Good Lord, Tyrus on a Monday, has he produced an easy one?
No. He hasn’t, tough as old boots this, I feel there may be an error in 1d, but would be glad to be corrected. A study in the vacuous life of modern celebrity driven society today.
Thanks Tyrus but good grief, when I have to do the Guardian as well this was needed like a hole in the head.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DEAD TREE EDITION |
Paperback? I needed it to read for relaxation (4,4,7)
[I NEEDED IT TO READ]* Very nice start, I’ve a feeling that I introduced this term to fifteensquared a few years ago….
|
| 9 | NAGGERS |
Northern guy on Test Match Special , they complain (7)
N & AGGERS, the nickname TMS gives one of their commentators Jonathon Agnew
|
| 10 | Z-LISTER |
Poor Liz! Way she’s become like participant in 25D/25A (1-6)
LIZ* poorly ST (way) & ER she referring to LIZ (Queen Elizabeth). Big Brother has some very minor celebs these days apparently, not entirely convinced her maj is a z lister though.
|
| 11 | YORKTOWN |
Royal Family having tense private battle in Virginia (8)
YORK (Royal family) & T(ense) & OWN (private)
|
| 12 | FAROUK |
Old king backed over service to country (6)
O(ver) & RAF all reversed & UK country
|
| 14 | USHER |
We object to that female escort (5)
US the object of WE & HER that female
|
| 15 | IN THE MAIN |
Where ships are generally (2,3,4)
Double def.
|
| 18 | NAPHTHENE |
‘Likely winner’, he admits afterwards in compound (9)
NAP ( a tipster’s likely winner) & THEN in HE
|
| 20 | HELLO |
Publication that’s terrible (froth essentially) (5)
HELL terrible & frOth almost tempted to call this an &lit 🙂
|
| 23 |
Nothing to see (and not 1A) in friendly place (8)
FA (nothing, sweet Fanny Adams or other coarser more likely explanations) C for See & & E-BOOK, i.e. not a dead tree version. Facebook is an online place for Friends or more likely soon to be enemies. [Edit fixed, I forgot to type the C=see bit]
|
|
| 26 | DRIVE ON |
Don’t stop estate possibly being split – agree about houses (5,2)
RIVE split in NOD agree, reversed
|
| 27 | GREENHOUSE GASES |
Argues she’s gone crazy over slightly embarrassing emissions (10,5)
[ARGUES SHES GONE E(barrarassing)]*
|
| 21 | WHO I AM |
See 1 down
See 1
|
| 25 | BROTHER |
See 25 down
See 25d
|
| Down | ||
| 1,21 | DONT YOU KNOW WHO I AM |
‘OK, what now? My ID? No!’ Idiot shortly out to gain entry may say it (4,3,4,3,1,2,)
Ok underlining a bit out but you’ll get why, [OK WHAT NOW MY ID NO I(diot)]* the fodder doesn’t quite work, I can’t see where the U comes from. See 25d/25a z-listers [Edit my poor post solve befuddled brain, see Gaufrid @3]
|
| 2 | AUGURSHIP |
Divine working in this old office (9)
Ugh, didn’t like this, cryptic cum double def.
|
| 3 | TWEETER |
One’s followers rock, women included (7)
Followers on Twitter follow a tweeter, W(omen) in TEETER rock
|
| 4 | ERSTWHILE |
Past damage to heel and wrist (9)
[HEEL WRIST]*
|
| 5 | ENZO |
Accessory for Mercedes-Benz or Ferrari (4)
Hidden in bENZ Or, founder of Ferrari
|
| 6 | IMITATE |
The writer’s proud boast took in Mirror (7)
I’M IT! & ATE (took in)
|
| 7 | INTRO |
Start with home run almost (5)
IN home & TRO(t) run
|
| 8 | NOR |
Neither partner from London originally (3)
Hidden in londoN ORiginally, gosh, an easy one!
|
| 13 | KING OF KINGS |
Leading Royal Family golf/skiing trips left one knackered (4,2,5)
KIN (family) & (GO(l)F SKI(i)NG]* trips less I one and L(eft) are omitted, knackered
|
| 16 | THEM AND US |
Must head off to tackle new and traditional opponents (4,3,2)
N in [MUST HEAD]*
|
| 17 | ALLCOMERS |
Local’s improved after barring setter, right? Anyone there? (9)
Not the ? in the def for misdirection, ME setter & R(ight) in LOCALS* improved.
