectrum.
I liked this puzzle, although I had a lot of trouble with BREVETED, a word which I think I’d vaguely heard of although hadn’t the faintest idea what it meant.