My delight in finding that I have to blog a Virgilius crossword is never total, for although there are bound to be some lovely clues I know that there will be some clever Nina and that I will look a fool for being unable to see it. But today I think I can see something of it: the theme is impossibility, hence 10ac, 11/16/18, 12ac (grandmother sucking eggs…), 28ac, 29ac/23ac, 27dn/23ac.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | BR(E)AKING |
| 6 | C(L)UE |
| 10 | DO THE IMPOSSIBLE — if you find an answer without there being a clue for it, you are doing the inpossible; I think |
| 11/16/18 | TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS — 10 (do the impossible) is the definition |
| 12 | EnGaGeS |
| 14 | LUNCHING — ref ‘no such thing as a free lunch’ |
| 20 | MARATHON — it seems that the battle of Marathon was an improbable victory |
| 23 | LOCK — gridlock/deadlock both mean impasse |
| 24 | BOXING RING — 2 defs |
| 28 | SQUARE THE CIRCLE — referring to the fact that a boxing ring, despite the word ‘ring’, is a square, although it all seems a bit vague and probably I haven’t understood it all |
| 29 | DEAD — 2 defs, the second one referring to the fact that when a (typically rugby) ball is out of play it is said to be dead |
| 30 | troublesOME LETTEr; 1,12: breaking eggs |
| Down | |
| 2 | RE TRAIN |
| 3 | A L EPH |
| 4 | IMMINENT — (min{u}te min)* |
| 5 | GO OGLE |
| 6 | musiC AS Heard |
| 7 | UN(BEG)UN |
| 8 | E{nhance}D I{ndependen}T |
| 9 | GERSHWIN — (wh{o})rev. in (singer)* |
| 13 | workS OF Art |
| 14 | LIT T(L)EST |
| 15 | HIKE — 2 defs |
| 17 | BA(LINE)SE |
| 19 | IN CLU({crosswor}D)E |
| 21 | HAIR CUT |
| 22 | TOO-TOO — “tutu” |
| 25 | G(U)IDE |
| 26 | GREY — “Gray” as in Gray’s Anatomy |
| 27 | G RID |
John
28a is another ‘impossibility’. ‘Squaring the circle’ is defined in Chambers as ‘any impossible task’ which is derived from ‘finding a square of the same area as a circle, which for hundreds of years was attempted by Euclidean means (ie with straight-edge and compass) until in 1882 it was proved impossible’
While it may be true that you can’t teach your old grandmother to suck new eggs, I think 12ac had more to do with the impossibility of making a 30ac without breaking them.
A nice puzzle, as always from Virgilius, but I wonder if I was the only one who was held up for a while on account of having entered “step” for 15D?
Richard
You were not alone. I had to rub out step when tricks wouldn’t fit. I think hike is a better answer to the clue but step does comply as well.
No, but I had BEAT at 29ac briefly.
I really enjoyed this puzzle. I completely missed the theme, but then I rarely think to look for those. My pen also hovered over “step” but fortunately I managed to resist the temptation until HIKE made itself apparent.
Me too, though the ‘impossibilities’ did eventually shine through the cloud in which I always seem to find myself when solving these ‘layered’ or themed puzzles. Thank you, John.