|
| 19 | TEACH-IN |
Money overshadows every training meeting (5-2)
EACH in TIN, money
|
| 20 | HEELING |
Speaker’s getting better making a list (7)
Sounds like HEALING
|
| 22 | OBOTE |
Turned up to honour imprisoned old African leader (5)
TO rev in O.B.E.
|
| 24 | TRIO |
Three time Olympic venue (4)
T(ime) & RIO where the next Olympics will be
|
| 25,25A | BIG BROTHER |
Programme pointlessly boring (the behaviour vacuous) (3,7)
&lit [BORI(n)G THE B(ehaviou)R (vacuously, only the outside)]* less the N a point, are programmed
|
*anagram
1, 21 I think the ‘u’comes from ou(t). Thanks Flashling, I madea meal of some very easy clues here – a tribute to the setter’s art I amgine – though I agree about 2d
oops, must proofread
Thanks flashling
As you say, a little on the hard side (meiosis!).
My parsing of 1/21 was: OU[t] (shortly out) in (to gain entry) an anagram (idiot) of OK WHAT NOW MY ID NO.
Where I live it is the greyest most miserable day outside, but who cares? We’ve got Jim the Great to cheer us up, with a plethora of his usual acerbic judgements on contemporary life.
Fantastic start to the week.
I couldn’t believe it when I saw that Tyrus was today’s setter. This puzzle was maybe not as hard as some of his past offerings, but it was certainly no stroll in the park either, IMHO. Still, it was a very good puzzle and an excellent mental workout. The ALLCOMERS/FACEBOOK crossers were my last ones in.
Just the sort of cryptic I enjoy. Hard to crack but repaying further visits until it comes out; what satisfaction! Much to enjoy.
In 10A I take the initial Liz (and the answer) to refer to Liz Hurley, with the apparently linking “she” a naughty device to add to the intricacy of the wordplay. Explanation of 23A I think misses the C of FACEBOOOK clued by the word “see”.
Much thanks to Tyrus and flashling.
@Gwep, well spotted – I had intended to type just that in 23a, just forgot to type it and missed it when reading through.
A challenge indeed and an interesting set of linked clues.
Seems to me 10A refers to Zoe Lister, who has appeared on Big Brother and is the epitome of dreadful ‘celebrity’.
I feel ashamed to even have that level of knowledge.
Rather a wide knowledge base assumed for this one, from modern “entertainment” trivia to 20th century African history (Farouk of Egypt, deposed over 60 years ago, and Obote of Uganda, ditto nearly 30 years ago).
But thanks, Tyrus, for the challenge, and Flashling for the blog.
Gaufrid warned me about this yesterday whilst I was shopping. Said it took him longer than anything by Nimrod, Anax or Monk ever had. So I had a small early peek at a pdf he sent. didn’t help when I tried to write it up today with a hangover which may well be due to this puzzle. Andy8hours I’m so glad I didn’t know that, her agent proving she’s thick as s***
I’ll say it was tough. The bottom right almost completely defeated me. I did correctly guess 23ac, but that wasn’t enough to get the rest.
Excellent puzzle, and the clue for Big Brother has to be a strong candidate for clue of the year. ely Definitely an &lit, if you have good taste! Thanks Tyrus.
What a challenge! Thought it was going to be impossible but it turned out to be one of those where the answers Come just quickly enough to keep you going. Enjoyed!
Thx both
Many thanks to flashling and to others who commented.
The lady I had in mind at 10ac was, in fact, our own dear monarch. Some ingenious alternatives though.
Another super puzzle from Tyrus with his usual high standard of clueing and delightful long anagrams.
Tramp@15 – Hear Hear!
A really nice puzzle – and very enjoyable. Many thanks Tyrus and flashling (pity you had to blog as I’m sure you’d have enjoyed it far more otherwise!)
I should add that I’m simply in awe of the clue for BIG BROTHER. And USHER was clued so beautifully……
Great Puzzle!
How does allcomers = Anyone there?