Another great puzzle from Dac – as usual, smooth surfaces, a good range of types of wordplay, some crafty misdirections and only one word we had not come across before. What more can we say?
16d was a new one for us, but was pretty straightforward once we had some checking letters. The definition for 4ac made us smile!
| Across | ||
| 1 | Win back control, capturing Georgia | |
| REGAIN | REIN (control) round or ‘capturing’ GA (Georgia) | |
| 4 | Clever-sounding graduate, large person with manly appetite | |
| CANNIBAL | CANNI (sounds like ‘canny’ – clever) + BA (graduate) + L (large) | |
| 9 | Fellow, French one, providing entertainment | |
| FUN | F (fellow) + UN (French for ‘one’) | |
| 10 | Singer named Alice grabs microphone when presenting musical entertainments | |
| COMIC OPERAS | COOPER (Alice Cooper – American ‘Shock-rock’ singer) round, or ‘grabbing’ MIC (microphone) + AS (when) | |
| 12 | Run to catch good sort of fish in sea surge | |
| SPRING TIDE | SPRINT (run) round or ‘catching’ G (good) + IDE (sort of fish) | |
| 13 | Sickly-looking friend needing drug | |
| PALE | PAL (friend) + E (drug) | |
| 15 | Note pot contains article from Hampshire area? | |
| SOUTHERN | SO (note) + URN (pot) round THE (article) | |
| 17 | Extend what chief executive of General Electric did | |
| RANGE | The chief executive would claim that he or she RAN GE (although he or she probably needed a lot of assistance!) | |
| 19 | Urge, say, to travel north | |
| EGG ON | EG (say) + GO (travel) + N (north) | |
| 20 | A new pop venue is suitable | |
| APPOSITE | A + an anagram of POP (anagrind is ‘new’) + SITE (venue) | |
| 22 | Only a little oomph in this clue | |
| HINT | Hidden in (‘only a little’ of) oompH IN This | |
| 23 | Among soldiers received by host, unknown cleric | |
| MINOR CANON | IN (among) OR (soldiers) in or ‘received by’ MC (host) + ANON (unknown) | |
| 26 | Field events reorganised, that’s quite obvious | |
| SELF-EVIDENT | An anagram of FIELD EVENTS – anagrind is ‘reorganised’ | |
| 27 | Maybe West Ham’s final game, oddly lost | |
| MAE | Last or ‘final’ letter of HaM + even letters of gAmE (‘oddly lost’) – a reference to Mae West, film actress in the 1930s and 40s | |
| 28 | Lover shattered with going across country | |
| OVERLAND | An anagram of LOVER (anagrind is ‘shattered’) + AND (with) | |
| 29 | Sister positioned by bed mostly in medical emergency | |
| CRISIS | SIS (sister) by CRI |
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | Deny whistle-blower employment | |
| REFUSE | REF (whistle-blower) + USE (employment) | |
| 2 | Stiff drink knocked back with some hesitation | |
| GONER | NOG (drink) reversed or ‘knocked back’ + ER (some hesitation) | |
| 3 | Fickle politician comes in second | |
| INCONSTANT | CON (Conservative – politician) in INSTANT (second) | |
| 5 | Invalid to dance with prince, likely to fall down? | |
| ACCIDENT-PRONE | An a anagram of TO DANCE and PRINCE – anagrind is ‘invalid’ | |
| 6 | What lazy pupil hopes for? Definitely not | |
| NOPE | A lazy pupil might hope for NO PE (physical exercise) | |
| 7 | Attractive piece from magazine obtained in part of N London | |
| BAR MAGNET | MAG (magazine) in BARNET (part of N London) | |
| 8 | One hears there’s endless bother aboard ship | |
| LISTENER | STE |
|
| 11 | Mother entertains the artist, say, who can put two and two together? | |
| MATHEMATICIAN | MAMA (mother) round or ‘entertaining’ THE + TICIAN – sounds like (‘say’) Titian (artist) | |
| 14 | Lawyer writing to prisoner finally accompanied by copper | |
| PROSECUTOR | PROSE (writing) TO R (last or ‘final’ letter of ‘prisoneR’) round or ‘accompanied by’ CU (copper) | |
| 16 | Structure of periodical – fashion magazine | |
| ORGANELLE | ORGAN (periodical) + ELLE (fashion magazine) | |
| 18 | This poem is about the devil | |
| MEPHISTO | An anagram of THIS POEM – anagrind is ‘about’ | |
| 21 | French city risks losing leader | |
| ANGERS | ||
| 24 | Calls fellow from Kent up? | |
| NAMES | SE MAN (fellow from Kent) reversed or ‘up’ | |
| 25 | Part of film showing heartless nonconformist | |
| REEL | RE |
|
Nothing to hold me up here. Got a lot on my first pass which is always a bit disappointing. But after yesterday’s excellent challenge, this was a bit of light relief. Lots to like and smile about – 4ac, 5d (close to my heart, that one!) 18d etc.
Thanks all
Another very enjoyable Dac puzzle, IMHO. I either didn’t know or couldn’t remember ORGANELLE but the wordplay was clear enough. I finished in the NE with the CANNIBAL/LISTENER crossers.
Pleasant AND stimulating!Thanks to both.
…and very welcome after yesterday’s torture!
Fine puzzle and blog, thanks to all.
I did know ORGANELLE, and nice to see a bit of biology making an appearance. Favourite today was NOPE – simple but elegant.
CANNY does of course mean ‘clever’, but in my native North-East it also means ‘well’.
‘What fettle?’ ‘I’m canny, bonny lad.’
After yesterday this was a blessed relief. Nice def for cannibal, raised a smile.
Thanks B&J and the Dac possibly the best setter around for week day puzzles.
Did anyone else waste time on 2d starting with gin? Just me then.
Am I (as usual) missing something here, with Mephisto and Listener in opposing corners?
Lurchio@8 – because Dac doesn’t usually do themes I didn’t notice Mephisto and Listener in the same puzzle. I can’t believe it was a coincidence.
I was on the gin as well, flashling (#7)
Excellent all round puzzle, well balanced, something for everyone, as previous comments, after yesterday’s mind bender this was a very pleasant jaunt.albeit 5 years ago.